PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (From the Daily Southern Cross.) WELLINGTON. Friday.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 205, 2 September 1873, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (From the Daily Southern Cross.) WELLINGTON. Friday.

In tho House of Representatives last night the debate on the Provincial Loan Bill was continued. Mr J. L. Gillies argaed that in former years when the provinces competed for loans tbny paid heavily, and would do so again. He agreed with the borrowing for public works, but thought it should bo done through the General Government He objpcled lo the colony bu) ing a landed estate for the I^orth Island to rai*e money on. The poboy of the Government wns borrowing for any emergency, and trimming its sails The wealthy provinces would be left without population, ami without tho inean9 to induce it. The Government was nfiaid to tackle the land question. The proposals of the Government were unsound. The House and country would admit this before long. The idea that the colony could divest itself of the responsibility for the provincial loans was untenable. Mr Wob&ter dosired to record a solomn protest ii^iunst the reinitiation of the scheme stopped years ago, and against which Mr Vogel was a most earnest and able opfoncnt. He admired the audacity of the Premier in bringing down the bill so totally opposed to his fonnerlvexpressed opinion. If the provinces were to borrow for themselves, in their agony and starvation thoy would sell debentures for anything, and the colony would have to pay. The Premier was a juggler. He had raised spirits he could not control. To tiitisfj the demands of those, he had thrown everything to thewinda so long as he esoaped with his life The policy was gone, and but the veriest nbred of the bill was before tho House, and of that ho should be ashamed. The land fund should bo colonial revenue, and unless the Government would introduce a comprahonsive measure on the subject, he would as-sist tho Middle Island provinces to keq> their land funds. The Premier wanted baok the bone, as he had no policy now. — Mr Thomson opp >sod the bill. — Mr Seymour didn't wish to oppose the bill,which should begreatlj amendod in committee — Mr Stafford said there was a deep fundamental principlo underlaying tho bill. The Premier had made a most able speech, and he deserved the highest credit for the manner he had eaten the leek of his own planting, watering, and tending. None knew better than the Premier that in tho bill he-was sweeping away the last shred of his original policy. Tho Premier should give tone to the House, but did not The House did not deserve the sweeping condemnation regarding log rolling. The majority in the House were prepared to speak on great questions uninfluenced by the lobbying. The- meeting of a few Canterbury and Otago members hud hoe-n held, but the majority at the meeting did not speak. The committee appointed, however, had done nothing, and no second meeting had been held The proposals of the Government: were unwise, and would place some provinces in unexceptional positions that would render harmonious action on great questions impossible The proposition to relegate the important works to the provinces was unwise, as with small resources an 1 a difficulty in borrowing, just those outlying worka which were necessary would not bo done. With our magnificent sea-boju-d and steam communication, what were called branch radwaj'*, roads, and bridges, and harbours were absolutely more neeessarj' than trunk lines. The Premier had applied to the House- for protection from tho provinces, forgetting that provinces were tho people. In reality it had como to his appealing to the House against the pressure of the people. He had given Mr Vogel support in the carrying out of his policy, and sympathised with him in the faihire-of his policy, which had resulted in nothing but. the wretched proposals before the House, and the itill more wretched bill that had been abandoned. The Premier had travelled in a circle Ho had started a policy, and come to fear tho craving of all sides for borrowing of which he ha I beon warned. If it were good to borrow then borrow at tho ohoapest rate. Whether tho provinces or the colony would borrow the people would pay. Tho Loan Bill .means that if a prorineo wants money it shall pay 10 instead of 4£ per cent, for it, and have tho greatent difficulty even then. It means this or nothing. If ever they expected to see the colony in a happy and prosperous ccmdition so glowingly described by Mr Vogel, the branches must be struck off. Funds must be obtained in the cheapest market. The action and proposals of the Premier made him think the Premier feared a scarcity of money; else why rush into the Australian market fora one-fifth of the loan. It looked like an attempt to provide funds to tide over a periodical panic. The works authorised and contracted for would exhaust the old loan, and the new issue, except £300,000, and yet gaps in the communication would still remain. He sympathised with M r Vogel, who was troubled with jrave