PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1134, 6 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington. December 5. In the Legislative .Council to-day. After the customary routine business, "Mr. Whitakcr promised to introduce a General Harbor Amendment Hill, and Captain Fraser gave notice to move that no more local J'ills be taken tip this session. It was agreed to. The lion. Mr. Wilson moved, '"* That in the opinion of the Council the bankruptcy laws required amendment." There was an important debate on this. Many valuable suggestions were made by different member.-;. Mr. Whitaker aaid tiff the law was bad it w;i-? o;: ihu Vmsis thai the creditor.- sbr.iid have <h.r dealing with the estates, whereas t s «;v should bo in the hands of independent j-.! He would not promise to bring m a !>iii next session, though strongly uri.'n.i, but would be glad to do so if he saw any chance to carry a measure in accordance with his views. Mr. Wilson notified moving for a Committee next session to inquire into the whole subject. The Council then went into Committee a second time cn the Registration 13ill. The Council rose at 0.5 p.m. In the House of Representatives today. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the question < f what facilities can be given by the Government for the use of the telegraph by the public Press reported as follows : —l. That arrangements having been for the amalgamation of two companies by v/hiph special wires had been leased from tho Government, the Committee recommend that every facility should be offered by the Government for the carrying out of such amalgamation without delay j that until the expiration another and termination of the contract now i-.i forco. it is unnecessary to make any recommendation on the subject of the facilities afforded to the morninir papers. 2. That evening papers should be allowed 1000 words during the day at the present rate, and 100 words to take precedence of all messages except urgent messages between 1.30 and 2.550 o'clock. 3. That as it has been suggested in evidence that it would be desirable to provide a wire especially for the use of the Press night and day, the representatives of the various morning and evening newspapers in tiia Colony be invited to unite in making proposals which would warrant the department in providing such wire. Mr. Hall announced, in reply to a question put the other.day, that intimation i had been received from England that tho ' steamer Comus * SV&S about leaving for China, and that she would cali en route at I the Crozets. i

It was desired, to know if the Governs ment -would, orecfc a refuge .station on these islands. Mr. Hall added that the Government did not feel called on to contribute towards the erection of such a station. Mr. Wakefield asked'- the Government —(1) Whether they.will, during the recess cause inquiries to be made.as to tho possibility of introducing Xe-.v Zealand timbers into the European market 1 (2) Whether they will bring in a" measure next session for the conservation of forests, and the systematic disposal of timber as a source of public revenue ? Mr. Hall replied that the Government would cause enquiries to be made on the subject. Ti.ey would consider the ques- : tion of protecting forests, but, judging from past experience, they were not by any means sanguine of the result. Mr. Levin asked the Government whethor they will place 3,'svn; of 1*50,000 on the Supplementary Estimates as a preliminary grant towards an Exhibition in 18S0, and on condition that a similar sum is raised by the people of Noff Zealand. Mr. Hall replied that whatever the opinions of the Government might be as to the advisability of the proposal, in the present financial state of the Colony they would not be justifie/1 in incurring the responsibility proposed.

On the motion forgoing into Committee on the Property -Assessment Bill, Mr. Macandrew said that he looked on the measure as being utterly undesirable, and if those on his side of the House would follow his advice they would have nothing to do with it. Mr. de Lautour said he hoped ihey would see their way to strike out, the tax 011 personal property. Mr. George said that he would at every stag£:3tate'against the measure; ••• - a similar strairf:;said the Bi&jvas siipplya blin4"s> to~ge}>' tbe MSe from .Hijf'stafate bo(ifc£ : %y' ; < .Sir;-' Speigiit: said 'ft thiVt : it was bring the' measure into force. They "were told tli.it all round the lobbies members had been virtually coerced into voting for the second reading by the doleful aspect of affairs t!iS tlie\limHPh«sn-iff -business"-and thfe siha'l men in farming upon whom the Bill, if brought > > Mr. ,f>»vanson did not/think thqr Govern-: i : merit had hit 'on a wise proposal for | getting money,-but still -money- had- to be got, ajid while.be did not like the Bill, he did not'se'e his'way clear to oppose it. Mr. "Reader Wood said the deficit was LiiOO.OOO, and the Treasurer had told them there was no other way of meeting that deficit than by placing a loan. They had been told that the Estimates should be reduced, but lie remarked then that the efforts already maijo in that direction had failed. By making the tax o|d instead of Id as proposed they would get L 237,000. The Estimates could very well be reduced L 134,000, and by re-imposing the tea and sugar duty, or imposing a duty on beer, the balance of the deficit would be made up. Mr. Macandrew designated the imposition of the tax as most iniquitous, and expressed an opinion that the difficulties could be provided for in some other way. He had never looked on the land tax with, too much favor ; still he was not blind to the fact that all UiGir efforts towards progress and improvement had tended to increase the value of land. As such it was the most legitimate incident for taxation. Mr. Seddcm protested against the imposition of the tax as being most unfair to the community lie represented.

3lr. Moss s-tid that, with the machinery in his hands the Treasurer, under the laud tax, was in a position to raise L 400,000. What he estimated under the property tax could not bo brought into operation till August. He desired an explanation oh this point. Sir George Grey said he felt so averse to the measure that he would offer it resistance at every stage. Dr. Wallis said ho had come to the conclusion that it was an unjust and onesided measure. Mr. G. M'Lean said he agreed wirli the Opposition that the measure was abiiter pill to swallow. It was forced on them by the maladministration of the late Government. Mr. Hall agreed that what could be done in the way of retrenchment should be done. After all the reductions that could be possibly made in that direction, a large deficit will still remain to be made good by taxation. The measure they proposed was one which would bear fairly oil all classes of the community. In Com.nittee Government would be quite prepared to consider any reasonable proposal made in a friendly spirit.' Mr. ?.[o;itgomery reviewed the measure, and pointed out its objectionable features. Col. Trimble spoke in favor of the principle of the Bill. : Mr. J. T. Fisher spoke in opposition to the Bill. Major Atkinson said ,he could not conceive how it should be stated that they did not require the taxation proposed. Xo authority on tiie subject of finance had seriously impugned the correctness of the estimates. After weighing ail the circumstances .of the Colony, ho contended that a property tax was preferable r-> an income tax. The Bill before the House was no show, and the Government intended to bring it into operation. By applying themselves seriously to the Bill, lio . believe{l that ,they would, succeed in producing a by no means unpopular measure. : On the question for going into Committee, the House divided—ayes, 35 ; noes, 25. , The House then went into Committee. ...... , r - December 6; ' Progress was' reported oh clause 20 of the Assessment Bill ut 1.00 this .morning. The amendments made so far arc unimpprtfjnt. ■ . ■ - !