HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2053, 3 September 1885, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TirKSD VY. Tho House m»t at half past two p.m. Replying to J)r. Nbwiihii, if the portions ■if the North Island Mnn Tiunk Kulway, bompr made by Maoris, were offoiod by public tender to Euiwpoans, Mi Richardson leplied in tho negative. He said a small part of the onlrict had been put up for competition amongst the Maori 1 -, and it had been done in a hatnf ictory m.inner. The following bills were introduced : A bill to reduce the number of votes which miy be gnen by any county elector sit any election foi a niomb'i ef a county council. Sir (J. Grey ; Public Revenues Bill, Sir J. Vosjel. Mr Tole moved th" s-coid reidin^'of tin Crimin.d Code Bill. He explained it-, pio visions at some length, stating that it was a consolidation measure w Inch hid pistil tho otlu-i blanch of the Ijj^i-1 ituiii several times. The main feattuo-. had Ik-en drifted by the most eminent Inwyers in K'igla'id. He said that fiom the natuie of the bill it must he tiken largely on trust, and he would ask the Hou-k 1 to s motion it wich >ut debate, so th it it c.mld b ■ considered moie cirefiilly during th» lecoss. After some ducits^i >n the debifo was inteirupted by tho i.alf pi»t five adjournment. The House resumed .it half-pist .se\en p.m. The djbatc o-i tho G'rimin.il Code Bill w.is postponed toenible another older of the day to be brought <>u. Mr L'vestun in >\ed, "That the am "id inent made by the legislative Council in the Kni|)lnymcnt of Fern lie* and Othrii Vet Ani»ndtnent Bill li > agieed to.' 1 Unpointed out tint the pnncipal alteration w.n one to tho effect that females md young persons should be allowed to woik in newspaper olhces till seven o'clock on Siturday*. Mr Biadshnw moved, " That tho anv»ndment bo not ngrerd to, and that h ilf-past finii be substituted for seven. '' The amendment was canied on a diiisiou by 43 to 32, and a committee w ,w appointed to dr.iw up re cons foi disagreeing with th ; Co nifil's amendment. Mr Pyke lesumed the debite on the Crnnin il Code Bill, nnd the Bill was ic.id .1 second tune on the \oicc-.. The House went into committee for fur tliei coiisideiation of the Kiting Act Viuendiueiit Bill, which passed w itli ".nine iddition il < 1 vises. The Bill »as re.id a. thud tune and passed. Mi St nit nio\ed tint th» Lvnd Transfer Bill be recommitted for coiisideiation of A vise I'll, lelating to a cisc wliere any Mini of money h.is been 1 iwfully p ud out of issiii.nic' fund as compensation for loss ictMMone.i by fiaud or erroi, n^lect, onission, or uniepresented on the put of in} pei -on bringitig the Imd under this Vet. Sf\eri' ''unndinpiits were inserted in the ■■1 »n-«e. Tii-llil w.isiep ute 1 uith amend ni'iits. r • id i tlmd ti in*, .md |hs«iml. M.i | n Vtkinso'i iniviid tile l'i'Mii ci what nisuiMi he intend* d procediii^f with this session. Mi Stout «aid h<» h<>it"d •■'> 'w "v''le to po *,liiou<(h all tin* bills on tin- Old. i l'apei by rhee.idof nti\t wt i k He pioposed th it the Hini-e should sit on Satui l.iv for consideration of the l''"di»nti 'ti Resolutions. Mi Stout in >v«»d the r'>aHing of the Propei ty Ass.Msme.it Bill. The bill, he said, was a consolidation <uiM<>uru rel itui},' to the assessment of property foi the Ptopeity Tax. He explained the nature of the amendment, and said whatever opinion might be held by members on the property tax as against the land tax, they niuit all agiee that the present law reouiied amendment Mv \V.vke.fieM ■s.vul he U;\d ivlwtvys been an opponent of the land t.ix, and still opposed it. He contended that it was most unfair for the Premier, under the guise of siippoiting the piopeity tax. to bnnpr down such a bill as tho pi escnt measure. lie ie fened at length to tho propel ty tax, and said the present bill was a fraud, as it was an attempt to impose