PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9335, 2 July 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1. The Hod the Spea.ker took the chair at 2.50 p.m. The Hon the Attorney‘General gave notice that he would, at the next sitting, mov.- for leave to introduce “The Marrieg© Act Amendment Bill/* PRIVATE RILL. The Hon Captain Baillib moved the i third reading of the Wellington Chew's Lane Encroachment Bill, which was passed. MOTICE OP MOTION. The Hon Mr Buckley moved, That a Select Committee be appointed tr enquire into and report upon the subject of the “ continued leases" on the west coast of the North Island and the remedies proper to he devised in the circumstances. The motion was carried. INDECENT ADVERTISEMENTS BILL The Hon W. D,- Stewart moved the second reading of the Indecent Advertisement Bill. Tho Hon Mr Fulton seconded the motion, which was supported by the Hon Dr Grace and Sir G. Whitmore, and carried. The Bill was ordered to be committed tho next day. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL. Tho Hon the Attornev-General moved that the House go into committee to consider tho Legislative Council BUI. The Bon Dr Grace spoke against the Bill as being uncalled for, and likely to make the Council subservient to the House of Kepresentatives. The Hon Mr Shrimski declared himself independent on the question. The Hon the Attorney-General replied to the remarks of the Hon Dr Grace, and pointed oat that the main object of tho Bill was to shorten the term of membership. The Speaker then left (he chair, and the , Bill was considered in committee. On tho motion of tho Hon C, C. Bowen, the Bill was amended eo ua make the minimum age for membership 35 years instead of 21 years. A division was taken on the question of altering clause 3 so as to fix the tenure of office at 10 years instead of 7* The voting was 17 in favour of the motion to 9 against.

With regard to the clause confining the leave of absence of members to oue whole session, it was resolved to agree to the amendment of the Select Committee allowing the granting of leave by tho Governor for oue other consecutive session. Clause 8 was struck out and another substituted on the motion of tho Hon W. D, Stewart, making the Speakership eleotablo or removable by a two-third’s vote of the Council—the office to be held for five yean only. Tho Hon the Attorney-General moved that the following ol&uae be added to the Bill:—“ This Act shall not come into operation unless and until the Governor notifies by proclamation that it is Her Majesty's pleasure not to disallow the same, and thereafter it ahull come into operation upon such day as the Governor shall notify by the same or any other proclamation; and on this Aot coming into operation as hereinbefore provided, the Imperial Act passed in tho thirty-first end thirty-second years of the reign of Her Majesty, chapter fiftyseven, shall cease to have any further operation.”

The Hon W. D. Stewart suggested that each a danse would permit tho uovernment of the day to withhold putting the nil! into operation till they had made other appointments to the Council. The Hon tho Attorney-General, rising, said that tho non membar had several, times in Committee referred in similar terms to she Government which ho represented. He would remind the bon gentleman that the Government was as stable and honest as the one which appointed him. It was tho first time in his experience that such an accusation had been made against a Government in that Chamber. The insinuations were diegraceful. The clause was added to the Bill, and tho third reading was put down for next day. The Council adjourned at 4.45 p.m;

