PARLIAMENT BSF SESSION. Wednesday, September 9.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 10

PARLIAMENT BSF SESSION. Wednesday, September 9.

PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. In the Legislative Council, The Hon. Mr MILLER moved a motion that it was desirable to abolish the £500 exemption in the Property Tax Amendment Bill. He alluded to the large amount of revenue that would be derived by adopting the course, which he considered a necessary one in the present state Of the public finances. The Hon. Mr PEACOCK seconded the motion. The Hon. P. A. BUCKLEY opposed the motion, holding that the proper place to discuss it was at the hustings. The Hon. Mr LAHMANN supported the motion. Dr GRACE thought no exemption should have ever been admitted.^ PROPERTY ASSESSMENT BILL. The Hon. P. A. BUCKLEY briefly moved the second reading of the Property Assessment Bill. The Hon. Mr MILLER moved the adjournment of the debate pending the fate of his motion. The adjournment was negatived by 19 to 16. The bill was then read a second time without discussion.

PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE. In the House of Representatives, Mr HURSTHOUSE defended the construction of the East and West Coast railway, and compared it to the .Qtago Central line. He replied 'at some length to the speeches made by •Messrs Fergus and" Montgomery. " $ir JULIUS VOGEL said the position then was more difficult than it appeared to be, as they had to tteal with two questions instead of one. He said the Goyernnient were asked not jto discuss this question as aparjby one, ajid £hey agree £o that proposal. He contended jfchat jf the rgsblutjon was carried i£ would inflict &

large amount of misery upon persons who were employed on the public works of the Colony. The meaning of knocking off £500,000 from the railway estimates would be that large votes would have to be struck off every district. It would mean knocking off £11,500 from the Huntley line, £20,000 from the Helensville line, £15,000 from the Hamilton-Grahamstown line, £65,000 from the Main Trunk line, £149,000 from the East and West Coast railway, £75,000 from the Napier-Woodville, £8000 from Picton southwards, £10,000 from the Otago Central, and £10,000 from the Waimea-Switzers. The two questions before .the House were the expediency of the construction of the East and West Coast railway, and the expediency of constructing other railways. In the first speech he had delivered at Ashburton he had expressed his opinion that the East and West Coast line should be constructed, and the Government had last year introduced a bill with that object in view. He then detailed the progress of the scheme proposed for that railway. He said that in his opinion it was a most disastrous thing that the committee to inquire into the construction of the railway was not granted. If that railway were constructed it would open up a vast amount of land suitable for settlement, and would open up a large trade in timber, coal, and other industries. He said that the Government had received support from two different sections in the House — one section was as much against the railway as the other was in favour of it. The Government had therefore determined in the interest of the railway that it was not desirable that the railway should be made a party question. He would ask the Canterbury and Nelson members whether they were wise in trying to weaken the Government, which had • shown more disposition to construct that railway than any other Government would be likely to do. Referring to the district of Hawke's Bay, he said that district had absolutely revelled in public works expenditure. He had been credibly "informed that between here and Hawke's Bay there were 10 families who were worth two millions of money, but if it had not been for the public works expenditure they would not have been worth £2000 — and the member for Hawke's Bay was their representative. He referred at some length to the general railway policy of the Government. He said that if the vote of £150,000 was passed it would lead to the expeditious construction of the East and West Coast railway. He trusted even now that there would be no foregone conclusion as to that railway. The Government would ask the House to vote on the question not as a party one. Captain RUSSELL could scarcely have believed that an hon. gentleman in the position of the Colonial Treasurer, who was practically the leader of the House, should have descended to retail lobby gossip to the House, and rumour which he had heard over the dinner-table as to his (Captain Russell's) private affairs, which the Colonial Treasurer was absolutely ignorant of. He proceeded to justify his action in moving the amendment, which he had done without making any arrangements whatever. He combated the statement of the Treasurer, by implication, that his property was benefited by railway expenditure, and said he took his stand as a man who believed that the reckless expenditure of the Colonial Treasurer was absolutely ruinous to the interests of the Colony. , Major ATKINSON said that after the speech of the Treasurer it was impossible for him to allow the motion of the member for Hawke's Bay to be put without referring foo that speech. He thought the speeches of the Treasurer this session had been most unfortunate, and they had in every case produced a feeling of irritation in members. The reason for the present motion was that the Opposition were following out the line of policy they had laid down, and they would apparently be assisted by the Government in carrying it out. They altogether differed from the Treasurer's statement that great misery would come on the working classes if the motion were carried. He stated distinctly that with the votes which it was proposed to give the Treasurer he would be able to keep the whole of the men who were at present employed until long after the House met next year. The Treasurer had posed that night as the friend of the working man, but he (Major Atkinson) contended that he had come out here in the interests of the worst class of money-lenders — the mortgagees. His whole speech tended in that direction. He proceeded to review the Treasurer's speech at considerable length.