PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] TUESDAYS' SITTING.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1249, 1 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. [UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] TUESDAYS' SITTING.

Wellington, Tuesday. NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. The no-confidence debate was resumed by Mr Speight, who hoped the Colonial Secretary would soon find himself associated with those who were more in accord with his feelings as shown by what transpired on Friday night. The Colonial Treasurer appeared to himself the sole power of understanding the finances of the country. The faot was that if he could finance for the present, he appeared to oare very little about the future. Ho objected to the scheme proposed for local finances. There was nothing broad or comprehensible in it. He opposed the Board for local works. It would have been more honest if he had said frankly, "We can give you the subsidies no longer," and left the thing there. It was out of the question to talk about reducing the Estimates. It would have to be done by the Government itself. They had been told by the Government that this reduction could not be made this hession, but that it would be attempted during the recess. That was simply locking the door after the horse was stolen It would have to be done, and done at once. Mr Fulton made a few preliminary remarks in support of the Government, which were interrupted by the 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Fui/ton resumed the debate. Alluding to the property tax, he said iv hi>d been objected to on the ground that it presented inducements for dishon3sty. He scouted the idea that for the sake of a paltrj saving that would thereby be effected, the community, or any peroeptible number thereof, would act in such a way. The only thing he blamed the Government for was not having stood fii m and immovable in their proposals as generally made. The Treasurer had acted rightly in making known the true facts of fhe case regarding' the financial condition. xJy that means, the country at large would be better enabled to 6ee the true, f.icts of the situation, and in that way moderate the demands that have hicherto been exorbitant. Major Te Wheoro argued that a medium form of taxation should be imposed at first, until the population became better acquainted with the prooess, after which they might increase the amount, rty that means, they would serve their purposes, and at the same time keep the population from leaving the colony. Mr. Gebbs thought that it was wrong to make so many exceptions undir the property tax. With the principle of the tax, however, he agreed. Mr. Tainui said the imposition of the tax on Native lands would entail great hardship on the Natives. He condemued the Native Bill proposed to be brought forward. Mr. Andrews supported the land tax, contending that they had made roads, harbours, &c, not for the benefit of property as defined by the property tax, but for the benefit of the land. It had been alleged that ample provisions existed for secreoy under the valuations of the property tax. He knew differently. In his own case, one of these valuators or assessors had waited upon him. He was a seedy individual, what he would call a • ' half-pint man, '' and that individual questioned him as to the value of his property, tke burden on it, and held by whom. It was carefully noted down. He had no hesita.ion in saying that for a few shillings he could have got out of that individual whatever information he might require. That was what they called ample provision for secreoy. He approved of the beer tax. Two-thirds of the lunacy, the crime and pauperism, of the land was occasioned by the use of drinfc, and it wo,s only right that i should be taxed for the maintenance of the misery it had been instrumental in making. He advocated the extension of the stamp duties, so that everyone receiving from £1 to £5, pay one penny, and so on, an additional penny being charged for every additional £5. He contended that tb.6 business of the country should be conducted more on the principle of a private firm than it was. He instanced the Land Transfer Department, Wellington. It cost the sum of £1770 for a year, and its revenue did not exceed the modest sum of £2030. It was the Government that would have to do the work of retrenchment. It could not be delayed. The country would be up in arms against the existing outrageous state of things at a time when they had so many unemployed claims to look to. He next objected to the Hansard, £6000 ,as a most expensive and at the same time unnecessaryluxury He did not agree with the proposal not to borrow any more. What he wanted to see was that the borrowed money should be judiciously expended' He was now of opinion that they had never had anyone in the colony li ye Sir Julius Vogel. He had a scheme, but he was never allowed te carry it out. _is bcheine was that those districts which had them should be made to pay for the railways. Mr. Allwright said he had some experience ot what was known as the great Liberal party, ami he concluded that the followers of this Government were in reality the only true Liberals. The last Government had been very liberal in swamping the colony with immigrants. Hence all this cry about the want of employment. Last session he had voted against the property tax. He was told by the party with whom he was associated what misled him, they telling him that the deficiency in the colonial finance was not what it was represented to be. He found, however, that it was even greater than had been represented He did not like the property tax, but, in the circumstances, it was the fairest that could be got. Mr. Maclean ridiculed the idea of a debate of no confidence going on with no fewer than 15 pairs stuck up. That showed how little interest was taken in the matter. He had hoped they would join in the endeavour to set matters right, but that was not the case. Those gentlemen on the other side were too fond of place and pay, to admit of their doing anything of the kind. Last seasion the lobbies of the House were perfectly thronged by the hangers-on of the late Government. If they looked at the state of the lobbies now they would see a very different state of things. It would have paid the colony to have given the members of the late Government £2,000,000, and sent them away altogether out of the colony. He denied that the Customs taxation pressed heavily on the poorer classes. He was not going to be frightened out of the colony, but would pay what taxes might be necessary, and stick to the colony, and so would others. He was sure the special circumstances named would alone make him support the beer tax. It was utterly impracticable to reduce. The real way to save was to alter the system, and assimilate it to a mercantile one. This could only be done during the recess. The volunteer expenditure must be reduced. The West Coast defence expenditure was necessary, and could not safely be reduced at present. He believed in rednciug the honorarium by ow-half, aad

reducing- the salaries of the Legislative officers to the statutory amounts. If they continued to give the subsidies to counties and boroughs, they would be much further to the oad. Regarding the comments made upon the Native Lands Bill, it had been said that it would hang up settlement. If it did, it would at least have the good effect of freeing the Government from these lands. It would bring the natives to sell their land, and tbere would be a percentage of it for road-making. The House adjourned at 12 30 a.m.