a land tax. under tho guise of the propei ty tax. He was always of opinion that there should bo no exemptions on the propeity tax, and theio was no reason why thry should not bo abolished. Mr Suttei pointed out se\eral objections to tho Bill. Ho objected altogether to the clause which exempted the property of the natives fiom the operation of tho Bill. Mi Pyke objected to the small piopertyowners paying nothing to the State. Ho said th.it the clause whicli exempted the Maoris from taxation ought to be struck out, and they should bo in.ido to pay for tho benefits of ciwli/ation. He would move, if no one else did so, that the Maoii should be made to pay under tho Bill, also that there should be no exemptions. Mi Downie Stewait -..ud that when tho Pioperty Tax Bill was passed every meinbor ga\c expiession to his paiticular mows on it, and if the .same com so wero followed now, it would take r fortnight or threo weeks to get the Bill through. Theio were se\eial debatable qustions in the Bill. He would not be piopared to say theie should be no exemptions, but ho should advocate that tho exemption should be £300. Mr Buchanan said he had always •pposed a land tax because ho thought tho propeity t.ix was about the faiiest system of dneet tixationthnt could bo imposed. He had also be mi in fawtiu of the t">00 exemption, but he thought it might well be cmisidcied now whether the exemption might not bo i educed. Mi W. Y. Buokland intended to vote against the second leading of the bill. He said e\eiy clause of the bill bustled with tiesli taxation, and the bill also did away with the seciecy that was pi evened by the original bill as to tho property of individuals. He was altogether opposed to a

land tax as against a propei ty t&x. If the bill g(it into committee, ho should vote for a small reducti<in on agricultural implements. ALijnr Atkinson said the bill might be looked on a 1 * a useful consolidating bill, or as a bastard land tax. Hoping to be able m committee to strike out the objectionable features of the bill, ho would mipport the second reading. He had felt Kotnewhat disappointed that tho Premier had shown no reason fur th" extraordinary exemptions he proposed \<\ the bill. He thought the House would not be doing its duty in reading the bill ?i •second time unless they wore told how much the revenue would suffer by the exemptions under tli 1-. bill. i)r. Newman said tho bill seemed a very extraordinary one, when they remembered the speeches they heaid List year. They woie then told they would not have either a propei ty tax or a land tax. He suggested that the bill should be called a Land and Property Tax Bill. Colonel Tumble protected against the proposed sy-tein of exemption. Mr Samuel disagreed with the clau.se which proposed to tjx insurances companies. Captain Russell protested against the principle of bringing down a consolidating measure when tho ani"iidment involved something more thin was apparent. He objected to the exempti mi in tigricultur.il improvements. Mr Stout said tho main objection to tho bill was in respect to tho exemptions, bat he contended th.it pastoral and agricultural interests would ho pi iced on an equality. He pointed out th it moitgages weie not oxompt, and £>00 was not too laige for general exemption. In reply to Mr Korr, Mr Stout said that to tax Maori property would be to discourage settlement, bociuso the Maoris would not individual ise their titles. It would be impossible to estimate the lo<<s to the revenue by the bill, but the amount of taxable propei ty would not be decreased by the bill, because other things were bi ought under the tax. The scemd reading was cariied on tho voices. The House rose at 1 a.m. The House met at 2.30. Replying to questions, it was stated that the cucular issued by the Colonial S 'ciet.iry to managers of newspapers on the i)th M\y last was simply to check the accounts for