PARLIAMENT.

Southland Times, Issue 13284, 9 August 1895, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

(By

Telegraph.)

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, Aug. 8. Mr Kelly presented a petition signed by 15,000 Roman Catholics, praying that Education Board inspectors be permitted to inspect Catholic schools. It was announced that a conference of thp two Houses on the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill had failed to agree. The Reprint of Statistics Bill was read a second time. The Family Homes Protection Bill and the Evidence Further Amendment Bill passed through committee without material amendment. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Aug. 7. Evening Sitting (Continued). Mr Reeves said Ministers had never denied that they were a borrowing Government; all that they had said was that their borrowing bore no resemblance to the awful and terrible picture drawn by their opponents. Mr Ward had been accused of taxing the poor widower, but the fact was that it did not apply, except to a widower who inherited from his wife more than L 7500 of capital value. Sir R. Stout’s accusation with regard to sinking funds fell principally on the AuditorGeneral, who was an officer of. the House. He charged Sw Robt. Stout with having by attacking the Lands for .Settlement Bill in 1893, contributed to increasing the unemployed, which he now blamed the Gov•. ernment for. Mr Hutchison had referred to the uncertainty injregard to the tariff, but he never knew a tariff which had been accepted exactly as it was brought down. Where, he would like to know, was the warrant for Sir R. Stout’s assertion that the tariff changes would bring in L 70,000 of revenue instead of LIO,OOO, as estimated by the Treasurer, and the Government did not anticipate disaster, and were not providing for L 75,000 of taxation. He defended the increased duty on flannelettes, and said that duty had been put on »t the request of those who alleged

that flannelettes were the industry of the colony. If a majority of the House said it, the duty could be reduced to the original amount. The debate was adjourned, and the House rose at 12.10 a.m. •’>! Aug. 8. ■ Afternoon 'Sitting; : - The Speaker read a letter from Sir. Geo. Grey resigning his seat as member for Auckland.—Mr Seddon said he intended at an early date to place on record a resolution expressing the sense of the House of the distinguished services rendered to the colony by the right bon. gentleman. Mr Seddon asked the leader of tho Opposition whether he had been consulted by Mr G. J. Smith before the latter gave notice of motion to the effect that the tariff proposals of the Government were unsatisfactory.—Captain Russell said tho first he had known of the matter was seeing tho resolution in print.—Mr Smith said he had not consulted any member. Ho hoped the Premier would not treat it as a want of confidence, but would allow members to vote on it as they pleased. Mr Willis resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He congratulated Mr Ward on having brought down such a satisfactory statement and praised the Treasurer for the great success attending the raising of the Advances to Settlers loan in London and said that whilst recently in England he found a most favourable opinion expressed regarding New Zealand. He was not going to condemn the new tariff as he recognised it was impossible to frame a tariff that would give universal satisfaction. Mr G. J. Smith readily admitted that the Treasurer was acting in what he considered was the best interests of the colony, but he should allow other members to have their opinions also. It was to be regretted that the public debt was being increased from year to year. He congratulated the Government on the establishment of agriculture and industries in commerce. The tariff proposals were evidently intended for an increase of revenue, were not in the interests of the colony at all and would not tend to encourage industry. The colony could not afford to pay a subsidy to both the Vancouver and Frisco mail services. He regretted that the Stutement’mada no reference to the unemployed difficulty or the question of old age pensions. Mr Pinkerton said the public debt must increase owing to the necessities of the colony and if the Opposition were on the Treasury benches to-morrow the debt would increase in the same way as at present. He admitted that the administration of the Advances to Settlers Act was a failure, but he hoped, now that the Act was becoming better known, that its effect would bo more beneficial. As to the unemployed, if the Government assisted them in getting land for small homes near towns it would tend to settle the difficulties. He defended the cooperative system and said it was the abuse of the system and not the system itself that caused it to be a failure as alleged by Mr Duthie.

