HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Southland Times, Issue 9004, 4 September 1885, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. Mr Stout gave notice to move that the House at its rising to-morrow adjourn till Saturday at 2.30 p.m. for consideration of the Federation lesolutions. Ho gave notice to move on Saturday that it is inadvisable that this colony should join the Federal Council of Australasia under the existing Federal Council Bill. Major Atkinson suggested that Monday sHould'be devoted to the consideration of the .Federal resolutions as it was inexpedient to hurry on the discussion on such an important question. Sir George Grey moved the adjournment of the House. He deprecated the Premier hurrying on the resolutions as proposed, and contended that the House should have more time to consider them. Mr Stout aaid he had promised ihe House that Saturday should be devoted to the consideration ofLthe resolutions, and it was in fulfilment of that promise that he had proposed sitting ob Saturday, A lengthy discussion resulted, several members protesting against Bitting on Saturday owiDg to the late sittings of the week, Mr Stout said he would consider the question and inform the House of his decision next day. ; Replying to Mr Garrick, Mr Tolo said the various local bodies had now in their possession copies of the Municipal Corporations Bill as it was brought before the House, and the Government intended) without any delay, to forward to those bodies the supplementary order papers with the various amendments proposed by members on the bill, The House went into committee on the Auckland Harbour Board (No. 2) Bill. Several members opposed the bill, which waa for the purpose of reconstituting the Auckland Harbour Board. A long discussion resulted on clause 5— term of office of members on the Board. — Eventually the clause was passed on the voices. In clause 6 —reconstituting of the Board — Mr Turnbull moved to strike out " two members shall be appointed by the Governor."— -Amendment lost by 39 to 7. Mr Dargaville moved a further amendment in the portion of the clause providing that four members shall be elected by the borough council, to strike out the words v borough, council" and insert " ratepayers for time being." — Amendment carried on the voices. In olause 15— Chairman's salary —Mr O'Connor moved that the clause be struck out. Debate interrupted by the 5.3u p.m. adjournment. Evening Sitting. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The House went into committee for the further consideration of the Property Assessment , Bill- la clause 2, Mr Stout moved that" £ property " shall include all real and personal property, and extend to and include every interest and of any kind whatever, and all property which may be estimated or valued as an asset of any company. — Agreed to. On clause 13— property sul>ject to taxation — Captain butter moved to reduce the LSOO exemption to L2OO. The Chairman ruled that the amendment could not be put without the oonsent Jpf the Crown being obtained as it interfered with the revenues. ; > Captain flatter then moved that the clause be atrnck out. The Chairman said that by the rulee-Qf the House he could not put such a motion from the chajr. , Mr Barrpn thought the exemption had better be left as it was, although he considered thVproperty tax altogether wrong. ,: Colonel Trimble moved tljat the clausa sbe postponed to enable thefyGrovernment to consider whether a reduction of the exemption could b« made. .--'.'''^ Major Atkinson asked if it were postponed would J;he Government be prepared to take that as a direction for the committeeT that the-' exemption should be re- *" Mr^Stcfat' was' not prepared' to' rep'y to that qaestionatgnce. Sir J. Yogel said it was very undesirable -? the, present bill to bring in a large number of taxpayers. He thought the committee would *<be taking the pre-emp-tive of the Crown into their own hands if they were to reduce the exemption, and ftt would be very unjustifiable if they were todovo.

was willing .to.ppßjpojie^dlauses 13 and 14] but he earnestly v hoped the .committee would not reduce the exemption from :,L500; ]3e foigh^eMUhe; anfhor4Jof^he tax (Major Atkinson) thatnofliino; would tend more to destroy it than the adoption of that courser He then moved that clauses 13,' 14. and 16 be 1 postponed.-*---•Agreed to. . , . ' - In clause , 18,7-property exempt from taxation — Mr Reid moved to strike off L3OOO as the amount o£ exemption of agricultural improvements, and to insert LIO.OOO. ." " ' ' | ' "Sir J. Vegel considered 5 the proposal in the bill wns a vverty t reasonable compromise. He retnin ltd the committee that the present hill abolished many exemptions. ! Major Atkinson regretted that in a consolidation hill the Government should bring in what they called" a compromise -between a property tax and;an;i intco,me tax. ; He thought 1 the state of -the finarifci b wpujd not .^arrant tHe making of so many exemptions. ' He submitted that the Governmenf should $o^fc forpe such a clause uoon them,* "and Telt certain' that if the Treasurer remained iv office Jtiil next session he would bo compelled to ropeal the bill they were now discussing. H«* hoped ; clauses woultl be, struck out in the absence of any' information as to f the : result on the revenife of the colony. ; He moved that Babsection 2be struck out. \ , . Several other members spoke on the clauae, and Mr White moved that the word r"agricßltural "be struck out; A ; long discussion 'ensued) iaffer which 1 the word "all," preceding agricultural ituprovementSi was Btruck out by 29 to 20. Mr Stout said that as the committee had by this vote affirmed the amendment of .the member for Egmont he would .move that subsections 2 nnd 3— agricultural improvements and engines and machinery exemptions — bi struck out. — Agreed to. Clause 27— providing that parties to a mortgage may agree as to payment of the tax on the mortgage — was struck out on the voices. In clause 13— 'property subject to taxation — Mr Stout said that after the diacu • sion that had taken place he hoped, the committee would pass the LSOO exemption without alteration. Mafor Atkinson said be was not prepared to take the responsibility of moving any reduction in the exemption, as the Government had not made any recommendation in that direction. — The clause providing for the exemption of LSOO was then passed without further discussion, and' the schedule of the bill was agreed to, The House went into* committee for the further consideration of the Counties Act Amendment Bill. Several new clauses were added to the bill. Mr Guinness proposed a new clause providing for the election of deputy-chairmea of ICounty Councils in the absence of the chairman, — 'Clause negatived on a division by 27 to 22, Mr Guinness moved a new clause allowing licensing committee clerks to be paid out of county funds.^- Clause lost by 31 to 16. The bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. The Property Assessment Bill was reported from committee, read a third time and passed. Captain Butter resumed the debate on the Gold Duty Abolition Bill. He read several returns to show the expenditure on goidfields on the West Coasr, and asked the Premier to give the Houaa some ioforma'ion as to the effect of tho abolition of the gold duty on the revenua. MrPykesaid the gold duty jvas the most iniquitous tax ever imposed on a community. It was absolutely crashing in ils effect on a uiost important iudustry, and if the House continued to insist on this duty the mining industry would ba completely j crushed. — Second reading carried by 24 to The House rose at 12 30 a,m.