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WEDNESDAY. JULY 1. The Speaker took the chair, at 2 30. ABSENTEE RATEPAYERS. Replying to Mr Houston, the Minister of Education said he would be pleased to confer with him as to patting an amendment i tho Rating Act to enable, local bodies, So more easily collect rates from absentees, i ■ pree postage wanted. Mr Houston asked ■ tho Postmaster. General if he would allow local bodies to send correspondence free of postage. The Native Minister said Government were of opinion that in,view of the proposed redaction such a course would not be advisable. TASMANIAN EXHIBITION. The Premier, in reply to Mr Fergus, said it was not the intention of the Government to ask for a sum to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates to enable Eew Zealand to be represented at the Tasmanian -Exhibition. THE LATE WILLIAM QUILL. The Minister for Public Works, replying to Mr Fergus, said the Government thought any gratuity to tho parents of Wil. liam Quill, who lost his life on tho West Coast, aught to bo done by petition. GOVERNMENT BANKING ARRANGEMENTS. Mr Fisher asked the Colonial Treasurer whether any modifications or changes have been made in tho Government banking arrangements; and whether it is intended to continue the existing contract ? If any change baa been made, when it was made, and for what period is the contract extended, if it has been extended 7 The Colonial Treasurer replied that there had been some modifications in regard to bills of exchange. It was not tho intention of tho Government to interfere with the existing contract at present. No change had been made, and if it were six months’notice would be given, as per arrangement. NEW BILLS. . The following Bills were introduced and read a first time ;—Mr Rees, a Bill to amend the Government Railways Act, 1887, and tho Legislative Council Appointments Cancellation Bill; Mr Duncan, the Waimato Hospital District Bill and a Bill to amend the Oatnarn Harbour Board Loan Act, 1887. A PERSONAL MATTER. Mr O’Conor moved the adjournment of the House in order to bring before them certain remarks made by Mr Fish ot Dnnedin in February, containing the insinuation that his (Mr O’Conor s) vote had been secured by Sir Harry Atkinson. Ho had written to Sir Harry, and read a letter from him in which he said that bis adhesion had been given to the Government early in the session, with the proviso: that he was free to vote against certain measures. There was therefore no truth ia the insinuation. Mr Fish said he was not responsible for newspaper statements, and Mr O’Conac should have first enquired as to whether be had made it. He disclaimed; any idea of making any insinuation, and thought the hon member was too sensitive on the sab. jeot. Mr O’Conob said such things degraded the House, and it was not advisable that they should pass by without notice. Re should allow no man to traduce his character.

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

The Minister of Hands, who was received with Ministerial cheers, resumed tho debate on tho Financial Statement. Ho congratulated his successor on the spooch he had made the previous night; it was a good piece ot special pleading, and he bad made the best of a bad case. It did not traverse tho financial proposals, and might very well have been' delivered on the A d dress-in. Reply. Mr Richardson had had a month in which to prepare his speech, and they had heard every day of what was to bo hurled against the present Minister of Lands, and the startling disclosures that were to be made, and he congratulated him on having got np his courage in that time to make the attack. He (tho Minister of Lands) had discovered the speech previously in the Wellington papers, and ho was not perhaps so unprepared as be might otherwise have been. The first charge against the Govern, ment was the want of dignity, good taste, bordering upon dishonour. Lot them take the appointment of Mr Justice Edwards. Mr .Richardson had said bis appointment was made by the Government of New Zealand. Ho reminded the House that they had refused to legalise the appointment, and could not find another one instance mien the Government put a message in the mouth of the GovernorVYere they not responsible for that advice, and whan they found it was not approved should they not have resigned. But power was too s*eet for them! (Hear, hear.) Again, the Haase could not pass Judge Edwards’ salary and left it as a Commissioner, and bow then could they dare to say that this Government ought to have carried out their intention? He thought they had acted rightly m refusing to carry ont that which had failed to receive the support of the last Government » w Then, again, they had been charged V, 1* h disclosing the secrets of the Executive Council, He cballeoged them to report Jus single case where any each secrets had been disclosed. There was no Executive meeting held on the ease of Flanagan in Wellington ; it was held in Auckland about ten days after it appeared in tha newspapers. Such statements ought to be made more carefully, and he denied that any Bach secrets of tbe Executive Council had ever been disclosed by himself or colleagues. How did things get into the newspapers ? How was it discovered that in the late Government two members were fighting al a Cabinet meeting ? A Minister had been charged with reading Cabinet minutes at a public meeting Ho was the person charged, and he did so to repate tbs statement that be was doing things without the concurrence and consent of his colleagues. What barm coaid there be to tbe Colony in the truth, and the whole troth being known. If that was the only charge that would be brought against him he was not afraid of the remarks that would be made of him by the people of the Colony. Ao to acting in a dishonourable manner in dispensing with tho services of tbe chief clerk in the Land Office in Wellington when bo was nearly entitled to a pension, he declared

