PARLIAMENTARY.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 314, 8 June 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

(Per Press Association)

Wellington, June G. The Speaker took his seat at 2.30. notices. Mr Whakawaka gave notice that he would ask Government to-morrow if they intend to prevent Te Kooti visiting the East Coast. cueistciiuecii deainage act. Mr Stevens introduced the Christchurch District Drainage Act, 1875. ’feisco mail sebvice. Mr Pharazyn moved that the San Francisco mail service be discontinued after tbe termination of tho present contract. Sir Frederick Whitaker replied that the whole question would be shortly discussed by tlie Cabinet, and the motion was ultimately shelved. SECOND BEADING. The Administration Act, 1879, was read a second time. CHINESE IMAIIGBANTS. Tbe Chiuoso Immigration Act Amendment Bill was discussed, with tbe result that the Bill was passed by 16 to 9—ayes : Messrs Barnicoat, Dignan, Grace, Johnston, Kenny, Lohmann, M'Lcan, Miller, Morris, Richmond, Shepherd, Stevens, Swanson, Whakawaka, Whitaker and Whitmore. Noes: Messrs Brett, Hart, Martin, Pharazyn, Pollaud, Scotland, Shrimski and Wilson. LAND TKANSFEB ACT. The Land Transfer Act Amendment BiU was read a second time. The Council rose at 4.10.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EVENING SITTING

The Houso resumed at 7. 0 THE TAEIFF.

Mr Taylor continued, sayinghe objected to c.lass legislation, and hoped to find the Premier bscome sounder on his education views. He advocated an income tax.

Dr Ilodgkiuson thought tho load subsidies might be abolished. The tariff was not uufairly protective, but an ad valorem duty on tea would have been better than a fixed duty. lii his opinion Government, before bringing forward the Tariff, should have finally settled whether the public service were to be further reduced, as they might find that they had more money than they actually wanted. He thought, also, that property exemption might be abolished, and strongly u-ged that the railways should he sold. Mr Pyke could not see exactly where the protective element of the Tariff came in. More ariicles were taxed under it which could not bo produced in tbe Colony than could be produced, but they should first see whether the money could not be obtained in other directions. Education should only bs free up to the Fourth Standard, the expensive system of high sehools abolished, and the school age raised. Local subsidies ought to disappear. There were some anomalies in the Tariff, for it appeared to him that some of the imposts were taxes on local industry. He should reserve to himself the right to criticise theso freely. Unless Government assured him that each item of the Tariff would be discussed separately, he would vote against the second reading. Sir Harry Atkinson said this would be done.

Mr Hutchison said the Opposition supported tho Tariff on account of its protective element, and not 'because of its faith in the general financial proposals of the Government. The duty on tea and the primage duty wore, however, weak concessions to those members who were neither Protectionists nor Freetraders. He drew attention to the defences of the Colony, which were susceptible under the circumstances of the samo retrenchment. He reminded Government that they we e responsible for pushing through the Naval Defence Bill in the last day 3 of last session, which committed the Oniony to L 23,000 a year extra. It was quite impossible to complete the defenc; works except at enormous cost, and that being so, they might as well make a saving on it Hon. Mr Fergus twitted Mr Hutchison with constantly putting questions and notices regarding defences on the order paper, tho only meaning of whi-h could . be a covert hit at a foimer Minister of Defence, who was now a colleague of .the member for Waitotsra. Government had not deemed it necessary to grant what the committees asked for, but if they had, they would have gone to show the utter ineompetoney of Mr Ballance as a Defence Minister. Mr Hutchison wan quite wrong about .the state of defence-., which on the authority of the Governor and.

General Schaw Government knew to be in a very forward state. With regard to Volunteers, he regretted they could not be more liberally dealt with, but the finance* would not allow it. He explained it hud been determined not to abolish country corps because Government would have to take over a large amount of liabilities with them. Regarding Mr Menteath’s speech, he said ho was not the member to lecture Government on inconsistency. All through liis career he had been sitting on a rail, and always tumbling off tho wrong side. He never had belonged to a Government party, and Government had not deserted him. After three months of consideration G overnment ceuld see no better means of raising tbe money urgently required than those they had proposed. He regretted, none more so, that he had to carry distress into many a fireside, and no position that could be offered him in a Government would induce him to face three such months of worry and anxiety again. Mr Reeves (St. Albans) said the Hon. Mr Fergus reproving Mr Mentoath was like Satan reproving sin, but he was glad to find Mr Menteath had at la3t found something to which ho could stick, and that ho would not treat Freetrade like ha had treated the Midland Railway. He contended that farmers were exceptionally well treated uuder the tariff; as to Freetraders generally, they were ready to support tbe duties, if it was merely said they were required for revenue purposes, but if these same duties were called protective, they stood aghast. Why had not Freetraders helped the Opposition last Session to reduce tho loan ? How could they say Sir Harry Atkinson had deserted them when it was notorious at last election he had not a single follower, and the only man who dared openly support him had to get a certificate that he was not a lunatic. Their alliance with him lyas only a marriage de convenance, and had nothing lasting about it. Now he had carried out the retrenchment policy he pleased himself, and immediately the Freetraders of his party burst away crying out they were betrayed. For himself, he accepted the tariff because it suited him, and so did many on hia side. They were not going to refuse the Treasurer sufficient revenue if ha made out a good case for it. Speaking generally, the tariff was not entirely protective, hut it was acceptable as an instalment. There were many things Protectionists did not want, and in some instances be thought tbe Premier ought to have gone further. He ventured to say capitalists would receive it with approbation, and it was capitalists who employed labor. Major Steward would have liked to see a progressive property tax and income tax. He was afraid the tariff would fall most heavily on those least able to bear it. He thought it was possible to reduce the cost of education without impairing its efficiency. Ho pointed out various ways in which the tariff could' havo been improved and more money raised. He disliked a tax on tea and cottons, but would not object to extra beer duty and a carriage tax.

