HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10777, 3 October 1900, Page 6

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. FEDERATION. Mr LAURENSON gave notice to ask the Premier if he would set up a Commitfe to enquire into the question of federation. THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA. Mr STEVENS gave notice to osk what steps the Government intended '.o take to celebrate the conclusion of the war in South Africa, seeing that there would be no formal declaration of peace. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave of absence was granted to Mfwrs flfaesey and J. Allen for the remainder of Ihe session. NATIVE LANDS. The Maori Lands Administration Ui'.l * as read a first time. NEW ZEALAND AND THE ISLANDS. The PREMIER presented a uetition from the inhabitants of Fiji, praying for federation with this colony. THE ROYAL VISIT. A communication was read Torn Ihe Secretary for the Colonies to the Gove nor, acknowledging the receipt of the invitation to the Duke and Duchess of York to visit New Zealand, pleased at the invitation, and the loyal spirit that had prompted it. (The matter is dealt with elsewhere.) IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. The amendments made in the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Bill by the Legislative Council were disagreed with, and managers were appointed to draw up reasons. INDICTABLE OFFENCES. The amendments made in the Indictable* Offences Summary Jurisdiction Bill by the Council were, on the motion of Mr McUOWAN, agreed to. The principal amendment provides that where tne accused plead- ! p<l guilty to an offence he may be remanded for sentence by a Judge of the Supreme Court without the trouble and expense of a trial before the Court. NEW ZEALAND CONSOLS. The Consols Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. It provides for increasing the amount receivable by the Colonial Treasurer by war of deposit by £250,000. J THE MIDLAND RAILWAY AREA ; Mr SEDDON moved the second reading !of the Midland Authorised Area Land Settlement Bill, which provides for dealing with hinds released' W the settlement of the Mid'iand Railway question. Mr MILLAR said he would, in committee, oppose the cliiuse proposing to alienate these i lands under the present system of 999 rears. Mr STEVENS said to induce confidence they must, give fixity of teonre, and, unless that were done, the six million acres d«alt with in the Bill would not be utilised to the best interests of the colony. Mr LAUREXSON said he "would rather see the freehold tenure of land reverted to tli an see the area comprised in the Bill thrown open under the 999 years system without revaluation at fixed and reasonable terms. Mr MEREDITH hoped there would, in dealing -with th«se lands, be no reversal of tha policy of the lat« Minister of Lands. The nature of tbs eountrv should be taken into consideration. He did not think there was more than 1 per cent. o f agricultural land in the area, nor more than 5 per cent, first class pastoral country, the balance being third and fourth class, much of which woirtd not carry a grasshopper to the acre. Mr MILLS said the Bill Tas one of the most important dealt with this session, and he believed it would result in the rapid settlement of the large area of Jmd dealt with in the Bill. Mr COL YIN congratulate the Government on ths backbone they h»<l displayed in | dealing with the Midland Railway question, and subsequent proposal to throw the land area open to settlement. Mr G.-Tv*. RUSSELL Trusted the question of the "eternal leese" had been raised in connection with the settlement of the Midland area. He objected to handing over for a period! of 999 y«nrs a block of land at 4 p?r cent, of tlie present value without revaluation. '• Mr GRAHAM was alsojleased at tfce land being thrown open. Whj]e he agreed that a very large portion wa» comparatively valueless, "still there were other portions that were very suitable for.pastoral purposes, and the Bill would pwr e of immense benefit to the district he represented. Mr FOWLDS contended th*t the lease for 999 years without revaluation vas the most iniquitous system that the mini of man could conceive, and he trusted tfcat the lands under consideration would be disposed of on some other tenure.

Mr COLLINS believed «»t long before the expiry of the 999 years tie- entire land system at present in operation would be ew«pt away. Hβ disapproved o f that tenure without periodical rttainatioa. Mr R. McKENZIE -aras that the right* of those who h«!d occupation licenses over the land* had been conjerred. He hoped that liberal grants wogjg made far educational and ether purposes. Mr ELL contended that tfc| freehold of now of tbs land should be of, either

in the (Midland area or any ofcber part of the co'.ony, and advocated tiat the leaseholds should contain a provision for revaluation.

Mr GUINNESS protested against the question of tenure being raised in connection with the Bill, and hoped that the conditions of the disposal of the iaSS would be the same as those obtained in other parts of the colony.

■Mr SEDDON, in reply, said there had i 3, ?Jf afc e *l °f unnecessary discussion on tie Bill in connection with the whole question of land tenure. The ordinary land t^1 8 of , th , e colon?" would be appKed to the mii, which was introduced merely to deal equitably with those who held occupation licenses over portions of the land. He objected to the West Coast being jnade a distnc* in which a land settlement policy should be experimented upon. The Bill was read a. second time on the voices.

The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.