PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2990, 12 September 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. FRIDAY. After the telegraph otliee closed this morning, Mr Duncan's niiKiidment to tin. , Payment of Members Bill, proposing to rW payment at £210, was rejected by 30 to 21. Clauso it, which provides that payments should not bo anticipated, pledgod, not seized in execution, was struck out on the voices. A provision was inserted to the eifecl that any Legislative Councillors absent for a whole session should receive no payment fiom the date of the proclamation convening Parliament till the issue of tho proclamation convening the next ensuing session. On tho motion for the third reading, Mr McGuiro moved as an amendment that it be road a third time that dav six months, which after a long debate was lost by HO to M. The third reading was then agiood to, and the Bill passed. The Public Trust Hill, Small Biids Nuisance Bill, and tho Stamp Act Amendment Bill passed thoir final stages, and tho House rose at 3.30 a.m. The House met at 2.:i0 p.m. The Public Accounts Committee reported on Hon. Dr. Pollen's claim for arrears of retiring allowance to the etfect that they saw no reason for altering the report they had formerly furnished on tho question, namely, that the sum of tl3oO Un be paid to the petitioner in satisfaction of his claim and that the report be referred to the Government for their consideration. After a long debate on this motion referring the report to the Government was carried by 27 to 21. It was decided to disagree with the wholo amendments made by the legislative Council in the Selection of Land Revaluation Bill and managers were appointed to confer with the Council. Private Tramways Act Amendment Bill empowering local bodies to construct private tramway lines along paths of streets or roads was c mmiittod without amendment and read a third time and passed. The Land for Settlement Bill was taken in committee when all reference in the measure to native land was struck out. The Native IJill was reported and put through its final stage. The Rabbit Nuisance Amendment Hill was committed, read a third time and passed. The House rose 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. On the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply, Tho Hon. Mr Mitchelson spoke at noino length in ciitieism of tho Public Works Statement. He said he sympathised with the Hon. Mr Soddon in the difficult task he had had to perform in preparing the statement. Especially as he had such a limited amount nf money at his disposal and so many demands made on him. In the allocation of the nion;y available, Mr Seddon had evidently tried to please everybody, but he (Mitchel.ion) thought the wiser plan would have been for the Minister to have acted as his predecessors had done, merely to endeavour to complete lines that were already well advanced. The present Government had laid down a policy of non-bor-rowing, but it was clearly indicated in the Statement that if '.he Government remained in officn they intended to borrow in the L-didon market, and at no distant date, for it was clear that much .of the i:iio!),l% which it was proposed to expend this year would have to come out ot a loan. Ho referred to several of tho paragraphs nf tho Stitement in detail and condemned them as useless. As the money for severalof the works was to be diverted from other unexpended votes. As to the North Island Main Trunk railway, he thought the prosecution of this work at the Wellington end would bo of iinmenso value to the colony, but he regretted the Minister could not sen his way to expend a larger sum on thn Otapfi Central railway, and carry the line as far as the Tiiirei Lake. Mr Geo. Hutchison said, as a matter of fact, the Government were borrowing at present, and borrowing surreptitiously by tha conversion operations now gi.ing on at Home. This operation, he considered, was not only borrowing in another form, but stock-jobbing. and the amount now being converted would no doubt reach a million, he thought the proposal to carry on the Kkctahuna— Woodvillo line from both ends to satisfy some local demanis, he supposed, was perfectly useless and it would require £100,000 to complete tho lin". I)r Newman said it was very evident the money was to be expended where Government supporters were thickest and a particularly case in point was tho Te Aroha line in which the Native Minister and another faithful Government, supporter were interviewed. Mr Seddon has led tho people of the colony to believe he was going to do great things for them but tho fact was he had split votes up so much that nobody would bo satisfied and a irreat portion of money would be spent on unsatisfactory and unproductive works, Mr Hogg looked upon the Statement as a very able effort to meet the position of affairs as they found them in the colony. Ho agreed that the amount set apart for tho Kketahuna-Woodville line was quito inadequate. Mr Fergus thought tho Kofrirnn line should be completed as so <u as possible, and he regretted the Statement provided for the construction of only four miles of that really useful line, and this in the faca of tho fact that £32,000 was to l:e spent on that miserable Te Aroha line. In his opinion the colony was paying dearly for having Mr Seddon in oflice, as his whole aim was to spend public money in districts represented by Ministerial supporters. Ho instanced the Eketahuna-Woodville line, on which it was proposed to spend £17,000 in order to give work to the unemployed in that district, represented by the member for Mastertou as a strong Government supporter. They had been told in the Financial Statementthat4ootlicer? had been dismissed frombrn Public Works Department by which £8000 was saved and only £2000 compensation paid; but that was meant to tickle tho ears nf tho groundlings, as the whole of the salaries of the Public Works Department did not amount to much more than £8000. Colonel Fraser said Mr Fergus had never seen the proposed roate of the Thames-Te Aroha line, and he could not, therefore, know anything about it. Mr Jackson Palmer protested against £11,000 being taken away from the Helensville line, and said he believed the Railway Commissioners had advised the diversion oE the money in consequence of the attitude he had taken up in the House respecting the Commissioners. Mr Richardson declared that Mr Seddon had actually £034,000 at his command, which he did not think agreed with his complaint of scarcity of money. It was evident to him that tho Government were not very secure in their position, and they were determined that if their life was to be short it would be a merry one. flis opinion was that in tho proposals now being made, Ministers were taking a big step in the direction of further borrowing. [Left sitting.!