HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1438, 1 September 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Welungton. 28. The House met ar 7.30. Sir George Grey gave notice tbat he would move for leave to introduce a Bill for the repeal of the Property Assessment Act, and in lieu thereof introduce a Bill for imposing a Land Tax. Grey gave notice that he would move for a reduction of members' houorarium this session ; also, to introduce a Bill to regulate the admission of persons to the practice of the law ; also a Bill to admit animation in lieu of oath. Major Atkinson said they were aware that he had undertaken the duty of forming an administration. He had so far succeeded, having secured the cooperation of six gentlemen, who were sworn in this afternoon. He himself took' the portfolio of Premier and Commissioner of Stamps; Wakefield, Colonial Secretary ; Captain Russell, Postmaster General ; Hursthouse, Minister of Lands, Immigration, and Agriculture ; Miohelson, Public Works and Hon. G. M'Lean, Trades and Customs.. That leaves one portfolio still to be filled up. This he hoped to fill up before the House met again, at all events before they settled down to business next week. Considering the difficulty by which their proceedings were surrounded, he hoped they would extend to them the consideration the circumstances in which they were placed warranted He trusted that on Tuesday next he would be in a position to make a statement as to the policy and proposal of the Government He also expected on that day to be in a position to state when the financial statement would be ' brought down, and the delivery would be made on the earliest date possible. Meantime he would ask them to grant sufficient supplies to carry on the Government for the time being. He did not ask a large amount; in fact he would simply ask the amount proposed to be asked for by his friends opposite. It would be but a little — a fortnight's supply — they would be asked for, viz. — a sum of £75,000 for consolidated revenue purposes, and J675,000 for public works purposes. In reply to a question, Atkinson said the portfolio of Treasurer had not been tilled up. It had not yet been decided as to whether or not he should take it up. Stout said the intention of the Opposition was not to oppose supplies that night They recognised the necessity for these being granted. They meant to deal with the Government in another way* This was simply a renewal of the' Atkinson Government, a continuation of whioh the country had in the late elections most distinctly pronounced against. In view of that fact he would give them notice that he would at the very earliest moment move that the House has no confidence in the Government, Atkinson denied that the Government he had just named could in any way be designated a renewal of the old Atkinson Government It was quite true he was Atkinson, but they would recognize the fact he could not possibly help that. The Government was in every respect a different Government from what was known and understood as the Atkinson Government. He was not prepared to go on with the debate of no-confidence to-night, but would be willing to have it brought on to morrow. He did not wish to delay the business of the country , and would come to a division on the motion with as little delay as possible. Stout offered to go to division at once on the question. Atkinson declined, adding that he would be ready to do so to-morrow. After some .further discussion to the same effect, Atkinson moved that the House at its rising do adjourn until tomorrow. I Stout said — I give notice that I will move to-morrow that the house has no confidence in the Government as formed. On the motion for going into Com- | mittee of Supply. ! Yogel said the deficiency bills stood at L 900,000 on account of the consolidated revenue, and t»100,000 outstanding on account of Public works ; but there was besides an amount of bills authorised by the House as a temporary means of enabling remitances to be made to London, . Members had no conception of the roundabout and extremely complicated manner in which financial affairs we»e conducted in the Treasury. Those L 400.000 of bills were handed over W Governmont as security to the Bank, or to cover the pay mentof interest In his tim c, when they were paying interest to the Bank it had no right to ask it for security. It was not right that the amount should have been omitted from the last financial statement. If ourrent, the bills should not have been omitted. It

was true the money had notbeenobtained on them but they should have been considered a liability. There was great delay in payments by the Treasury for services rendered, especially in the out lying portions of the colony, and it seemed that an enormous reform was necessary, not so much in the Treasury or Audit office as in the communication between depaitments, though the Treasury got the odium of it. He made the remarks in no aggressive spirit It was right that he should make a statement, so that the House would not vote 'money without information. He also complained of the serious delays whicb occurred to persons, more especially contractors in the colony, in getting payment of. money due to them from the Treasury. In the case of persons living in remote parts of the colony the delay occasioned thereby was most vexatious, and in many cases which had been brought under his notice that had occasioned a loss of ten per cent . That meant of course that in consequence of this, to his mind unnecessary delay, the public works of the cqlony cost that amount in excess of their real value, for he could say he well understood that persons so circumstanced could not afford to make such a large percentage sacrifice out of their own pockets without being recoupftd in some other way. So far as he had been enabled to enquire into facts of the case, it was not the Treasury that was to blame. The delay was occasioned by want of proper communication as between the Treasury and the department intended. It was the department and not, so far as he could learn, the Treasury that was to blame in asking for supplies for the appropriations of large services like this. It appeared to him that it was incumbent on the Treasurer to make a statement to them bearing on these and other points. These were only a few of the points which came under his notice during the short time he had an opportunity of going into Treasury accounts. To his mind it was most improper that the £400,000 deficiency bills should not be set forth in the public accounts of the colony. They were current, and therefore they became a liability against the colony, and it could not be contended that it was right they Bhould be omitted from the statement of accounts of the public debt. , Major Atkinson was not prepared to make a statement, nor did he think it was neccessary under the circum stances. In his opinion Sir Julius Vogel's statement was irrevalpnt lo a motion for going into Committee of Supply. He would however address a few words to the House. What they asked for was the authority to spend to carry on the Government In his financial statement the whole subject would be dealt with. He admitted much that had been said; but denied many of the conclusions arrived at. In reality this was simply a dishing up of his financial statement of last session, in order to find conclusions for political purposes suitable to the present occasion. In that statement he had asked for the deficiency bills to carry on to the end of this month. He was not prepared to say what the amount was, but at the proper time he would be able to say. He admitted that the balances were small, but that was only what was to be expected. If it was desired they should keep large balances, that could easily be pro vided for. He had been blamed for keeping too large balances in the past. He admitted that there were £600,000 of Revenue Bills, but that was only part of the financial scheme he propounded for carrying on the Government to the end of this month. The £400.000 of Deficiency Bills were issued in anticipation of revenue, and as the revenue came in they were taken up in proportion to the revenue. They had a less debt in this respect than England had. These had been simply in the form of security. He contended that it was perfectly right that they should not appear in the public accounts. If it was put on the one side of the account it would only have to be put on the other, and no good end would be served. As to the charge of payments being delayed in the colony, necessitating an extra charge of 10 per cent., he did not not know that such was the case. Where he had made enquiry he found that the delay was occasioned by contractors not having fulfilled their contracts. There might be delays, but there were but few compared with the delay arising from the contractors' own faults. If on enquiry it was shown that these delays existed they would be rectified. On the motion of Atkinson, J. W; Thompson was appointed Chairman of Committees for this evening, without comment. The House then went into Committee of Supply. On a message from the Governor being read that an interim supply be granted, a bill for the amount asked Ll 50,000, was then introduced and passed through all its stages. The House rose at 8.35 till 2.30 tomorrow.