HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 973, 17 September 1878, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Fridat. The House met at 2.30. THE SPEAKER. J i On the motion of the Premier, it was ordered that for the remainder of the session Mr Q'Rorke take the chair m. the absence of the Speaker, without obtaining permission. RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS. Mr Murray asked, (1) "If arrange- 1 ments would be made for introducing the American system of baggage checks on New .Zealand railways ; (2) for sale of railway tickets at other than railway stations; also (3) if arrangements would be made with steamship Companies to run at reduced rates between Wellington nnd i Ly ttleton, and whether there wonld be any objection to utilising the Hineaioa for that purpose V Mi* Macandrew said; Government desired to make all improvements possible, and with that view would consult the Commissioners of both Islands. Ah to the second question, arrangements were now being made for the sale of tickets at other than railway stations. As to the other matters inqnired about, he thought it would be better to defer them for for the present. ; COUNTY ;SU?SIDI_ES; On the motion for going into Committee of Sppply, Mr Woolcock raised a question m connection with the finance of the colony, by pointing out that the disbursements being made as aid to counties were, not being expended for the common good of the country. Out of the sum of £113,485 ten Counties received, each of them, for the half-year, leaving the other 42 Counties something over £300 each. The hon. gentleman concluded by moving, " That m the opinion of this House, clause 6 of the Financial Arrangements Act, 1876, Amendment Act, 1877, should be repealed." Mr Bal lance pointed out that last yoar it had been decided that 20 per cent, of the land revenue be handed, over to localities, and when a compact was made with certain portions ef the colony one year, it was not conducive to public confidence ,to upset such a compact the next. The Government were not prepared to accept the amendment. Mr McLean deniod that there had been any compact. An Act had been passed. The working of the 20 per cent, system was giving great satisfaction, and the Government ought to rectify it. Mr Bowen hoped the Government would stand firm, and maintain the 20 per cent., the last rag left by the colonisation of the Land Fund of a principle which had been m operation m the colony for many years. Mr Wakefteld was positively astounded . at what had faj}en from tUe Treasurer

now. and the way m which the Premier spoke of the 20 per cent, arrangement (by saying that it was given reluctantly to those^owners of property, and that somebody&or other had been robbed), he. would point out, was diametrically opposed to what had been stated last year by tjio.Jheii Treasurer He ? aenied\that thei^Brin^iple of "jthe localisation of; the land revenue worfted unfinrjy, and that no ch&nge ought l|gbe map ?■' "\*y . Wiujbaker (said it jfras absurd to •ElUpposefibh'at an^atraa^ement^WntfefedV into by~ttio Treasurer v 'dr any offo else* during one session could bind the fiouse m another session. The Land Fund was made consolidated-revenue, and the Heuse ,qould apply it as it chose from year to 'year. The. KohV gentleman read figures the amounts paid from the Land "Fund "to'the i counties,^ to show 'now unfair tlie ■ system worked :' some counties getting subsidies of thousands and tens of thousands, while; numbers of others received comparatively nothing. He objected to the principle upon which the Government took" away from I*atea 15 per cent, for the construction of a railway. "Why not take away from Ashley and Ashburton the cost of the roads they already had and were using ? If the amendment of the member for Grey Valley was carried, he would move, as an addition, the words, "That the money thdreby available should be appropriated toward the construction and maintenance 6f roads and bridges throughout the colony." Why should some districts be allowed to starve while others rolled m wealth? The Premier made a personal explanation to - shew that the member for Geraldine (Mr Wakefield) had not apprehended correctly his remarks of the previous day, — that what he wanted them to shew was that, by plurality voting, the money that was to be expended waa thrown into the hands of the wealthy classes to disburse, and thit by that means the people were robbed.; Major Atkinson denied there was that landed aristocracy pointed to by the Premier, who, by the way, never shewed Jn what country these landed aristocracy lived. If the Premier had the House and the country, with him to the extent claimed for him, why did he not at once rectify the glaring abuse of the wealthy ..classes spending the money of the great body of the people improperly ? If what the