WELLINGTON.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1127, 3 September 1873, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This day.

rr.OVIXCTAL LOA>'S BILU

The Provincial Loans Bill passed its second reading at half-past two this morning without division.

Besides Messrs Collins, Reid, and Andrew the subject was spoken to by Mr Richardson in a very feeble'defence, and Mr T. \L. Shephard, who of course supported, his reasons being such as inclined all others moro against it. By Mr Steward, who in an abl« speech showed strong reasons against the Bill and his great repugnance to it.| But he was reluctantj to turn out the Ministry. By Mr Johnson who showed no help for it By Mr llollcston, who bitterly denounced it, but accepted it as preparing for separation. By Mr Fox, who, in a speech of silly witticisms without point or effect, but at which he himself laughed heartily, " abused plain - tiff's attorney," and showed unmistakably the failing of his powers and the spitefulness of senility; and by Mr Fitzherbert, who scathed Mr Fox, but in the main supported the Bill.

Mr Vogel replied for two and a-half hours with great ability. ; .

Wellington had sold the Opposition, and and as there will'be two or three vacant portfolios in the Ministry after the session, now promised to at least twelve members, it would be unsafe to press for a division. Judging from the opinions expressed the Bill will be torn to shreds in committee.

[P«R XXQLO-JLXJ&TB.XI.UX TkLHQBJLK COMPAMY.]

- In the House, last night, on the second reading of the Provincial Loans Bill, Mr Andrew said' the equilibrium sought by ministers reminded him of top-spinning, for all their ideas respecting the provinces seem In a whirl. The peace of the colony was necessary for th© completion of the pubI liip works policy, and peace might be rendered more likely by making Kawhia a portof entry, and collecting duty on armß and ammunition imported there. He advocated the construction of a railway from Taranaki to Wellingtonj andpaymentmland. Hesupportedthe Bill because, aa he saw no direct chance of destroying the provinces by a direct blow, he would try a side wind. He agreed with the member ;who said the ministers had no backbone. He doubted if they belonged to vertebra from the difficulty of drawing them out of their shell. They must be crustaceous. If the Government had no vertebra the Opposition had no head.

The Minister of Works said the loans asked for by the provinces, if allowed, would prevent the Government from raising sufficient money to complete railways. The Bill would not prevent the provinces from borrowing. He defended himself from the imputation of being merely Mr Vogel's clerk. He gave a flat contradiction to the statements of Mr Murray respecting the Clutha railway. Mr Murray said he would substantiate the statements at an early opportunity. Mr Steward supported the Bill. He hoped it would be altered in committee.

Mr T. L. Shepherd hoped the Government would introduce a clause limiting the interest the Provinces were to pay on loans to six per oont,

Mr Johnston argued that the interest loans would absorb the Customs reven The Financial Statement was deceiving the subject of contingent guarantee t? V province could not provide "the interest ■*' loans. Provincial works were of grc^ .^ portancc, and if the colony could not c struct them the provinces must b y di?" I taxation. < It was evident that rigid econn was required, yet they heard that two a isters had conferred on themselves lncraH 11* and permanent appointments. He support!!? the Bill. He hoped certain clauses Wuldt erased. De

Mr Bolleston said the House had been gagged by a threat, and by the introduetim into the debate of extraneous matter, qi tariff was the first warning note thatin'crtaswj revenue was required. The abandonment of railway reserves would shake the confi dence of the South. Natives should be al lowed to sell their land in the open market The Bill before the House was not what it professed to be. Its object was to cast on the provinces the odium of imposing direct taxation. It was evident the Premier's policy had broken down. The power of General and Provincial Governments requiredi defiif: ' ing their functions. The House slionld attend to its proper duties, BecuriDß to the provinces their land, necesgarf to harmonious working together. Tfo money of the colony was better spent on roads and bridges than on purchasing land* for the Northern provinces.

Mr Fox defended the Bill, described Messrs T. B. Gillies and Wood as "night birds " apparently seeking recreation in debt, ors' prisons. Mr Webster was a "funnyman" attempting painfully to be witty. Mr Reid he said, no one could accuse of wit. He mimicked Mr Stafford's attitude when speaking.

