GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 1234, 3 September 1878, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Br Telegraph.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Sept. 2. The House met at 230 p.m. to-day. IMPBEST SUPPLY. On the motion of Mr Ballance for passing the Imprest Supply Bill, No. 3, for £250,000, Mr Thomson wished to know whether this waß the last Impreßt Supply Bill. It was becoming serious, for it appeared as if the power of the purse was pussing out of the lianda of iho House altogether, and something was rfquired to be done to stop it. Mr Ballance naid it was not at all improbable thattliero would be another Imprest Bill, but the course adopted was that which had been pursued for years. He might point out that they were spending at the rate of £6,000 per day. In reply to questions, Mr Ballauce eaid the Pnblic Kevenuea Bill would be introduced m a few days na the Bill was nearly ready, and the Public Works Estimates wouldj bo ready by that time. The Imprest Bill being a matter of urgency was advanced through oil its [stages and pnssed. JS COMSIITTKE. Tho House then went into Committee on the Disqualification Bill No. 2. In sub-Section 1, cluuso 6, which provides for disqualification, Mr Turnbull moved the insertion of words which would exempt the Attorney-General, ns well as any member accepting the office of a Judge of the Supreme Court or of Agent-General. The House divided on this, tha result being tha 1 ; the Attorney-General was exempted by 47 ngainst 17. Mr Barton then moved the insertion of words "or Solicitor-General " but it waa rejected. The proceeding} wore interrupted by 6.30. The Houbo resumed at 7.30 p.m. Progress was reported on tho Disqualification Bill. ZAJTD TAX BIU. Mr Wakefield said he would criticise with considerable frankness, all the financial proposals of fcbe Government. It appeared to him that the speech of the Treasurer was one long apology for his Bill, and one part of his speech was inconsistent with another. The hon. gentleman first deprecated the objections raised by landowners, and later on he informed the House that taxes on land had received the approval of landowners themselves He ventured to say that the Land Tax Bill Jbeforo the House was|purely an afterthought ; certainly not more than a month or two old. This was not tha policy first proposed by the Treasurer at Marton. That was a scheme to tax land a,i so much per acre, but no freehold until it came up to 320 acre.' was to be taxed at all. That was less than three months ago. What they were given now was the policy of tho Attorney-General at Dunedin. No wonder the hon. gentleman apologised. The policy was not his, and hi? heart was not m it. He must protest, against this cramming down their throats of new kinds of taxes, which had never been proved or even tested. The hon. gentleman quoted m support of his arguments a number of foreign authorities. Taking tho Treasurer's policy as a whole, he considerei it unsatisfactory, cilculated to create class distinctions, and oppress local industries. As to the exempt! >n of land of the " unimproved value " of £500, he considered it absurd, and objected to the exemption of any land m the colony. They were told tne laud tax was modelled on the principle of the income tax at Home, but was it not a constant grievance at Home that the income tax waa a class tax which affected.all ? Tet |«he hon. gentleman said this was not a class tax, and was Btruek with astonishment at the proposal to fix the minimum price of land at one pound per acre. Why, to the settlers north of Auckland such a tax would prove a burdensome rent. This m itself was proof of its crudeness. Then, whoever heard of such a tux as that of making tenants of the Crown pay tax to tho Crown. The Canterbury licensees, who had no tenure whatever (because any person could bay the land orer their heads), were placed m the same position as the licensees of Otago, who had a tenure. The hon. gentleman ridiculed the alterations of the tariff as like keeping a chandler's shop, and earning nothing after