Premier said was true, and- the iniquity was still m existence, the Premier ought to remedy it. The hon. the , Treasurer spoke of the sacrednessof com* pacts, aud he violated the compact. If there were compacts entered into when Patea was created a County, and where the Aotj had been worked very successfully, on what possible pretext did he take away 15 per cent, f — because any money spent on works m the County was not for the benefit of the County, but for the colony. He regretted the motion was brought, because he wanted to ascertain from the Government what they intended to do respecting local bodies. Mr Sheehan thought if they could see into the secret thoughts of the member for Egmont (Major Atkinson), it would be seen that he heartily rejoiced m the action of the Government m regard to Patea. The hon. gentleman earnestly warned the members on his side of the House to beware of the adyice of the Opposition leader and his friends, and not be beguiled into joining the Opposition m an attack upon some point of their policy, m order to bring about a complication or a change of Ministry. If they listened to the advice of the evening, they must tumble into pit-falls. If, on his side of the House, there were men who had suggestions to make m regard to mondifications of the Government policy, let , let them make them, and not herd with the Opposition. Mr Ormond said the Opposition were said to be m a very sickly condition, but to judge by the tone of the speeches of the Premier and Native Minister, it was the Government that was sickly. If the Government were 'strong 1 , how was it they were m session two 'months without any portion of real public business being completed, and any opposition offered them came from their own supporters. 'Ihe Opposition were willing to assist the Government m passing measures embodying the policy of the Premier. But the measures brought down did not bear out what the Premier promised. Why, there was not a rag or vestige of the Premier's great charter of rights, which was manhood suffrage, re-adjnstment of representation according to numbers, a re-adjust-ment of the incidence of taxation m favour of the working man, with one vote and one vote only. As for re-adjustment of taxation, it; was a difficult question to deal with, and the present Government were not able to face it, and he dared them to go to the country upon it. Then, as to plural voting, a state of things under which the Premier said free men should net live, that very principle was retained by the Government. On that, too, he would invite the Government to go to the country. Mr DeLatour said the speech of the member for Clive (Mr Ormond) was a most important one from that side of the House, inasmuch as it gave them an insight into a policy of which the hon. member must be the accredited exponent, " for he had no doubt the hon. gentleman was to be the future head of the Conservative party." ■ Mr Wason replied to several of the statements of Mr DeLatour, and denied that the Opposition had been m the least degree obstructive* • Mr Sutton considered the Government more liberal m promises than m anything else. They were inconsistent, also. While they gloried m putting their foot down against harbor endowments,, they had some hundreds of thousands on their estimates for local works. He held it was the duty of the Government to make some arrangement by which the poor, halfstarved local bodies would be enabled to carry on those works, which were an absolute necessity alike to those districts and the country. Mr Rowe thought that, as the lands of the colony were common property, every part of the colony should participate m the revenue from the land. The amendment was put, and lest by 52 against 11. The House then went into Committee of Supply. Monday, from our special correspondent, Mr Sheehan will deliver his Native Statement to-morrow night. This afternoon, Mr Sheehan received a telegram from Manga (Rewi), m reply to one sent to him on Saturday. It had been stated that Rewi had been asked to return to Waikato before next March, m order to be present amongst his people. He telegraphs: — "In answer to your telegram, asking if I had been requested by my people to return to Waikato before March next, I say that it is true. They have asked me, but I consider there is no necessity for making such a request, and I do not intend to leave this place until you come here again. My word about the Waiapu murder is that your action m that matter is good. lam a man who nevei*, at aiy time, lent myself to murier.

My house, about the building of I which I sent you word some time ago, is no^y,et finished/ ja^uilae^toodlfla^the Beor and |C|jimp:anies, Income Tax Bill will not |gi»Bs, • the, Cfoyern m^ut supporters |bleing a|jfongjy jo^osed! to them. f| jit a new fffiiig: thel^LucWlatilgAsylum, at a pßtof W: