PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9942, 4 October 1895, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

[Br TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] I LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday. °' The Council meb at 2.30. 1' THE LIQUOR BILL. b Sir P. Buckley moved the second read- 2ing of the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act Amendment Bill. He said that) personally he thought that the prohibitionists 3i had not taken the best course in their action V in regard to the liquor question. _ 4< Mr. Phakazyn considered the principle of g( looal option most unjust and tyrannical. The whole measure from beginning to end was a mistake, and would require consider* » ble amendment in'committee. Mr. Ormond hoped to see the Bill so ' amended as to be as little mischievous as * possible. If total prohibition were carried ? in the colony the loss of revenue resulting would throw the colony into a state of utter . chaos. He strongly objected to holding the 0 licensing poll and the general election on ® the same day. ' Mr. W. C. Walker believed that by 0 holding both elections on the same day it f would prick the bubble of prohibition, and v show how small and insignificant were the fanatics who were trying to ruin New c Zealand. ® Mr. Riggcouldnobcountenanceprohibition | in any shape or form. If it were carried, J the loss of revenue would ruin the colony, : as land could not bear any more taxation, 1 Mr. McLean said he had always favoured J temperance legislation, but at this measure he would be compelled to call a halt. He ® objected to th* continual tinkering with the J question of prohibition. J Sir G. Whitmork though* the provision = allowing prohibition in the colony should be excised from the Bill. What was wanted j was proper police control over the publichouses, and proper supervision of the drink sold. : Mr. Stewart said already there was a slight reaction setting in against the prohibition agitation in the colony, and he was ' satisfied it would never be attained. Dr. Grace said a prodigious machinery to check a vice thab did nob exist was quite I unnecessary. Mr. Jenkinson hoped that the dates of elections would not be separated, as in thab ! case the votes of moderate drinkers would J not be cast at all. ' Mr. Siirimski was entirely opposed to the ' Bill. As five p.m. the Council adjourned till half-past seven p.m. . The Council resumrd at 7.30. Messrs. Kerr, Bolt, Bowen, and McGre- ' gor also spoke on the Alcoholic Liquors ' Bill, after which the second reading was j agreed to on the voices. . SECOND READINGS. ! The Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill, and the Public Domains Acb Amendment Bill were read a second time. ' The Council then adjourned, j HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ; Tucks The House meb at 2.30 p.m. rating on unimproved values. ' On the motion for the third reading of the ! Rating on Unimproved Values Bill, Mr. R. Thompson moved that the Bill be re-com-mitted, for the purpose of re-considering the question whether this Bill should be brought into operation by a vote of onethird of the ratepayers instead of one-half. The amendment was lost by 33 to '23. The debate on the third reading of the Bill occupied nearly the whole afternoon. Eventually the motion was carried by 41 to 7, and the Bill passed. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30. land FOR SETTLEMENT. The Minister of Lands moved the second reading of the Land for Settlement Act Amendment Bill. He said the Bill would ratify the appointment of Mr. McKerrow as Land Purchase Inspector, and it was intended to make him Chairman of the Board. Daring last year to March 31, the Government wcro authorised to spend 1 £250,000 in land purchase, bub had nob been able to spend all that sum, bub the actual amount spent did nob represent all the liabilities incurred. Up till December 13, Government had purchased nine properties containing 29,926 acres at a total cost of £112,413. They had 17 properties under offer of 47,070 acres. By the end of March next, between actual exI penditure and liabilities, the amount at disposal of the Government for land purchase would be nearly exhausted. Taking all things into consideration he thought it i would be admitted that his land policy i had been successful. [ Captain Russell said so far as the Amendment Bill went he had no particular I objection to it. He still thought the com- ) pulsory taking of land most iniquitous, and ; had done more to injure the prosperity of the colony than anything else. It had kept 1 many desirable settlers from coming here, l There was no bona fide demand for land - now, if it was meant that men were prepared to invest their money in it). Of b course, men were prepared to enter into > other men's labour with the assistance of the 3 Government.. The regulations were moat ) irritating, worrying, perplexing, and foolish. 3 Instead of dispossessing the present owners, r it would be far batter to purchase estates f from the Assets Realisation Board, and thus help to relieve the colony of a portion of its liabilities arising out of the recent bank legislation. '' Mr. G. W. Russell contended tho de- } mand for land had nob fallen off, and thab j land was nob unsaleable. There was a \ widespread feeling againss private owner--1 ship of land, and men were beginning to b think more of settlement than ownership. 3 Sir R. Stout admitted thab the State had b a right to deal with the whole of the land 1 of the country for the welfare of the people 1 as a whole. It was wrong, however, for the " State to take a home from one man simply ' for the purpose of giving it to another ' man. Dealing with the purchases already ® made, a Fair Rent Bill would be an absolute 1 necessity, if only for relieving the tenants 0 of Cheviot and Pomohaka. ) Messrs. Willis, Buddo, McGuire, Mont- * gomery, Flatman, Crowther, Hall, E. M. Smith, Newman, Ilone Hekc, Button, and McNab also spoke, and the Minister having [• replied, the second reading was agreed to e on the voices, and the Bill referred to tho e Waste Lands Committee. e The House rose at 12.45.