he year. The beer tux was singularly unfair, 't all fell on the b rowers. The beer was lot only laio.i, but also they had to ceep an extra clerk to help to collect lie tax, beside* th« employment of a policenan who should by right be doing something ;lse. He opposed the tax on Joint Stock 3ompaniee. If the beer tax was calculated ■o make people sober, the other would make many tight. It would have no other effect Lhan the drivim* away of the foreign capital n the country lent to local euterprise, as well is the savings of the people, Yet those who lent money by tens of thousands on mortgage were allowed to go free. As to reducing the tax on sugar, why not take it off it altogether. The fame remarks would apply to the tea duty. It was better to strike nil tuxes off one article than to bo complical ing matters by reducing the tax on two or three things. Then how silly was tho tax on spirklins; wines. Why not tax all wines. Then, as to tho boot tax, the Treasurer quoted an invoice to show that tho result of tho specific t.tx was tho same as the result of ad valorem. What was the meaning of such an anjumentj as that there conld bo no question that the boot tax would fall heavily upon the working man only. It appeared as if the poor working man was going to catcii it all rouud. He could only characterise the Government's policy as harassing and troublesome, and without any re;ult to warrant it. They wero told that the policy of the Government was free trade, and they struck off the little bit of protection the colony enjoyed m the shape of a tax on flour, while that on timber was f < nothing. That Beenud to him as if ihe Treasurer had the idea of securing two or three northern votes. But why these tuxes at all ? They were not m want of money. Why, if tho lion, member for Egmont hnd last session brought down Buch a policy with the Opposition then m existence bis life would hnr.Jly have been safe. Tho hon. gentleman highly opproved of thepubiio works policy, but considered tint oE the Treasurer a§ unworthy of the .rest of the Ministry. He condemned Iho mode m •which the Government took away tho land fund, and then subsidised local bodies, and then | took it away from them for char uib'o nid. It would be much simpler m the first instance to give away less m subsidies instead of increasing the taxes. The colony was now for the first time for many years m a position to adjust its finance without any fresh laxa'ion. Let them abandon their subsidies, and they could then place their finances on a good bnsis. He did not make theso remarks out of hostility to the Government as a whole, be'-auso last Bession he went to considerable trouble and personal sacrifice, to place Ihe present Government m power. He was only anxi"U4 to see them a united Government. He would therefore move the insertion of the words " That while this House i* of opinion that when the necessities of the colony require further rerrnue,direct taxa'ion should be resorted to, and it is of opinion that such taxati m should not ba adopted while subsidies m aid are paid from the 'consolidated funds." Mr McLean followed m the earns strain, saying that if the Government would withdraw thoir Tuxing Bill?, the Opposition would h«lp tli em to p:iss the Electoral Bill nnd Estimates, and they could then have another year to prepare a policy which would only offend a fair classes, instead of a whole population as at prosont. Tho hon. gentleman criticised tho modo of obtaining a balunco adopted by the Treasurer, who, he said, took away from the loans and placed it with ordinary rovenue so as to create a surplus. The hon. gentleman criticised the calculations with regard to the revenue from the land fund, especially wilh regard to the Waimste Vluins. He took the Governtnont to task for not appointing Sir Juliu9 Vogelas one of the loan ngento, especially after whut he had done m regard to the - Inscription of Stock Act, and what Iv was doing daily by writing the colony np, and keeping it constantly before the British public. Millions of money that hud lately been invested m the colony would not have been to m Tested had it not been for that gentleman's exertions. In criticising the Estimates, he said he had discovered an error of £25,000, and instead of the surplus put down of £68,000, it was only £43,000. So far as ho could make out tho Treasurer would have to fealiso a million and a quarter from the land mid m order to pay subsidies, that is if the land revenue was not to go to tho ordinary revenue, to be expended ou public works. He feared that the Government was not m the •ound position thoy led tho colony to believe, and it would be better for them to admit at once how they really stood, instead of resorting to an electioneering and twopenny halfpenny policy. He condemned the meddling with the tariff and the alteration m the ad valorem duty, because they could not show a single article taken out of tho ad valorem list upon which Customs could bo defrauded. He could not nee m what way the poor man was benefited by the change frou ad, valorem to specific duties, and instanced several articles largely consumed by working men, that were much more heavily taxed thin heretofore. Why was the tax on grain removed, while that on timber was retained ? New Zealand should bo treated as a whole. He continued adversely criticising the mode m which wines were dealt with. Thoao who consumed sparkling wines also were consumers of colonial wines.

