COST OF THE ROYAL TOUR.

Lake County Press, Issue 982, 3 October 1901, Page 7

COST OF THE ROYAL TOUR.

THE GOVERNOR’S EXPENDITURE. [From thi; Dunedin Evening Star.] WELLINGTON. September 27. What promised to furnish another acrimonious debate on the Estimates " J > staved off vesterday afternoon. As soon as formal business had been disposed of in the House a Rill was introduced by Governor’s Message to provide for the reimbursement of certain expenses (£2,250) inclined by His Excellency in connection with the Royal Visit. On'the motion for the first reading, . The Premier said he desired to explain the position. Exception had been taken, he believed, to an item for the Governor s expenses appearing on the Estimates, but the course the Government had taken m placing the sum on the Estimates was strictly in accordance with law. Howevet. to remove any wrong impression on the point, he desired to explain that the money had been expended bv His Excellency on behalf of the colony! The Imperial Government had inquired whether the colour would entertain the Royal party, and the revlv was that the colony would do mi. His Excellency had simply done the entertaining‘on behalf of the colony by arrangement between the colony and the Mother Country, lie did not think it proper that the King’s representative should be brought: ou to the iloor of the House and made the subject of debate, and in order to prevent what might be an acrimonious discussion on this item of the Estimates the Government had adopted the course of bringing down tins Bill, lie also pointed out that later on the Governor would have to app;ove of the Appropriation Bill, and ii the item appealed on the Estimates he would he approving of a. Bill in which he was personally interested. He wished it clearly understood that the Governor, at the toques! hi his Ministers, had taken the position of host tor the colony for the time being. This new Bill would, of course, be icscrved for the Royal assent, and the item on the Estimates would be struck out. Mr Hornsby took exception to the way in which the Governor had run the “qhole show ” connected with the Royal visit, and had interfered with ihe arrangements in the course of the Duke's peregrinations through the colony. Lord Ranfurly had expended moneys without the authority of Parliament, and he (Mr Hornsby) should object lo voting him a. single shilling (o repay him that expenditure. Too much was being paid by way of salary to tlie Gover-

The Colonial Secretary said that the whole responsibility of the safety and control of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall throughout the colony devolved upon Lord Ranfurly, and it was his duty to have carried out the instruction which he received from the Home authorities. In Australia the whole of the arrangements weie supervised by Lord Hopetoun. It was not the case that His Excellency had inclined expenditure without the sanction of Parliament. The people of the colony had invited the Royal pair to come here, and the colony had a right to foot the bill. Mr Bollard said that when the second leading of the Bill Mas taken he would prove that party considerations weighted the issue of invitations for the Royal tour. Mr G. \V Russell held that the Governor, as host for the colony, had incurred liabilities and responsibilities to the tune of £2.250. The safety of His Royal Highness was .really in the hands of the police. If the vote asked for were to recoup the Governor for the whole cost of entertaining (lie. Royal party he should support it. The Premiei : That's what it is for. Mr Fisher said that the action of the Government in this matter was inexplicable. In the first place, after consideration, they |iut the vote on the Estimates and then took it out and made ft the subject of a special Bill. The Royal Instructions of 1879 clearh prevented'the Governor from assenting to anv donation or gratuity provided to himself. A grant of £2,250 to the Governor was nothing more nor less than a gratuity. Last year the salary and travelling allowances of the Governor were increased to the extent of £2.000, and it was not fitting that the present grunt should he asked. Mr Napier gave an unqualified denial to the statement that so far as Auckland was conci rued the Royal ceremonies were carried out for party purposes. With regard to tin- general 'principle, be contended that the Governor was the proper functionary to entertain the Royal visitors. Mr Wilford said' that members must have made up their minds whether the money should be voted.by Bill or on the Estimates. That was not the proper time for the discussion of the matter; it should be on the second reading of the Bill or in connection with the E.-timates. Mr Atkinson argued that if the Premier had not made a mistake in placing the grain on the Estimates he would not have made provision for the vote by enactment. The Premier, in reply, trad an opinion lioin the [Solicitor-General that the vote of £2.250 on the Estimates was not in the

nature of a grant or a gratuity, and therefore did not come within the provisions contained in the Royal Instructions, necessitating the Appropriation Act being reserved for the Royal assent. Ihe only reason for bringing tiic Bill down was to avoid an acrimonious discussion on the ilnnr of the [loose. He was advised that members would support a Bill, as the constitutional question would lie removed and a difficulty obviated. His Excellency had already disbursed old of ids own pocket £l.lOO in L quidation of tiadesincn's bills. Messrs Meredith and M'Eachlan : Produce the receipts. The Premier went on to say that outside of tile £2.250 His Excellency would be considerably out of pocket in connection with the Royal visit. Mr Pirani: But he got a title. The Preiniei said that the item of £2.250 would be struck off the Estimates. The Bill would then be gone on with, and after it had passed it would be sent Home tor I lie Royal assent. Mr Atkinson: Rough on the Solicitor(tcneral. Mr ■ Fisher: What if the SolicitorGeneral had advised the other way? The Premier; if he had advised some weeks ago that the vote ought not to appear on the Estimates, and that liis Excellency could not assent to the Appropriation Bill because of this grant nr gratuity to himself, we should have brought down a Bill in the first distance. —After further debate the Premier said that now that all the accounts were in lie could inform the House that the total cost to tlie colony oi the Royal tour would not exceed £70,000. He was satislied that the Bill would pass practically unanimously, and that the colony would cheerfully pay up.

