Monday, September 7.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 11

Monday, September 7.

The East and West Coast railway question fa again the topic of the House. All day long; there have been caucus meetings, and rumours also of dissension in the Cabinet, all because, aa I informed you last week, the Government had refused to make the East and West Coast railway a Ministerial question. The last rumour as to differences amongst Ministers on the subject is, I believe, entirely without foundation. It was said that Sir Julius Vogel and Mr Richardson were in favour of the scheme being made a party question, but that Mr Stout objected. Tho statement is, however, positively denied, and aa it may have reached you in some way, I think it right to mention the fact of the contradiction. The railway party, there can be no doubt, are exceedingly annoyed at the decision of the Government in refusing to make tho East and West Coast railway a Ministerial question, and it is said that overtures of support have been made to the Opposition if the Government could be turned out of office and a Ministry pledged to the construction of the line placed on the Treasury benches. It is further stated that the railway party moefe with no sympathy from the Opposition, and tbafc thereupon, foiled on either side, they held sweet council among themselves, and not with very pleasant results. However this may be, I can state pretty positively that a caucus of the railway party was held this morning, when ifc was announced that the Government would not stake their existence on the fate of the East and West Coast railway question^ and that an adjourned meeting was held late in the afternoon to consider the position. What transpired at this meeting is not known, those present affirming that the proceedings were understood to be of a private and confidential nature. It is believed that the meeting was perfectly indefinite in its results, and that no determination was come to. Some of the most violont of the railway party blustered a little, but the tendency of the majority was against insisting upon the construction of the railway being made a Ministerial question. It is pointed out that the railway party has everything to gain from the present Government, and that they could not possibly expect to fare so well from any other. The_ matter seems to have collapsed so far as agitation here is concerned, and there will probably not be much more heard of it until the vote is reached on the Public Works Estimates, which, by the way, are to be brought down to-morrow night, THE FEDERATION RESOLUTION. The Hon. R. STOUT moved—" That in the opinion of this House it is inadvisable for this Colony to join the Federal Council of Australasia under the existing Federal Council Act." He said the House would recollect that last year he had moved resolutions bearing upon the establishment of a Federal Council. He was desirous there should be some kind of federation more powerful than was provided by the last bill passed by the convention. He then explained the provisions of the Federal Bill. When • it went from the Convention to the Home Parliament, the Government had represented to the Agent-general that it would be impracticable for this Colony to join the Federal Council unless some such j>rovisions as were asked by the Government were inserted in the Federal Council Bill. He might say that as the Federal Council Bill did not contain the two provisions asked last year, he thought it was not desirable to join under it. He felt convinced federation would have to be effected, but it should be an English, Australian, and New Zealand Federation. If the old provincial system had been retained, andthe Government had been looked upon as a Federal and not a Colonial Government, he thought the Colony of New Zealand might have been an important centre with Fiji, Tonga, and other places as provinces. It might be thab if New South Wales joined the federation, New Zealand might have at no distant date to join to the Australian Federation. Two things would have to be accomplished whether federation were effected or not. One of these was the question of defence. It was generally regarded by (Jio.sc most competent to judge that any proper system of defence must be of an Australasian character, and he thought this could not be better efi'ecrcd thau by some kind of convention. He contended that all public opinion tended in the direction that the Colonies must help themselves in the matter of defence, and whatever was required should be done promptly. The other question was the Pacific Islands. Hon. members would see from recent accounts what was being done by other Powers in this direction. He thought if a Federal Gonncil was established and New Zealand loft out of it, the Imperial Government would take far more notice of the representations of a Federal Council in this respect than from New Zealand itself. Ho then referred to some of the dangers which might arise from federation, which might probably result in the Federal Council usurping ioo much power to the injury of tho Colony. That was, of course, a danger that would have to be guarded against. The motion of Mr Macandrew regarding the wider question of the federation of the English-speaking people was proposed as an addition, as also was Mr Beetham's motion affirming that to eeruro the unity of the Empire some form of federation whirli .should not interfere with the rights of lo>*al Parliaments in re.mrd to local siffahs was ("■leuti-il. Tho Premier consented to an amendment proposed by Majoi Atkinson being onbLtituted for bis i motion, the amendment being to iho effect

that it was undesirable in the present session, and until the matter had been more f ally considered by the Colony to propose to join the Australasian Federation. In this form, and with the resolutions of Mr Macaudrow and Mr Beetham added, the motion was carried on the voices. GOLD DUTY ABOLITION HILL. On the motion that the Gold Duty Abolition Bill be committed, Captain SUTTER moved that the bill be committed that day six months. Mr SEDDON opposed this amendment, and quoted largely from returns to show the necessity for the abolition of tho gold duty on the West Coast. Mr CADMAN opposed the abolition of the gold duty. He said if the bill in its present shape passed, the comities of Piako, Thames, and other places would have a claim on the Government of about £4000 or £0000 a-year. He hoped if the bill were passed that it would not apply to the North Island, as he felt convinced the North Island did not want the duty abolished. Sir JULIUS VOGEL said the duty as an export duty was one that could not commend itself to hoiu members, and he thought now that the revenue was localised there would be no difficulty in collecting a royalty. It was not proposed that a royalty should be collected from persons working under miners rights ; but in the case, for instance, of companies obtaining good results. He thought it was quite legitimate for the Crown to exact a royalty. He should not be in favour of the abolition of the gold duty, unless they were able to give local bodies power to collect a royalty. He hoped the House would pass the bill. Mr O'CONOU said the debate on this question showed conclusively that the abolition of the gold duty would be most advantageous both for companies and private persons. He contended that they ought to assist miners, and by that means they would get a market for Colonial produce. The motion for the second reading was lost on a division by 34 to 23. Mr GUINNESS asked if he could move an amendment that the bill be read that day week. The SPEAKER ruled that such an amendment would not be in order. Mr GUINNESS entered his protest against the motion just affirmed by the House. He attributed the vote given to the unreasonable attitude taken up by the member for Gladstone in referring to gold-mining matters, of which he was utterly ignorant. The question that the bill be committed that day six months was then put, and carried by 35 to 33. MISCELLANEOUS. In the evening the House passed the Public Revenues Bill and the Public Works Bill (No. 2). In the latter Mr Downie Stewart made an attempt to exclude Dunedin from its operations so far as roads between the city and suburbs were affected, but was unsuccessful. The Treasurer announcced that no tenders had been received for the San Francisco mail service, but that a representative of a local company as well as the representative of an American one had intimated that if the terms were altered they might be found tendering. He had decided to make the service between San Francisco and Auckland for 20 days, and had extended the time for receiving tenders. Mr Lance intercepted the motion for going into Committee of Supply with a proposal to have a sum placed on the Estimates to provide for the stamping out of scab in sheep, but was informed that provision would be made in the Supplementary Estimates. Mr Moss brought forward a motion urging the necessity for retrenchment, to be secured by reducing the number of members in both Houses, and also the number of Ministers, &c, and that a simple scheme of local government be devised which would allow of this being done, but his motion was lost. The Estimates were then gone on ■with, and several reductions made. Mr Fulton made an attempt to have the system of paying the chairmen of the various committees done away with, but was unsuccessful. In the case 1 of ! the chairman of the Waste Lands Committee, Mr G. F. Richardson took up his cue, Mr Fulton,] having acted as chairman for several years and refusing salary, naturally having some delicacy in moving it. The item was, however, retained, but only on tho casting vote of the Chairman.