HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2393, 10 November 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TUESDAY. The House met at half-past two p.m. A considerable amount of business was done, of which the following was the most important. TRIENNIAL TAUI.IAMKNT>. .Mr Samuel gave notice of the introduction of a Bill to repeal the Triennial Parliaments Act of 1871b DHNOM(NATION*AL SCHOOLS. A number of petitions were presented, praying fur State aid to denominational schools. THE MIULANO KAILWAY.

Mr M ard asked if the 1 loveruinont were aware whether the syndicate, with whom iuancial operations are being conducted for the Mi.ilanl HJhvay, have a limited date upon which the negotiations for advancing EJ,000,000 must be c ■ncinded, and if so, whether it is anticipated that, by delaying the dosing of the contract, the negotiations nay fall through ? Major Atkinson said no certain information had been received, but the Government were informed that the syndicate with whom the company was negotiating hail H;<ed a limit of time. He c mid not say what that limit was. THE UOPUN I. Mr Jones asked the IVmor if he would ako further steps to pr *.enl the introduuaon of the codim moth into New Zealand. .Mr Fisher.'aid the question was a serious me, and the Government would consider whether the Act should not be made com* misory, and its administration handed over -o the counties. COUNTRY VOLUNTEER COUPS. Mr Reeves (luangahua) asked the Minis* vr of Defence if there was any truth in the rumour that the Government intend abo iismug all countiy volunteer corps in the colony, by withdrawing the capitation allowances V

Mr Fergus said the Government contemplated making some change in this direction, but the Government had directed General Schaw to make a general report ««f the wholesnbject of defence, and till then it would be premature to say anything further on it. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

On the iiintinii fur going into committee of supply. Sir J. Vogel said he congratulated Major Atkinson <m S' one features of his financial Statement. F'lom a literary in >int of view, he thought it um- one of the jest ever made. It was a clever Statement ir-.mm intellectual point of vie l .., though he could not say it was so from a moral one. He proposed to show the House what a hollow sham most of Mij.r Atkinson’s ■etrenchment was. Ho went into the details of the savings proposed in the Financial Statement at some length, and claimed that had tho Lite G ,^ 0: , ai i.,wod to carry one their prop .sals they would have come out £07,050 better than the Premier could show with all his economies thrown in. He went into the position of tho sinking fund at some length, with respect to the proposal made for reducing the Governor’s salary. He pointed out that in cases where the Governor was asked to visit several parts of the colony, if this reduction were made, he would certainly reply to invitations of this kind that he should pay such visits if votes were passed by the House for that purpose. As to flic reductions in the Ministerial salaries he though' they were excessive. He (Sir Julius Vogel) admitted that Major Atkinson was actuated by a sincere desire for retrenchment. He also disagieed with the proposal o reduce the number of Ministers. As to the honorarium question, he believed that oe majority of members bad expressed •themselves favourable to a reduction, but iie thought it should not extend beyond this Parliament. He should therefore not oppose a Bill for the reduction ot members, seeing the opinion of the people bad been taken on it. He should, however, support the proposal, that those who obtained a majority of votes should be the elect of the people. Referring to the travelling allowances, he agreed with the Premier that a very large amount might be made in that lirection. The late Government had made considerable saving in it. He criticised ■it some length the proposals respecting subsidies to local bodies. They were tid mat £IIO,OOO a year was to be saved on tho education vote. Opinions differed very much as to what would be the sheet of raising the school age to six years. As regards the savings on the railways he said if non-political Boards were introduc'd expenditure would not be reduced. The nun-political Board was not popular in Victoria with the great mass of the people, and it would not be popular liere. The Government, in his opinion, had no lefinite idea of what they proposed to do. What was the reason the Customs revenue was not increased ? It was simply because a weak Government was afraid to bring the question before the House. Ho asserted now that if there had been the smallest prospect of dealing with this question the late Government would not have resigned, but they resigned as they considered that was the quickest way of getting the question dealt with. As to the proposed borrowing, he felt perfectly shocked that the Premier had expressed any doubt about allocating the North Island Trunk loan to the purpose for which it was intended. As to the proposal to borrow a million of money with three years’ guarantee, he warned the House that it was,a very dangerous thing to give Mich a guarantee. The time had come, lie thought, when they should rely more on pißate enterprise than on b orowed money, but he warned the House agaiust a guarantee. He thought half a million was necessary at present, but not more. He would not taunt the Premier with the fall in New Zealand stocks at present. The Financial .Statement had, no doubt, caused a little alarm. He believed that if they faced the market at the proper time they might get a go.>d price for a loan, but he was strongly against the proposal to borrow two millions. With re-reel * ■ i;,. n . he felt convinced the to-i to the proposals of the Government. The country wanted just now a strong Go vernment, and he was of opinion that until a stronger G ..erimieiit w- f .mi d tho the pre-eot borrowing w t’» go on and re trenchm nt would not be made.