doubts as to obtaining money to complete the lailway scheme. — The Minister of Justice sketched the action of the Assembly prior to the restrictions being placed on the Provincial Governments borrowing, and he condemned the restriction which landed the provinces in an impecunious position in the years between 1864 and 1869, when Mr Stafford was in power At length new men with new plans came forward, and society began to recover, which was all due to the fertile brain of the Treasurer, in whose elaborately worked out plan it was impossible to find a blot. Throughout the colony, through the enterprise of general companies being floated, and industries established, the value of land increased. Many objected to the policy, but none brought forward proposals in its place. Thy provinces were independent of the Government, and could borrow as easily as municipalities had done. The trunk line of railways must be done Capital was accumulating at such a rate that money would soon be available for all legitimate woiki. — Mr tthoehan said Mr Bathgate had just delivered one of the most extraordinary speeches ever listened to. Ho then referred to the renovation of the power of the provinces to borrow, but had forgotten to say it remained for the present Ministry to deprive them of a revenue. He refotred sarcastically to the praises auu'^ by Mi Bathg.it u of his colleague. If Mi Vo;<el had given birth to the poliev, Mr Bathgate whs not its sponsor, for -when he came lirat into the House he opposed it thoroughly. The (uguincnt that money was plentiful, if true, removed t\trv objection to tho colony > bonow in-; for tho pro\ met.!-, li th<. measure before the

House bo passed, the would nut got the land for a long while. Tho laud uoild uo 1 mgor bo bought at low rates as had drained hitherto, except thatwhiau was not worth having. The oulony having boon unable to harrow well in Australia, proves tnat the provinces cannot. The attempt to set up the principle that the colony was nob liable for the provincial debts was futile. Provincialiafc na he was, he felt th.it in a few years provincialism would have passed away. Then the colony must take over tho liabilities. The Government proposals appeared to bo suggested by a deaii c to drive the last nail in the provinces' coffin. The Premier's ohanging policy had been 809sional. (Jhaiges of log-rolling uome with bad grace from Mr Vogel. If the provinces could only bo kept alive by the Government's proposals, better let them die. The proposed i]ipo:tionment of the proposed loan of £500,000 was unUir. (Cheers.) At this point the House wanted to adjourn. The Ministers opposed, and on a division, the motion for adjournment was negatived by 27 to 26. Mr Muiray then spoke more than an hour, and asked if Ministers would then adjourn. — Mr McLean said yes. — Mr Murray replied that he had gained his end, and sat down. The debate was adjourned till Monday. In the House to-day the debate on the Provincial Loans Bill was resumed by Mr Gillies. He said the indebtedness of this colsny would bo £17,000,000 when the authorised lino of works wew> completed. Even this will not complete the trunk line portions which nre not even authorised. An indebtedness of £17,000,000 moans an annual charge of £1,000,000. He then dwelt on the financial condition of the vanoui provinces. He said the ordinary revenue of Auckland *was not sufficient to meet the expenses of gaols, hospitals, <feo The change of policy in regard, of oapitation allowance could be vouched for, and, lie said, haying deprived the provinces of their revenue, the Colonial Treasurer now sought to throw back on them portions ot the pubho works hclu'to. Besides, when the colonial scheme of railways is completed they are to be proviucial charges, and thus the colony is to be released of the burden ; and yet this was what the Treasurer called a colonial policy. While talking of the grand policy, the Colonial Treasurer jpl borrows money to g've to the Bond Boards. That survey was not colonial policy. It was the same as the policy of 1870, namely, distributing gifts to purchase totes. Another change of policy was made last night in obedience to the wishes of Hie Canterbury and Otago momberi. Tho Government, in fact, had no policy beyond yielding to pressure. The search after equilibrium of votes was its true name. He was an opponent of provincial borrowing, and the proposal to spend £500,0Q0 in the purchase of land in the North Island was little, while the restriction in the price of laud would prevent sales. The provision that land was to be given as security for works would prevent works being done in the North, as there was no land to give. Referring to the immigration scheme, he said the Government had promised to relieve the provinces of that work. But they were not doing so.— Mr Reader Wood said the proposals for the provincial borrowing were new, and wiappedup with the proposals to borrow £500,000 to obtain a land fund, and that members should not consider their scheme utterly bad. Provincialism in the North had done its work, and should not now be kept alive by borrowing.