THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 131, 6 June 1888, Page 3

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

ia another Chamber, He deolowd that net > half a doz<£ members bad confidence in the gentleman who had dipped away bo quietly to represent as as delegate at the Conference. He thought the action of the House in endeavoring to interfere with Great Britain and forcing a treaty on the Empire, :uawarraotsble, and tboogbt the proper course ''to" ascertain the fesling of the colony would bave been to embody the provisions, of the Ohineso-Americ^n Treaty in a Bill. Sir George also said that if they raisfd the school age they would inflict » wrong upon future generations whioh would take centuries to rep >ir. BBBOLTJTIONB TISDBB DISCCSSIOK. Progress was reported on the motion of the Colonial Treasurer, who then moved that the House go immediately into Committee of Supply.— Mr Seddon sought to add the words " after the second reading of the Tariff Bill." He was, however, not successful, Sir H. Atkinson saying the Government would not go on with the seoond reading of the Tariff Bill till the resolutions were disposed of.— The resolutions were eventually moved by Mr Ormond, who said that he had pledged himself to resist increased taxation till ' all possible retrenchment had been effected, and the country had given its voice in that direotion, He declined to accept the proposal for the abolition of Education Boards, and olaimed that the raising of the school age would effect a saving of £23,000, independent of the saving on BOhool buildings. The second proposal would save a sum of £64,000, whioh the Government proposed to devote to the local bodies subsidies. Importers declared the primage tax would be exceedingly troublesome and would also be a dangerous engine of taxation, and consequently he moved to fund the deficit as heretofore. The Premier and Mr Ballance both made very #ood speeches on the resolutions. Sir H. Atkinson said it was open to the House to devise another means of paying the deficit. The motion to go into Committee ) of Supply was carried by 53 to 22, so that j ■Mr Ormond's resolutions were rejected by a large majority. On Sir H. Atkinson's motion, the consideration of the Customs Duties Bill was then fixed for 2 f 30 to-morrow and the House i rose. _

GOVERNMENT DECLARATION OP WAR THE OPPOSITIoifsTONEWALL MR. ORMOND'S RESOLUTIONS. (From our Parliamentary Reporter,) Wellington, Jane 5. This afternoon witnessed the opening of the battle royal of the seertion, and although a great- dei) of time was wasted in preliminary skirmishing the finsnoial debae was praotiovlty upon Mr Ormond's resolutions dealing 'with . the increase of the minimum school age, the t» a duty 'o local subsidies, and the primage tax to wipe off the deficit, Which intercepted supply, but the Opposition | had decided at a caucus during the day to endeavor, to prevent this discussion, and ■with this object ia view Mr Lano^ appealed to the Bonse to consider the toriS question *tr»ighbforwnrdly, oud net to allow itself to ! bo drawn into' any sirfe issue, and ho moved ! fttt amendment on the motion to go into . Oorami:tae of Supply afQtminjf the undeeir* i ability of anticipating the debate on the Customs Dutieß Bill by any amendment. The Premier endeavored to a-oure the withdrawal of the &m#ndrnen% and io doing bo took oeoa-ion to make a Ministerial ' statement. He said the Government wera not in f vvor of the Ormood resolutions and especially the second and third, L^ss year they made a proposal for the raising of the ; school age, but they found that in order to effaot a B»viß# of £25,000 it would be necessary to also abolish Eduo&tion Boards. They 'did not believe that the raising of the school age would save the amount that was stated last year. They were, however, willing to accept Mr Ormond's first resolution if a .proposal lor tb,e abolition of Education Boards were attaohod to it, bat they would resist the other two, and especially the third, providing; that the defioit should be funded as heretof ore. They could not aocept the third on any terms, as they considered it essential to begin at once to do something towards reducing the defioit. This statement, which amounted to a declaration that the third resolution at all events would be taken bs a Ministerial question was received with cheers. . Tub Opposition Support thk Govsbnmbnt. This candid explanation of the Government was met with eqaal candour on the part of the Opposition. Mir Seddon, who appears to have assumed the functions of leader of the Opposition in the House, announced that a large seption of his party were prepared to see ..the .Government through with their tariff proposals and they therefore hoped that discussion would not take place on any side issue. Assurances of support from the Opposition were also given by Dr Fitqhett. Mr Percivaland others, and the motion to go into Committee of Supply was carried by 42 to 35. v Mb Tobnbtjmi's Panacea. : Probably the only point made in a lengthy debate on the question of Supply was the panacea submitted by Mr Turnbull for our financial troubles. He said the depression was due to privats indebtedness rather than to the colonial debt. Apart from the burdens of looal, bodies, real property was mortgaged last year to the extent of 35 millions sterling, and upon this alone interest would be payable to the extent of £2,100,000. In order to relieve the depression the Government ought to levy taxes to the extent of one half per oent. upon all mortgages. This would raise £175,000,. a year tax upon persona who were drawing profits from the colony, and would prove a real solution of the financial difficulty. ' Stohewalmno the Ormond Resolutions. Determined opposition was then made to the Ormond resolutions being brought forward for discussion. Exoeption wbb taken by Messrs Seddon, Fish, Reeves, Moss, and others to any side issue being introduced to prevent an immediate and free diioussion of the tariff proposal!, and Mr Seddon asserted that, as a matter of fact, the Government wanted an excuse to raise the school age, and to abolish the Education Boards, because they had not the courage to do so on their own account. The speakers on the Government eide submitted on the othor hand that it was desirable before they diseased bbc extra taxation proposals to oonoider whether further redactions in expenditure could not be made. — The Premier assured the House repeatedly that the resolutions could and would bo disposed of in an hour, and this promise sufficed to^ break down the otstruo(ion of all opposition save Mr Seddon, who Bacoeeded in keeping the "talkee talkee " going well into the evoninp. Sib Gkobgb Gbey o?akes a Hand. Eventually Sir George Grey cut io, and mindful of the fact that the question before the House gave him tbe opportunity of traversing 1 any part of the Government policy, he treated tbe crowded gallant tc one of his eloquent discourses. He took at bis sabjeot the Chinese quesion, anc delivered a speech which the harried passagi of the Bill through the House prior to hi arrival prevented him from making a fort a night ago. Sir George condemned th Governirient for having hurried through ai ineffective measure wbioh was now hung v]