HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1466, 5 November 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, 30. Replying to questions, it was stated — That Government bad receiver! a report on the result of tests made for determining the value of Portland cement raade by J. S. Thompson at the .Bluff, but it would not be wise to make the result public. Government would not Hold out ahy hope of assistance till tenders had been called .for locally manufactured cement. Yogel gave notice of the introduction of the Property Tax (1884), and the New Zealand Loan Act (1884). Richardson moved that the roads (on Supplementary Order Paper 4 No. of the 18th September) which were gazetted as main roads on the 29th and 31st March, 1883, and on the 17th and 31st March, 1884, he declared to be main roads in terms of section 7 of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act (1882) Agreed to. Yogel moved the following resolution " That the difficulties surrounding the railways constructed under the District Railways Act aiH the hardships to which the ratepayers are subjected in connection therewith are such that this House considers the Government should seize a favorable opportunity to enter into agreements to acquire the said lines by lease and purchase, such agreements to be subject to the ratification of Parliament and to contain a provision that until Parliament has had an opportunity of giving such ratification all proceedings against ratepayers shall be stopped. He said he had personally no interest in any of the railways, but there was no doubt that the question required to be dealt with, and it could not be left as it at present stood, as the financial position of the railways was entirely unsatisfactory to the country. While this unsatisfactory state of their finances opened an opportunity for acquiring the railways cheaply, if the resolution was passed it would also afford the opportunity of making a good bargian with respect to the lines. All the work could be undertaken by the Public Works Department with the exception of the land As regarded the railways themselves there was not one which was not worth acquiring, especially with regard to the favorable terms on which they might be obtained. Seeing how burning a question that was he hoped the House would take the most favorable opportunity of dealing with it. He also poiuted out that the constitutional aspect of the question wonld be entirely eliminated from it. Major Atkinson expressed pleasure at the question being lowered from its constitutional aspect. He had always held sooner or later that it would be hot only necessary but advantageous for the colony to take over these lines, but he did v not- like the bill that had been brought down by. the Government. The House wanted to have before them what was -the value of the railways, what the companies 'were prepared to take for them and what was their financial position. There was no reason to buy these railways, because the country had no security over them, for it coald to-morrow take them. The words of the resoulution did not convey sufficiently clearly the idoas the . Treasurer had

expressed. He hoped therefore that he would agree to the following amendment, after words " such agreements," to strike out the words "to be subject to the" with a view to inserting " or any of them to be provisional only t o have no effect except by the ratificatio n of parliament." The Colonial Treasurer objected to the words in amendment alter "or any of them." Atkinson suggested that the same course should he pursued in • this matter, as with the postal contracts, and that no resolution was necessary. The Premier suggested the matter should be left to the Government to make such arrangements as they think fit to he ratified by Parliament. -. After amendments had been put forward by Atkinson and Yogel and " withdrawn, Stout moved the following, "That the Government be requested to coin* to the best arrangements they can witii a view to the acquisition of the lines by the colony, such arrangements to be subject to the ratification of parliament. The debate on the motion for adoj urn ment proposed by Sir. G. Grey this afternoon in order to bring under notice the statement of the Premier on Friday night was of a sharp, and at at times exciting, charactor. The Premier, in making hi* explanation, ' complar.al rather bi.terly of thfc attacks made on the Government by Mr Oliver in the Upper House. The "tenor of Mr Stout's statement, it may he added, rather went show that it was the Council and not the Lower House that he referred to on Friday evening, though Sir George Grey and several other members urged that the construction of that carefully prepared speech showed clearly that both Houses were included. Bryce pointed out that the Government's idea of dealing with the Upper House apparently consisted in punishing the Lower Chamber, which, he declared had been most subservient in the passing of Ministerial measures. Pyke also scored a point by his protest against this kiud of vicarious punishment, pointing out that a dissolution would simply mean presenting the Upper House with a second honorarium. He agreed that the Government ought to resent the action of the Council but suggested that it should be done either by proroguing j and holding a second session, or calling additional members to the Upper Houf c. The speech of Sir J. Yogel, which followed, did little in the way of ! throwing oil upon the troubled waters. He said that the Government, after supporting the North Island trunk railway, fouud that there was a startling amount of selfishness in the House and foresaw tnat the session might end in the North Island getting what it desired and nothing being done for theSouth Island. He therefore thought it necessary that members should understand that their policy was not to be a piecemeal one, and that even at the cost of a second session, and even an appeal to the constituencies, they considered it nrcessary that they ; should carry out their colonising policy as a whole. This was taken as emphasising Mr Stout's original state-. I ment, and the debate became hotter than ever. Mr Barron said he could have understood such an explantion if the District Railways Bill was * measure which was to confer great ; prosperity on the Middle Island, but,, as a matter of fact, it was a Bill to benefit certain rich shareholders. The most forcible speech of the debate was undoubtedly that of Mrßolleßfcon,who denounced the Govermaehi' y. for | making bad worse by bringing ;up the question of North v Southlie accused hon. members of being largely interested in the District Railways Bill and being pressed for names promptly named the members for Cheviot and Christchurch South. In referring to the Wairaea Plains he declared that £30,000 of rates were owing by the Agricultural Company in which Sir J. Yogel was largely interested, and instead of the Bill carrying on colonizing functions it was for the benefit of the Agricultural Company. The talk about the dissolution he flatly characterised as nonsense, and said that the country would look with approval on the action of the Council as having stood between the people and ail action of red-handed plunder. The debate wound up with a sharp little duel between Sir G. Grey and the Premier. The former in the course of his reply made a good deal of the fact that both the Premier and Colonial Treasurer were interested in the District Railways Bill and were not permitted to vote upon it. While he was taunting the Government for not having brought down their resolution the Speaker called him to order, informing him that ha must not refar to any matter upon the Order Paper. Sir George Grey adroitly replied'that he would refer to the resolutions which the Government had removed from the paper already, a piece of technical skill which fairly fetched the House. He was again commenting on the impropriety of the Colonial Treasurer and Premier promoting a Bill in which they were interested, when Mr Stout interposed by saying that he declined to vote simply because he had been solicitor to the Agricultural Company. Sir George Grey rejoined amid laughter that he thought that was having a very considerable' interest in it. Mr Stout continued to interpose until at last the Speaker said he must not do so unless the hon. gentleman gave way. Sfr Geottp professed himself as, thirsting far information and it once »a^ down. Subsequently he referred^d' the Agricultural Company as " this unfortunate Company," upou which Mr Stout said that, so fur as h« knew, it was not tht+ Company bufc the ratepayers. Sii*

with stories of " hair-breadth escapes and moving accidents by flood and field."

George at once replied that the Company were the ratepayers, owing several thousand pounds in rates, from which they sought relief. Altogether the •• sparing" was very quick and scientific, and the House quitu enjoyed it '