PARLIAMENTARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5688, 6 October 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

.■ ■ . • ♦ ■ :[Per Pbess Association.] ' ■ WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. After the Telegraph Office closed this morning, Mr M'Lachlan's amendment on the motion to go into Committee of Supply for consideration of the Public Works Estimates was lost by 30 to 9. The Hon W. Hall-Jones, in the course of his reply, thanked honourable members for the favourable reception accorded to his first Public Works Statement. Ho said that the debate had been of a most temperate character, and thero had been practically no criticism of the Government policy. He asserted that there had been no Loan Bill before the House since 1888 i to give aid to public works, and the 1 departure from the old style of things had caused all the discussion that had taken place. Had the Opposition been on the . Treasury benches they would have taken the 1 same course as the Government had done, 1 for he did not believe for one moment that they would have allowed public works to cease. The money voted in these estimates . would not be spent by the time the House assembled for next session, and the state- | ments that the money was already pledged t were incorrect. It had been said that the j Government was going the pace too strong and spending money in a greater ratio than other Australasian Colonies, but he quoted figures to show that the expendi- ; ture on public works and railways in New I, Zealand was very low indeed as compared with other colonies.The motion to go into Committee of Supply. was agreed to on the voices, but progress was immediately reported, the : Premier stating that he .would put the Estimates through at the next sitting. ". The House rose at 2.35 a.m