THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9721, 17 January 1895, Page 5

THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA.

THE RECENT CRISIS.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. Press Associations.—Electric T«legrapU,--Copyrl*ht l , Melbourne, Jf.'auary 16. In the Legislative Assembly lasb night the Premier, referring to the recent crisis, said the Legislative Council had a legal right to act as ib had dorse, but whether i's had constitutional righfm was a question. Looking at all the circumstances quietly and impartially, ha thought the House could nob afford to raise a constitutional question which could be avoided. The real question to consider was, what course was desirable in the interests of the whole colony, Tho Land and Income Tax Bill in dispute could bo sent back to the Council, but in the face of its almosb unanimous rejection last week..

are was little chance of its being accepted

now. The Government) would then have to dissolve the House, which would bo penalising recently returned members ; nor was ib certain that this step would lead bo a final solution, of the difficulty. He believed this course would be injurious to the best interests of the colony, and would create turmoil. He believed the land tax was growing in favour., and attributed its defeat to the pressure of financial institutions. He hoped, with the income tax, reduction of subsidy to municipal bodies, and retrenchment, to be able to reduce the deficit for the year to £78,090. He then moved the introduction of the Income Tax Bill, which was carried to the committee stages. The Legislative Council has rejected the Aliens Bill, which reduces the fees for the naturalisation papers of other colonies. During the debate on the Premier's statement that Sir J. B. Patterson, exPremier, had approved generally of the action of the Government, ona labour representative protested strongly against the action of Government, alleging the House of Representative? had been insulted by the Legislative Council, and that the back-down by the Turner Government was worse than anything displayed by the late Government. Mr. A. Deakin feared the Government had nob realised the seriousness of the position, and said he regarded the fall In the colony'B stocks as due to the rejection of the Land Tax Bill. The action of the Government, he thought, amounted to almost a sacrifice of principle, and he considered the Government mighb have adopted a course which would have asserted tho righb of the Lower Chamber. This, he concluded, would have been better for the Government and the country.