Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 229, 25 September 1894, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

BOTES FROM THE GALLERY

(by telegraph:.—parliamentary re-

•SORTER.)

•■Wellington, Monday. Late in the afternotjn.it was freely rumoured that when the House meb in bhe evening the) Treasurer, would lay on the table the reply which the ■Cabinet, bad decided Jbo send to New Zealand and Colonial Banks in answer bo bheir proposal for amalgamation. The" precise text of this reply Was nob known, bub ib waa beginning to .be,understood by dinner time fcbab therewas to be no amalgamation, and consequeatly no legislation, so when members geb bo their, places and the Treasurer standa up, the purport of what he has to say is pretty well understood. His remarkß and the text of the document! he laid on the table will be found in . another, column. After he has sat down the House proceeds; with the business on the Order Paper jusb as if they had never heard b£ bank amalgamation. Three measures are pub into Committee, making members protest ab the prospecb of a long sibling, and bhe firsb of, bhese Bills, the Government ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. is proceeded with. Tlie firsb fourteen clauses are disposed of in veiy shorb time, clause, seven, being the only one which is altered by the Governor-in-Council, instead of the Colonial Treasurer, being given power bo aopoint officers. I Considerable discussion ariseß over the constitution of the General^ Board, for which clause 15 provides. > '"' ' Capb. Russell objects to tlbe .Public Trustee and Government Insurance Commissioner being included among bhe members of bhe board, contending thab their inberesbs are not in harmony with those, of .the new lending department. '■•■•! i '■ Mr Ward pointed out thab :the roconclusion of these officers might be mosb beneficial to the Board, as they would be in a position to advise other members of any securities which had been rejected by either of the'departments which they control. Speaking from his experience of these gentlemen, he can say tihat.they are very cafe and able administrators. It is, however, contended by Captain Russell that these officials with the Sur-veyor-General, Solicitor-General, and Commissioner of Taxes have already sufficient work to do. In his opinion, an independent and responsible board should be set Sir R. Stout does nob agree -with the Captain, holding that if we jgo in for having separate officials with high salaries on the board there will be great difficulty in putting a stop to borrowing, ilf the board is composed of Civil servants, as the Bill proposed; there will be some probability of this borrowing coming to an end within three years. _ The first division of the evening takeß place on the que3tion of striking out the words "public trustee," bub bhe resulb is thab bhab functionary is retained by 45 to 6. On clause 17, Mr Crowbher moves to raise the quorum ab the Board's meetings from three to four. With the approval of the Treasurer, this alteration is made in the clause. ' .. ~ .«• .... On reaching clause 20, Mr Meredith, with an eye to economy, sugeests bhab Waste Lands Boards should undertake the duties of District Boardß. These gentlemen, he contends, have the besb know-! ledge of bhe value of lands in bheir districts. The Treasurer, for various reasons, opposes bhe suggestion. He holds that the Waste Lands Board, meeting once a week, would never do. ,_._._. r j Sir R. Stoub considers thab bhe Land Board would be bhe best board which could be selected, ~,,,_ Mr RusHell, of Riccarton, thinks thab no member of Parliament should be allowed to sib on the board. Dr. Newman, amid.some laughter, improves on this suggestion by expressing the opinion thab all candidates for Parliament should be disqualified also. The member for Wellington Suburbs think there is danger of such candidates bribing constituencies with cheap money. In the opinion of Mr Mackintosh there is no necessity for boards at all if there are thoroughly reliable State valuers. Mr Meredith's proposal having been negatived on the voices, Sir R. Stout moves to confine the constitution of boards to Governmenb officers. He mainbains bbat if other non-official persons are appointed there will be great room for political patronage. The Treasurer assures Sir Robert thab it is the intention that such officers should be appointed when they are available and have the necessary qualifications. Mr Thompeon speaks strongly in support of Sir R. Stout's proposal. There will be no difficulty, thinks he, in getting compebenb Governmenb officials to acb in every district. After an explanation from Mr Ward thab, iri case outsiders are appointed, they will receive ho salary, bub merely a small fee, the amendment is defeated on division by 30 to 24. After this Mr Russell puts his suggestion thab no members of Parliamenb should be eligible for a scab on any disbricb board, inbo the form of an amendment, which Sir R. Stout supports in the hope, as-he-ex-plains, of getting ib carried, so thab bhe clause will require to be recasb. In thab hope, however, he is deceived, for the amendment is negatived by 33 to 19. The clause as ib stands is added to the Bill. When we reach clause 22 Mr Earnshaw, with a view of obtaining some of bhe benefib of the Bill for townspeople, proposes that the words " other property " should be inserted after the word " land." Several gentlemen give a humorous supporb to bhe amendmenb, and for a time joke and jollity are rife. The Treasurer, impatient ab bhese obstructions and delays, tells the House plainly that the measure has been introduced for the benefit of country settlors. It would be an extremely dangerous thing if holders of securities which were embraced under the terms " other properties " participated in the benefits of the Bill. •• If the Committee wish to kill the Bill," sayß the Treasurer, "by all meanß carry the