fchatit was generally known the man was not entitled to a pension. (Mr Fisher: Why ?) Was it not a fact that after he had been in the service of the Colony be had heoomo a bankrupt. (Mr Fisher: Twentyfive years ago.) The Act said that a bankrapt servant could not be entitled to a pension unless he was reappointed. ; There was no evidence of hia reappointment; if the - House chose to grant the pension he had no objection, but why should he be charged with dishonour for carrying oat the law? He had no doubt that if be bad granted the pension some member would have objected to it. No, he had kept himself within the law, and it was right the people should know the exact position of affairs. The next .charge waa that the dignity of Ministers and the honour of the Colony was degraded at Invercargill and Palmerston. It so happened that at Invercargill, speaking at a banquet (laughter) he stated that if the Upper House blocked measures he himself would not bo responsible for what might happen to them. Was there any harm in that? (Mr Taylor : Quite right.) Then at Palmerston he had committed a serious offence by saying that the Government were going in for retrenchment, and if they were outvoted the country would have a say in the matter. It was on that plank that the Government had been returned, and why then should he not make a remark of that description t Another charge was in regard to the Trust Commission, that they had disclosed the report prematurely. There was no truth in that report, and if the hon gentleman would only go to tho newspaper offices ho would find that it had not come from any member of the present Government. Everyone knew that the facts were daily coming out in the streets of Wellington, and yet the Government are charged with disclosing these affairs. Than it had been discovered that tho Government had not retrenched, bat had added to tho expenditure, and yet in nuotber breath they bad been told that they had retrenched eo much that the office work we.s all going behind. How coaid they reconcile those two statements ? Notwithstanding extraordinary expenditure, the Estimates for 1892 were £45,393 less than for 1891. Did tho hon gentleman mean to say that those Estimates wore not oorreot ? Ho would have to do that to prove tho etate. meat that was made last night. It had ■ also been eaid that the expenditure of i bk own department had been increased, < which was not a fact, as they had provided i for certain survey charges which had been ) provided for by the Into Government rut of i Joan. They wore getting considerably be- t him! in their surveys, and money was being s lost to tho Colony thereby, and it was i therefore hia duty to oak the House for j money to defray those charges ; and there f was also a charge for materials destroyed in c tho Dro at Wellington. Mr Richardson I ought to havo known that, and not tried to I; mislead the House, Tho Government had e also boon accused of dismissing 82 officers q and appointing 92. Ho did not know how t he got those ligures, but in the Stock Do- r purtment Mr Richardson said there were 41 h officers, whereas ho put down the number at u 7. Not one single now inspector had been o appointed, except one agent who had been G promoted. In 1891 the total number p of officers in tho Sorvioo was 2380 a; —whereas tho number was' now 2315. rr

