HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 116, 19 May 1886, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

IJSBTEItnAT. Afteknoon Setting. The following' hnninosD was transacted alter wo wont to pre-is yesterday :— THE OOTiONXKS AND NKW UEBRIDBB, Sir GEO. GREY sajd ho wishoil to iwk a quostion without notice upon a vory important subjoct. Ho would ask tho Pr'omior whothor the Government would be good enough to ullow a very early day to be fixod for tho purpose of the House taking into consideration thq quostion of handing over tho Now Hebrides Islands to France, It was ii mutter of impox-tanoe thab they 'should oquws tlieir opinion on the subject without ' ?<* '??nk. dolft y> or it would bo too lato to do no. mo- .t-^fcwm-wns ono or grout-intercut ML*!&«t>&£r ******* The PEEMQJE said the Government had no objection to having that or any other question disonssed at the earliest possible niouiont. There was no private business on the Order Paper for tho next sitting day, and the Government would havo no objection to tho matter being; dismissed then or on lhursday. Sic GEO. GREY said he would now givo TioticiJ to movo a series of resolutions on tho following day. ■ n M l or ATKINSON asked whether all tho pupoi-s on tho robjeot were on the table, and if not, whether it was possible to got them boforo tho discussion took plane ? The PBEMffiB replied tKhey worenot aU on tho table, as many of them «.« , or a cnnadontialnharaofov, and could not thoro. fo ™ ooTnWjfifore the House. Major ATKINSON asked if ajl tho papers The PREMIER mpliad in the negativo, ntating that they were not nil out of tho pvintci-H' hands He did not think it was tho proper way to disousu the question, as proposed by Sir George Grey. It should bo flnl referred to a Seleat Committee of the aroontK^hTffi* 00 * 00^ 11^ mont of the Ifouao, in order to spoakfiirthor on ttao question. Ho thought tho Houso should insist npon nil tho papers boing produoed. It was impofisiblo that tho British uovernmenfc or any othor Govornmopt could aosiro tluvt nny papora conneotod with what concern6d the destiny of tho whole of the inhabitants oi the Paoifio Ocean should he ooncealod from thoro bodios who wore to bo consulted as to what should be done in tho matter. Such a thing vh absolutely unheard of, and he contended that the Premier had no power to withhold such papers frpm tho Houso. By-and-by tho rest of the world would sink into insignifioanoe oompared with what would transpire in tho Paoiflo ; and were they to bo told, when snoh important matters wwo at stako, tha,t the Premier would withhold from the Honso documents, which ought to bo in their possession. Last session, when ho (Sir ( George) had stated that all telegrams and doonmenta wniah came from Great Britain ' wore laid boforo the Houses in othor colonies, ' tho Promior said tho Governments of those ' colonios wore wrong in doing so, and ho in- 1 tamatod that ho would warn them of what ' they worg doing. Ho (Sir George) hold that 1 tho House had » right to bo fuUy informed 1 as to what tho Govornment woro doing in ( this colony. Ho was oonvinoed in his own 1 mind that the Promior's letters to the Agent- ( General at Homo were pusilanimous. and he ! (tho Prpnuor) ought to havo taken a firmer : stand th^n he , had— ho should havo adopted ' stronger moosnres. If wo had no power to ( im » n * a 515 1 ?">*> wo had at least tho refuge : afforded to honest men, viz., to'rofuse to ] I f ?°^ W ? 8 Mled rtft «*«m when ho learnt that theso confldontW dbou. monts wero to bo kept from them. Ho 4°»«« »* w»« still tho intention of tho '. P£*u to Jet foreign powers w-^^w 6^ , A ■Wwnmifc hatf been pubhshed that England had refused to give tho Now Hobndos to Franco, but ho was in a position to say that yestorday morning tho colony of Victoria roceivod from its Agentaeneral a telegram which by no means corrobovatod or bore out that statement Ho bahovod it to be absolutely incorrect ; and our only phaneo of rescue from the danger was by such a protest from this Hqubo as ho proposed to submit for their con.sid&»tion. If it was distasteful to the Preniior, he was, «orry for it Ho did not wish tho question to bo made in any senso a party ouoi ho proposed it in the intorests bf Canada f ' h » » States, and of all tho English speaking and British subjects, who. would rfook to tho Paoifio Islands C "I? *» millions. He proposed it in tho interests of tluit great oontinont Australia «? dd p f jil a £ d of the man y inhabitant