OUR PARLIAMENTARY SPECIAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7498, 18 October 1895, Page 2

OUR PARLIAMENTARY SPECIAL.

[fEOSI OtJB BPEOIAL EEFOSTEII.]

[BY TELEGBAPII.]

Wellington, Last night,

THE LIQUOR BILL.

When the mangled remains of the Liquor Bill oame baok to the House ftom the Council this afternoon an animated discuseion took place as to what waa to be done with the mutilated measure The Premier regretted that the Council should have co treated a measure passed by the unanimous vote of the Bouse, and said that there waa only one course to be taken viz , that the House should disagree with all the amendments made He moved accordingly, and that Messrs H'Sab, Meredith, JVlitcheleon, and himself bo appointed a committee t> draw up reacono for disagreement. "No oompromit-e" was the attitude taken up by Mr J. G. Bmi;h aud others of the temperance party who spoke. Mr Soaitli said that the hiouse would be nonsuiting its dignity by refusing a coaference on the amendments. Mr Masiin remarked that throughout the Counoil had dealt with the Bill Id the interests of the liquor trade. Mr W. Hutohison moved an amendment thut no aotiou' be taken. Mr Eurnehaw said that when they saw the manner in which the Bill had been wrecked, it was useless to talk about compromise. Mr deddon warned members that inflamatory speeches would hamper the action of those who dteirtd to see the Bill passed. They should draw up forcible reasons, and let the whoie world know what good reasons there were for the pasting of the Bill. If the reasons were good they would gain strength. Acuse of the Council would only weaken their position. He was almost constrained to prolong the session and pass a referendum Bill, in order to submit this question to the will of the electors, were it nut for the knowledge that that Bill would share the same fate in the Council as tbis l> Newmaa remarked that the Bill had been reduced by the Council to the Hhape in whioh it was introduced by the Uoverntnect. Bir Bobert Stout said the Government were not at all enthusiastic over the measure, and did not care whether it passed or not. The Bill would cover be paesed it they held a conference; it would never be passed without enthusiasm. Aβ he had predioted, the liquor party had ohoeen the Legislative Council as the forum for its battle. When the Bill was before the House there Were no brewers or representatives of the trade to be seen, but as soon &$ it passed to the Counoil they were in evidence actively lobbying, and it was a noticeable fact, ho said, that the most ardent supporters of the Uovernment in the Legislative Council, the Government nominees, had been foremost iv ruining the Bill. The temperance party had to consider what waa the Dest way to effect their object, und he"believed it to be not by holding a couJerencs, but by saying to the Council, " You have s© mau ed the Bill and flouted the temperance sentiment of the country that we will decline to consider any of jour proposals." " ixunning away," interjected the Premier. " No, it is not running away," said Fir Robert; "it is ohoceing our own battle ground, and that is what a brave general doea." They should come down early next session with a »trong Bill enabling the voice of the country to be ttsted, and if the Council declined to give what waa wanted, then they must go to the country.

The Hon. Mr Keeves said he would imagine members who did not want this question eettled, but who wished to be hept in political existence by the aid of the tern - perauce clamour, wishing to infuriate the Ouuncil by discourteous treatment. Bash and ill-advised action might weaken instead of strengthen '' our tide."

"Uurside!" queried members; "which side is that?" and Mr Kicoarton Busjell, who followed, pointed out that tie Government could not be induced to fall in with the wishes of the House, aad impose an additional excise duty on beer, 'ihe battle cry next election would be temperanoe reform plus reform of the Council.

Mr baunders offered the opinion that a change baa been wrought on the opiuion of Miuieters and the members of the House b> the women's vote, and it was the want of the women's vote that was the fault of the ether Chamber.

After further discussion the amendment was defeated by 46 to 12, the whoie of the Council's amendment was disagreed with, 'and the committee before named was appointed to draw up reasons, Sir Robert Stout, whoso nomination Mr Seddon consented to, declining to act. AN UGLY RETURN. An ugly return has been laid on the table of the jUouee, on the motion of Mr Duthie. It is as follows:— >£ s a Passages for Sir Valentine and wife to New Zealand via America ~ .. .. 180 18 0 Passagee for Mr Valentine and wife from JJtew Zealand to London vis Australia ~ 165 10 0 Expenses in London, on the Continent, aud in tbe United States and Australia, including railway fares ~ .. 243 17 1 Expenses on tho passage, Key Zealand to London .. ~ 07 11 6 Expenses in England ~ .. 77 13 1 .expenses in the colony, including travellingallowauce, rail, and stsamer fares ~ .. 118 4 0 Cables 20 13 10 Type-writing 35 2 7 Oloncal aseitjtanoe ~ .. 3 0 0 Salary 621 2 1 Allowance special leotures in EnglaLd .. .. ~ 21 0 0 Total expenditure ~ £1454 12 2 —Mr Valentine left London on the 14th October, 1893, arrived in the colony on the 12th Jamiry, 1894, and left tho colony on the 12th Juoe, bhortly afterwards attempting to float a big company, of which the J. Gr. Ward Association was to be one of the colonial agents That unsucceesf ul, he took the management of a concern in which Meesra Ward and MoKenzie are interested. The return speaks for itself BILLS PASSED. The Council this afternoon passed the Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, and the Foreign Inaurauce Companies' Deposits Bill through all their stages. HATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE. Ihe debate on tho tfatiagon Unimproved Valua Bill waa advanced a stage in the Council to-day, when the Hon. Mr I). McOullough supported the measure, and argued that it waa entirely in the interests of farmers to have rating on unimproved values. The Hon Dr Grace supported an amendment that tbe Bill be read a second time sis months hence, urging that progress might be checked by the propessd alteration of the incidence of taxation. The Bill was supported by tbe Hons. J. Kelly aud H Feldwiok, and opposed by the Hon. Mr Shrimeki on the ground that taxation ought not to be reckoned from what an owner got out of a building, but upon the total value of a property The debate was futther adjourned. PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. Owing to the drastic nature of the reductions to be made in this year's Public Works Estimate?, the Premier finds it impossible to deliver his Public V7orks Statement before Mond-y nitjht. Mr Seddon told tho House that he regretted having to break f tith in his promise to mate tho citatement on the following evening, but the doiay waa inevitable. RIGHTS OF RAILWAY SERVANTS. After a lengthy consideration, the Mining Act Atneudmoot Kill passed its final States in the House to-night. The clause in the Public Works Amendment Bill declaring that servants shall not be Civil servants, which would deprive the offic rs from the general management of many thousands of pounda compensation to which they aro now ontitlod, has caused a great outcry in tbe D'.pHrtment, and members are receiving telegrams from all parts of tho oountry comphtiniug of the iajuet'.ce of tho proposal. Mr Cadnian assured a, deputation that the clause had been budly drawn, and that there wag no intention to intorfero with the existing riulit* , , it only intended to affect those eutoiing tho service.