The liill wus then read ;i first lime on the voices. Consideration uf tlie Estimates was tii- 1 ? resumed, ami the item £2.250 (" to the Governor in reimbursement- of expenses incurred by him in connection with (he Royal visit”) was struck out on the motim of the Colonial Secretary. THIO CHRISTCHURCH VISIT Mr Rirani asked for an explanation i f the item “ grant to Mr Rhodes, Mayor of Christeho' -h, in reimbursement of expenses ineurre- >y him, £247.' The Premier said that (his was ill payment of liabilities incurred by Mr Rhodes on behalf of the Government- during; the stay of the Royal visitors at his residen :e The accounts were made out in Mr Rhodes s name, and this was the only way the Government could reimburse him. Mr Rho Its had been very careful and business-like. ; :td he (Mr iSeddon) commendetl to (he Home what lie had done. Mr Hornsby moved that the item be reduced by £l. He said he had seen pictures of certain places where sundry illustrious members of the Royal party dwelt during their visit to the colony, but- be wanted to know what- bad become of the furniture. Mr Rhodes was proceeding to defend ihe claims of bis relative the Mayor of Christ church, when The Premier interrupted : Why don't you say at once that the additions were ordered by Captain Alexander. The member fur Ellesmere replied th.il lie had no knowledge of that. The Colonial Secretary said t'aat the Mayor of Christchurch was not the colony's host, because the colony footed the accounts incurred by him and by him sent on to the Government. Mr Meredith, as a Canterbury member, piotested against the reproach conveyed in the item that the Mayor of Christchurch was receiving Government aid for entertaining Royalty. Mr .James Alien suggested that the items should he struck nut and replaced on the Supplementary Estimates as a grant iu reimbursement of expenses incurred “ for and on behalf of the colony." Mr Hornsby thought that the whole trouble was due to the bungling of the Christchurch gentlemen who declined to house Royalty at Coker's Hotel. Mr A. L. 1). Eraser said that the Mayor of Christchurch might with uplifted hands exclaim: "God save me from my trends 1" The item had been on the Estimates for some six weeks, hut Mr Rhodes had never felt aggrieved. or expressed any dissatisfaction at its appearance, there. The amendment, to reduce the item by £1 was negatived on the voices. 'Phe next item was a, grant to Ministers and their secretaries in reimbursement of expenses incurred by them, including £l5O for ordinary travelling allowances. Mr Hutcheson wanted to know if ibis item excluded the silk hats and frock coals in which private secretaries to Ministers were equipped, and received a reply in tienegative.

A motion by Mr Massey to omit the item 'V:o lost by 56 to 19. THK ROYAL. REVIFAY. Mr Rirani complained of the disgraceful arrangements in connection with the transport. of troops from Wellington to the Christchurch review, and of the failure, of the Defence Department to pay the men four shillings per day (less 2s 4d required for food) while away from home. Mr Tanner said that he was aware of men who had received a like promise, but he knew of an officer who had given as a reason for withholding the Is 8d per day due after paying for food that the money was wanted to pay for the straw tin* men had slept on. —(Laughter.) The treatment, of the men and cadets in connection with the Royal review was the deepest scandal that- had yet stained the military escutcheon of the colony. The Minister of Defence said it was plain that ho was going to have trouble with his Defence Kstimates. He -admitted that ibc food at the Newtown Park Camp was badly cooked, and declared that the contractor had not yet received his money. As to the officers implicated in the report of the Commission appointed to inquire into the trouble, they had been called on for their explanation. It would be unfair to discuss their conduct at present. Only that day he had got vouchers for the payment te the Otage volunteers. The delay seemed to him to be unreasonable, and he was instituting inquiries why the payments had not been more promptly made. Mr Barclay called attention to an article in ;i Dunedin paper headed " Are the Government Dead Broke." It was alleged that none of the local tradesmen had been paid in connection with the luncheon given to the veterans. That "its a remarkable statement. and required explanation. He wanted information as to the expenditure by the colony for the furnishing of the Fernhill Club. The Colonial .Secretary : We paid £2t)s for the renovation of the Fernhill Chib. Mr Monk was satisfied that the- colony had gone beyond the proper measure of its purse. An expenditure of £'lo,ooo would have been ample for the entertainment of Royalty. Sir'd. G. Wiird said that by comparison with what had been done elsewhere the expenditure in New Zealand had not been excessive. Only that day he had received a letter which stilted that Cape Colony had spent £IOO.OOO in entertaining and receiving the Royal visitors. The £20,000 set down for reviews and massing troops was made tip in this way: Conveyance of troops by sea and land (other than on the railways). £7.000; rations £5.900; net pay to the men (after reductions for rations), £7,900. Mr Rirani moved a reduction of the vote by £5 as indicating the. disapproval of the House °f the arrangements made by the

(foveniniriil iiml their (lilict'rs in connection with tli-.' review anil llie massing of tintroops, ami the non-payment of (ho troops. Tins w; s negatived on the voices, thereupon Mi I'irani '.novel to reduce the item "mis crllaitenus (including eoinmi-• sioners' salaries ami expenses, £12.153) by £I.OOO. He rejected to the salary of £IOO a month which hail been pan! to Mr John Holmes as (.'ommis-iom i.— The. proposal u;'s lost on the voices. -.\ further motion to reduce the a mount l.»y £5 also shared ,i lik" fate. The work clou ■ In the lirilish Pre-, reprrstntatives who accompanied the lloya! tout was the subject of considerable talk. 'The geographical mistakes they made were nan,Med by the member for Napier timid much laughter, and Mr I'irani, in reply, paid ii high compliment to the work done by the artist of the ' Sphere." saying that the colony had received an excellent advertisement.