PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9581, 4 August 1894, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

——* (BV TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday, THE DISSOLUTION BOGEY. . In the course of his able and lucid speech this afternoon, Captain Russell took occasion to refer to whafc may be called " the dissolution" bogey trotted out by the Minister of Lands with the object of crushing out the indications of discontent among his followers. After referring to the Premier's violent and extraordinary speech the other evening, the Captain said thab Parliament had been treated to similar exhibitions on two or three occasions this session. He went on to say that somemembers seemed to think that by bluster a dissolution might be brought about. A Minister .hid even threatened to send them back to their constituencies. There was, however, no fear of' a ' dissolution. The House had just come !, fresh from the country, - and if the - House and the ? country should be fortunate enough to see the Ministry displaced from the Government benches, the House would have to be exhausted before the Governor would grant a dissolution. Later on the Minister of Lands, amid cries of "Oh!" and laughter, said he had nob threatened the House with a dissolution. Still, if the Government policy was not carried out he had a perfect right to ask for the opinion of the country. He could advise the ; Governor to grant a dissolution, and he was never afraid to call a spade a spade, whether it was constitutional or not. Referring to the"samequestion Mr. Millar, the Government member for Port Chalmers, said that he was responsible for his actions to his constituents alone. He was not going to be lad or driven by any member in the House. He was a loyal supporter of the Government, but he reserved to himself the right to say where loyalty should end. He did not desire to give offence, but that was the position he occupied. THE LAND TAX AND THE BANK AND TREASURY BILLS. In the course of his speech upon the Budget this evening, the Hon. the Minister for Lands made an important statement in regard to the anticipations of the land tax and the Treasury Bills yet at the disposal of the Government, that in fairness to Ministers ib should have the best possible publicity. Replying to a statement made earlier in the evening, that the early collection of the land tax was made in the interest of the Bank of New I Zealand the hon. gentleman . declared ! that the Bank' was in nowise interested,was | never consulted, and knew nothing of the intention of the Government in the matter. As to the Treasury bills, £520,000 worth were still in possession of the Treasurer. But what was the use of Treasury bills if you could not command their equivalent in money, unless upon terms that were unacceptable, and his Government would not be dependent upon any bank. Continuing, he declared that there was plenty of money in the Treasury to meeb all demands. TREASURY BILLS. An interesting return has been laid on the table in response to a motion by Mr. G. Hutchison, showing the transactions in treasury bills, between March 31, 1894, and July 31, 1894. It is a3 follows :—Receipts: March 30, outstanding at date in anticipation of revenue, £335,000; for redemption of guaranteed debentured, £476,000 ; May 28, issued in anticipation on revenue, £114,100; June 30, issued in renewal of bills matured, £786,000; total, £1,711,100. Expenditure: June 30, bills due on June I 30 renewed per contra, £786,000 ; July 31, outstanding at date in anticipation of revenue, £449,100; for redemption of guaranteed debentures, £476,000; total, £1,711,100. .. A LITTLE SCENE. A very unpleasant scene took place in the House this evening, when Mr. Earnshaw made a very bitter attack upon the Minister of Lands. It appears that on Wednesday evening the Hon. John McKenzie hurled a Gaelic expression at Mr. Earnshaw, the translation of which -is said to be "Dirty Little Devil." The words were allowed to pass at the time as no one appeared to understand their meaning. This evening Mr. Earnshaw brought up the incident, informing the Speaker thai the Minister of Lands had, under cover of a foreign language, used an offensive epithet in reference to him, Mr. Earnshaw. The member for Dunedin then went on to stigmatise such conduct as blackguardly and "cowardly." Of course he was immediately rebuked, and had to withdraw and apologise. "If the Minister had been a gentleman—" but Mr. Earnshaw was again drawn up, and had to content himself with stating that Ministers had tried to injure him outside the House, and now one of them had endeavoured to do so inside, by using a foreign tongue. However, he only injured himself, but if he was going to be allowed to use a foreign tongue to insult other members, he (Mr. Earnshaw) could use another tongue besides Saxon. The Speaker assured the House that, of course, if he had understood the meaning of the language used on the previous evening, he would have interposed. This painful incident was then allowed to drop. The Minister was not in his place during Mr. Earnshaw'a speech. PETITIONS. The following Auckland petitions were presented to-day — From the Thames Good Templars, praying for amendment of 1 the liquor law, by Mr. McGowan; from W. Mc In tyro, of Whangarei, for employment under the Government, by Mr. R. Thompson; . from residents of Kaukapakapu, . praying for . a correct survey of their land according to the Crown grants, | by Mr. Massey. The Public committee have submitted the following reports on the petition of Cleghorn, Forrest, and Magee, praying for redress in connection with a Government) railway contract, that the petitioners are entitled to £278 4a in settlement of all claims. On the petitions of R. Condron and M. Boland praying for grants for volunteer services, thab they be referred to the Government for consideration. JOTTINGS. The Public Petitions Committee have no recommendation to make in the case of four applicants for compensation for loss of publicans' licenses. "The Petitions refer to a question of public policy. On the petition of a number of Christchurch confectioners praying that their trade may be included in the excepted trades specified in the Bill relating to shops, the Public Petitions Committee report that as a Bill is now before the House dealing with the subject, the petition should be referred to the Government. Had Mr. Mclterrow been possessed of a spark of chivalry, says Mr, Earnshaw, he would have refused to hold office under a Government that had dismissed his colleagues. 