of w,,; Jt ***. * iwe^Jon on which wo ought to show our intellect 'and strength of mindj and we should unite in a TiJorous protest against any wrong being done to us in suph a. matter. Lot tho Premier, too, heartily join in tho protest, and let us fonret our diiferencea and unite to prevent •' tho handing over of the Islands to a Power who wero ignorant of what wo were doing, arid for whom tho people of these colonios entertained a great dislike. Let usin this mattor jjreservo our rights apd tho right* of our descendants, and say wo wow no 'parties to any snoh transaction. Thd motion for adjournment n,ot bsinir seconded, the subjeot dropped) BHLS, Tlie .Premier inteodnood the Munioipal Coporations Bill and the Counties Bill, which wero read a first time and ordered to be wad a second time on Thursday next, SXSSIO&AIi COVHITTIKS. A numhor of sessional oommitt«es were appointed. The House then adjourned till 7.80 p.m. ' EVININQ SITTINa. Tho Honse resumed at 7.80. ADDRESS-IN-BEPLT. Mr. BE VAN, ia rising to movo tho Ad-3ress-in-Eoply, was received with cheers, ffe said he esteomed it a great privilege to 30 called upon to move tho Addtess-in-Reply. Flo felt that the task could not bo otherwise .h»n a congenial ono. He thought ho interacted tho feeling of millions who rejoiced n her rule when the expressed tho rish. .hat her Majesty would long be spared to mdoar herself to her people. To tako a reJrospeotiYo view, he thought that colonists for, and ho oonif therefore that rein the , glwsi[ra*'*«ijinjof

that of hii colony was at stake, 1-ad at great expense takon steps to ywdicatc hit) clmraotor. Tho stops which that gentleman had takon hal resulted in the vindication of his honour and that of the colony. (Hear, hear.) It ought not to bo said that the people of the colonies would B taw] by and allow an unscrupulous writer to defame Now Zealand, and ho (Air. Beran) desired, therefore, to pay a tribute to the member of the late Government for what he had done. Ho thought it very gratifying to find that the colony wa« progressing in a satisfactory tnanuor; that thp industries of the country were being encouraged, and that the commercial relations were n<»w much firmer than in the past. Tt must be evident that the colony never could hope to reach v. very high pc.-utiou unlcM public works were pushed ahua.d. The general prosperity should be our aim and object, and this, he maintained, would never come about unles-i a proper «yitfc.:i of public works wan pm-Bued. To at tain such an end Provincial jealousies should be wet u-iide, and the common good made the object of all. Tho world-wide depresfion which they had heard of fo- 30 long was ho .believed, more iruaginary than real. There vw, at any rate, an ab'.'.-iico ot that grinding poverty that exited ; 'i larger countries. V/nen they I ('fleeted that the Mansion Hou.->o Hclief Fund, reaching thou u ands and thousands of pounds, v/us like a drop of water amongst fo many in need, he said that in thi.s country the people had little to complain of. He looked upon the depression as the outcome of the grout social and commurci.il reforms that were taking place in the world. Wool, t-ilbw, ami grain were never so low a-i at the present time, and to that cau.se tho depresiiion in New Zealand waft to some extent due. Tho time had arrived when it win the duty of tho colonists to oncourago other industries in every pos.siblo way, to opon up markets for thoir manufactures, and to extend their commercial relations in every possible direction. He took it an a good omen that iittho Indian and Colonial Exhibition there was a display which would do credit to rnueh older countries. Then at the Exhibition held in Wellington hint year there was a display of industrial products which would have done credit to any of the British colonies. Ho belioved ho was right when ho said tliat nine-tenths of tho peoplo who visited tho Exhibition in Wellington last year were not awaro before that so many things wore being or could be made in the colony. He looked forward to a groat future for the manufactures and products of New Zealand. Gold, which wan really tho pioneer of New Zealand's greatness, was a product which desorved more than a passing notice. He attached great importance to tho development of the mineral wealth of the colony, and he believed that by dealing with tho matter in a comprehensive mannor great publio good would result. He thought a step in tho right direction had been taken in giving a course of