HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2804, 3 July 1890, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WF.DNHSDA Y. The House met at p.m. Mr Kerr resumed the debate on the Financial Statement, dealing with the Premier's absence. Ho contended that if he was nuablo to lead the House he should not retain the position of head of the Government. llis opinion was that if the Premier was well enough to take his seat 011 the Treasury benches, the present No-ConKdenco motion would lie easily carried. It was nnthiijf,' but sympathy that induced members to support the (-ioverument at the pu-scnl time. 11l the course of his remarks ho blamed the ('internment for the stagnation that existed in Nelson, that province never having participated 111 the borrowed money.

Mr llobbs questioned whether Mr I'.allanco if ho carried his motion would be able to carry out its terms. From his experience of that lion, gentleman he had 110 confidence whatever that ho would bo able to do anything of the kind. As to pi image duty there was 110 doubt that several Got eminent suppoiters were averse to a continuance of that duty, and ho understood the t lovernment would not press it but would leave it to the House. Referring to the Froperty-tax, his opinion was that a chango in tho system of taxation at present would bo vary injurious, and lion, members who talked about such a change without providing any substitute for it in the shape of loss of revenue, wero adopting a very mischievous course. The Opposition did not want to carry their motion, and it was only moved to harden up their supporters and to givo them a cry to go to the country with. Tho motion that the House go into COlll- - was tli'Mi put, and carried by 08 to U'J, .Mr iJ.illance's amendment being lost. The following is the division list : - Foil Govekxjikn"! : (US): Avi:s.—Allen, Arthur, Bruce, J.'ryco, Cowan, I )odsoo, Fergus, llarkness, He-lop. Itobbs, Hodgkinson, Humphreys, l/.uil, Luvry, Macarthur, McKonzio (Mt Idai, Marchant, McGregor, Mitclißlsnn, Moat, Monk, Newman, O'Connor, I'encck, Rhodes, Ross, Russell, Samuel, Saunders, Seymour Stewart W, IX (Dun'din West), Tanner, Thomson R. (Marsden) Thomson (Auckland North), Whyte, Wilson, Withy.

Foit Oitosition" Hit!): Noks.— Ballanco, Karon, IJlake, Ruxton, Cadnian, Duncan, Fi.h, Fitchott, Fitzhuibert, Frascr, Co',die, (!rey, (luinoess, Hutchison, .loyce, Ivellv, Kerr, Lance, Larnach, Loughrey, McKenzio (Waihemo), Moss, l'ercival, Reeves (Inangahua), Richardson! (Kaiapoi), Smith. Stewart (Waimate), Taylor, rurnbull, Verrall. Walker. Ward. Fairs for Government : Richardson G. F. Anderson, against Government, Feldwick Grimmond, Mr Fish said it was quite possible that had the debate been continued tho result might havo been tho same, but ho could not help remarking 011 the extraordinary management that had allowed the debate to collapse as it had done. He held that the strong impeachment »f the Government made by the member for Wanganui required that the charges made against them should bo answered, and the Government had done themselves an injustice in not replying to them. He spoko at great length against tho administrati-m of the Government, and said he had been compelled to sever his connoction with tho Government, and vote against thoin, in consequence of tho arrangement entered into owing to tho state of the Premier's health.

Mr Peacock thought that the fact of the Treasurer being able to pay olf some of the liabilities of the colony was a, result he should gain credit for, and it should undoubtedly bo regarded a* a surplus. The House adjourned at 5.1(0. The House resumed at 7.Ill) p.m. Mr Bryce said Mr JJallance's amendment had placed hini in considerable difficulty. He had intended, and still intended, to criticise tlio financial policy of the (ioveniineiit, but ho thought it was his duty to oppose any \Y r ant-of-Conlideneo motion brought forward by Mr Balance, and suppoited by his party, let the conse(piences be what they might. Mr liallnnce, in his speech, had not shown in any decree how further retrenchment conld be effected; in fact he could not do so, as it was altogether foreign to his nature. He had made a good deal of the fact that tile Premier was outside the House, but ho omitted to state that thero was the leader of the Opposition also outside the House, and he (Mr Bryce) thought the amendment had been drafted by that leader. As to the Financial .Statement, although he agreed that it was no complete and oxcellent that he who knew how to read it would be able to gather the condition of the colony from it, still he was not satisfied to look at the policy and lhe condition of tho country in the light that it was set. forth in the Statement. He regretted that the I'ublic Works Statement was not brought down at