The next charge waa that . of disparaging tho public servants of the Colony. Had not Mr Richardson himself disparaged the officora io hia department. Did he not charge him with disposing of tho only man In Wellington who could give him advice in bis department. Every single word he (the Minister of Lands) had said regarding one officer was said iu self defence, and had he not been charged with all sorts of heinous offences, and bad he not to go before his oonatitueuts and tell tho truth ? Who was it that dragged the names of the Civil eervaotii before the House bat Mr Richardson ? How could he then accuse him of disparaging them? When his term of office expired ho ventured to say the officers of that department would respect him a") much fcs anyone they had over had over them, and when he received and accepted their advice he could defend them, and not leave them in the lurch. (Hear, bear.) He had also been charged with disparaging his predecessor's administration. tie had when at Palmerston dealt very leniently with the bon gentleman, and had only spoken then when ho bad been attacked io hia administration. The Tory organs could not even leave his family alone. Who had done that, and why then should ho nob be allowed to defend himself 7 (Hear, hear.) Bub tho most extraordinary statement was as to the increase of sheep this Colony, which was by no means so great as he bad stated it to bo. The House adjourned at 5.30. EVENING SITTING. * The House resumed at 7.30. The Minister of Lands, continuing bis remarks, said’ tbo cost of removing tho officers which had been complained of was not £2OOO, but £SOO, and even if it had been £2OOO it would have been worth the money, and tho people would bear him out in that charge. The Land Guide he had nothing more to do with than issue it; it was already in mint when he got Into office. It would bfc'lieceasary to print them every week to keep up with the actual state of affaire as to the amount of land available. The book was issued by the Department, and not by* himself. Tho member for Wairarapa would bo able to tell why the Kaimanawa Block was not disposed of; if any farther information wan wanted let him ask for returns. It was unfair to pick out tho worst village settlements io the Colony as a specimen ol the system. (Hear, hoar.) The statement was also challenged as to the area of laud available for (settlement, implying that the Surveyor-Genera! had made a false return. Ho bad to depend on that officer for his information, and ho "Was confident those returns were accurate. The reserves mentioned by Mr Rlohardson'were not available for settlement, and they would find in a short time that the Government would have to repurchase tho land which had been given to tha Midlaud Railway. He called upon Mr Rioharleon to prove that there was as much land available for settlement as was already in occupation. Where would ho get it? Why, on the tops of the mountains from one end of the country to the other. Coming to ihe question of tho Stock Department, he said be had been so much accused of ignorance that bo wondered bo could hold up his head in tbo House at all. He defended his action in the administration of the Stock Department, saying that in committee he opposed the appointment of six inspectors instead of one, but he was always in tbo minority. Even supposing ho was in favour of tho report, u a wise man changes bis opinion, a fool never,V (Hear, bear.) Formerly the Stock Department was made a refuge for the broken down friemde of Ministers, and this was the reason of the complaints now made. He was sure that if the head of the Stook-'Dapartmenb hud been given time he would, have shown his ability to do the work* He warned them to bo careful how they received statements made to them by retrenched civil servants. Returns would be laid on the table showing that horse hire had been charged, and office rent charged, and also that money had been spent in an unauthorised manner. Had anyone ever aeon an advertisement asking for tenders to pat down rabbits? They were let somlprivately > the chief inspector was the man who bad control of tbo whole matter, and there was no check pat upon him. With regard to the appointment of Mr Ritchie ; be said on coming into office ho found tbo department in a diaorganised state, and Mr Ritchie bad proved hia efficiency. Mr Mooarthnr was a member of tbo Wellington Land Board, and bad done his best to damage him ever since he had become tbo Minister of Lands. He bad to put thero someone who would look after the interests of the settlers. He denied that he bad given instructions to rangers; they were given by the Chief Commissioner, and the one alluded to last night bad never been given by him. Ho had never seen the ranger, never spoken to him, and never written to him. He quoted from the report of tho Wellington Lam F Board to show that the members bad sometimes not seen the rangers’ report!) for sis: months,-and they therefore know whether the conditions of settlement hcid been carried oat. The report of the ranger showed that out of 744 settlers only 263 carried oat the conditions of settlement. Bat in spite of this, the Board passed a resolution to the effect that settlement was being carried on satisfactorily in the Wellington district. He defended tho appointment of J. M. Connell, saying that he received six certificates of bin character—two from membars of the House ; and as he had only.boen placed in that position on probation, he need nob be appointed permanently. Ho had, he said, taken all possible precautions that a Minister of Lands could take before appointing tbs ranger for the Wellington district. Respecting the charges made against him in respect to the Invercargill Land Office, he had, he said, charges by the bushel of a most serious nature against Mr Spence, but he refrained from formulating them in bis Palmerston speech in order that that officer’s name should not be dragged before - the Colony. They would hear a great deal more about (hem la future. Ho read several letters relating to the various charges against Mr Spence, and also defended his own action in relation to the Pine Company. He himself had never aiven that Company a single acre; ho hoped they had board the last of it, but if any further information was wanted by the hon .gentleman* let him'ask for returns. He defended the appointment of Ranger Campbell, proving that he had done good work while in office, and said that when he made tha appointment he bad never beard of any charge against him. He read a telegram from Campbell, saying that be was quite prepared to plaice himself before a jury, and stand by the reuult. (Applause). Be had been n uoused of dragging Mr Riohardaon’s nxitmi before the public, bat he would prove that the hou member, while in office, had been very favourable to the large land owners of the Colony. He cited cases going to prove tbal statement, and then went on to read a list of the transfers of large blocks that had been made doling the last thirteen monlihtf fa Can’?2Tl:iiiry f and remarked that the Land Act of ‘IBB7, brought iu by the late Minister of Linde, opened the door fur all kinds of jobbery. He thought he had answered every charge brought against him, and he was sure thfc House would agree with him that what he had stated was true, and

