HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIII, Issue 2738, 5 August 1892, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 8.30 p.m NEW BILLS. Several Bills were introduced, among the number being the Divorce Extension and Amendment Bill. SULECT COMMITTEES. Select Committees were Set up to enquire into and report on the claims of old soldiers and volunteers, and to consider all matters pertaining to the agricultural and pastoral industries. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. j Mr McGuire resumed the debate on the Financial 'Statement, He advised the, Minister of Lands not to make any changes | m the land laws or to oppress the small settlers. He would have liked to have , S9en some reduction m taxation on the necessaries of life, and he also thought that it would be wise for the Government to appoint gentlemen to the Upper House, who had served several years m the Lower House, or who had rendered some special services to the country, instead of appointing those who had no claim whatever to a seat m that chamber. Mr Wilson thought that the last speaker's views were so.much m common with those entertained by the Opposition that he was on the wrong side of the House. He had spoken strongly m favour of freehold tenure, and several other Government supporters were known to hold strong views on this question. It was reported that even the Government whip (Mr W. 0. Smith) was greatly averse to doing away with the freehold, and no doubt the Minister for Lands would yet have to give away on the point. He deprecated borrowing from the Trust Funds and said that it would be far better to go openly to the English market for money than m the way proposed by the Govern - ment. . Mr Thompson (Marsden) felt sure that the criticism of the Opposition m the course of the financial debate had left the Government stronger m the House and country. He defended the Government policy, and expressed the opinion that the Financial Statement was on the whole satisfactory to the country. He was strongly m favor of the retention of the freehold. The House adjourned at 5.30 p m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr Taylor spoke strongly m favor bf the Statement. Mr Carncross after defending the proposals of the Government, moved as an amendment to go into Committee of Supply—"That instructions should be given to the " Hansard " reporters not to report any member after he had spoken sixty minutes except m the case of a Minister introducing a Bill, or the leader of the Opposition replying to such Minister, m which event no time limit should be obderved." Several members having spoken against the amendment, Mr Scobie Mackenzie contended that the amendment was out of order* The Speaker ruled m support of Mr ( Mackenzie's contention, holding that the 'Standing Oideis prevented such an Amendment being received. Mr Buchanan, referring to the question of the withdrawal of capital from the colony, said thit'when recentlyin London, he had coma m contact with several financial companies, and he had heard the same story all round, namely, th.it if the land and income tax was put m force m New Zealand these companies would be compelled to withdraw all the capital they could possibly take from the colony. Mr Shera expressed himself m favor of the exemption of all improvements under the Land and Income Tax Act. He regretted exceedingly that the Government had fanned the dimcult question of settlement of the route for the North Island Trunk Railway, and he feared that a Government which postponed alf serious questions were heaping up wrath against the day of wrath, and it would yet crush them. Mr Cabman said that he had not satin the House fcr many years, but he had never listened to such milk and water arguments as had been raised by the Opposition m this debate. They had never really put the knife into the statement at all and the only real criticism of it was made by Mr Richardson. As to the revision of the tariff he asked—lf the people whom the Government represented, namely the industrial classes, were willing to allow the revision of the tariff to stand over till next year, why should the Opposition, who were supposed to be Freetraders, object to the tariff being allowed to remain ' unaltered ? He referred jn detail to the working or the Native Department, and said that he had made a saving m this year's estimates cf £3315 over last year. IJe cqmfcatted several pf the statements made by Mr Mitch^on^ and sajfl th>t the manner m wjjich fte foajl proposed to, appropriate the oonn.QOO available fqr. pH^Uc VQxkSt, was **,vw. —"naty. fie "thought the rather extraoiu*.. . *" '■■«•»• fair co-operative system should be guv-.. „ trial, and he felt sure they would be convinced. He detailed at considerable length the negotiations that had taken place between Tawhaio and successive Native Ministers, all of which had been rejected, but he ha 1 .rt rid of Tawhaio by offering him a pension of £225 a year. As to native land settlement he pointed out that where the late Government purchase'l only 73,000 acres of native land 183,000 acres, had been purchased by the present. Government m eighteen months, and signatures obtained for 34,000 acres more m the uncompleted block. He thought that not a bad reoord. Mr Joyce congratulated the Premier oil the Statement, and said that before the subsidies from the local bodies were withdrawn some scheme should be devised for providing for the charitable aid of the colony without putting it on the local bodies. Mr Hall-Jones moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to. The House rose at 12.30.