ads ert'sements sent in to the department. It ivas not at all ccitain that an advantage would be guned by giving the advoitiseniants to the lowest tundereis ; that (to\ eminent intended to hold an enquiry into the c induct of .im Assessor who vva-s eh irged by the Chief Judge of tho Xative Linds C >nrt with having received pecunimy accom modation from a por-on named Moon. There was some difficulty connected with the matter, as it had been shown that the assessor's award in the case lefeired to w.is a proper one, and that justice had been done. Sir J. Vogel moved that the Fn«ndly Soueties Act AtnMi luv>,ut Bdl bj dis chaiged fiom thi Ordei Paper. Agieed to. The House went mt > C iin-nittao on tin Auckland Rvilw.iy L%n 1 Co.upjiiiition Bill, which passed with >ut aminiin mt. The Hou->e went into C >iuinitti>e on the Counties Act Amendment Bill. A lengthy discussion ensued on clause 2, providing tint new cmntbs are to be cre.iteii by special act. Mr Buch man iinvod that no new counties should be constituted, except undsr provisions of cl viisc ~> of the C unties Act, 18C0. The amendment wa< lost on the voices. Mr Hurst moved to stnke out the words "nothing hjiein cmtmi'd s'nll prevent any unioii of existing or future countros "' The amendment was lost on a division by 43 to 21. Clause 2 was put and carried by 43 to 22. The House roso at 5.30 p m. The House lesiimed at 7.30 p.m. In c immitt"e on the Counties Act Amendment Bill, on clause 5 b^ing reached, pio\ idmg th it the opoiation of tho act is not to bj suspended in future, Mr Hurst moved that th-i Chairman leave the chair. After some discussion the notion was negitived on the voices. The clnisc wis ciaricdby 3(i to 33. In ul nisi* (!, piovidma; tli it the counties of Eden, Manukan, Raglan, Mailobromugh, Ashley and Peninsula shall be suspended fiom the opei ition of tlie act, Mi Hurst in >ye 1 th it th » clvis-j b^ struck out, which was losfc by .10 to 30. Mr McArthur moved that the portion of the cluisi bj struc'v out which piovided that the c )iincil in ly petition for the reversion of the act. Th; amendment was lost on the voices. In clause 11, providing that the chairman be elected by county elects annuilly, Mr Stout slid he had iccened a luge nu nbei of letteis fiom c unity c uincils on tliis subject, and he w.is b und to s.iy th ■>' ne irly all opposed it. He was prepared in cons >quence to eliminate this provision. Mi Dnrguille sud if the opini >ns of tho ratepiyeis themselves wete a<-ked they would It altogether in favour of the election of a chairman by themselves. Mi Buclun in <rtid he diffeied altogether fiom this sentiment. II j wo.ilil sp-alc for In* own district, th it the. electors were op po-<ed to the pioposil. Mr Donald Reed m >ved to stiike out the woid», "Tho county electors of eveiy county shall elect the eh iiiinan." The amendment w is cunedby "»2 to 21. Seveial clauses were struck out on Mr Stout's motion. Clauses 2S, 20 and 30 were postponed nftor a long discussion. In cliuse 31, piovidm^ tint c uincillors .-lull ba liable for mm >y lMegilly borrowed, Col. Tiimble moved that the penalty for which c mncillors sh ill hi lnbl» for this oifonco ihill bs il2o msto.id of i'JOJ. Agieed to. Mi .r. S. Richard-ion moved a fuitlier amendmont m tho claiisD to stukc out the words "and all m mcys hi illegally bu lowed sh ill lie a debt dv» to the countiy fr >:n eich iii > tnbjr of tie council who consentid to such b irrowing, and wly bo re covered in any court of c impotent jurisdiction " Tho amendment was lo^t on a devision by 33 to 2S. Cl.itise 3") limiting the b-uik ovei«,r»ft, ehcitel a lengthy debite, but was eventually stiuck out on tlu voices. Several othci clauses hiving boon pissed, Mr Stout moved to report progress on the bill. Agreed to. The Hoa«n went into committee on the Prwpei ty Assessment Bill. Clause 2, inteipietation clause, was postponed. [L«ft ttittinu.]