PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 13287, 14 August 1895, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

[By Telegraph] . LEGISLATIVECOUNCIL. Wellington, Aug. 13. On the motion of Sir P. Buckley a select committee was set up to confer with a committee from the Lower House in considering the relations between the Bank of New Zealand and the Bank of New Zealand EH rates Company. The Family Homes Protection Bill and Mining Companies Act Amendment Bill passed their final stages. The Threshing Machine Owners Lien Bill and the Counties Act Amendment Bill were read a second time. The second reading of the Coal Mines Act Amendment Bill (which had passed the Lower House under the charge of Mr Millar) was negatived by 20 to 9 ana the bill thrown out. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Mr William Hutchison asked whether the attention of the Government had been called to the recent verdict of a jury in the charge of murder against Sominerville in Wellington Supreme Court. He said it appeared to him a serious miscarriage ot justice had occurred in that case and he would suggest to the Government that some means should be taken whereby a mistake of that kind should not occur in future, and that insanity should be more clearly defined.—Mr Seddon said it was a most serious matter, but the attention of the Government had not been specially directed to it, beyond seeing reports of the trial in the newspapers. He asked Mr Hutchison to gire notice of his question so that the Minister for Justice could make enquiries into the whole circumstances. The Speaker read a letter from Sir John Hall asking that Parliament would be pleased to accept from him a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen. —Mr Seddon moved that the thanks of the House be given to Sir John Hall for his present, and that the portrait be hung ia the corridor, between the two Houses. He mentioned that through the kind offices of Lord Onslow the Queen had given special permission for this picture being copied from Angeli’s jubilee portrait of Her Majesty, which it was understood was one most favoured by the Queen herself. — Captain Russell seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Mr Seddon gave notice to move on Thursday that a select committee of six members be appointed to confer with a similar committee of the Council to examine and report on the Bank of New Zealand Estates Co. and its relation to the Bank of New Zealand; to enquire how, in the colony’s interest, the two institutions can be best separated, and how the earning power of the Bank of New Zealand may be increased, its stability insured, and its usefulness extended, the committee to consist of the Hon. Captain Russell, Sir Robert Stout, the Hons. J. G. Ward and John McKenzie, Mr Buchanan, and the mover; to report in one week.

Mr Seddon moved that the Local Government Bill be discharged from the Order Paper as he found the bill would have to be introduced by the Governor’s message.— Agreed to. Mr Millar resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He thought something more should have been done to solve the unemployed question. The treaty proposals did not meet with his approval, especially the Canadian treaty. The proposed increases in the Customs tariff would be felt most severely by the workers, and he was opposed to that. Mr Crowther did not consider the present time opportune for raising the Customs duties because the people were getting less wages than formerly. He was assured that the proposed increases meant L 50,000 instead of LlO,OOO.

Mr Wilson complained of misrepresentations in the Budget and protested strongly against the Treasurer’s speech in London as to the trust funds being pledgable. There was no doubt the new tariff was going to raise taxation. Mr W. Hutchison protested against the way in which the accounts of the colony were kept and presented to the House. He did not know what led the Treasurer to tinker with the tariff of the Tariff Commission, which was an honest attempt at compromise between freetrade and protection. Evening Sitting. Mr Saunders advocated more retrenchment in the Civil Service. He regarded the proposed tariff as a cruel one and suggested the raising of the revenue duties instead of the merely protective duties. New Zealand would never be prosperous till it was a freetrade country. He suggested the establishment of a labour colony to relieve the aged, destitute, and unemployed. Mr Massey condemned the proposed South Australian and Canadian treaties and deprecated the way in which country settlers were being over taxed by the new tariff He urged that the natives should be allowed to deal in their lands themselves on the principle that there should be, as nearly as possible, one law for both races. Mr O’Regan defended the Advances to Settlers Act, but disapproved of the sums spent in acquiring land for settlement, which he thought was opposed to the progress of the country. He pointed out that all the articles proposed to be taxed in the tariff affected the mining industry. Mr McLachlan was strongly opposed to the Canadian treaty, and was doubtful of the South Australian treaty being of any use to the colony. He wanted the duty taken off articles used by the agricultural community. MrThompson (Marsden) thought the Minister of Lands had dispelled any cause for uneasiness in regard to the increase in the public debt. He opposed both treaties and considered the Lands for Settlement Act would be a failure but for the strong individuality of the Minister for Lands. Mr Flatman disapproved of the working of the Advances to Settlers Act.

Mr Mills moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 1.55 a.m.