PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XV, Issue 3757, 26 August 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

(FROM OUB SPECIAL COKRESPONDENT.)

WELLINGTON, this day. ; Special Taxation Committee. ■ The Special Taxation Committee i» not likely to come to a conclusion. Its composition is peculiar. Auckland and Wellington are not represented. Utago has Mr Macandrew, Canterbury Mr Brown, Sir J. Hall, and Mr Montgomery; Hawke's Bay, Mr Sutton; the West Coast, Mr Seddon; Marlborough, Mr Conolly ; Nelson, Messrs Hursthousoand SUephard; Tara-' nuki, Major Atkinson. Among the 10 turnbers, ova fur Otaxo repreaeuts tlie property tax paid by that province, £80,000. Canterbury, three members, pays £72,000. The remaining say they pay only £31,000, while Auckland is nearly £32,000 and Wellington £37,000. Consequently Canterbury and Otago are not likely to agree to an increaso of property tax which others are believed to favour. The Government are said to be ouly denirous to put oil" the report and consider the matter in the recess. LOAN EXPENDITURE. The following return was laid on the table yesterday, showing the amount of population, aud monies spent out of loan since the commencement of the Public Works policy :— POPULATION. Auckland 101,095 Tamnakl 15,277 Hawke'aßay 17,721 Wellington 62,714 Nelson .- .. 20,471 Murl borough 9,50» Canterbury 111,825 Wcstland' 15,650 Otago 130,932 EXPENDITURE. S. Auokland 2,804,611 Taranakl 060,000 Huwko'ußuy HI'J.OKi Wellington 2,096.150 Nelson 935,273 M&rlborough 302,978 Canterbury 3,132,607 Wuatluud .. ~ .. .. 858,811 Otago 1,892 019 General 1,897,271 Departing Members. Messrs. Allwrigut and O'Callaghan went away yerterday, and_ do not intend returning. Captain Morris expects to get away en Thursday, and Mr YYeston about the same time. Mr Montgomery will strive again to have the Baietnnly before the financial year expires by opposing the usual clause in the Ke venues Act, or curtailing the lime for advances to one month. Removal of the Assembly. When the question of repairs to Parliamentary buildings comes on, Mr Shrimski will try again for the removal of the next mooting of the Assembly, and I am told about 35 members have pledged their support, on the ground that tbo expense of repairing the present buildings would pay the interest on money employed to erect now buildings. Should this be done, an effort will be made to keep the twe Houses apart, as the Lords' lobby brings them into the Commons too much, and too many oi them are merely Government touts. This alao would help Mr Shrimski in his motion, for the new House seems very impatient of the touting of tome of the Upper House. Hie Larceny Act. Mr Tole is to draw the attention of the Minister of Jmtico to tho judicial decision ii the prosecution for embozzlement of a canvasser of the New Zealand Accident insurance Company nmnod Wren, at Auckland, by which judgment it was held that no such prosecution would lie against accused, because the monoy recoived by him was so received outside of tho particular district allotted to him for tuch canvassing operations ; and to ask the Minister if bo will take steps to amend the Larceny Act so as to protect tho public from the recurrence ot such an imposition, and bring like impostors to justice. The Mouse Sent for Business. Heal business ia now the order of the day. Wi th 86 Bills staring members in the face, It is enough to mako hon. gentlemen bind their girdle around them and do some, thing in earnest, Mr Finn lust evening wanted rather too much work, and snggeatoiithat they sit all to-morrow. Major Atkinson observed that it would bo well on to breakfast time to-morrow beforo the House rose, as the Government were determined to put through tho Land Act, and as there was considerable opposition, the Mobs prognostication had overy prospect of being too true. Parliament has now commenced its fifteenth week, aad many are the surmises us to which m-'osures are to be dropped. O* Monday we shall know all about; it, as the Government are going to make a statement. Rumoured Cabinet changes. From what I ca? hear, owing to certain dissensions in the Cabinet, there is to be another change among the gentlemen occupying the Government benches aftor the prorogation. My belief for saying so is principally the answer given yesterday to Mr Holmes, who was anxious to learn whether the Government intended ta withdraw the caveat issued ngaimt Mr Sutton in connection with the famous Omarauui block. Mr Bryce declined to answer, and, of course, Mr Holmes desired farther information, but was told he would hava to interroga'o the head of the Government, which had the management of such matters. It is well known that the vote of Mr Suttsn during the want-of-confidence motion was somewhat doubtful, and did not at all please tho Government. A private interview, I hear, took place between Major Atkinson and Mr Sutton, but with what result ? Was it not known ? Again, Mr Bryce and the Premier have been working against one another since the session began. One rumour says it has now been arranged, I believe, that Messrs Whitaker, Bryce, and Johnston, will retire at tho end of the session, and that the late Premier, Sir John Hall, will be called to form a new Ministry, with Mr Wright as Minister for Public Works. It is currently reported that Mr Johnston, the present Minister, intends going Home immediately , after Parliament rises. Latest Rumours ro Ministerial Changes. ' There will be a material change in the Ministry, I hear, very shortly. Johnston intends