Mr Grimmond opposed the tariff. Money could bo got in other ways. Too much was spent on the mail services for one thing. He preferred the abolition of the property tax exemption and graduated land and income tax to tho Government proposals. Thoy would foster artificial industries to the detriment of the natural industries of tho Colony. Mr Buchanan opposed the tariff, giving his reasons at some length. Mr Allen moved the adjournment of the debate till 2.30 to-morrow, which was carried by G2 to 18, and the House rose at 11.35

Thuesday, June 7. The House met at 2 80 p.m. THE MIDLAND EAILWAY. Mr Allen, on behalf of Mr Macarthur, asked Government (1) Whether thoy will invite the House to take into consideration the proposed new concessions to the Midiand Railway Company; (2) If not, whether they will give facilities to private members to bring a motion on the subject beforo the Houso. Tho Premier said Government did not propose to ask the Houso to take any notieo of the concessions. They were not new concessions, as suggested by tho wording of the question. They did not proposo to give privato members any special facilities to bring on a motion. The opportunity had already been given on going into Committee of Supply, and nobody had chosen to avail himself of it. CUSTOMS TAEIFF DILL. Mr Goldie resumed the debate on tho Customs Tariff Bill. The country could stand a great deal more retrenchment. The pension list might be cut down, and he was pledged to the land and income tax. He should vote for the tariff, as he thought the country required protection to keep tho population within its shores. He preferred handing over publicans’ license fees for hospitals to paying subsidies to local bodies Ho did not believe in funding deficits, and approved of tho primage duty. Ho would not touch education until every method of reducing oxponies had been tried. Ho quoted figures to show that the management of rhe department solely by Government would bo more expensive than uuder tho board system. Mr Tanner said he was one of those disappointed by the tariff. They ought to cast about for some cheaper method of governing tho country. At least half a million coulu he saved which would obviate the necessity of raising so much revenue by tariff. The solution lay in a now and extended form of local government. Capital in every form should bo made to contribute to the costof governing. The tariff was too heavy on necessaries of life and too light on luxuries. Thero should be more duties on silks, jewellery, wine, spirits, cigars, tobacco, totalisators, and racehorses" and the property tax exemption should be lowered to L 240, and then tho tax itself eould bo lowered. Ho argued that the last census returns showed there was a large number of local industries already established than proportionately in Britain ; hence people could not be leaving because there was not sufficient scope for employment. He was opposed to tea duty, for it was a mistake to subsidise local bodies. Mr Allen gave tbe Government credit for their efforts at reducing tbe expenditure, but they bad not gone so far as they promised. It, was possible to make further reductions. He was not satisfied that the Financial Statement revealed the condition of the Colony. There appeared to be something held back, and he was afraid that before long they would have the Treasurer demanding a sugar duty. Ho maintained that further retrenchment should be carried out at all hazards at once. It would have to be faced sooner or later. The property tax valuation would be lower this year than ever, and the income decreased in consequence. It was time for a new depatnre which would put tho country on its legs once and for all. lie animadverted on the inequalities of tho tariff, some portions of which would press heavily on local Industrie o , and went at length into the subject of Freetrade v Protection, the latter of which be strongly condemned. He referred to the meeting held ia Dunedin to consider tho exodus of people from the country, to which he and other members bad been invited, but Mr Fish had a packed meeting, and they would listen to none but Protectionists, ' JffrFi-di denial that he bad $ packed meeting. What party did Mr Allen belong to? He might be a Freetrader

j/, now, but as soon as the Tariff was disposed of be would be a supporter of the Government again. Tbe bon. gentleman directed bis remarks chiefly against tbe Freetrade views and tbe actions of Mr Allen and Mr Scobie Mackenzie, reviewing tbeir procce’iugs in the political campaign at some length. He was still speaking at tbe 5.30 adjournment.