scientific lectures to tho miners of the colony. Ho considered it was a vory gratifying fact to find that last year tho gold raised in tho colony was valued at more than that of tho previous year. With referonco to tho coal mining industry, it was also gratifying to find that a good deal of the commodity was now hoing sent to tho ad. jacont colonies and also to Great Britain, and that tho money whioh used to bo sent out of tho colony to purchase coal was now retained in the country. Ho attached vory great importance to tho development of the minoral wealth of the colony, and was ploasod to find there was every desire on tho part of the Government to deal with the matter in a proper mannor. It was satisfactory to learn that in tho matter of finanoos thb colony was in a sound condition. He recon» o tod that last year thoy opened with a BnrpWs of .8122,000, and now thoy wore told+.hat tho financos of tho colony wore onnall> sound. Our debontures were I received with tho greatest possible favour I in the English *, ttr kot, and our loan con- • versions met with v. favourable recognition, i From those faots ho v,ok it that tho people ■ at Homo were satisfied that Now Zealand ) was worthy of their attention as a field for i investment. No better o.xutenee of this , feeling could be mtod than tht floating of i tho Midland Railway Company. T (ftS t year i tho undertaking was a bone of contention in - tho Houso, but now It was acknowledge! as - an investment worthy tho attention of t capitalists. He thought it would stand as a monument to th,e zeal and honesty of tho i present Administration, that such an im1 portant work should havo beon started in their torm of office. Ho looked upon the introduction of British capital as a very gratifying fact. Tho folly of those who had opposed tho construction of tho lino was now apparent, and ho beliovod that if tho question had been pnt to tho pooplo of both islands, thoy would havo givon a vor1 diot in lavour of tho work boing proceeded with beforo now. The faot that peoplo at a distance had takon up tho work as a good a invostmont sosuiod almost a reproaoh on tho pooplo of tho colony. Ho rognrded the pror posals for increasing the powors of local j bodio.l as a very gratifying foaturo of the (j ( j Speech, and ho considered that when mea0 sures wore brought down with that objeot r in viow tho Honso shbnld give thorn a the 'consideration thoy deserved. The j settling of tho people on' the vacant lands of j. the colony was a question which deserved ' . the consideration of all who had the welfare b of the country at heart. Tho land laws of it tho . oolt)I >y wo»e very liberal, bnt by the majority of people they did not appear to ( | bo thoroughly understood. He should like J r to see thorn ovon more liboral, so that people j e would havo no roason to go away to the n other colonies, but be induced to romain d m Now Zealand. He considorod that tho 0 perpetual leasing system tended towards the nationalisation of the land, and he thought the greatest publicity should be given to tho r(J fact that tho laws relating to the land woro 10 of a liberal charaoter. He believed that if this were done, peoplo would be induced to |0 coino and Bettlo m the oolony. The exports i( j and imports of tho colony during tho past m year had boon very satisfactory, and showed that tho country was progressing. Before x loaving his fqot h.o would like to pay a „ tribute to the members of the present j Bt Administration, coUeetivoly and individu- , ally, for the zeal and earnestness and tho , •s ""tofatigablo onorgv they had displayed for , ' n tho wolfaro of tho colony. Mr. TAYLOE, in rising to second tho I }) motion, said he laboured under a great dig- : to advantago in having to follow tbe gentleman ' , s who had just spoken, ftp wjah,ed. to indipate : in to tho House the peason why he secpnded the iq Address. Ho had stated to his constituents c that ho was prepared to Bupport the present c Goyernment^and he did so because he con- '■ sidered they were a liberal Government and l- held prptty inugh identical views with himr self on all matters upon which ha 4 touched c m his address, With refepence to tho i i. proseoution of industries he hoped tho h Government would extend the railway workj Bhops throughout the colony, because he , t found on visiting the shops at Addington • c that the work W»« done oheapqr than oou}d ' s bo dono by, a private ooujpany, and the : 0 labourers might as woll ho employed by the 9 