PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 128, 24 September 1895, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, auctioneer’s act. The Hon W. C. Walker moved the second read; ig of the Auctioneers’ Act Amo a Luent Bill, to provide that all fees shall be paid into the funds of any local authority within which the auctioneer resides. After a short debate, the Bill was thrown out by 1G to 9. FINAL STAGES. The Wilson Land Bill was put through its final stages. HOUSE op REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington. NATIVE LAND LAWS. The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill (Mr Seddon) was read a second time pro forma , and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. THE TARIFF. The House went into committee on the Customs and Excise Duties Bill. Clause C—the decision of disputes as to the exemption of shirtings to be final on the part of the Commissioner —was postponed till the schedule was passed, it being pointed out that considerable alterations would probably be made in the schedule. Clause 7—an annual fee of £2 payable by licensed agents. Several members thought this fee too high. Mr Ward said this was not a matter of income, but it was meant to insure proper administration of the Customs Department. Eventually, Mr Ward accepted a reduction to £l, which was agreed to.

Objection was taken to the fee being made an annual one, but a motion to make it a fixed one was lost by 42 to 15, and the clause passed at £l, by 41 to 14.

Clause 9 —provision as to the manufacture of articles of which spirits are' a necessary ingredient. Major Steward and Mr T. Mackenzie said the Tariff Commission found that this duty was absolutely necessary. Mr Ward said he proposed that the duty on this article should be imposed at the end of February. This was to enable existing stocks to be put out. Mr Button moved that the duty on perfumed spirits be reduced to 10s per liquid gallon, instead of 20s. Lost by 31 to 28, and 20s retained. Several other reductions in the clause were proposed, but rejected. An alteration was made in the duty from 4id to 3d on all such pharmacopoeia tinctures, essences, extracts, and medicinal spirits as contain less than 50 per cent of proof spirit. _ On the motion of Mr Ward, it was decided that the duty on perfumed spirits and culinary and flavoring essence shall not come into force till the Ist February, 1896. Wellington, Friday. THE INNOCENTS. The Hon. E. J. Seddon said he would inform the House, on Tuesday what Bills the Government intend to drop. THE TAEIFF.

Mr Ward moved that the House go into committee of Ways and Means. Mr Millar moved as an amendment —“ That, in the opinion of this House, there were some articles omitted from the tariff which were more suitable for taxation than many of those which were provided for, and that steps should be taken to have this remedied.” He did not move this amendment in a hostile spirit, but he thought it might serve to call the attention of the House to two questions—viz, whether private members had a voice in the taxation of the country, and whether it was advisable to increase the excise duty on colonial beer.

Mr Seddon hoped the House would now get to work seriously with the tariff. It was necessary do go into Committee of Ways and Means, to make the schedule of the Bill correspond with the resolutions passed by the House. It was undesirable that some items were omitted from taxation which might be included, but it was simply impossible to bring down a tariff to please everybody. He hoped therefore, the House would negative the amendment. Mr R. McKenzie urged the reduction of taxation on articles used by miners. Mr Millar’s amendment was lost by 33 to 22, and the House went into Committee of Ways and Means, Several minor alterations in the tariff resolutions, were formally agreed to, discussion being reserved for the schedule of the Bill. Mr Thomas McKenzie moved an additional resolution, providing for the free admission of certain classes of flannelettes, but this was lost by 42 to 17. Mr Thomas McKenzie moved a proviso to fruit duties—That, from the 30th April to the 80th November in each year, no duty exceeding a halfpenny per pound be levied or collected on all apples and pears imported into New Zealand. Mr Seddon objected to this attempt to defeat by a side-wind what the House had already decided. The proviso was carried by 30 to 29. Mr Maslin moved that the item “ rice ■’ be added to the free list. Lost by 34 to 24. Mr Carnell moved that cement required for harbor works be admitted duty free, Mr Ward said the revenue could not afford this loss. Besides, all local bodies were as much entitled to this concession as Harbor Boards. After a long discussion, Mr Carnell accepted the suggestion of Mr T. Mackenzie to make the amendment apply to cement used by all local governing bodies. The amendment was lost by 36 to 18. Mr Millar moved an amendment to

provide that spirits received into the colony must have been three years in bond. He did this in order to check the admission of a cheap class of spirits. The Chairman ruled the amendment out of order, but said Mr Millar could bring it forward when in Committee on the Bill. Mr R. McKenzie moved that the duty on candles be reduced from 2d to Id per lb. Lost by 85 to 18. On Friday evening, resolutions from the Committee of Ways and Means were reported to the House. The Customs and Excise Duties Bill was further considered in committee. On the item of fruit being reached, the amendment carried earlier in the proceedings—viz., that between April and November only a duty of a halfpenny should be charged on apples and pears, evoked other discussion. It was suggested to alter the dates to between May and November, but this was ruled out of order. The original resolution was confirmed by 30 to 29. A motion to reduce preserved milk from 25 per cent ad valorem to 20 per cent was lost by 89 to 22. Motions to reduce the duties on pickles and sauces were both lost. On the resolution," tea 51b per lb until 31st December, 1895, and 4d thereafter,” Mr McGowan moved that tea be reduced to fourpence instead of fivepence. On division, fivepence was struck out by 36 to 22. Mr Earnshaw moved to reduce the duty to threepence. Mr Seddon said it was evident that the last vote meant that the House wanted to make the duty fourpence. If a reduction was made to threepence the Government would have to refuse to make the reductions they promised in the other items, as they could not do without the revenue. Mr Ward impressed the House that the Government could not submit to any weakening of their finance. After a short discussion, Messrs Button and Allen, as members of the Opposition, said after the statement of the Premier and Mr Ward they would not assist in weakening the Government finance. Mr McGowans amendment to make the duty fourpence was carried by 41 to 19.