EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7115, 11 July 1888, Page 6

EVENING SITTING.

Hie Heus*. resumed at 73d jmbu ~ c Mr McK-xz-x, resuming the debate, tald the M*-*-*"* would not admit that his tft-j. policy had not been tucc»ssful from a revenue point of view. What revenue he bad obtained was doe to the reduction of dseprice-of land making it worth while for settlers to buy vacant land adjacent io their own holdings for ipeculative purpeeea. He objected to the proposal dealing with Land Board., and said he could aot -ander-tand the Minister's objection to them. The Minister should hare been Btt-sfied wit-, the decis-oo of the Boas* last Beardoa, and should have allowed the Boards to remain as they were. Mr Cow as regretted the necessity that kad arisen for this Bill, and of all quasSoas be thought the land question was one that should be tamper©*- with aa little v passible. He was pleased to hear Eros- the Minister the result of the cperafaoßsof the L_ad Act of last nwuoa, and that £03 people had been settled on tbe bad. He thought that the strictures of She SB-mber for Wafla-mo were not altog«ther warr_at*d. He also regrtUed the preposai for abolishing Waste Land Boards, m people locked to those Boards to go between them and the Lands Department. sad he should support the proposal for Misstatement of the Boards. He supported 'the second -re-adit-, cf the BilL

Mr Roses said it was ridiculoas <o expe*i asy . great rsc---. from. t>*<» •-»_«_-•■

I Land Act, which had only been in operation for a few months, and he disagreed ! with those who were opposed to that Act, on the ground that sufficient time had not been given to prove whether or not it would be successful. He cautioned the House against the insidious attempt that was being made to institute elective Land Boards. It waa very desirable to separate those Boards from political »Tifli-*nces, and no member of the House nhfmM serve on them. He hoped the Bill would become law.

Mr Ptkb would not oppose the Bill, but he considered there were some very dangerous principles in it He took particular objection to the clause providing that the prices of forfeited la ads were to be subject to the approval of the Minister. He was opposed to the abolition of Land Boards, and considered that the system worked well hitherto. The Bill waa a tinkering 818, and he quite agreed with Mr Cowan that they should interfere as little as possible with their land system. He objected to the claasificat-on of pastoral leases proposed in the Bill, and he also thought theclausesproviding that perpetual leases may be exchanged for a deferred payment license, and that exchanges of tenure will not be permitted on lands acquired after 1887, might well be eliminaied irom the BilL He again desired to star* that he was strongly opposed to the proposal of abolishing the Land Board-. _*<ne thought those Boards performed .-mir work in a most capable aad, in many canes, conscientious manner.

Mr Mabchak*. thought there was nothing in the Land Act to bear out the assertion of the -number for Waihemo- that i 5 would create a dangerous mor.opoly. They were told by another hon. gentleman that the Bill struck at the root of the perpetual leaseholds system, but he was not aware that that system contained any fundamental principle. He thou- deferred payment settlers Bhould be all owed land to the extent of 640 acres, of 320. The Gavernmeit, he regrett «d to see, were not adopting a colonising p- jiicy snch as he should like to Bee estabTh Aed, but be considered a pobcy of that k xnd, which would settle the people on la a<], was tha only thing to save the country.

Mr Krai, .aid if it cculi be proved to him that Commissioner, oi Crown Landwere capable persons to administer the landlaws of the colony, h g should support the abolition of the-load Boards, but he felt it his _duty>_, raise hia voice against their abolition, __c shot id not oppose this Bill, ac thougl ffi there were some dbj_ction»>", le features in. it.

s,c *~\.-Gbey said whea the Governra-ant s . nar -need an amended Land Act he.'had li * ou«ht they were going to dcvi.3 some j-reat scheme of land settlement and attract people with capital from other countries to give employment to their people. The BUI, however, contained Bot_une, and it was impossible not to feel disappointment at such a measure. The Minister had congratulated himself in having placed 503 settlers on the land, and 55,517 acres had to .atisfy those people, while the Minister for Lands and his colleagues gave no less than 2,500,000 acres to a foreign Company. He believed the land given to this Company would carry a population of more than 15,000 people. He waa told that a million acres belonging'to the Canterbury runs had been given to this Company. As to the abolition of the "Waste Land Boards, that should have been done years ago. He contended that great injury bad been done throagh the Fair Bont Bill introduced by him last year not having been allowed to pass. He entirely approved of Mr Ball's conduct in his occupation of the -.ermadec Islands, and he hoped the Minister would retract the statement he had made about that gentleman. He implored the House to put the Laod Bill in such a form a_ to restore confidence to the country and to give employment to tbe people of the colony. Dr. _-r_w__.H pointed out that there were enormous tracts of land in the Wellington and Hawke's Bay districts, as well as in the South, which were almost entirely unsettled, and contended that if all this vast extent of country belonged to a syndicate it would be surveyed and means taken to settla it. Much as be disapproved of the policy of the late Ministry, there was no doubt they made efforts to settle people on the land of the colony, and he urged on the Government the necessity of doing more in this direction than they hal hitherto done.

Mr TtraKßU-.. hoped that whatever alterations were made by the Waste Lan *m Committee in this Bill it would bo dealt with this session. He advocated the subdivision of the Canterbury ruv as the best means of bringing proepf ri.y to that district. These runs he poii ted out were so heavily mortgaged that they had to pay a million a year interest before making any profits. If Government continued to re- = main in the same p-sition they now were the misery of the country would be perpetuated. Retrenchment would not save the country, but oue thing that would tend to prosperity would be when those runs came to be leased they should- be sabdivided, co that Bmall holders could be allowed to participate in them. As to Land Boards, if they were to exist at all they should ba elected/either annually or triennially, as might be desired. Mr Buchanan supported the {BilL He agreed with-the proposal to give fixed tenure to the holders of Canterbury inns: He hoped that Land Boards would not b. done away with, as he felt thei. influence was on the whole for good.

