PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2983, 27 August 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TUESDAY. The Council mot at half-past two. Tho Consolidated Stock Hill and the Wellington Eiectric Lighting Bill pawned their final stages. Tho Colonial Secretary moved tho second reading of the Land and Income Assess mont Dill. Sir George Whitmorc criticised the Bill not altjgether unfavourably ; but ho did not think such a change in the incidence of taxation had been demanded by the country. The debate was adjourned till next day. The Book Purchasers' Protection Bill was read a second time. WEDNESDAY. The Council met at 2.30. Mr McLean resumed the debate on tho second reading of the Land and Income Assessment Bill, deprecating these frequent changes in the incidence of taxation. He characterised the small farmers as tho slaves of the town folks, many of them working from dawn to dark for two shillings per-Jay. The Bill was not required by the country. Mr Pharazyn opposed tho Bill, and prodieted that if it passed it would lock up capital and havo the fclfeot. of lowerim' wages. Tho bursting-up policy was folly, as it would assuredly drivo away capital from the colony. Mr Shrims'ki supported tho Bill and condemned the Property Tax. Mr Stevens reviewed the Bill in a hostile spirit, and suggested that the Government should withdraw the measure and bring down a Land and Income Tax pure and simple. At 5 o'clock the Council adjourned till 7.30. The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m. Messrs Bowen, Reynolds, Bermcoat and Dr (rrac-e opposed the Bill, contending that it would cause capitalists to button their pockets. Mr Stewart considered the Bill was a Chinese puzzle. The Bill was then re.d a second time on the voices, and ordered to bo committed on the foil iwing day. The Council rose at il.lo p.m. HOUSE OF KEPKESEXTATIVES. After the Telegraph Office closod on Monday night the motion for the second reading of the Femalo Suffrage Bdl was carried by 33 to 8 Ayes (33).—Ballance, Brvcc, Buchanan, Buckland.Buick, Cadman, Duncan, Duthie, Etrnshaw, Fraser, Hall, Hall-Jones, Harkness, W. Hutchison, Joyce, Kelly. W. Kelly, Macdonald, T. Mackenzie, McGuire Meredith, C. 11. Mills, Moore, O'Connr, Palmer, Percival, Pinkorton. Reeves. R. IL J., Reeves, W. P., Saunders, Shorn, Tanner, Wright. Noes (8). —Blake, Carncrnss, Dawson, Pish, Fisher, Kapa, Swan, Valentine. Mr Ballance said ho should ask that tho Bill be committod on Wednesday, and he should then take charge of the Bill himself as a Government measure. On the question being put that the House do now adjourn, Mr Fish said he was utterly disgusted with the conduct of the Government over the Bill that had just been read a second time. Even the Government whip had deceived him over tho matter, and he should now walk across the House and refuse to support tho Government any longer. Ho had no sympathy with the other side of the Mouse or with Sir John Hall, but if Mr Itolleston lod a Middle Party, and moved a vote of no confidence in the Government ho should vote for it. Mr Ballance refused to beli.n-o that tho whips had done anythir.g wrong over the Bill. Tho question w is not a party one at all, and ho considered Mr Pish had no right to make such reckless charges. The Huu.se rose at 1.30 a.m. TUESDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Rces gave notice to move on going ntn Committee of Supply a resolution in favour of giving the Vstile railway system a trial in the Auckland district. Replying to Mr Bryce, Mr Ballance said the Government had not yet decided who was to be AgenlGoneral, but as soon as the selection was made the Ministry would take tho House into their confidence. Mr Bryce said he saw no use in the Governinent consulting the House after the appointment was made. What he contended was that the House should be taken into the confidence of tho Government before it was made. Mr Cadman, in moving the second reading of the Native Land Bill, said he understood there was a consensus of opinion that tho debate on the moasure .should take place on its committal after it came back foni the Native Affairs Committee. He said he had come to the conclusion tint the Legislature could not possibly mako matters in connection with native lands than they wete at present, and the Government, therefore, had determined to bring the whole of tho native land legislation into one I'ill, which would cover tho whole procedure affecting Maori lands. Among tho provisions of the Bill was one to tho effect that no blocks of land of a greater area than 0000 acres could be dealt with by private individuals. Mr Bryce and other members of tho Opposition took exception to the unfah constitution of the Native Affairs Committee, which, they stated, possessed such a largo majority of Government supporters that it would be useless to attempt any alteration in a Bill of this nature. Mr Taipua said the natives were strongly opposed to the measure in its present state, and he thought it should be postponed till next session. Tho motion for the second reading was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to a select committee. Tho Mining Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr Dnthio resumed the debits on the proposed address (o the Government to remove It. C. Hamerton from his oflice as Public Trustee. Ho said ho had been authorised by Captain Russell, who was absent on leave, t.i withdraw the amendment he had moved la-t week. Air Joyce moved another amendment, to the effect that on Mr Hamerton resigning Irs oftice as Public Trustee, a Bill bo brought in authorising the payment to him of a pension of £i">o per annum. As the I P-.'b'ita Accounts Committee h.. L ' affirm. I j the principle that Mr Hamerton should re- | ceive a pension, ic only remained for the

