PDARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11560, 29 June 1899, Page 3

PDARLIAMENTARY.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ( ZEALAND. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. PpER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] , WfDNESD.vv June 28.— The H>n. the Speaker took tha chair at 2 30 p.m. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was continuad by the Hon Mr Lee-Smith, who expressed gratifisation at the continued prosperity of the colony, and deprecated Ministers being condemned in connection with the marine scandal, until all the facts were made public. He felt that it would be necessary to borrow, in order to develop the resources of the colony. The Hon. Mr McCullough was pleased to see the reference mads in the Speech from the Throne aa to the desirability of establishing railway connection between Auckland and Wellington H&ppily, dissension regarding the rival routes hid been mitigated in the North, where people felt that under the circumstances the central route should be proceeded with He thought it absurd that the people of the colony -should overtax thennelves in order to construct nmn lineß out of surplus revenue; it could not be done, and borrowing wou'd have to ensu°. The Hon Mr Rig? defended the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. He thought the Conciliation Board should be swept away and a "Conciliator" appointed for the whole colony who would sit with specially elected assessors. He also ad vocated the appointment" of a Supreme Court Judge as prentam of the Arbitration Court. After the Hou Mr Jenkinsuu had thanked the memSers who yesterday defended tho rai'wiy servants, the addre>s was agreed to, and tho Council adjourned at 4 10. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesdvy, Juqj 28.— The Hon. the Speaker took tho chair at 2 30 p.m. The Hon. J. Carroll resumed the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He had never heard a weaker or more spirit less speech than that of Captain Russell, showing he was leading a forlorn hope. Captain Russell had said " he favoured placing taxation on toe shoulders of those best able to bear it," ihen why dii he oppose the Land end income Tax, and graduated Land Tax ? The criticism of the Opposition was wholly directed against the Premier The present party ■were not led by one man. They were a happy party and had the longest lease any Government ever held, and he believed had a still longer lease before them. The Opposi ion said they would □ot rescind the legislation of the Government but would amend same, no doubt . in the direction of making it unworkable. In regard to old age pensions, he condemned the contributory system which he asserted Captain Russell proposed, and which would take 45 years to bring into operation. He opposed the individualising of native land titles, except in cases of valuable land, of which very little was left in native hands He believed the time "had come when tribal i or hapu land should be vested in a Board | for the benefit of the natives. He thought | the House should have left the mariue ! scandal to a Commission, and not to a Parliamentary Committee. How were they to get an indep3ndent Committee ? It wa3 hopeless on account of party bias. Mr George Hutchison coaaplimented the Government on appointing Sir Kobert Stout to be Chief Justice. He paid a high eulogium on the latter. With regard to the marine scandal, he did not think it proper that the Government shonld appoint a Commission to enquire into their own administration. He reviewed the evidence in the case of Jones, asserting that no other conclusion could be come to than that Ministers had bfien guilty, not only of an improper, but an illegal, act in passing Jones. How would the inquiry be conducted ? When would the report be made? What was the character of the Commission ? It was not such as would commend itself to the House He hoped the Premier wonld give evidence. A Royal Commission was not the tribunal to investigate the conduct of Ministers. Defective as was the House, it was the proper tribunal to investigate such mitteis, and he trusted the r«suit would be to the cause of Truth and jQsiice. Mr John Hutcheson, after reviewing the whole of the marine case', said the issue of Jonfs' certificate was 'the result of a conspiracy between Captains Allman, Yon SchoeD, and Jones, and when the matter was erquired into tin Ministers would come out; with clean hands. He condemned Captain Russell for not bringing forward a policy as the present party did in 1891, and warmly approved of tha Old Age Pensions, and defended the measure from tho hypeicriticism of the Opposition. Mr J Allen contended that if it was possible for the issue of a certificate without tho Minister.*' knowledge, the sooner Ministers were out of office the helter. 'I he debate, was interrupted by tho s 30 adjournment. On resuming at 7.30, Mr Alien continued his speech, and said Ministers were not the proper persons to enquire into their own administration. Under a Royal Commission the House and country would not be placed in possession of sufficient information to form a correct judgment. The Premier had threatened to abolish the grant to juries because the foreman in the case against Captain Jones, in the Supreme Court, bad expressed an adverse opinion on the action of Ministers interfering in the matter. It had been objected to that under a Parliamentary Committee the finding would not support the facts, hut bis (Mr A lien's) opinion was that the resu't would be the reverse. The Ministry had made the question a party one to prevent enquiry. Up to a certain point the Honse did not know the full facts of the case upon which to form a judgment, hence the jseces?ity for a Parliamentary Committee. Was Captain Allman being sacrificed tosavea Miniatei? That was a question to be settled by a Committee. No barking enquiry by Ministers wculd remove the tinge attaching to them over their action in this matter. Mr G Ifedder faid the Opposition claimed to have a policy, but the only policy they hid shown wast ft policy of abus3 ani vituperation. In connection with the marine scandal he thought that the report from the Royal Commission would be before the House sooner than the Opposition were prepared co discuss it Referring to railway construction, he said it would need borrowi g half a million for ten jeara to push on the main line*. Mr Raw ins did not so much object to the legislation of the Government as to their administration. He condemned (he Railway management in regard to passenger accommodation, competition against the Union Company in tho South, and handicapping the Manawatu Company by a differential rate. Tho Advances to Settleiß Act was very good, but he warned the Hause against introducing political influence in connection therewith. Ho severely criticised the rr.iniDg regulations, showing their absurdity in some cases, and advocating several nmondments. Roferring to the matin* scandal ho proftHEod to know very little ;ibouc it, but what ho did know was very unsatisfactory I Mr R. McKtnzio did not think the Manawatu Company bad been badly 1 treated, us they had got valuable land grants. As to the raining regulations they could be n mended. H«s ngreed that tho Old Ago Pension scburno was not perfect, and should be amended in several directions, lie ugrucd that not only the North Island Main Tiunk Railway should be pushed on, but tho Midhud Bud Otago i Central, and even the extension of the I Blenheim- A watere line 8 uth, and ho j would approve of borrowing for that purpo3o. Mr Htnry Brown spoko, criticising ad* vcrsely the railway administration, and, more especially, some of the statomants made by the Premior during bin tour oj

the colony. The no-confidence motion ( was important, not that it was intended ' to i quire into the administration of the Marino Department, but as to whether the Premier and the Minister of Marine had induced officers of the Department to break the law. No Royal Commission would be able to bring out what the Premier wished to conceal in connection with this matter The Liberal party should not .taunt the Opposition with having no policy. Let the Opposition have possession of the Treasury benches and ascertain the true financial position of the colony, then they would be able. to formulate a policy that would be acceptable to the colony. Wellington, June 29.— After the Telegraph Office closed last night, Mr Browa spoke in adverse criticism of the Government policy and administration. Tha debate was adjourned, and the House rose at midnight.