paying a visit to the old country directly after the session, and Mr Wright, who has been so often spoken ot as likely to be Minister of Public Works, will at last be associated with the gentlemen on the Ministerial Benches. Sir John Ilall is understood to rejoin, and Mr Bryce is reputed to resign, but who will fill the portfolio is not yet spoken ot ' Petitions. Petitions were presented yesterday :— By Mr Whitaker, from Henry L. Kingsley, pensioner, Sergeant-Major, Royal Horse Artillery (Hamilton West), for a grant of land. By Major Te Wheoro, from Apuunina l'ani and' 25 others, of Ohinemuri, for continuance of receipt of rates.'1 The Petitions Committee report on the petition of John Joseph O'Brien, of Auckland, who was obliged to'pay £150 to the Maori owners of the Thames, for removing earth' and' stone'from tho hills, for a Government reclamation contract, that they cannot recommend any co'mpeusation, but suggest'the remission at penalties, if the Government is satisfied with the execution of the work. 'Xhe Brogden Claims. The repott of the joiut committee on tho Brogden claims was read in the Council yescerday. The committee report that the contracts affected by this inquiry were nine in number, and that the first fix of them, amounting to £560,446, were signed on the 10th «f August, six days before the Government Contractors' Arbitration Act was introduced into Parliament; that three other contracts, amounting to £240,750, were signed on the 19th of June, 1873, eight months after the Government (Jontractors' Arbitration Act became law; that the contracts were given to Messrs Brogden and Sons without competition, and on terms exceptionally favourable to the contractors (allowances, amountiDg to 32J per centum, over and above contractors' prices then current in the colony, having been made to them); that before entitling the specific engagements with the Colonial Government, in the year 1872, the Meesrs Brogden insisted npon hiving provision made for the appointment of a special arbitrator, to whom disputes arising out of their projected contracts might be referred; that the usual custom which makes' tha engineer the final arbitrator in disputes arising out of contract Works wai in the case of Messrs, Brogden, and at their instance', departed from; that it was agreed that a Judge of the Supreme Court, having jurisdiction in the supreme district in which a dispute might arise, should ba made arbitrator, and it became, therefore, necessary to pass an Act in order to impose these duties on the Judge?, and to give them the requisite powers to obtain evidence; that the Government Contractors' Arbitration Act, 1872, was accordingly pa«»ed with the knowledge of Mr James Brogdep, the partner representing the firm.

1 The report goes on to show that no disputes arose during the time when progress pay.' merits were made, and when disputes arose in the settlement the Government offered to allow them to go to arbitration, us originally arranged, but Messrs Brogden refused to avail themselves of the opportunities thus afforded to them, and did not, until a recent period, attempt to bring their disputed claim to arbitration in the manner originally agreed upon. Several years were thus allowed to elapse, nnd essential evidence is now no longer available. The committee, therefore, cannot recommend that the consent of tha Government should, now be given to a reference of the Brdgden claims under the provision! of the Government Contractor*' Arbitration Act, 1872. Auckland University College. On the motion of Mr Dick, the House of Representatives this afternoon agreed to the amendments made by the Legislative Council to the Auckland University College Bill. The Bill, therefore, has passed finally. taxation of Lawyers' Bills, In reply to Mr SuTro.*, the COLONIAL Secretary said that the hon. member had referred to the report of the Election Petitions Committee, and to the charges which bad been made in connection with a certain election. So far as regards tha taxing of election bills, the committee recommended [the government to look into the matter during the recess, and this would be done. Ke the general taxing system the Supreme Court Bill, which had just passed the House, contained a scale of charges, and therefore he would be to a certain extent remedied. It provided tuat tbc Judges should to some extent overlook these charge.", and see that they were properly made. If, after a short U me, it was found that this did not meet | £U case, [further action would be taken. The Supreme Court Bill, which passed the House, altered the position of these Bills very much. It altered the power of making large costs. The Government was fully alive to the propriety of looking fully into the matter. The. present arrangement was not satisfactory, and must be altered, Bills Advanced. la the Legislative Council the Employer*' Liability BUI and the Protection of Telegrams Bill were passed through committee with verbal amendments. Mr Button's Land Dealings. Replying to Mr H#imbs, Major AtkiuSON laid the caveat low standing iv the Land Kegistry Office, Napier, against the transfer of the Omaranui block would, if the parties interested took no further action, be shortly iemoved, Mr Suttom moved the adjournment of the House to enable him to make a personal explanation. He produced the official documents ia a Supreme Court action, in which he was implicated in connection with the acquisition of land, which tally acquitted him of using undue means in obtaining the signature of the natives to the deed of