Mr Fitzherbert regretted to hear Mr Pox administering rebukes all round couched in personalities. His remarks respectingMj Gillies were contradicted by the faetthatthe people of Auckland desired him to accept office for another term. Mr Fox's statement respecting no limit to the borrowing power of the colony was the boldest assertion of policy he had ever favoured the'-* House with, but it differed from thai enunciated by him on his return from Jericho when he hoped the colony would some day be unable to borrow sixpence. It was inconsistent, and lessened the value of Mr Fox's opinions. The point at issue before the House was complicated by its treatment as a ministerial question. But for that a" useful measure might have resulted. If the Government had, when proposing 15 per cent, duties, said boldly we want money, the House would have supported them ; but the, Government changed the tariff, then tiie» reversal of policy and proposals to boy native hind for the North. If the Government ■ were Responsible Government the change would have made , them lose their) seats. But the House was demoralized;:*

Ministers were kept in by a majority of votes, and not by argument. The Bill jeminded him ot brimstone and treacie doies atDothe-

boys Hall ! He had frequently attempted to get the principle of provinces only borrowing in the Australian market recognised, and was

glad to see it introduced ; also that Provincial Councils should decide the amount of

provincial loans. Still he objected to the Bill because under the pretence of giving • the provinces borrowing power lit impeded : them. It might suit the Middle Island),! but not the North. He objected to the attempt to remove the colonial;!; liability by framing conditions. He. proved the liability. The rating clauses were specially inapplicable to parts of the j colony where works through unoccupied;,!;, land were required. Mr White read a draft of a Bill he wished";1 might be introduced, entitled the Provincial* Borrowing Mania Extinction Bill. . £' ~;■ The Premier, in replying, said the objections to the Bill were so various he could not; reply to all. The Bill appeared to meet tie extreme views of many. He devoted onehoaf; tQ a refutation of the attack by MrJ.3;'>' Gillies, and adverse remarks on his administration of Auckland affairs. He^ was the only Superintendent in the Colonial Government who he could not work with. .All the provinces were rich or in fair circumstances except Auckland. The re^. r turns of the railways under construction/! showed that the Government had no predii-^ lections for any particular province. He considered the Bill would remove the Colonial liability for loans mentioned in it. He would introduce in committee a clause prohibiting loans being floated at higher rates of interest than six per cent. For a long -time he wondered how Messrs Gillies and Wood always went together. At length* he discovered that Mr Wood, when he spoke, looked on Mr Gillies as a frightful example, much as Mr Fox would view a drunkard when lecturing on teetotalism. Mr Webster he considered a fearful case 6f : self-deception. Mr Stafford's views on provincial borrowing had changed. Was the ': construction of trunk railways to be aban- » doned to make branches ? Mr Stafford's ob-1| jection merely meant that the Government' were unable to do everything at once. _ The charge of shifting policy came with a bad grace from Mr Stafford, who had rarely carried through a budget as intro- . duced. He admitted that Mr Stafford, was no office seeker, but he never could initiate m a policy. He always spoke of others, and on State occasions always talked of the people of New Zealand, while others thought of them. Some members appeared to forget the proposed difference between colonial and provincial borrowing. The latter would be in Australia at short dates, and the former in England at long. The rumour of the appointment of Ministers to permanent; offices lie denied. Not one member who roted with the Government j last year had changed sides, but many of the Opposition hacl without pledge, promise, or invitation. Some members had used the debate to run down the credit of the colony. In doing this they had attacked the colony, not the Government. Their statement was unfounded. He dwelt at length on the value of his colleagues, aDd said the Minister j of Justice was engaged over the reform of the law of the colony. Not a dozen members of the House were elected as opposition mem-: bers. He believed the opinion was general,: throughout the colony that the Ministry■ , having initiated the policy should carry it through even to the bitter end. The second reading of tho Bill was carried . at. 2.30 a.m. in a thin house, with no dissentient voices.