Registrar's Returns. — During the month of August, 23 birtbs, 10 deaths, aud 7 marriages were registered m Xitnaru. Beer Duty. — The amount of beer duty collected at the Custom Houeo, Timaru, from August. 7th to August 3ist was £33 4s. Missing Articles. — Captain Mills, tho Harbor Master, has m his possession four coats and a watch, picked up on Sunday. The owners oan get them on application to him. Resident Magistrate's Coubt Wat.Kite. — At this Court yesterday, before M. Studholmo and J. E. Parker, Esqs, J.Ps., 0. Perry and M. Rankin, charged with being drunk nnd ' isrrderly, and cuusing abretch of the peace by fighting m t!i« public street on Sundiy, were fined 20s each, or 48 hours' imprisonment. Fire Brigade. — The umal monthlyjmeetiui of the Brigade was hold m the enginehouse last evening, Captain Turn bull m the chair. There was a vety good attendance of, the members. Subscriptions to the Sick ajg^--Accident Fund were received, correspondence* 1 read, and several accounts passed ai correct. One new member was admitted. Mr T. Murray wa» elected Foreman, vice Mr Thompson, resigned. The usual rote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting. The LiTE Wrecks. — A subscripiion list is now open at the Town Clerk's office for the convenience of those who wish to nssi«t m helping the sailors shipwrecked on Sunday. Let this be remembered — thut the word " sailor " m the English languige reilly embodies the whole power and might of the British nation. Without tho aid of sailor* we should never have been a nation at all, and this is all the more reason why we should help them when they are cast adrift. Every English boy is, or ought to be, taught that the vide, wide ocean belongu to him, and that proud as he is of his " tijjht little island," he siould bo still more proud of t be mattery which his countrymen hare obtained over the seas. San Fbaxcisco Mail. — A part only of the inward portion of the San Francisco mail for Timaru reiched its destination by tha midday train yesterday, although the steamer which brought ii down from Auckland arrived at Lyttelton on Snnday morning. The postal officials at Cbristchurch had lots.of time to get the whole of the South Canterbury por'.ion sorted m time f ->r the first train yesterday, and it must have been the result of pure careleesnest or laziness that we did not receive it by 1.40 p.m. We hope- the members for Timoru, Geraldine and Gladstone will rnaka inquiries into the matter, as we hare had quite enough of this kind of thing m the past. The moil which arrived yesterday consisted

of 11 bugs, containing .1040 lei tew, 143 book packets, and 2031- newtpaprw. Salk of Damaged Goods. — Aleisra D and L. Maclean will sell ul^n^i'lo t ho ketel Glimpse, m Caroline Bay, lit 3 p.m. to-cinj 8(>0 cases preserved meats. A' 2 p.m. tomorrow, they will sell m tho vicinity of the brigantino Lapwing, 180 sacka wheat and 400 sacks flour. Paukoha. School Committee.— Tho ordinary meeting of the echo! committee was held on Monday m the school room. Present — Messrs Thomas Priest (chairman), Juhn Campbell, James Rapsey, Thomas Jefcoate, and Jame9 Guscott. Tho minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, The schoolmaster's monthly report was rnceived, and Btated that two new desks were required for the use of the school. Resolved — "Tha*. the Chairman ask the Board of Education to furnish tho same, and that new feet bo put to the. old ones." The Visitors' Ecport. was received ax satisfactory. A letter was rend from ilie Chairman of tho Library coiumiUco asking the use of for the si-hi o! on the night of October lllh for an entertainment m aid of tho Library funds. The request was granted. The subcommittee for planting inlormed tho committeo tlmt the planting would be finished by Iho end i.f tho weok. Mr Thomas Rapsey wus appointed visitor for tho next month. Acciounts for firing were pasted for payment, aad the meeting then terminated. New Hotels. — At the Licensing Court to-day, two applications will be henrd for licenses for now hotels m Timaru. The ono is simply for tho removnl of I he license of Mr A. O. G. Stone's old Commercial Hotel to his new and commodious builiiug om tho next section ; wliilo tho other ia by Mr T. B. Jones for the large family hotel now m course of erection, and all but completed, at the corner of Barnard and North-streets. Iho latter, from its situation, will supply a want long felt, and eaunofc fail to provo a great boou t.9 those who lnvo to attend the local Court sittings. If proof of this wero necessary, wo might recall tha rocent sittings of tho Supreme Court, when numbers nf delicate women and children hid to wait about m the wet and cold for hours toeether, unable, owing to the distance of the different hotels, to obtain a minute's warmth at a firn, or a bito of broad and cheese. Besides, when, as is the rule m tho Supremo Court, an adjourn m eDt. of half-an-hour at the most is intde, how handy it would be for lawyers, witnesses, and all concerned to bo able to obtain a warm meal close at hand, instead of having to content themselves with a, dry biscuit nnd a smoke. The vicinity of this hotel to tho police station is a sufficient guarantee that it will be properly c mducted and we therefore hope it will be licensed. Opbnihg of the Railway:.