PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9580, 3 August 1894, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS

[BY TKLBaB SPECIAL COBBE3FONDENT.] Wellington, Thursday, 1 ■'- THE FIN AKOIAL DEBATE. The debate upon the Budget was resumed this afternoon, when Mr, E. M. Smith, of Taranaki, took up the discussion where the Premier had left it off .on: the preceding , evening. Following f the i example of his chief, Sir.' Smith proceeded to treat in a manner which provoked continuous roars of ' laughter, ' the financial proposals which, whether for good or evil; cannot fail to have a tremendous effect in shaping < the social and commercial future of this colony. The feeling of > respect whioh ought to exist in the country* for the high Court of Parliament must receive aru do shock when once the people are fully aware of the lighthearted 1 manner in which some hon. members, encouraged by their laughter, certain of their fellows to burlesque the proceedings when dealing with the most serious questions. After the member for New ' Plymouth had wasted a " full hour in this; way it was a relief to everyone present, who had the interests of Parliament and the country at heart, to hear' the persuasive and earnest tones in which Mr. Button proceeded to criticise the Treasurer's bold policy. He warned; Mr. Ward that he was rushing in where others had feared to tread, and then went on to lay bare the misleading character of the Ministerial contention that they were nob borrowing because they were nob borrowing in • the same sense as before. Borrowing for one purpose as against another, he said, was a distinction without a difference, when the principle really was, "shall we borrow or shall we not.'- Mr. Button dealt with * marked abilitv with the leading proposals of the Budget, and concluded an; earnest and lucid address by warning the Govornmenb they were running . the risk of being landed in the meshes of inextricable confusion. The speech of Mr. Button seemed to bo a signal for the Auckland members to have an innings. Mr. McGowan followed, and proceeded to wrestle painfully 'to show that the Treasurer's proposals did not mean borrowing, but was far more at home when he hastened to express his dissatisfaction at the cursory way in which the mining industry was passed over. Even Mr. Ward himself musb have been astonished when the member for the Thames uttered the wonderful complaint that the Treasurer had shown himself too cautious, too careful, and too pradenb. Mr. Crowther now took up the running, and started off by soothing the Colonial Treasurer with the kindly assurance that there were some good features in his Budget. He would nob attempt to go into the numerous tables | and figures, but thrust them aside with the rather contemptuous remark that figures may be made to.prove anything. It was quite unnecessary bo press the time limit upon Mr. Crowther, and neither Mr. Button nor Mr. McQovvan occupied. the full hour. The next orator, Mr. McLaohlan, agreed with Mr. Crowther in j his contempt for figures, which he said were "just what you like to make them." He admitted he was in the awkward position of speaking without having anything to say. He would accept in globOf so he said,. the voluminous figures of the Treasurer, and if that gentleman deceived him in one iota ho would " know him no more for ever." " After speaking for aquarberof an hour Mr. McLachlan gravely informed the House on coming to the question of the Cheviot Estate that he had arrived at . a subject upon which he could speak with some knowledge. Another young member, Mr. Montgomery, next caught the Speaker's eye, and endeavoured to back up the Treasurer's position, bub his arguments were considerably discounted when he innocently admitted, upon an opponent asking where he got certain figures he had quoted ; from, that the I ,'olcnial Treasurer had just supplied them to him. This caused Dr. Newman, who came next, to remark upon the wonderful gullibility of some Government followers, which reminded- him of the little boy's definition that " faith is believing that which you know cannot be true," and so the debate went on. AUCKLAND SAVINGS BANK. The impression being left upon more than one member that the Colonial Treasurer's reference bo the Auckland Savings Bank yesterday seemed to assail the position of that institution, Mr. Button at once telegraphed to Auckland to know the exact state of affairs. However, Mr. Ward subsequently more than once, and in the most emphatic terms, declared that he did not intend to ccinvey any such impression. He was perfectly satisfied with the absolute stability of the institution. The House was quite satisfied with this explanation, but Mr. Button did nob rest satisfied until he had removed every shadow of doubt, if any ever existed, as to the unassailable position of the Bank by reading the following reply from Auckland, i showing the exact state of its finances :— Government securities ... ... £125,000 Municipal debentures..; ... ... 11,000 Fixed deposits at call by agreement 98,000 Cash in Bank of New Zealand ... 62,000 Mortgages ... 230,000 Bank premises ... „. 20,000 Total ... ... ... £544,000 Amount at credit of depositors ... 501,000 Balance ,;. ... £43,000 , DUMB DOGS. Judging by to-day's debate the faithful supporters of the Government feel very sorely Sir Robert Stout's accusation that they were acting as dumb driven dogs. Mr. McGowan contended that some of them would be found to bo dogs that could bark and bark loudly, but Mr. A. Morrison (of Cavorsham) went further, and in his moat threatening manner he told Sir Robert that if he did nob fall into the Government line he. would find that he (Mr. Morrison) could snap, snarl, and bite. Mr. Allen immediately took up the cue saying that one of the Premier's dogs had just been barking, bub ,he was barking up the wrong tree, and Mr. Allen advised Mr. Morrison to bark at the bastard Liberalism represented upon the Government benches, and not the truer Liberalism of the senior member for Wellington. Sir Robert Stout's scornful ridicule of servility in the Government ranks got home, and the sting of his charges doubtless lay in their truth. JOTTINGS. The greater part of the Treasurer's speech last evening, according to Sir Robt. Stout, was mainly devoted bo an attack upon certain newspaper extracts, an attack he said that was lowering to the dignity of the House, The senior member for Wellington declares that table 8 of the Budget is a juggle in figures, entirely misleading, absolutely fallacious. On the face of this Budget there is nothing but borrowing. : lb is borrow wrib large," says Sir R. Stout. ''Three millions of actual borrowing for the current year," said the Dunedin Knignb, continuing, " I declare it an audacious proposal, and entirely a borrowing Budget." • v lb is proposed to place Mr. Larnach's name on the Mines and Railways Committees. ! ■ ' Mr. Allen describes the Premier's speech of last night as all wind and fury. It is suggested by Mr. Willis that some reduction should be allowed in the railway fares for labouring men travelling in search of employment. .• . - ■ Mr.: Willis wants to know if ib is the intention of the Government to. recognise more email farms associations by giving them an opportunity of taking up land that is now being acquired from the natives in the Wanganui distiiob. • " The Minister of Lands is to be asked by Mr. Montgomery if he will send a dairy expert to Banks Peninsula at once, seeing that there are three dairy factories now in course of erection. • * '■■''"'■ . Mr. Meredith wants to Government to bring in a measure ; this session by which theatrical and opera companies and itinerant lecturers taking large sums of money out of the colony shall be called upon co contribute a percentage of their takings to go towards charitable aid. With regard to the appointment of Captain Broun *as entomologist for the Auckland distriot, , Mr. Lawry has again approached the Minister of Lands, and assures me that the appointment is practically assured,' though tho usual formalities have nob yet been complied with. In Queensland the area under the tobacco crop last year was 450 acres, giving a yield of 43830wt of dried leaf. ?* For the preceding year the area was 318 acres., .v , . Mrs. McCalluin, Phrenologist and Psycho- ' metrist, notifies her removal to Upper Queenstreet. ■■! €';,','..:';■.-',