PARLIAMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 263, 19 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, June 10. CHINESE. Mr. Turubull, on behalf of Mr. Daniel, moved tho introduction of a Bill disqualifying Chinese from holding miners' rights and business licenses on goldfiolds. — Mr. Bracken objected to the Bill, and moved that it be not received. — Mr. Shepherd moved the adjournment of the debate. — Carried. CHIIISTCHUItCH EXHIBITION. On the motion of Mr. J. E. Brown it was agreed that the House adjourn from Thursday, 29th inst., till the following Tuesday, to enable members to visit the Chvistclmrch Exhibition. NATIVE RESERVES BILL. Mr. Kelly resumed tho debate on the second reading of the Native Reserves Bill, the preamble of which he objected to, and moved, as an amendment, that it bo read that day six months, as it was '

expedient that native lands should be administered by the lands department through the land boards. — Mr. Sonnolly condemned the Bill in toto. — After some debate Mr. Rolleston contended that tbe Bill was framed in the interest of both natives and Europeans. Tho debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. DEBATE ON FINANCIAL STATEMENT. After the Financial Statement bad been delivered Mr. Montgomery expressed bis opinion that it was clear and satisfactory ; but be thought the latter part had better have been omitted, as it was calculated to excite party contention. He thought it would be impossible to discuss tbe financial policy till the Public Works Statement had been made. Mr. J. W. Thompson expressed a fear that tbe promises re local government would prove delusive, as they had been so often made and broken. Mr. Hall denied that the Treasurer had claimed any undue credit, and thought that the Government deserved it for their careful husbanding, and tho improved state of the public finances. He reiterated the statement, so often made and never disproved, as to the deplorable state of the public finances when they took office in 1879. Sir George Grey said he had never heard so weak a statement. Any little schoolboy could have made it. It should have been made on a black-board, not in a Parliament. It was a simple demonstration that 2 and 2 make 4 ; there was absolutely nothing in it of either policy or finance. Mr. Shechan defended the land purchase policy of tbe Grey Government, and condemned the present Government for abandoning it and locking up native lands except to a favored few. It was the predecessors of the Grey Government who had reduced the colony almost to bankruptcy. Mr. Macitndrew quoted figures to show that the Grey Government bad not left the finances of the colony in the Btate represented by Mr. Hall. Mr. Moss denied that the present Go'verument had reduced the expenditure of tho colony. The whole thing wa3 simply juggling with figures. Major Atkinson, at great length, replied to tbe statements made as to the condition of the finances of the colony in 1877 and 1879, and quoted figures and records to show that all the assertions he had ever made on the subject were absolutely accurate, aa was also his present statement.