amendment." Mr Earnshaw, nobwithstanding this, proceeds bo sbabe his caße fnlly. If manufacturers can geb advances under the cheap money there will be no necessity for revision of the tariff this session. For this suggestion, moved out of pure mißchief, one'almoah bbinks, Mr Earnshaw has all bhe country members down on bim. In bhe course of a long discussion, bhey maintain thab the whole intention of legislation is bo help bhe farmer. " Cheap money for bhe farmer, nob cheap money for bhe manufacburers," cries Mr Mackintosh, was bhe question submitted bo the electors, and bhe House applauds vigorously. Then the battle of town v. country ia waged vigorously, and members wander far afield into the paths of flippancy. Sir R. Stout suggests bhab bhe scope of the Bill should be extended so as to establish State pawnshops. These, as he reminds the House, have been very successful in France and Germany. So time is wasted, and bhe Treasurer's patience is getting exhausted. When we are within five minutes ot-the supper adjournment, the- Treasurer moves to -report progress,

with leave to sit again. <." Why .".asks Sir R. Sboub.. Th^Treasurar asserts bhab there is a con- ___.

spiracy bo obstruct the Bill, and thab it is a wasbe .of«»time to go on at presenb. He wishes to reporb progress in Order to allow the Minister for Landsto geb .info Gonimibtee with his - / LANDS IMPROVEMENT AND NATIVE t> LANDS ACQUISITION BILL. :

Afber some discussion the House adjourns for supper, and when we meet again.the motion to reporb progress is carried by 26 bo 14.

When we have settled down to the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Bill, Mr Earnshaw moves to add the word " Crown" to the title, making ib read "Crown Lands Improvement etc." ,

This proposal meets with warm support from Sir Robert Sbout, Mr Bell, and others who are desirous thab improvement should be confined bo opening up unsettled and not settled lands. ' ■;■•■;.,

The Minisber for Lands, however, sticks to his Bill, ij He holds thab those settlers in unroaded districts who have toiled manfully to make a living and homo should not be •forgotten, but should be afforded access to themarket. -'•* ■■'■■-■■.

. Mr Bell contends that if money is bo be spent in improving settlers' properties, there should be provision made for a betterment tax.

Sir Roberb Stout sides with Mr Bell.in favour of the amendment, which, .he, says, will prevenb money being spenb in settled districts. As the Bill stands, ib will be possible for the Minister to spend every penny of money in the Taieri plains in Obago. Bub the Minister for Lands makes it clear thab what Sir Roberb Stoub prediebs cannot occur, as all bhe votes will have to be on the Estimates and will be considered by the House.

From bhis poinb forward for over an hour the amendmenb is discussed, or rather, 'personalities whicb occur in the course of its discussion geb discussed. Time is miserably washed, and we rejoice exceedingly when Mr Earnshaw's umendment is ab lengbh negatived on the voices, and the Committee goes on with clause 4, which provides thab the Minister may allow an association of working men to settle on •Crown lands and improvo tbem. Clause 4 disposed of, clause 5 is amended 'so thab no association shall be entitled to \ lease more than 200 acres.

A proviso to clause 18, moved by Sir R. to make interest on debentures 3£ 'per cent, instead of 4 per cent, was loat on the voices.

Sir Pioberb Sboub moved a new subsection providing thab no debentures should be sold at a price thab would nob give 4 per cenb. iuteresb. This was accepted by the Minister, and agreed to on the voices. Various verbal amendments were made on the motion of the Minister for Lands, including a clause authorising payment oub of moneys borrowed for bhe purchase of native lands of sums required for roading bhe same.

Mr G. J. Smith moved a new clause, providing thab lands purchased under tho Bill and other nabive lands purchased should be only disposed of under lease in.perpetuity, with re-valuabion every 21 years, improvement made by tenanb being excluded.

The Minister for Lands opposed the clause. Ib was nob fair, he said, to apply the. mabter to small people, but if the House were strong enough to effect this change, it should be done in the whole land law of the colony. Sir Roberb Stoub said bhis would nob specially apply to small people, but to largo and small, as it was proposed bo apply bo all nabive lands purchased. Mr O'Regan said no proper valuation .could be unfair. ..;•'. The motion was losb by 24 bo 13. Mr Allen moved a new clause to repeal the Governmenb Loans bo Local Bodies Acb,. .-This Bill,-he said, permitted borrowing of £250,000 for practically the same purposes for which the Loans to Local Bodies Acb provided £50,000 a year. The indebtedness of bhe colony was being increased to an extraordinary extent.

The Minister for Lands could nob accept the amendment. The Government Loans to Local Bodies Acb Amendmenb provided thab the money will only be applied to special bodies, and all they were able to spend under ib last year was £30,000. Sir R. Sboub said thab £1150,560 was now authorised under the Loans to Local Bodies Acb, of which £83,000 was still unspent. The Minisber was mistaken.

The proposed clause was lost by 31 bo 7. The Bill was then (3.35 a.m.) reported and. the House rose.