Mr Fisimr said the speech ju-tf. was one of the weakest evet delivered by >ir V-<el. He contended tij.it the prop ped by Minister* was <r.eh !»•.• is p m would secure a rever- d «-f tin* j.ojioy of the late Government. Why. the ! tie i b.v-r-i----inent had int iv <cd llw expenditure of (he country by t'loo,ooo a year ! He said the present (iovernrnent had conferred nr*‘at benefits on the community by relieving

iii-ir minds ..j: the .j,:i ..f t nation. H- i. .mt-ri <«ut Slut tli- !,it- TWj.-ut ■•v. :• tli- n. hi- ..j incurringm ,-t m.oi-ti-<i it I * -\; -;.d-tur- ■•! -Jill.i i, v c , a >‘--*i"ii at a tan- wo. n —me, i tii-.r '■■•.•i, ■T- -a. I- i: 11 ■ me- J 11; .t they (■-.•iM n• l ' - n- iii; KI . 11;- M -i-i- in ain iit v H- a lulf-d Hut tii- ~..1;,-, ... yp.,,.. ; ». ** «j ii it-'* v. t* *-j,,|* th»* nn.4--n a .« i. ,a:~- th- Miiii-trv tv»«. hy fj j;-rj -*l. -i.-'T*! t-» t-lf-* t A- >:r J. \ •!*<•>‘it<J'■ iji< i* •:t «*v }» :n tj if sn--rni*.-r w*-»r«- n.t I*' **• -"ij 1 J v. ;i-Ui*-r iii-* _ f -- 'tsr.i h.t-1 M i! al>-n* th** I: ** r v. .’r-:, I t.f U:.> t* .liiip *>j tli f.t-ct ■r*‘. "i- < • ’jj'-ti ; H».« ti-f.-ntj.-i tli*3 l ,:o I J -f tw* (I'iK-miti-nt *>ii , ji - ku t- say that it wi.ulti 1- : • ••• J that tii.* :»:!!•.uni to be ; :ii-!ii t.v- *‘<Jt:c4li-in v-.u* u-..uM n-t

.ii.* -y-t* -ji :,t all. b-it rather •-*r* u^»n it. i:-f. iri..- t<. Sir.f. V. Nts al. ,\:t ti... H.f.i:.- c .. n . tl a 1 th- I.'it.’ic por— he hk- to a-k ianv h-r-c .nei;-d {t.i- -tatene-nt with 111- acton -if his .an G.v.onm-nt U-t year in -M-ii'liiijf „f unaul.Wi-.sl ..v- -- iiuit.ji,- -ii Wii-ti.-r tlie C-n-ni’ii-iit-.vcr.; v.cak -r n /,, he w»s wit mi t!i-v IVCU: str-u- in the c .-mtrv. Mr liali.mw t nti-ii3-.I that .Mr Ki<h<T hnlii.it r-jiii- i t.. ti„- s —d, ..f the late

ir-a- ir-.-r, anil he c .iiihit- J the -taUiinint •II .'in th.lt th-(h.vermii-nt iliil n-t inl-nd t • t"iicJi the -.V.,--- .if M-mkin- men. He u-ava a distinct denial tn the a— rti'.n tliat •Sir K. St.iut had ever ,UUd th.l h- ex!>;ct-d his Mmi-tra- -.v iiM c ,ui6 hack iu .a ii’.unit V- He ciiudeimj-d Ui- r-dneli m of Minister,' salaries. He refeir-d at * uii- J-n-tii t.i the cducatina qu-rti.in, and said l!i- ttMi'-rnm-nt j-r'i-l-.sals iv-re must diilierai in character. He di-f-nd-d the Village Settlements Sdi-nie* and Said there had n-v-r I—n tn-rc |iams taken with any scheme than this to give the fullest inf-.riiiatiaa to the Haase. With reflect to Kail-.vav H I.r is. he said n was n-t a fact that th’.-e I’.mds in \ ict-iria had been an unqualified sn-cess. He tli eight the K iard would not woik at all, and th-re was in occasion to go toother c ’Uiitri-s, to iinjifirt men for this „iii L -e. Ho d-l-ndedins administration of the Native I n-partmeiit, and ref.-ned to the ii i-ition of the land fund at some length. He was also opposed to a reduction of the <bnt;rnor s salary, and he expressed the opinion of many people when ho said a Kill to give -ff-ct to tiiis reduction would not be a-sented to at home. He thought the retrenchment propo-ed by Ministers in many instances was in the wrong ditection. Mr Pearson moved the adjournment of the debate to next sitting day. Agreed to. The House rose at twenty minutes past twelve.