could bo verified by facts. He thanked the Hones for listening so patiently. • Mr Mitciielson said ho thought that the member for Mataura would bo able to prove every statement he had made. He regretted the introduction of the name of Judge Edwards, bat he must say that the gentlemen who were in opposition at the tune of bis appointment stonewalled, and that was the only reason tho message was withdrawn. Although they had been told six weeks ago that the decision had been given, it was only yesterday that instructions for the appeal had been given. It wae a disgrace that such a state of things should be allowed to remain. Ho nothing more disgraceful could be than the disclosures as to the Public Trust Office, whoever made them. As to the expense of the .Stock Department, the Minister for Loads forgot, in quoting tho Estimates, to havo given Mr credit lor the Don-recurrent votes which did not appear this year and which were included m the Estimates last year. He regretted the tone thaif this debate had taken j all government ehould be continuous, and he was sorry that such scenes as had occurred should be so frequent. The Minister for Lands had com. plained of being attacked, both himself and family, in the Tory press, but the paper which firot brought him into notice was the Evening Post of Wellington. Surely that could not bo called a Tory V*V e *;* he * }} w “® supporting the Government. (On. oh .) A a to the appointment of Mr Connell, he knew him very well, nod knew little good of bun, and he read newspaper extracts bearing out that remark. As to the financial proposals of the Government, hr regretted ho could not compliment the Premier upon the Statement, as he could not; believe it wae made with the intention of bonefitting the country at largo. It had been drawn up simply to cater to the public taste, and if carried out would generate a good deal of class feeling. Before it come into effect he hoped the Government would modify their proposals or see their way not to abolish the property , tax. They were going to insert in its place a still more nnjust tar, and ha was sure when they saw the effect of the present proposals they would regret their introduction, and tho people would aak them to again revert to tho property tax. They bad had ox. perionoe in tho post of Liberal Governments, and the present Opposition would in this instance as they had previously, hove to come to their assistance and extricate tho country out of its difficulty. If tno pro posals of the Government were earned they would not remain on the Statute Book anything like three years. They hod already boon told daring the debate that an income tax was a tax upon honesty, a lid a premium on dishonesty, and this would be found to be correct when the officers of the department had to collect it. Ho congratulated the Government on raising such a largo surplus, especially as the Premier and some of the other Ministers had so frequently stated that the surplus wae a myth. He could not agree with the proposal to reduce postage, and thought the sum to be lost by it should rather be devoted to opening up land, in reducing taxation on necessaries of life. Speaking as a former Postmaster* General, he said the loss by reduction of the postage to Id would be £50,000, not £40,000, as stated by tho Postmaster-General. The reduction of telephone charges would also result in a considerable loss to the Colony.

He agreed with the member for Bruce when ho stated that if the Government wished tho country to be settled they should induce people to come to the Colony with a little capital. He was pleased to observe that the Premier intended to bring in a Civil Service Bill, tmd he hoped that Bill would meet o better fate than previous ones of the kind. Referring to retrenchment, he said there was no doubt n large number of officers bad been retrenched, bub many others had been taken on, and he should be prepared to show In committee that no real saving bad been effected by the Government. Mr Earnshaw had expected to hear & high-class debate on the Financial Statement, ond that the Opposition would have been thoroughly able to discuss the financial proposals, but they were disappointed in that respect. He strongly approved of the retrenchment effected by the Government, and said that in reducing expenditure they bad endeared themselves to the country more than by any other way. He complained that none of the Opposition members had criticised the financial proposals of the Government. The only real criticism of those proposals had come from a member supporting the Government. The patty in power would reduce the Customs tariff as far as they could, and that was the only peg the Opposition could hang their hat on, which they did to get out of speaking of the graduate! land tax. Resuming after the sapper adjournment, Mr Earnshaw continued speaking at some length in favour of the Government proposals, and in couolnsion he said they had the confidence of the people, and though they might make mistakes they would be only too glad to rectify them. Mr Haricness moved the adjournment of the debate, saying that if ho spoke he should Speak for two boars. The Premier objected to the motion. Mr Bryce seconded the motion for adjournment.

Tho Premier said if Mr Harkness was going to speak for two hours this was the beat time for him to do so,. Mr Harkness therefore continued the debate, saying that bo believed when the - proposals of the. Government were, formulated in Bills they would be considerably modified, and nothing like what they were at present. He was in favour of a land and income tax, but not exactly in the form proposd in the Financial Statement. Mr H. C. Mills supported the Government proposals, except in regard to the postal reduction, which, he thought, might have been left alone and a free newspaper postage substituted. The House rose at 1.30.