Dr. Hona-TK-OH thought the time had gone by for people* to take up land in the colony, as they should have had a good land policy years ago. He advocated the claims of deferred payment settlers, and said he was. strongly opposed to the abolition of Waste Land Boards as being rack centralism. He hoped that proposal would be defeated.

Mr HuTCHisoH referred to Beveral clauses in the Bill which he thought'required to bs amended. He concurred in the suggestions of the member for Wangasui to postpone the clastiEc-tion of pastoral lease, tul a map of the districts gbad bee. laid before both Houses.

Mr Blaxs held it would be impracticable to cut up the Canterbury runs at cmc in lot? to carry 5000 sheep. Suoh a subdivision would be a matter of time, and to do ao at present would cause much needless expanse. Ha approved ot the Bill generally aa being in the best interest ot the country. Maj.r Stiwasd said the most important part of. the BUI was the portion dealing with the Canterbury leases, and on the manner in which those leases were dealt with would undoubtedly depend the prosperity of that district. He was not clear, however, whether the Bill provided for that difficulty satisfactorily. He held that it was the duty of the Minister for LvncLs, who, he felt sure, was sinc.r.ly desirous of -dmiahrtering the land of tee colony in a fair manner, to ace that those runs were dealt with in such a way as would promote the settlement of the colony. Mr B. T-ro-tPSOH ruppcrted the BilL

Mr Tanker called attention to the large areas of country* in various part- of the colony that ware only scratched with settlement. He quite agreed with Mr Turnbull that large properties held by individuals might be profitably cut up, but it was even better that land not occupied at aU should be rendered fit for settlement.

Mr Duncan hoped the House would not consent to having the lands of the colony administered from Wellington, as it could not be properly done by a centralising policy. Captain Tau-nttk-i thought the main object of this BUI had been lost sight of. It was to his mind to redeem a pledge made by Mr Bichardaon with respect to deferred oayment settlers, a clause relating to wlu_m» ur- __en strucx ont of the Fair Bent n- _L» thought deferred p»y__.nt settlers uader tha conditions proposed would be is a much better position than other tenants of the Government. He had previously voted against the Land Boards being retained, as he thought the Boards had not used their position for the benefit of the country, but they could do ruut&er good nor harm under the present conditions. A« to the statements that very little cash revenue had been derived from the Land Act of last year, he asserted tbat the country had not yet had time to realise the changes that had been made in our land system, and he felt sure that next ysnr the i-?tn.lt would be vary different.

Mr Ahdxbsok diougut the present system of land settlement would go more to ruse oar credit than anything elss. He held it would be cheaper for the Govern: merit to give away land to the young men of the colony than to allow them to drift away to other colonies. The proposal to claaeify the land of the. pastoral les-jes which would shortly fall in met with his approval, and he also approved of the priority of tenure proposed to be given. Aa to Mr Tun-bull's contention that this land should be cut up into small runs which would accommodate 5000 sheep, he (Mr Anderson) held that ao one would take up the country on those tonus who expected to make anything out oi it. He cordially supported the BilL ' Mr PaacsvAL urged that the Government should procure eaitable blocks of land in well settled districts for the promotion of village settlement. He approved of the manner in which it was proposed to deal with the Canterbury runs. He thought d-__di._at.ou was the right course to take. As to the Land Boards, he did not agree with their abolition, but he thought they met too often. If they met say once in two months, itwould be an improvement on the present system. He supported the 811, and hoped in Committee some amendments would be carried which would still farther improve it.

Mr Bjchjj-dsoct replied to various argu--nents advanced against the BilL He said be snould be most happy to take the opinion of the Waste Lands Committee on the question of the publicity of classification of the pastoral land. As to the statement made that the present Government were not desirous of promoting the colonisation policy, he said the whole deeire of the Government had been to give equal facility to a man who wanted one acre as to one who wanted a thousand acres*- Much objection had been taken, to the abolition of Land Boards, but the present Bill did not propose that at all. It was proposed by the Aot of last year, and the Boards would cease to exist at the end of the present session, unless their license was renewed, so that it was neceEsiry he Bhould provide -machinery in their stead. As to the Government having no colonisation scheme, aa asserted by Mr Merchant, he thought there could not ba abetter colonising principle- than that laid down in the Land Act of last year and the present Bill. The motion fir tha second reading was agreed to oh the voices, and the BUI referred to the Waste Lauds Committee. CALrFOENIAN TH-STiE BHIII. On the motion for going into Committee on the C difornian Thistle Bill, Mr HUTCHISON* said he should move several important amendments in Committee, the effect of which would be to leave the administration of the Act in the bands Of local bodies. His object was not to oppose the Gorernc-ent in this, but mainly to improve the Bill. Aft»r soma discussion, the House went into C.'x-mittee on the Bill, Mr McKbnzie (Waihemo) moved to include in the short title " gorse and sweet briar." Lo3t by 26 to 9. Mr Hutchison -moved to add to the title the words " noxious weeds and plants." Lost by 22 to 10. Mr Iveeb moved that progress be reported. Lost by 17 to 8.

Mr Dodso-t moved that progress be reported, as it was evident no further business would be proceeded with that night. Mr Perceval supported the adjournment, not be.suae he was opposed \0 the Bill, but for the same reason as Mr Dodson.

Mr Hisxor failed to see why progress should be reported m.rely because one or two members chose to obstruct the BUI. He hoped members would approach the Bill in a reasonable spirit. The motion, for reporting progress was eventually carried on the voices.

The Home rose at 1 20 a m