Mr Meredith said he could not see that the Government had anything to do with the congested state of the labour market. Mr Ward has done great service to the colony at Home, but there was one little matter that required looking up and that was as to the legal authority on which trust fund securities were sent to London, and also on what legal authority were they declared pledgable by the Treasurer. Evening Sitting. Mr Meredith, continuing his remarks praised the Cheviot purchase and thought the report of the Tariff Commission savored strongly of protection. Mr Thos. Mackenzie strongly condemned the application of the gag in the shape of a time limit in this debate and deprecated the way in which the publication of Hansard was kept back in order that members might correct and alter their speeches. Members talked about liberalism but he asked how many'Liberals figured amongst the names of those who subscribed in Wellington lately towards the unemployed fund ? Not one was amongst them, but there were plenty of names of people whom the Premier considered had committed a crime because they were honest and industrious working men. The Advances to Settlers Department was not satisfactory and it was the rich and not the poor who were getting the benefit of tho Act. He said the Government’s tariff proposals meant an increase in the burdens on the workers of New Zealand to the extent of L 50.000.

Mr Carroll expressed regret that Mr McKenzie had not devoted more time in his speech to tariff matters. As a member of the Tariff Commission he had been wanting in his duty to the House in not giving them more information on the subject—Mr McKenzie: I couldn’t because of the time limit.—So far the criticism of the budget had not been of very elevating character, but the able speech of Sir R. Stout, which he had listened to with admiration, must be excepted. However he preferred to accept official figures rather than those used by Sir R. Scout. With reference to what Sir R. Stout had said about the' Canadian tariff he (Mr Carroll) wished to make it clear that Mr Ward had the 1894 tariff in his possession. He had discussed it with his colleagues on his return, and on it the treaty terms were baaed. It was true, however, that by some mistake the wrong tables had been inserted in the Financial Statement —there was no question about that, but Mr Ward would explain the matter fully later on This explanation was made now in case people should say that it was on the 1890 tariff that Mr Ward had based his reciprocity proposals. (Sir R. Stout: But he may have got the wrong figures in Canada.) —(Mr Ward : Oh no ! I have the 1894 tariff complete.)—Mr Carroll deprecated the way in which the Opposition continued to be-little Mr Ward’s mission and criticise his action with regard to the securities. The Budget was notable for the way in which the Government dealt with recriprocal treaties. It was proper that we should emerge from the narrow bounds in which we were living and cultivate a healthy relationship with other countries on a commercial basis. He could see no justification for the assertion that Canada would benefit most by the proposed treaty. He defended the administration of the advances to settlers and the policy of the Government in purchasing land for settlement. The real net increase in the public debt from 1891 to 1895 was only L193.79L Mr Ward here laid on the table the Canadian tariff of 1894, which was now in force. Dr Newman twitted Mr Carroll with having been a strong supporter of Sir Harry Atkinson, and he had now found a haven of rest on the present Government benches. From start to finish the Financial Statement bristled with inaccuracies, and it was more incorrect than any other Budget they had ever had. Mr Ward had more Treasury bills afloat [than any other Treasurer the colony ever had, and although they had been assured over and 'over again that the two millions would put everything right in connection with the Bank ot New Zealand the Budget promised some further banking legislation this session. He ridiculed the tariff proposals of the Government. (Mr Seddon brought up the report of a conference on the Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill [raising the age of consent], which was to the effect that the Council would not come to an agreement with the House over the amendments made by the Council in the bill. He regretted that the Council were somewhat stubborn in the matter, and as there was no chance of an agreement he saw no use in asking for a further conference. The report of the conference was agreed to and the b'.U therefore dropped.) . , Mr Steward especially praised the administration ot the Minister of Agriculture, but he regretted to say the, Advances to Settlers Act had not come up th expectations, With regard to the reciprocity treaties he said there was a larger wine industry in Newj Zealand than members had any idea of and on this account he .was afraid of the free admission of South Australian wines. As to the Canadian treaty, if the timber difficulty were removed it might be very practicable. Speaking as chairman of the Tariff Commission he said he, of necessity, dissented from Mr Ward’s proposals. He praised the conscientious manner in which the Commission had carried out its labour and said there had'never been

a more loyal --body i of men than the members’» of that commission. He spoke at length on the . tariff proposals, and why the Commission had arrived at their decision. He did not believe any reduction on tea would reach the consumers at all, and tho Treasurer might as well have adopted a reduction of twopence, as suggested by the Commission. The debate was adjourned and tho House rose at 12.30 a.m.