Government a,s by pompanies. He hoped • . that the Government would spo thei? way i r to extend the works, and sq encourage local i j naustries in thai aireotion. With] reference 1 to the oonstrnptfon of Vvlways, lje hoped ! the part of thp country whloh he repre- • 1 sented would havo its fair share of oipendi- i . ture Qaughter) He had no doubt many • , people were of opinion that tho Midland , j Railway would be quite snflioient for Can- , t terbnry but he thought that part of the , r colony could do with a little more to del volop its resources (renewed laughter.) Ho - , quite agreod with the policy of tho , ( Government so far as the sottlemont , ) of the land was concerned, but ho . would like to see that principle applied !• i some of the large estates. There were some i vory large estates in Canterbury, and he I Would like to see thorn resumed by the t Government at a fair valuation, and the i prinoiple applied to thoni \u a way similar . to that applied to the village special settlo- , menta sohome. He would not detain tho . House at any groat length, b,ooartao ho re- [ quired a little more practice be'fjoro' he bonld , express himself as oloarlyas ae\vouJ3 like' , He tKanked hon. membera for their patient , hoaxing, and had croat pleasure in moving , tho Address-in-Koply. (Applause.) ; Major ATI?INSON,whQ T Qsp amid Oppo, sihon cheers, said ho hppod fho mover anc" aeoondor of the Address would allow him to ' congratijhito them on the way they had got i through their difficult task. Ho oongn&i- - wt°a the mover upon Uq roUing periods, i a " d for having pipked out those po;-tipns of 1 the Speech whioh suited h.im. best. 5e con, gratulatpd the sepqnder up«i tho pwotioal • turn of mind which he had shown., an4hohad no doubt that gentleman would prove himsolf to be a vory useful member-respooially for ■ his own district;. (Laughter.) Ho (tho speaker) would not, he thought, have risen • upbii that oeoasjon wore it not that he 1 SS? 1 "^ *° M * non. mombers this question, Whether the time had not arrived when they might oeano, with considerable advantage, to make thp Address-in-Eeply the debatable ground of party politics. Hardly any good ; had ever come out of the diHousuion upon tho Address-in-Reply, and the debate was nothing but waste of time. The only ; advantage derived by it was the pleasure of ' ■ attacking the Govornment; but in this 1 ' ! matter they onght to consider tho advontaird" ■ 'to th« oonntr*. ana h« hoped the GoVoYn.'. j mentromainod in office— whioh he did not' - 1 considor at all oertain— they would take tho ; subject into consideration, and say whethor < ' or no? the Address could not be aooepted as a formal matter, last year, whon the Opposition refrained from ontioising the Speeoh 1 they were told that they had practically ; approved of the Government's 'adminis- • tration. He did proposo this year to > w e^ few f emarka w>o Aftdreji. no did nqt pretenil to debate' it • ' *P?VO WM nofljjn* t9 debate. Tip firU vi*., the absence of rijforenpe* to tte rpais! , mrf wVIi Bpa - t8 T? a ""fab* w^°l> was [ not justifiably in the oircqmB^noe S erf the \ -iW* $8? Jwfe nirfW rtttal, tut he [ would tell that gentleman quite plainly that w>P (Sovemmenf would have to bring in a Eedistnbution BiU that session, and he warned them in a friendly way that they > would not snocoed in getting «Kwh other v&T i0 ?l *& $<* S» «» aSS that they intended to tftke -this mattor up and deal with it. (H«w, Tear) Then who, on reading the Bpoeoh, oould have believod it emanated fpom the gentlemen who had aisured the House that they had ■ watered their polioy-a polioy of proffreag, . by leaps and bounds. It was a sUght to i Parliament to submit snoh a speech. All . thoy had put forth about going to i the country was only talk, as they ■ had no soheme to go to tho country 1 upon. The truth was, thoy oould not i agree upon a»y soheme, and so they prei pared a speeoh with nothing in it. rf they could look behind the; soenes thoy would find the soheme of the Government about as empty as tho Speech itself. Tho hon. member for Hokitika had read into the Speeoh i that whioh he would like to see into it. He '**"■ speaker) could malco a speeoh in the •"•^ay, bnt he would probably bo tola , Premier that that was not' °^!2&iP oTsnu&en t> bui quite w^Mpnbfc the nohT&entlek« to he»r hi- fltfajorAtWn-' woulc 1 - ■ -Ooyernj.

Cameron, though Hlightly uneven, voHe at timen a long way above mediofrity. T)io Hiimu progranirno will bo produced to-night.