PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 140, 5 November 1895, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES.

The Appropriation Bill was introduced and read a second time. Wheu the bill was in Committee, Sir R. Stout :no el a new clause, to the effect that ;h Kinking fund of the loans uuder thu " Government Loans to Local Bodies Act " shall be maintained, and all debentures issued under the presumed authority of the "Consolidated Stock Act, 1891," shall be redeemed by the Treasury out of the funds voted or hereafter voted for such purpose. Messrs Seddon and Ward strongly opposed the clause. The Law Officers had advised the Government that the sinking fund transaction was strictly legal, and the Auditor-General had also approved of it. After considerable discussion the new clause was rejected by 24 to 17. The Public Works Appropriation Bill was put through all its stages without amendment. On the motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill, Mr Ward explained the change that had been made in the system of drawn bonds, and complained that the Government bad been frequently misrepresented on that point, both inside and outside the House. He dealt at length with the question of the sinking funds of local bodies, and the action of the Public Accounts Committee in the matter, contending that the Committee had been turned into a mere party engine by the senior member for Wellington. The whole transaction in connection with these sinking funds would appear in next year's Financial Statement. Sir R. Stout strongly criticised the way in which the Government had conducted the busiuess of the session and condemned Ministers for burking the freedom and liberty of the House, and refusing to give adequate information on public questions. Parliament had ceased to be a Parliament in anything but name, and become simply a recording bureau for the opinions of the Ministers of the day. The party in power had no principle in their policy, and members were at the beck and call of Ministers. He condemned the seizure of the sinking fund by the Government, and said it would be far better for the Treasurer to tell the House openly he would have to borrow for public works than secretly to borrow these sinking funds as he had been doing.

Major Steward regretted the Government bad not dealt with the nnemployed question as satisfactorily as they might have done, and urged that the Minister of Lands should go further in fostering the village settlements. *■

Mr Duthie referred to the banking legislation of the session, and contended that Ministers had failed to understand the position cf the Bank of New Zealand. Mr E. M. Smith said the Government were blamed for being a borrowing Government, but the reason he found fault with them was because they had not gone in for a five million loan to open up the country. Mr Mackintosh deprecated these frequent attacks on the Colonial Treasurer.

Mi Saunders said Mr Ward had departed from his professed nou-borrow-ing policy, and had also departed from constitutional principles by using those sinking-funds in the way he had done. Mr Seddon laid on the table a list of the shareholders of the Colonial Bank made up to within about a fortnight. He said during the banking debate some uncharitable and unjust suggestions had been made, and he thought it only fair that this list should made public. The list was ordered to be printed. Mr Seddon read a letter from the Registrar-General, to the effect that it would be impossible to give a return of the census up to sth April before September, and that it would not be in time for the Representation Commisioners to re-alter the basis of representation. That was his (Mr Seddon) opinion all along, and he had told the House so. However, it was the intention of the Government to carry out the law in full. The census would have to be taken, and the suggestion that only part of the census should be taken would not be given effect to. He had taken this course as a precautionary measure. He would otherwise be attaked for having kept back, the census returns. The Registrar- General's letter was ordered to be tabled.

Mr Newman regretted the census returns would not bo ready in time to effect any necessary redistribution in the seats, and thought the machine used in America in taking the census should be obtained for use in New Zealand to facilitate the furnishing of returns. Sir Eobert Stout thought returns of population could be obtained before September. He said there was no reason why the census should not be taken on Ist March.

Mr Frazer pointed out that the opposition to the passage of the Cenus Act Amendment Bill came from a belief that if the census were taken it would be time to give effect to the provision of the Bepresentation Act. Mr Mills thought it was the concensus of opinion throughout the colony that Parliaments should be quinqueninstead of triennial. He also advocated a fair adjustment of boundaries. Mr Larnach hoped the Government would spend as little money as possible in taking the cenus, as a larger expenditure on public works was urgently required. % Several other members also spoke.

Mr Seddon expressed the opinion that it would be an act of justice to the country if the membership of the House was increased to the old number of 94. As to what Dr Newman had said, he would make enquiries regarding the machines used in America,

i and if these satisfactor}', he would order one for use in the colony. A Representation Bill would be introduced next session, and would provide for the adjustment of boundaries. Mr Fraser, in his reference to the opposition to the Bill, was entirely wrong, as the Bill had on'y been dropped bacause of the late stage of the session. He believed if a ballot of the House ""were taken a large majority would be found in favor of postponing the census. He assured the House he would do his best to comply with the law. The Governor, by message, intimated he had reserved the Customs Duties Reciprocity Bill for Her Majesty's assent. Mr Seddou, in moving the adjournment of the House, referred to th« 3 trying nature of the session, and said, taking it all through, he thought the House could congratulate itself on the work done, and the brighter prospects that have been in view for some time past. The revenue w;as coming in fully up to expectations; in fact, the returns were a little beyond that. He referred to the good feeling that existed on this last day of the session, and paid a compliment to Sir Maurice O'Rorke, Mr Guinness, and Mr Joyce for their services, which Mr Guinness suitably acknowledged. . The "motion for the adjournment was carried by 15 to 9, and the House adjourned for a week.