LAST NIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1734, 4 September 1875, Page 3

LAST NIGHT.

The House resumed at 7.30,

Mr Wood continued his speech by arguing that the action of the House in its endeavors ta secure a land fund for Auckland, practically admitted that; she had been unjustly treated. This year she was to have £45,000 towards the land fund, but in this the Government were only hoodwinking the House; the thing could not be dune. Me referred to the fiuancial position of the colony in ISIS. Dr. Pollen had told the Legislative Council that the total indebtedness of the colony when all the loans were borrowed, and when 760 miles of railway was constructed and equipped, the colony would be fourteen millions in debt, and we had but 336 miles of railway. Every penny in connection with the great public works scheme had been spent or was covered by liabilities excepting 661,000?; of that about 126,000^ remained for bind purchases. Other sums applicable for defence purposes brought the sum down to £400.000, and who knew whether the whole of that would not be absorbed before the works now in hand were finished? Practically their money was all gone, and they could not go into the market to borrow for two years and then they would not be able to get into the market to borrow. The hon. gentleman went into a long array of figures to prove that the Treasurer's statement regarding the land fund was altogether erroneous, and alleged that the colony waa unmistakably bankrupt. The hou. member made a bitter retaliation up>n Mr BucklaDd in self defence, and said that the hon. member sanctimoniously turned up the whites of his eyes and with Chadband expression, and with Wesleyan whine threw out an inuendo against him which he knew to be false. [The Speaker here called the member to order. Such expressions were not allowed] Mr. Wood then went on to explain how he had nob been actuated by office - seeking natives, having refused office several times, and concluded his speech by a bitter denunciative of the borrowing propensities of the colony.

Mr Luckie rose to point out a mistake of £25,000, in one item alone which the hon. gentlemen made in his figures and asked who could trust his fiinance after that.

Mr Brown (Otago) then moved that the debate be adjourned till the Government brought down their Board of Works bill.

The debate was then kept up until two without a single ministerialist getting up. Messrs. Scout, Tokamona, Sheehan, Reid, Fitzherbert, White, and Murray all spoke. Repeated applications for adjournment were made by the Opposition, but they were always answered by cries of "divide." The House at length divided, 15 voting for Mr. Brown's amendment, and 37 against, and the bill was ordered to be committed on Tuesday next.