NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3470, 1 July 1880, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

[per united press association.]

Wednesday, Juno so. — The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. HUTCHINSON gave notice that he would introduce a Bill to restrict Chinese immigration. It was stated that a rent of £50 per annum was piyable for Government House at Hokitika, and that it went to the Treasury and not to the country. None of the £224 had been advanced upon the Matahia and Aorangi blocks at Waiaupu, East Coast, but it was refunded, and a proclamation was on hand to remove it. The land was in the occupation of Captain Porter. It was not acquired by the land purchase agent. Stringent rules were framed for prohibiting these agents dealing in land. Further enquiry showed that -£800 had been paid to the plaintiff's solicitor, in the Waka Maori case more than he ought to have been paid, and on the authority of the late Native Minister, Mr. Sheehan. The subject would be remitted for enquiry by the Public Accounts Committee. The answer made to this query yesterday was made in error. The Government did not see its way to alter the provision in the Licensing Bill abolishing bottle licenses. The Waimate Plains were being surveyed, and would be opened before long for sale. The Government would not pay rates to the local bodies on lands situated above the snow line. The recommendation of the Royal Commission, to offer Civil Service appointments as prizes to be competed for by students of the New Zealand Universities, was being considered, but had not yet taken a practical shape. The Government were most desirous of encouraging the pursuit of technical education ; and when the whole question arose the Government would endeavour to make arrangements accordingly. The Government were not disposed to interfere with the objection made by the Licensing Commissioners at Invercargill to renew licenses unless the premises were rebuilt of brick, stone, or concrete. A municipal bye-law to the effect had been passed in Invercargill. The surplus land fund of Otago and Canterbury had been paid over in accordance with the Financial Arrangements Act. The Middle Island Engineer reported that thete was no foundation for the statement made in the Royal Civil Service Commission page 6 — " Wagons built by contract in Dunedin were delivered in Christchurch at the end of last year in a state thus described by a witness, ' Some of these were disgracefnl, bad workmanship and bad timber ; the timber being unseasoned. Stringy bank was put in instead of iron bark. The joints were not properly made, Some of them had the bottom frames held up only by the nails in the flooring boards. Some of them we have had almost to rebuild within six weeks. 1 " A deposit of £800, with two bondsmen for £800, was required from the lessees of the railway refreshment rooms ; and £5 deposit, with similar bondsmen, for the lessees of the book stalls. Government could not say it would support any measure for the equalization of taxation for local purposes upon gold mines and gold mining property, until they saw the measure. Bills introduced :— Legalising Payment of Members of General Assembly (Seddon) ; to amend Port Molyneux Reserves Leasing Act,

187G (Thompson); Fire and Marine Insurance Companies (Dick) ; Jackson's Bay Settlement (Dick.) WANT OF CONFIDENCE DEBATE. In the House of Representatives on Tuesday, after the adjournment, Mr. Fulton continued the debate, defending the Property Tax, but regretting the exemptions. Majer Te Wheoro objected to taxation which would drive people out of the Colony. Too much money was spent by every Government in rewarding supporters. Mr. GiBBS supported the Property and Beer Taxes, and approved of the proposed scheme for dealing with local bodies. Mr. Taianui objected altogether to Maori lands being taxed, and condemned the Native Lands Bill. Mr. Andrews strongly objected to the Property Tax, and urged an Income Tax. Mr. Allwright supported the Governmentpolicy. Mr. George McLean attacked the policy and administration of the late Government, and supported that of the present one. The House rose at 12.30. The debate was resumed on Wednesday. Mr. McLean spoke in favour of the Government. Mr. Seddon spoke in opposition to the financial policy. He was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. On the House resuming, Mr. Seddon spoke ' for four hours and a quarter. He advocated a license fee of £40 a year to lawyers aud doctors. fli> Major Atkinson said the main error or the Public Works policy was its not having abolished the provinces when initiated. He defended himself from the charge of basing all his finance on Treasury Bills. During his whole former term of office, the treasury bills afloat had only been increased by £300,000. When he left office, and Sir G. Grey got in, there was £919,000 in the Treasury, or fully £100,000 over the sum sufficient to provide for all liabilities. The Grey Government had also had a loan of two and a-half millions to spend, and they were responsible for the present state of affairs ; Mr. Ballance for having persuaded people they had means, which they had not ; Mr. Macandrew for having manufactured a paper land fund, and proceeded to spend it ; and Sir George Grey more than all because, as Premier, he could have stopped all that with a word. During their term of office they had spent £11,243,000, and left liabilities of £3,500,000. The people of the Colony were not to blame, because, as soon as they could make their voice heard, they hurled those gentlemen from office. It was they (the Grey Government) who caused the necessity for increased taxation ; and before they left office they had Bills prepared to impose an Income Tax and raise the Land Tax to twopence an j acre — a far more crushing taxation than now proposed. Government would not ask the House to interfere about the Ministers' salaries. They would simply cease to draw the full amounts. If they had not done more in retrenchment it was because last session ended at Christmas, aud the House met again in May. The time was very short, and the Royal Commissions had been appointed to assist to collect information. He would not discuss the local finance proposals till the Bill containing them was before ftie House. As to the local subsidies, there were only three courses open — to abolish them pay them out of the loan, or raise the amount by increased taxation. They chose the former. Government were in earnnest about retrenchment. They could effect this by dismissals, which, however, would noo have immediate effect in saving as compensation must be paid by reducing salaries all round, and by diminishing the conveniences | afforded the public. They would act immediately in the two latter directions. Already their departmental estimates were £105,000 below those of 1878-79 in the ten principal classes, and as Ministers now found the House really iv earnest, each Minister would — when his Departmental estimates were in Committee — endeavour to lead the House to whatever further reductions were possible. The amount of extra taxation proposed was only £246,000 over that proposed in 1878-79. He defended the Property Tax at length, and said so far from driving capital away, the monetary institutions did not object to it, and he knew that large amounts of foreign capital were floating in for investment. He hoped the Property Tax valuation would be generally accepted by local bodies. He condemned the Land Tax, especially as the means of bursting up large estates ; but the Government felt so strongly the evil of large family estates, that next year they proposed to introduce a Bill to prohibit entail and regulate the bequeathal of land. He had been unwillingly forced to the Beer Tax. The estimate of its yield was based on the previous Government's experience of it, but instead of yielding more revenue than estimated, the returns so far indicated that it would yield £40,000 a year less. Regarding the Public Works, they could not stop altogether. They must complete the works which would bring in a return, or render other works more profitable, but they must strictly confine themselves to necessary and re-productive works, and spend in these very gradually, so as to extend the expenditure over the next two years. He advised the House after settling the question before them to go on with the estimates, and refuse to pass more than a very few necessary Bills, and leave the Ministers with a long recess to devote themselves to the real work of reform. There was no need of panic, and with thrift and prudence the Colony could easily meet its difficulties, but the people must exercise self-denial and abandon luxuries. Mr. De Lautour moved the adjournment of the debate. The House rose at midnight.