the same tuna as Uie Budget, as both wore so interwoven that it was difficult to deal with them separately. It was stated ir> the Statement that the Government did not intend to borrow for opening up Crown land, but fie thought if oonwing was at all justifiable, it was for that very purpose. There was to bo no borrowing as far aa words went, but the policy nf the country was leading them straight on to another loan or worse, and in that point, of view, it seemed to him highly unsatisfactory, as they wern going to borrow in an indirect way, which was much more objectionable. From this point of view the surplus was not a real one. Ho did not deny that it was a surplus so far as present accounts went, but if they were to regard it as a matter of reality taking thu future as well as the present, he denied it. There was no concealment of the position in the (Statement. What he complained of was that the mode by which they were to arrive at sound finances was not stated, and if theie was any surplus at all, it was because the charges which ought to be borne by the revenue were borno out of loan and not reveuuo. He was as much agaiu>t borrowing as any man, but if he had to take his choice betweon the issue of tho deficiency bills and direct loan, he would accept the loan. If people insisted upon expenditure, and not upon retrenchment, let the position be put fairly before them, so that they could face tlie consequence, lie again wished to say that notwithstanding his adverse comments, the present Government had gone further n tlie direction of good finance than any (internment for many years past. Mr Hutchinson pointed out that despite all the boasting about retrenchment, theru were no less than 113 extra officials in the Government Department for the last twelve months. He characterised tho surplus as a hollow sham from beginning to end, and it never existed. Referring to tho Federation Conference at Molboune he thought the Government were wanting in courtesy to the leader of the Opposition in not consulting that gentleman as to choice of delegates, he spoke at length 011 the raising of the last loan by which he asserted the colony lost £100,000 owing to the manner in which it was raised, and he charged the Government with having instructed tho A?entGeneral to enlarge on the position of the Bmk of Now Zealand in order that the loan might be floated. He strongly condemned the action of Government in having assisted the Now Plymouth Harbour Hoard in the recess to the extent of &4'.)!)2, notwithstanding that the House had emphatically decided last session against any such assistance being given. During tho next two years sums amounting to ovur five millions had to be met, and yet tliey were told that they were to have no more borrowing. These, with the amount thrown on tho colony Ly the New Plymouth Board and other charges, would necessitate borrowing in the London market within two years of no less than eight milium? of money. He ventured to assert that the present Ministry, although they had a majority in the House, had not a majority outside, and that they would be condemned at tho hustings for their illegal action and administration. Mr Fergus said that even allowing for Mr Ballance's figures, there was a surplus left iu the Treasury of £33,000. Mr liallance had found fault with the Government for their largo defenco expenditure, but ho would remind Hon. gentleman that during the time of the panic he himself had committed the colony to an expenditure of about t'JOO,OOO for defence purposes. He considered tho Financial Statement the ablest ono that had ever been placed before tho colony and 'one that had given the people outside the colony the fullest information aa to its position and resources, he did not agree with .Mr Bryce's contention that the surplus was not a real one, because it did not provide for the future. The statemont referred simply to tho past year, and clearly showed a surplus. Ho regretted the debate could not be curried on without reference to certain financial institutions, as Mr Hutchinson had induced in, if that was a specimen of the politicians who were to rule the future, all he could say was heaven help tho country.

Mr Stewart (Wuimate) compared Mr Ferirns' speech to that of an advocate lather than of the Minister of the Grown, who had important matteis to refer to. Ho had twitted Mr liallance in the expending ot £ 1011,000 on Defence, but he wished toremind the House that this expenditure was undertaken with its full concurrence, and he held that the circumstances of the time fullv justified it.

Mr llhodes moved tlio adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 12 p.m.