HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10069, 9 August 1895, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, August 8. The House met at 2.30. — SIX GBORGE GRBr. The Speaket ' tead a letter from Sir George Grey resigning his seat as a member for Auckland. Mr Seddon said he intended at an early date to place "on record a resolution ex< - pressing the sense of the House of the distinguished services rendered to the colony by the right hon. gentleman. THE TARIFF. Mr Seddon asked the leader of the Opposition whether he had been consulted by Mr G. J, Smith before tho latter gave » notice of motion to the effect that the tariff proposals of the Government were unsatisfactory. Captain KasseU said the first be had heard of the matter was seeing the resolution In print. Mr Smith slid he had not consulted any member of the House before proposing his resolution, and he hoped the Premier would not treat It aa one of want of confidence, bat would allow members to vote on It as they pleased, FESANOIAL DEBATE. Mr Willis resumed the debate on the Blnaoolal Statement. He congratulated Mr Warden having brought down such a satisfactory Statement. He proved tho Colonla' Treasurer for the great success attending tha raising of the recent loan in London, and said thnt whilst recently in England he found moat favorable opinions expressed regarding New Zealand. He was nod going to condemn the new tariff, ns be recognised it was impossible to frame. a tariff that would give universal satisfaction. Mr G. J> Smith readily admitted the Treasurer was acting In what be considered the best interests of the oolony, bat he should allow other members to have their opinions also. It was to be regretted that the publio debt was . being increased from year to year. He congratulated the /Government on the establishment of a Department of Agrlcnltnre and Industries and Commerce. The tariff proposals were evidently intended for an increase of revenue, and were not in (ha Interests of the oolony 8t all, and would not tend to encourage industry. The solony could not afford to pay a subsidy to both the Vancouver and San Praucisco mail services. He regretted that the Statement made no reference to the unemployed difficulty or the question ot old age penBions.

Mr Plnkertjjn said the public debb must increase owing to the necessities of the colony, and if the Opposition were on the Treasury benches to-morrow the debt would increase in the same way as ib present. He admitted that the administration of the Advances (0 Settlers Aco was at first a failure, but be hoped now the Aot was becoming better known its effeob would be more beneficial. As to the unemployed, if the Government assisted them in getting land for small homes near towns it wonld tend to settle the difficulty. He defended the cooperative system, and said that It was abuse of the system and not) tbe system itself that caused it to be a failure as alleged by Mt Dnthi i. Mr Meredith spoke in praise of the Government policy. He could not see that the Government had anything to do with tbe congested state of the labor market. Mr Ward had done great service to the colony at Home, but there was one little matter tßti if quired dealing np, and that was on what legal authority the tinsb fund securities were sent to London, and also on what legal authority they were declared pledgeable by the Treasurer. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.