I|..u.'<! to liv tlii! amount i.f l!i it |ii-'ii-'iiii. Mr Hainerton wan nnw totnl" I i»j fii'.O pension ; lint ho I, ~| mm- •! Mm (Mi Joyce) tli.it afternoon U; it I.•■ wis willing tn resign nllice provided he raviied smie littlo justice. Mr Duthie, in secondm;.' Mi" amendim'tit, pointed out that'Mr Hani"! ton had h. -en L'li years m tin; C.uvenimcnt service, nut i.f which ho hri'l only nan in'm'.!■'■> I'm..' f abseiic, and that showed In: Ind faithfully aM-ndoil tnllio duties ..f M-; ..Hi'". Mr liallane) remind."! th" If >u-e tint under tlii! recommendation of tin: l'ub'io Accounts Committee Mr I To met L- .n u'onl.l only he paid L'l'rJ per annum as a poi-nni. Mr Ji.yen's aiinnidiii"nl was, th"iofnre, a compromise. If tint annoi burnt worn adopted the Covernmenl. ivmiiil u it. ot course, proceed any further in tin 1 matter, and would hi inor in a Hill tn privo effect to t, Takinp all tho circumstances into consideration, In; tlnm-lit, tho I louse could not do hotter than :i";ree to tin: ani-iidni'Mit. Mr Saunders, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, .strongly opposed Mr Joyce's aineiulmoii'. Mr Hryco thought Mr Iltimertnn had not been fairly treated, and he would support tlii! amendment, as it appeared to him to 1m a reasonable comproini-:e. Mr Mucdondd, who was one of the Public Trust Couimis-ioners, s-,,|,j |„, H !imid nut vote for either motion or amendment, as he intended to preserve a strictly impara 1 attitude on the question, Mr Joyce's amendment wis put and carried by '_'t to lii. and on its put as tho substantive question, Mr Duncan moved that. Mi ■ amount of ho pension bo reduced from fjof) to r2OO, and in dninpf sn he said this was niiu of the ui'ipt disgraceful things that hid ever 'occurred in the House, by the incentive thus oll'ered tn other Civil servants to mismanage their departments. Mr Fish also protested iifMinsl the payment of this amount to Mr liamerton, and said the Premier by his attitude on tlii--question had truno a lone; way Inwards wreckinu' tin) l'overnm"nl part v. Mr 11. Thompson felt that the division just taken would tend pr-atly to .lenioral'se the Civil Service of the clouy. Mr Duncan's amendment was Inst by 40 to I'i, and the n-iulutinii in f ivour of t'r.o £250 pension was then agreed to. Tho House rose at-J .'!0 a.in. WEDXKSDAY. Tho House met at L'.MO. Mr McCuire resumed the debate on the question that the report nf the New Plymouth Harbour Board Committee tie referred to tin) Covernment with a view to effect beiii" given to the recommendations of the Committee. He said he had always been opposed to the harbour beim,' made at New Plymouth but he tlmueht it was not fair seliinp; the harbour which had been constructed, to secure peace and honour to the colony, and that the Taranald district should be made to bear tho whole of the burden and he trusted the House would come forward to assist the stniiwlin:,' settlers of Taranaki to meet their encrajremont.

Mr Hallanco pointed nut that if tliclfuse agreed to ths recommendations of tlrs Committee it, would nr.'au th:\t the c. >lo;iy should take over the debt of the Xew Plymouth If.irbimr Houd. if the Covernmont began to negotiate with the bondholders at all they would have to t a!;e tho entire responsibi'hy of the liability uud in event of that viming about every other harbour bonrd in the colony wouid applv ( " •■I" 1 Government t» take over their liabiliii'S nlso. Ttie ipirstion might farther ari-e as to whether or not the Government should take nvei' the liabilities of all local bodies of the colony. This matter was very serious and the only remedy he could surest was the appointing of an impartial tribunal to c-.tisido-r some mode of relief to be [uvea to the Harbour Hoard, n it in the direction of taking over the liabilities, but with a view to relieve the Hoard from its present position which reflected more or less in the colony as a whole. Mr Rolleston agreed with the Premier that it would not be wise for the House to pass this resolution. Several other members also spoke, the debate being interrupted by the a,30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Outline moved an amendment affecting that the House should not aereo with the proposal of the committee to communicate with the bondholders of the Xpw Plymouth Harbour Hoard, but that if the Hoard could satisfactorily recast its bilanco, the House would agree to pay over the proportion ultimately accruing on all lands already disposed of, le-s to LI 5, and any other amount due by the Hoard to the colony, and also advance £..0,000 at P, per cent per annum, to bo paid out of the lirst proceeds and future sales of the Hoard's endowments, all such advances to be'usod iu discharging tho Harbour Hoard's present indebtedness. After a considerable debate, Air Duthie's amendment was lost, and the motion to refer the report of ths committee to the Government was carried on the voices. [Left sitting.]