transfer. The motion for a conference was put and carried. Mr SEDDON said It would be inUresting to know when the Government determined to withdraw the caveat. Was it not correlative with the late no-confidence debate, and was it not determined on in view of Mr Sutton's vote on tbat motion ? Colonel Trimble said that the whole transaction had been e«r«fully inquired into by the Native Affairs Committee, and he, a» chairman of tbat committee, had no hesitation iv saying that Mr Sutton's conduct had been blameless, and their finding fully acquitted' him of the grave insinuations made against him in conjunction with the tiansaction. JUaturalisation of Chinese. Mr Dick moved that the Council's amendment on the Aliens Act Amendment Bill, enabling the Chinese to become naturalised at t» reduced rate, should not be agreed to. The Chinese, unlike other nationalities, did not come hcieto settle. They came here under offers, and having worked for a few years, they returned to their owu land. He moved for a committee to confer with the Council on the subject. Air. SEDDOK and Mr SMITH spoke in favour of the amendment being accepted. The latter pointed out that an Act imposing a tax per head on Chinese had already been passed. Ihe Native B,eserves Bill. The Native Kcservea Bill was reported a third time and passed, 2he jjand Bill. On the motion for going into committee on the JLand Bill, several members spoke against the measure. The motion for going into committee was put, and carried on the voices. On Clause 2, Mr Fdlton moved, " That the leasing proposal be limited to land in proclaimed goldfields." Sir John Hall objected to the leasing system. It was a system opposed to all the purposes for which men came to these colonies, and it would therefore prove most mischievous, It would discourage immigration, and, if adopted, he was sure the tenure would be altered. The leaseholders would become snch a power in the State, that they would very soon find the means of acquiring the freehold. sir George Grey upheld the system, and denied that it would introduce an undesirable feature into their political life. It enabled them to open the land oh the easiest terms, and, at the same time, cave them a tenure equivalent to a freehold, without ttic power ef enabling them to sublet. So far from driving immigration away, it would be a means of attracting immigrant) to this colony. It would not be a rental paid to landlords,but payable to the State, in induction of the taxation to which they were at present expused. He therefore hoped the committee would not reduce the proposals to the goldfields. Mr Fdlton said it would create a class of people who would be constantly agitatiDg to be relieved from the obligation into which they had entered. The absolute fee simple was what all men aimed at, and if it could not be had in Yew Zealand they would go elsewhere and get it. Mr Moss proposed that certain words in the clause be struck out, so as to eliminate the leasing system altogether. Mr MAc and bew said that so long as they .had the power to tax the land, that was sufficient. He was opposed to the leasehold system altogether. The probabilities were that they who were discussing this point had secured their freehold, and it would be most unfair to debar others from the same privilege. ' Mr W. M. Gkeen spoke in favour of the area for leasing being left in the hands of the Administration of the day. Sir George Grey said that the tendency of the age was to abolish freeholds'altogether, and he looked forward to the day when such a thing as landlordism would. cease to cxi«t.' It was not'contended that freeholds were more' advantageous than the leaseholds on the terms proposed.' There wo.s to be no increase of rent and no permission to srib-leaae. ' With conditions like these he could ' imagine of no freehold being more advantageous. What, he asked, was to prevent the scenes and hards-hips of the old country if members, should, by their votes, refuse to affirm the leasehold principle ? He moved that the entire area' be brought under the operation of the leasehold system, and not the limitation proposed by the Bill. 1 Mr SWANSON argued that, in adopting the Bill asVprinted, they would at lca-t be affirming the pijaciple, and, having done so, they could come back next session and get more. Mr Tue-'BULL pointed out, as one effect of the leasehold proposal, that they would not get sufficient to pay for the survey of the land for a period of eight years. It would also have tho effect of preventing them in all time from imposing any additional tax on the land. Sir J. Hall raid that Mr Moss's proposal would raise the issue as to whether or net they were in favour of the leasehold system, and he hoped it would be pressed to a division. Mr Moss's amendment was then put. The committee divided. Ayes, 16: noes. ii. Several other amendments followed. Mr M. J. Green, in Clause 3, moved to omit the words " put up to public competition," with a view of inserting the words " open for application." A lon« discussion took place, and ultimately the original words were retained by 25 to 24 The clause then passed. Clauses 21 and 22 were strnck out; the remaining clauses were passed without material alteration beyond the amendments suggested by the Waste Lands Committee. The Bill was reported as amended, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday. The Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes .Bill, and Reserves in Mining Districts Bill, were read a third time and passed. - ■ . . The House rose at 4.30.