— ln reply to the telegram sent by his Worship the Mayor to tho hou. Sir George Grey on last Saturday inviting the Govornor und members of the Legislature to a luncheon. &.:., the following answers hare been received : — " Weilinglon, September 2. Wo leavo Christchurch at 6 ; breakfast at Aehburton ; arrive at Timaru about 11, staying 40 minute?, reaching Oamaru at 12 30, staying ono hour for lunch, reaching Dunediu at G p.m. HoHACE BASTINGS, Chairman Committee?." " Wellington, Sept. 2nd. Regret, much my health prevents me from having thepleasure of meeting you all. — G. Grey." "After replying to your telegram m an far as I was personally concerned, Heft it to others to givo the information you asked for. Hope they have given it, I understand the party will remain only 40 minutes m Timaru. The Governor and two of his staff go, and I believe 60 members of both Houses, 10 other gentlemen, and 20 ladies. — G. Grey." A meeting of the Exception Committee will be held to-day for making further arrangements. BoHOr/GH Coukoil. — An adjourned meeting of tho Borough. Council was held last night. Present — His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Fyfe, Price, Ford, Stansoll, aud Gibscn. On the motion of Councillor Gibson, seconded by Councillor Ford, it was resolved — "That the following resolution adopted at a meeting ol tho Council held on Wednesday, the 24fch of July, 1873, be confirmed by special order, namely : — ' That an annually recurring special rate of one shilling m tho £ upon the valuo of rateable property within tho Borough of Timaru, as appearing m the valuation rolU of the siid Borough iroir: time to time m force therein for a period of thirty years, computed from the first day of November 1878, be now made for Iho said period of thirty years, for tho purpose of providing interest on the loan of £40,000 to be raised for waterworks, and to bo payable m two equal instalments half-yearly, on the Ist day of April, and tho Ist d»y of October m each year, and that that this resolution bo confirmed by special order at a meeting of the Council to bo held on the 30th day of Augustnext." Thespecialorderwaß then stamped, und signed by the Councillors. On the motion of Councillor Gibson, seconded by Councillor Stan«ell, it was resolved — "That the Town Clerk write to the Government, and explain that owing to the date at which the division of tho Borough into Wurds had been gazetted there is not. lime t>> comply with the regulations of the Local Elections Act, 1876, re giving the 14 days' public notice of election, and ask the Government to take the necessary Bteps to make the election of Councillors legal by appointing a day for such election to take place, or any course they may deem advisable." 'ihe Council then adjourned. lIL-TEEATMBKT OF CHINESE IN SYDNEY) : — During the last week or ten days (sayß the Sydney Morning Herald of tho 14th instant) rumors have been m circulation that something like an organized adverse movement would bo made agaiust tho Chinese residing m the city, and on enquiry it is elioited that although no combined effort appears to have been made to harra?s , them, there are lomo foundations for the rumors, that desultoryattacks, fortunately without very serious results, have been made on several of their number. The Chinese of the Metropolis are numerically so weak, and so little lik ly to influence the wages raarkot, that it is rather unaccountable why they should be subjected to p«reonal abuse and violence. Many of them seem, apprehensive that they will be exposed to serious danger at tha hands of loafers and larrittius flnoilt— trie stwßfr-eornersv and are of opinion that the inflammatory language made use of at the Anti-Chinese meeting recently held at the Temperance Hall has had its intended effect on these social pests. They, affirm mo»t decidedly that previous to tlmt meeting they passed through the streets unmolested by anything more harmful than gibes or sneers. Matters, they say, have gone farther than this, and now assume co serious an aspect that additional police supervision is requisite for preserviug public peace and order, and protecting tho Chinese from injury. Many Chinamen complained of being abused and insulted. In ono instance, it is alleged, a Chinaman about to give evidence at Darlinghurst hsd his personal safety threatened, and another was struck on the bead with a done while he wa« standing near the George-street markets. A third, while proceeding along Ohurcn hill, was hurt with a stone, aiid afterwards had a piece of filthy me.it thrown at him. Five others have complained of beicg pelted with Btones, and one of these was unfortunate enough to have his head broken. Oce Chinaman ■was struck by a man while attempting to collect a debt from him, and not long since a man went into a Chinese shop m Georgestreet, and, without the slightest provocation, assaulted its inmates. There have been several instances recorded of residence! of some of the Chinese m tho vicinity of Church hill being pelted with stones, and of their windows being smashed by school boys, and m one ease it is Btated a stone went through a window and endangered the safety of a Chinese lady and her child. Finally, it is said that divino service, conducted by Mr Georgo Ah Len, at the Bagged School was shamefully disturbed by larrikins on tho 11th instant. If this state of things continues, the action of the Chinese m objecting to the presence of Europeans m