1 •. - ■- - * We know a great deal more of the Bank of New Zealand than hon. gentlemen of the Opposition think, said the Hon. John McKenzie, and those opposite said, "Hem! hem !" How many persons in this country, how many members on these benches would have survived, continued the Minister, if the Bank had gone? " We hive not come to bed-rock," interjected Captain Russell. "We have come to the bed-rock of land values at any rate," retorted the Minister, amid cries of dissent. > ■ •' - - :;* • (: Mr. Collins admits thab the country might be more prosperous than at the present time. ' 4 " ' This is nob borrowing, says Mr. Mack-; intosh. It is simply extending the Government guarantee. Many of us think the Ministry no better than they ought to be, and that party Government is more severe in this House than ever ib bos been before, states Mr. Buick. ' • • •- • ik ' ■ How long is ib expected the railway workshops will be running for only five days aweek? asks Dr. Newman. . , V. Mr. Earnshaw thinks a tax upon foreign fruit will be most pernicious, and contrary to the doctrines of Liberalism. \ A readjustment of the tariff is earnestly desired by Mr. Collins (of Christchurch). Mr. Pirani wants the Premier to establish a Court of Appeal for railway servants, similar to thab proposed by the Colonial Treasurer in connection with: the Postal Department. ' - ■> Dr. Newman is anxious that bhe Government will take in to. consideration'the advisability of constituting a State monopoly J for the manufacture of -tobacco, the proceeds to be allotted as .a grant; in aid towards an old age pension scheme, as has recently been done in Switzerland. . *

' Said Mr. Earnshaw, in concluding his speech, "I know of nothing so damaging to the interests of the working men of Isew Zealand as ■; the carrying of this Budget. Borrowing has never #yeb , assisted the working men of any country, bub has always been a mill-stone round their neck. They have to pay for ib all." ■ > , ; , Mr.' Mackintosh hopes the time is coming ; when the Government will assist industries , as well as farmers. He is looking forward to the time when the Conciliation Bills and other such rubbish shall be swept away. Mr. Buick states that he was returned to oppose borrowing for railway purposes. That is, unless the railways were to' be constructed. (Laughter.) Mr. Whitely King, 1 General Secretary of the Paßtoralistß' Executive of . New South Wales, arrived in Wellington, by the Hauroto yesterday. Ib is understood that his business is to organise a body of nonunion shearers for service in Australia, to take the places of the men there on strike. The labour representatives are said to be busy in the direction of frustrating Mr. King's alleged intentions. •rIb is customary, says Mr. Earnshaw, in certain theatres to have "a; drama. followed by a screaming farce. So it has been on the Budgeb debate. The drama was the powerful criticism of the senior member for Wellington, and the screaming farce that of the exhibition of the Premier in reply thereto.'; During his speech this afternoon, tho. Minister for Lands warned his hearers that the teaching of the past showed that if the perpetual lease was made law any Government might try a Bill of one clause to eivo power to convert thab title into a freehold. " You are prompted," the Treasurer was understood to interject, as Mr. Earnshaw, putf an incisive question. "I do not," instantly retorted the member of Dunedin, : ' know what the hon. gentleman likes to think. lam under the thumb of no man. (Hear, hear.) 1 think for myself, and speak for myself, and shall do so as long as I am in this House." Mr. Earnshaw states that the proposals of the Treasurer mean borrowing from beginning to end. The Cheviot Estate will take some years before anyone can decide whether the purchase will be a success or nob, says Mr. Earnshaw. On all these estates, he goes on to state, the settlers are already organising to geb their rente reduced. ■ Mrs. Yates, the Lady Mayor of Onehunga, occupied a seat in the Speaker's Gallery this afternoon. "The Premier is' entirely wrong,{but. I don't wonder ab ib. He doesn't understand the Budget;" says Captain Russell. _ Captain Russell cleverly hit off {the Budget speech of Mr. Montgomery, when he said that that gentleman gave the impression of a school boy with a nasty pill to swallow. He twists it round and round his tongue, and then with a desperate effort he shuts his mouth and gulps it down. The most uproarious spendthrift whoever played " the fool with his money," says Captain Russell, never acted so recklessly as the Treasurer in the conversion cf that £500,000 loan. If the Government depart from the principles of Liberalism, I am nob going to do so, says Mr. Earnshaw. .Mr. Houston is moving for an inquiry | into the circumstances that led to the disi missal of the school teacher by the Pairburn school committee. -- The Postmaster-General is to be asked by Mr. Houston to place a sum upon the Estimates to extend the telegraph to the North Cape. Mr. G. M. Reid is jusb now in Wellington. He is going on bo Auckland next week.