I EVENING SITTING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7929, 19 December 1887, Page 2

I EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 in committee on ,:•..• v ' THE PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. .'."■. Blenheim'- Awatera -railway, JEYOOO.— Carried. ' " " '■'' ■ -."•• • . ;..h: ! - '■ „ . Greymouth-Hokitikai £24,000.— Car- . -'-,-. Upper Ashburton, branch, £705).-^ . ..'.'; Carned. •',••-.. '-. ".■;;'"';' Livingstone branch, £6600.— Carried. ■'-'-.- \ ~\{£ ' . ■ ■ •--.-■■'.'• ■-- \\y^ls&

W0)"--~' Otagb Cental, £70;000.-Carried. Ssi&. : .r,. Catlin's river branch,£l2;ooo.— Carried. S-Jl; Biveradale-Swifczers, £3000.— Carried. i-" : --:.•' Seaward Bush, 45000.— Carried. , p'< Wyndham-Fortrose, £4000.— Carried. %'.'•.' .- Additions to open lines, £40,000.— §:;•/ . Carriad. , fit '- Permanent way, sleepers, and rolling W '..' . stock, £60,000.— Carried. H' " -> Pnblie Works, departmental, £6000.— i : '> Carried. * Immigration, £16,720.— The Minister 'for Immigration (Mr Richardson) made a, •I- brief explanation of the vote. He said : the Government were unable, in conse- ;'-.- quence of the shortness of time at their disposal, and the lateness of the financial ;. " year, to make any change In the vote ■'•'• £or immigration. — Mr Moss moved that the whole vote be struck out, as he was opposed to taking this money out of loan. If the : vote were to be passed it should appear on' the. general estimates, and not '■'.- be voted out'of loan money.— Mr Seddon defended the vote, and said there was a ■^ . great demand at present for domestic -. servants. He denied that it wonld bring 4. either ruin or desolation, as stated by the '". , ■ member for Parnell. —Mr Anderson -: thought the vote should' be reduced, as ? '• he saw no good to be gained by importing ?;-■ people from Home who would afterwards {- ■ " i go to the Australian colonies.— Mr Pea- ■{-. cock hoped the class ot immigrants to be introduced would consist of farm and , . • agricultural laborers,- and not of the artisan class, of whom there were already too many in our towns at present.— Mr Richardson said that as to the class .of immigrants, he thought the House must be at one with the Government. The , . . class •it was desired to introduce i . were those with a moderate amount if of capital, men desirous of going into f farming and having the requisite knowledge. The colony's lands were nothing without people, and he contended that instead of increasing the nnem- • ployed the introduction of the class of Immigrants contemplated would decrease the number of unemployed by giving more employment. He considered that no better guarantee could be given of the class of individuals than that their friends in the colony were prepared to pay their passage in part. 1 The premium given slightly lessened the .cost of coming td the colony as against that of going to ' other places. With regard to the question ■ of loan money being spent for this proposal it was in contemplation by the Government to adopt some system of giving ?-land scrip in, place of passage money, but they had not had time to , consider the matter. — Mr Scobie Mac-. . " ■ kenzie hoped the vote would be struck Out, to mark the House's disapproval of immigration out of loan money in the condition ■of the colony. — ■ Mr WV P. Reeves (St. Albans) considered ■ it was monstrous that they should spend money on immigrants. when their young people could not get employment.— Mr . Richardson said that £10,000 was all that was proposed to be oskid for in addition to engagements. He did not think that 'was too, much to ask for.— Mr Fulton - moved that the vote be reduced by £10,000. —Dr. Mtchett suggested that tha-Vote be ■ reduced by £3000.— A lengthy discussion ensued, in the, course of which Major Atkinson said he believed it would be a , fatal mistake to introduce more labor at fcfQJ the present time, bat their aim should be to provide land for people. with a little capital coming into the country, as well as. for their .own ypiing .men. It was utterly impossible for a few' years to provide means- for immigration of- this kind out of revenue, and. surely it was a prudent course for them. to adopt, that ■while they continued their borrowing they should devote a ' small portion to the encouragement of a class of immigrants with' a little capital; so as to promote the 1 " settlement of the land.— Mr Fulton's aniendmentmeht was carried by 36 to 23, and a vote of £6720 was carried. The House then considered the GENERAL ESTIMATES. . ' ■ - Legislative departments, £26,000. — In reply to questions Major Atkinson said it was not proposed to pay salaries'for any chairmen of committees. No extra salaries would be allowed to officers, and . the statutory officers would remain as at . v present.their salaries- being fixed by Act. The other officers of the service would participate in the general redactions that wonld be made. Next year the Government W9uld.be able to tell the House definitely whether they could recommend ' . the excision of any particular votes on the estimates. It was not proposed at present to reduce the Speaker's salary (£800), as he was a statutory officer, and he (Major • ■ Atkinson) was not prepared to say whether the Government wonld deal with that salary during the recess. — Mr Hutchison moved to reduce the salary of the Chairman of Committees of the Legislative , Council (£420) by £120.—Alengthydiscus- • sion followed. ,Mr O'Callaghan eventually moved to strike off £67o from the total vote, which was agreed to. — Mr Tntnbull moved ■ that £250 for the Sergeant-at-Arms be ; g,, struck out, but he afterwards .substituted ■X" an amendment that the vote be reduced f by £5, which was lost by 39 to 20. i Colonial Secretary's Department, £151,513.— Agreed to. j Colonial Treasurer's Department, £38,903.— Carried. Stamps and Deeds, £26,460.— Carried. : Postal and Telegraphic Department, ; £274,437.— Carried. Customs and marine, £66,413. — Agreed : , to. Justice Department, £108,665.— Agreed to. ' Mines Department, £20,888.— Agreed : to. ■ , Working railways, £725,000.— Agreed to. : Payments to local bodies,- £13,000.— Agreed to. : - Lands and surveys, £98,307.— Carried. ! Kates on Crown Lands, £42,000.'— Agreed to. ' ' . Major Atkinson moved to report progress; which was agreed to, and the House rose a,t 11,30 p.m.