t- China will be accounted for, and to some ex ten! justified. ). Nor to bk ot:tdonk. — The American lejh 1, i lalure has prohibited the employment of girl; y : us harm-ids. The hotel-keepers «re not, how „ ! ever, to ly outdone, and they now post younf 0 ; ladies m front of burs calling them " conver 0 j eationalists." Their only duty mto walk ur. to male customers with a bright smili . and copious ilow of small tnlk, pour out 3 their tea or colfee, or sit down for a fen t minutes beside them, and chatter on the topic; n of the hour. ), Dumping Wool. — A fact which has come 0 under the notice of the Burrangong Argus, 1. proving the injuri'iueness of the practice of dumping wool, will, now that, the shearing i? senßon is approaching, h> of 6pecial interest to d some of our renders. A firm m tho Young f i districts, whuca wool ulwtys fi-tches a v j high price m tho London market, stand i 1 ; to suffer a serious loss with the lust clip r ' through dumping Tho wool sold — washed, C j fleece — realised twenty-five pence por 1b ; but. 1 | sixty-eight bales, which wero found to bo - I nutted together — almost converted into a felt, - through dumping — were not offered for. The : wool will eventually be sold, no douht ; but ) i the owners expect to havo to submit to a i reduction of fully threepence per lb on the wliolu sixty-eight bales. 1 1 Ameiucan Opinion ok Nkw Zealand. — The Detroit Free Press is facetious at our expenee. It says : — iS'ew Zealand is making rapid strides m the path that loads 1 to civilisation. Tho country has a population of 400,000, nnd is now 105,000,000 dollars m debt, us tho spendthrift remarked, I " all by its own exertions." It is also I progressing m education as much as m indebtedness. The young University of Oingo, New Zealand, has just had a professorship of English language and literature founded, with an endowment of nearly 5000 dollars Notwithstanding this progress on tho p;irt of New Zealaud, however, there are as yet no ru'lll3 m London that offer a subject for tho native's pencil. A Rkvolution m Telegraphy. — According to the Tribune, Mr Luring Pickering, an editor and newspaper proprietor m Sun Francisco, hus obtained ii patent for a " machine to telegraph a page at, once." It is stated that an entire pave of a newspaper may ho transmitter! m from fifteen to thirty minuted, tho copy delivered being ready for u so by printers. From tho information that li'is reached us the process is ba?ed on a principle, devised pome years ago ; but m this civh», instead of wri;hi(» being transmitted, the stereotype plate iiself is utilised. Tho depressions between the letters aud lines are filled up with a non-conducting composition, the plate is bent and placed on a cylinder cnpublo of revolving rapidly, an I electric fingers are made to traco over every p:irt of the surfiice. When the fingers trovers* tho non-conducting composition the current will bo interrupted, but. it will flow while, tho fingers are m contact with iho exposed metallic surfaces. Tho receiving instrument is a siniiUr cylinder, revolving at about the famo r.te, nnd tho characters are reproduced by tho action of electric fingers on a chemically prepared paper, or, as our authority says, ordinary paper. Tiik Late Bishop Selwtn. — A Home paper cays :— lt bus only to be etuted that it has b-en proposed to found a colloge at Cambridge as a memorial to perpetuate the good deeds done m this life by the late Bishop Selwyn, to enlist tho sympathy of many colonists m aid of llvs object. The lato Bishop was a man whom no glitter of language could elevate higher than the position he held m tho hearts of men by his own innate goodness and charity. Ho went about doing good, and ho left the impress of his influence upon all with whoru ho caino m contact. It is certain that his memory is revere;! by all who knew him, and that, there n,ie very many m the colonies who will be glad to give a helping hand to the work which tha Selwyn Memorial Comniitto have iv bond. At a recent meeting upon this subject m England a letter was read from the Bishop oE OxOrd approving of tho object, and promising a donation. A resolution promising support wns proposed by Canon King, und Boconded by tho Warden of Keble. The Bishop of lowu also spoke, and tho University Mission Society was empowered to form a local committee. When we contemplate the lono and pitiful condition of those living m lonely parts of tho fur interior, isolated, and struck down by sickness, without the aid of the physician or the chance of procuring medicine, we should be tbankful for our own privileges m being able to procure those invuluablo medicines, " Ghollah's Giieat Indian Cubes," and m kindness to others recommend their use as we have found thorn truly beneficial. Proved and attested to by undoubted testimonials. — Advt.