PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9116, 26 July 1888, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,* Wednesday. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two. PNEUMATIC GUNS. In answer to Mr. Menzies, Mr. Stevens said the Government intended obtaining information about the pneumatic gun. BIBLE-READING IN SCHOOLS. Mr. Menzies gave notice to move " That it is expedient that Bible-reading in schools should be no longer prohibited.' PROGRESS OF BILLS. The Counties Act Amendment Bill was committed and passed ; the Oamaru Municipal and Education Reserves Exchange Bill was read a second time ; the Volunteer Drill sheds and Land Bill was further considered in committee, and reported with amendment. The Council rose at five p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. The House met at half-past two p.m. IMPREST SUPPLY. An Imprest Supply Bill for £350,000 was received by message from the DeputyGovernor, and passed through all its stages. VILLAGE SETTLEMENT SCHEME. Replying to a question, it was stated that the Government did not intend continuing advances to settlers on the lines of the village homestead settlements scheme. A lengthy discussion followed on a motion by Sir Geo. Grey for the adjournment of the "House. Several members expressed regret that the Government were not inclined to continue the village settlement scheme. Mr. Ballanck defended the system at some length, and said he felt sure the Minister for Lands had not obtained all the information on that system that he might have done ; at the same time he thanked the Minister for having resisted the pressure put upon him to change the tenure of those settlers, and it showed that he (Mr. Richardson) was prepared to give the scheme a trial.; No matter what his own land policy might be, he did not find fault with the Government for instituting a land policy of their own, which they had a perfect right to do, but if he were a friend of Ministers he should advise them to continue the village settlement scheme in some shape or other. These settlements were self-supporting, and he hoped he would never again hear the term pauper applied to a village settler. The Minister for Lands said there was at present a great demand for land in small areas, and he hoped the Bill now before the House would meet that demand. He contended that so long as settlement was developing in a natural way there was no necessity for encouraging village settlement. He asked the House to do him justice, and acknowledge that he was as sincerely desirous of seeing the land settled as any other member. Although he was not opposed to the scheme itself, he held that so long as the land in the colony was rapidly taken up they were relieving the unemployed. The motion for adjournment was lost. RECIPROCAL TARIFF. In reply to a question it was stated that the subject of a reciprocal tariff for the Australian Colonies would receive consideration. The House rose at half-past five p.m. The House resumed at half-past seven. THE NATIVE LAND BILL. On the motion for the committal of the Native Land Bill, Sir G. Grey moved, "That the Bill be committed that day three months," on the ground that the Bill had been greatly altered by the committee to which it was referred, and the natives had received no notice of such alterations.

The Premier expressed surprise at Sir George Grey's attitude, seeing the original taxation proposals had been modified. The natives should receive fair notice that they were going to be taxed; but they must remember that large Maori estates were blocking settlement just as much as any land monopoly. The natives would not expect much longer to escape their natural burdens. He believed the native Bills would prove acceptable to all Maoris, except those who held exaggerated ideas of what was due to them.

" Mr. Hutchison held the Maoris could scarcely be considered to escape taxation while they had special stamp and other duties, to pay which fell heavily on them. He complained that the promises had not been kept to circulate native Bills among the Maoris before the session, and urged that there was no pressing necessity for this particular measure, and the natives should be allowed time to consider it.

Mr. Carroll, while admitting the natives must in the near future be brought under ordinary taxation, thought the present time inappropriate. Moreover, it would practically be uncollectable, and quite useless for revenue purposes. ' They should bend all their energies now to place the land question on a satisfactory footing, and not encumber it with other issues. Before imposing taxes the Maoris should be placed on an equal footing with Europeans in all respects. The period allowed in the Bill for individualising titles was altogether too short. It would need an army of judges, assessors, and surveyors to get the rough work done in time. He strongly urged the Government not to push the measure any further at present. Mr. Ballance thought the native members should have taken exception to the taxation proposals at an earlier period. The intention of the Government was well known. He did not, however, think the Native Minister had explained the matter to the meetings of natives in various places, as he should have done. It had been conclusively proved to his mind that these rates could not be collected. He also pointed out that in the Bill, as amended, owners of native land had to make application to the Court to fix the title, but there was no such thing as native owners until the Court had settled who they were. Besides, they had no means of forcing natives to apply to the Court. The expense of individualising the titles in a great many cases would be ten times the value of the land.

Mr. Taiwhanga said they had just had several Maoris killed under the present law, and what would it be if this Bill passed? He entered at length into the merits of the dispute at Whangarei, and detailed the efforts he had made at various times to adjust it. Sir George Grey raised the question that the Bill, being one imposing taxation, it should have been introduced in committee. The Speaker said when in committee the Chairman could order any clauses of- a taxing nature to be held over, and properly introduced if he saw fit. After some further discussion the amendment was lost by 54 to 12, and the Bill was ordered to be committed. Mr. Scobie McKenzie again raised the point montioned by Sir G. Grey. The Speaker admitted the usual practice was to introduce such Bills in committee, but it had not been strictly carried out. NATIVE LAND COURT. Mr. Mitchelsox moved that the Native Land Court Bill be committed. Sir G. Grey again protested against these Bills. It would be absolutely ruinous to the Maoris, whose lands would pass into the hands of a few favoured Europeans. Messrs. Taipua, Hutchison, and Taiwhanga opposed the Bill. After Taiwhanga had spoken for an hour, chiefly on Maori history, the motion was agreed to, and the Lands Act Amendment Bill was considered in committee.