GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8948, 4 August 1892, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[by telegraph.— association.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesday. The Council met at half-past two p.m. FIRST READINGS. The Friendly Societies Amendment .Bill and Bible Reading in Schools Bill were read a first time. Tho Council then adjourned until Wednesday next, to-morrow being the public celebration of Arbour Day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday. The House met at half-past two p.m. NEW BILLS. Several. Bills were introduced, among the number being the Divorce Extension and Amendment Bill. SELECT, COMMITTEES. Select Committees were set up to inquire into and report on the claims of old soldiers and volunteers, and to consider all matters pertaining to agricultural and pastoral industries. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. McGuire resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. 5 He advised the Minister of Lands not to' make any changes in our land laws {or to oppress the small settlers. He would have liked to havo seen some reduction made in the taxation on tho necessaries of life, and he also thought it would bo wise for the Government to appoiut gentlemen to the Upper House who had served several years in the House of or who had rendered some special services to the country, instead of appointing those who had no claim whatevor to a seat in that Chamber.

Mr. Wilson thought that the last speaker's views wore so much in common with those entertained by tho Opposition that he was on the wrong side of the House. He had spoken strongly in favour of the freehold tenure, and several other Government supporters were known to hold strong views on that question. It was reported that even the Government whip (Mr. W. C. Smith) was greatly averse to doing away with the freehold, and no doubt the Minister for Lands would yet have to give way on the point. He deprecated borrowing from trust funds, and said it would bo far better to go openly to the English market than in the way proposed by the Government.

Mr. R. Thompson (Marsden) felt sure that the criticism of the Opposition in the course of the financial debate had left the Government stronger in the House and count Ho defended the Government policy, and expressed the opinion that tho Financial Statement was on the whole satisfactory to the country. He was strongly in favour of the retention of the freehold. The House rose at half-past five. The House resumed at half-past seven p.m. Mr. Taylor spoke strongly in favour of the Statement.

Mr. Car.ncross, after defending the proposals of the Government, moved as an amendment to the motion to go into Committee of Supply," That instructions should be given to the Hansard reporters not to report any member after he has spoken sixty minutes, except in the case of a Minister introducing a Bill, or the leader of the Opposition replying to tho said Minister, in which event no time limit should bo observed."

Several members having spoken to the amendment, Mr. Scorn; Mackenzie contended that the amendment was out of order.

The Speaker ruled in support of Mr. Mackenzie's contention, holding that the Standing Orders prevented the amendment being received.

-Mr. Buchanan*, referring to the question of the withdrawal of capital from the colony, said that when recently in London he had come in contact with several financial companies, and he had heard the same story all round, namely, that if the Land and In come Tax was put in force in New Zealand, these companies would be compelled to withdraw all the capital they could possibly take from the colony. Mr. Sheka expressed himself in favour of the exemption of all improvements under the Land and Income Tax Act. He regretted exceedingly that the Government had fenced the difficult question of the settlement of the route for the North Island Trunk Railway, and feared that a Government which postponed all serious question? were heaping up wrath against the day of wrath, and it would yet crush them. Mr. Cadmax said he had sat in the House for a good many years, but had never listened to such milk and water arguments as had been used by the Opposition in this debate. They had never really put a knife into the Statement at all, and the only real criticism of it was made by Mr. Richardson. As to he revision of the tariff, he asked if the people whom the Government represented, namely, the industrial classes were willing to allow the revision of the tariff to stand over till next year why should the Opposition, who were supposed to be freetraders, object to the tariff being allowed to remain unaltered? He referred in detail to the working of the Native Department, and said he had made a saving in this year's estimates of £3315 over last year. He combated several of the statements made by Mr. Mitchelson during the debate, and said the manner in which he had proposed to appropriate the £200, available for public works was rather extraordinary. He thought the cooperative system should be given a fair trial, and he felt sure it would be. He detailed at considerable length the negotiations that had taken place between Tawhiao and successive Native Ministers, all of which had been rejected, but he had got rid of Tawhiao by offering him a pension of £225. As to the native land settlements, he pointed out that whereas the late Government purchased only 73,000 acres of native land, 180,000 acres had been purchased by the present Government in eighteen mouths, and signatures obtained for 34,000 acres more in incomplete blocks, and he thought that no bad record. Mr. Joyce congratulated the Premier on the Statement. In the course of his remarks, he said he thought before subsidies to local bodies were withdrawn, some scheme should be devised for providing for the charitable aid of the colony without putting it on local bodies. Mr. Hall-Jones moved the adjournment of the debate.

The House rose at forty minutes past twelve a.m.