FRIDAY JULY 2.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1065, 13 July 1869, Page 3

FRIDAY JULY 2.

The Deputy Speaker took the chair at three o'clock. COMPENSATION FOR 'LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE \VAR. Mr. Kelly asked the Colonial Secretary if the. Government is inch'ned to give Land Scrip as compensation to the settlers of the Patea and Waitotara districts for the losses they have sustained by being driven from their homes, and their property destroyed, by the rebels under Titokowaru ; such scrip to be available for tho purchase of the land, of those natives who have justly forfeited* it ' by their active participation in the destruction of life and property in those' districts. The Colonial Secretary said the Government recognised that the Patea and Waitotara settlers had as strong a moral claim to compensation as the Taranaki and Auckland settlers ; but the question opened up the large. one of how far it would bo advisable to confiscate more land, and place settlers upon it, which was a matter for the House to decide upon. The Government would be quite willing to issue a Commission to enquire iuto the losses of theso settlers. MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION. The Colonial Secretary, before the House proceeded to the orders of the day, wished to state that two members had been added to the number of his Excellency's advisers during the day. One hon. member was well known in the House fdr" hiseiperM'ce iripublic affairs, and had occupied' similar positions, in other Ministries which had existed in the colony, the hon. member for Mataura, his friend Mr. Dillon Bell, (Loud cheers) who had kindly consented to assist the Government by accepting»office without portfolio. The other gentleman who had consented to. accept a. seat in the Cabinet had for a great many years filled a .very important public office with great credit to himself— he alluded to the Tinder-Secretary, Mr. Gisborne (cheers), who had been appointed a member of the Legislative Council. Mr. Gisbtirne had at present only been sworn in its a member of the Executive, but he might frankly tell thrt House that Mi*. Gisborne would relieve him of the departmental duties of Colonial Secretary," while he (Mr. Fox) would, as Mr. Weld had formerly done, assume the position of Premier and Leader of that House. Mr. Stafford said it would be satisfactory to the House tcknow what would be the permanency of some of these appointments. It was rumored that Mr. Dillon Bell, the Colonial Treasurer, and even the Minister for Native Affairs, were only likely to hold, office during the session. The Colonial Secretary presumed he was not bound to answer. such a question, based, as it was, upon mere lobby rumors. He presumed his hon. colleagues would hold, office until the hon. member for Timaru could succeed in turning them out. (Laughter.) WAYS AND MEANS. The House went into committee of Ways and Means, Mr. O'Rorke in the chair. . ''•- Tho Colonial Treasurer- moved that towards making good the supply to be granted to her Majesty there be issued and paid out of the Consolidated Fund a not exceeding £15p,00j0. Colonel, HaultAHEn' said the Colonial Treasurer. -had on/ihe previous evening, somewhat mystified 'the committee in regard to the defence adcounts. 'The way in which tho Treasury kept the accounts might-be difficult • but the returns From the Ifefen'co office clearly showed? the actuab'expenditure. " The return .which he himaelf. laid before the Hous,e of the expenditure from July 1, 1868 to May 31, 1869,. showed it to be £230,000, and this added't'o the £71,000 of liabilities, represented the actual expenditure for that period. The sum of £41,000 for the.month of dune could not be taken as criterion of the 1 whole-y ears expenditure, as it included ; a : sum for clothing, which would have to be deducted from the men's pay. A fair estimate of the monthly expenditure might be made by multiplying the number of men on pay by £12, the average cost per man being from £140 to £150 a-year. . All the European portion of the constabulary were enlisted for thrco years, but tho Government could discharge them at any moment, and the native portion of the Constabulary had been enrolled for ono year. Th c Government would find that the state of tlie country would not allow of their reducing the force in the manner they seemed to imagine, save, per- \ haps, . in respect to the native portion of it. .■•,•:'• The Colonial- Treasurer* said that in the latter part of Thursday evening he stated' that documents had been placed in his hands showing the actual expenditure on defence purposes during the year 1868-9 to have been £330,000, from which must be. deducted liabilities incurred during the previous year and charged against 1868-9. But any statement as to these liabilities must bo conjectural, since there • was no means of ascertaining the oxact amount of outstanding liabilities. Colonel Haultain said' the £330,000 was the expenditure' for ' thirteen monthsj sincethei accounts .for June,- 1868, were paid in the year 1868-9, and the expendi-

turo for June, 1869, £41,000, must bo deducted from it to show the twelve months' expenditure. Mr. Hall was glad it had been clearly shown that the expenditure of £41,000 for Juno was abnormally high. He should not oppose this vote, but was glad the dangerous precedent had been avoided of granting a large sum of money without notice, and. which would have been laid down had this bill been passed through all its stages at Thursday's sitting. lie would ask the Colonial Treasurer whether authority for paying off the £17,000 of Wellington debentures was- not contained in Consolidated Loan Act ? If it were, it would be necessary to issue Treasury bills for the amount. He could not -agree with the lion, member that he would not be justified in using the July revenue for payment of liabilities incurred in other months, as the principle of the Public llevenues Act was that all monies received during a month could be used in paying oif any debts Avhich might be then outstanding. Mr. Yogel had, on the previous evening, pointed out that, if the July revenue were used for May and June liabilities other provision must be made for meeting the July expenditure. With regard to the Wellington debentures, he had put them down on one side of the account and the £15,000, supposed to be in the hands of the London agents and available, on the other. As to the Defence expenditure being for thirteen months, the House un: derstood last s.ession that it was providing for the payment of all services up to. the end of June. ■ ■_• „„-., The resolution was carried^ ' " . ' On the resolution authorising the issue of £150,000 of Treasury bills being read. Mr. Stafford objected to the provision contained in it, empowering the Colonial Treasurer to pay interest at the rate of 5d per day, which was £7 12s per cent per annum,, as the bills could be disposed of at a much lower rate, and it was unadvisable to hold forth to capitalists that we were prepared to pay so much for accommodation of this kind. He would move that tho rate be reduced to 4d. The Colonial Treasurer accepted the amendment, and said he concurred with Mr. Stafford's opinion on the desirability of disposing of the bills by tender. The resolution, as amended, was passed, and with the former, reported to the House, and passed through their remaining stages. The Native Ministeb moved the suspension 'of the standing orders, in order that the bills embodying the resolutions might be passed through all their stages. Mr. Stafford said it was agreed on Thursday that if all these resolutions were adopted by the committee, the bills might be passed at one sitting, on the understanding that it should not be taken as a precedent. The motion was agreed to and the bills were passed. In reply to a remark of Mr. Stafford, tho Colonial Treasurer said the bills would not be issued below par, and would bear interest at the rate of 4d. per diem.