IMPORTANT DEBAT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9456, 20 July 1881, Page 2

IMPORTANT DEBAT.

♦- ] MR ORMOND MOVES A VOTI i WANT OF CONFIDENCE. Evening Sitting. Tlie debato on the Crown and X Lands Rating Bill was continued. Mr Sutton reviewed the whole c Government financial and special posals, expressing a general app with the excoplion of tho Publici Board and the reduction of the Pro Tax, to both of which he was opp In Committee on the present ifil would suggest amendments. Mr Saunders expressed great d pointment at the speech of Major A son in moving the second reading c Bill. Government proposed not and evidently intended to do not The effect of the Bill under consii tion as to rating Crown lands won to take money from districts wb< could profitably be spent, and spe in the midst of the wilderness. He tested against this proposal as chievous in the extreme. The Bill a proposal to continue the delusion money could be obtained by jugj instead of by taxes. The Bill utterly devoid of principle. As to n Native lands, he agreed that suuhi should be rated, but objected altof to the proposals of the Bill as boinjj just to the Natives, who would h* voice in spending the money. 1 was proposed merely amounted to fiscation. No doubt after Taranak a few other places had got laige the colony would in a few years be it was impossible to collect the del Native lands for fear of creatß Native war, and then the thing* drop, and the debt never be enfoi Regarding local government, he gretted abolition without our hs got anything in place of provincial but it was impossible now to re the provinces as they had been, as did not consider Sir George Gi proposals an improvement. Prori executive bodies, however, might pf ably be created, and they should hat legislative powers. He would di each Island into four provinces, i with a Superintendent and four Com lors, elected by single votes of the* tors. He would like the electors ti men and women voting as such, and as property-holders. He would have three Councillors elected by Road Board. The County C'offl should bo abolished, and Road Ba increased in number. He would i all the present separate rates hy J bodies, and let that House double thej sent Property Tax, and leave two-tl of the amount raised in the. Eoad i trict in which it was raised. This* tend to economy, and obviate all «* bling for money. He would also in. a tax on all unimproved land whicfc capable of improvement, and so pre any good land from being held for] poses of speculation. This revenO would leave in tho hands of Provii Executives for works beyond the j« diction of Road Boards. Tins « rough outline of the scheme ho '.ha would suit the requirements oi colony. Of course he could not be T> * cl then to enter into details. : Ormond regretted that tbey' called on to discuss the large ques! raised by the debate, without havin| the Govern ment Bills before theav before tho Public Works Statement been made. The question of Bail

ia§rm was largely mixed up with the cfttion of local government, and railuj reform people would have. He had —Jfully considered the proposals of the 1 1 ernnient in the spirit of one desirous *>, ive Ministers his support, but he was >ri ale to see anything satisfactory in sa c- proposals, which would stereotype wi itreng then the present most unsatisitii )rv condition of affairs. Under the t - unstauces he felt it his duty to bring l_s ; e rs to an issue by moving as an n udment on the Government Bill [ i the whole of the Government probgj Is iv respect to local government and ye ice were unsatisfactory. He did this aic private member, but with the asvo of several members who, like hime i bad wished to support the Governl • „ but could not support these proof Is. He felt less responsibility in Lhi course, as Parliament, being nioriof , the carrying of such a motion as inij -ould not affect the position of the (voi stry until they had appealed to the >wi le. Still, it was with great regret . fi he felt it his duty to oppose liis forreri friends and colleagues. He cornieti ed greatly of the indecision of Gololl neut in dealing with measures, and utT ing bringing down their bills, i mJ»oulcl not now repeat what he had ill fen a previous occasion about local 8 Aiment, but would supplement it >v© ybg that he thought Road Boards |po i. and County Councils useless, s, and that the two should not be rcu iued. The Road Board system, iesi! ■ a proper financial system, might Hoi. >pe into a shire system. If he could luc! ct his own views earned out he lUT rather assist in carrying any bte , other local government schemes !ia. had been proposed than supui the centralists proposals of the )bj nment. He did not think that jto y Councils should be entrusted br t large rating powers. He denied lg, his House was really competent to font take the redress of local grievances, ith ffld of the land administration being *n sftised by the abolition of Waste bersfcoards, he held that the adminis|to A of Crown lands was one of the f p [uestions which should devolve F e < ocal bodies. He briefly reviewed pufl oposals of the Bill immediately Me them, saying it required great JP-UM ion before it could safely be passed, pavi the Road Construction Bill, he §> Tl |y condemned it, especially the fcpoi 2 _ Board. The amendment havpb® 'ii put. PPti Walter Johnston said the I see j tjiven for the amendment, and tehoi endment itself, were entirely opprse t 0 eacu other. The mover proF n * no scheme of his own, and the py n end for which Mr Ormond p c * hers seemed working could only I"'™! -p-establishmcnt of provincialism. P a " :nded the Government proposals | c w ly, and replied to several of the |Mo] us i n; ,de. Tho proposed Board | a^ ( nee money was nothing new in l e ~' le. It was only the adoption of p bei W01 -]_j n g most satisfactorily in fn ( d. They could easily remit the e7~' vanced to any one body in any R . r. He believed the Government P^ in l ds were satisfactory to the country P*' a oMr Ormond. They would proI P* 1 (lonization. Ky J an adjournment of half-an-theeli J Br If! It •fW IIITAKER spoke, saying that Mr I p , M's spec eh on the Property Tax In, ' ion was the most selfish ever deli in the House. Mr Ormond's iucet . , , .. I , siio was to escape taxation on I ; ,-. Any idea of union between k |i '■ go Grey and Mr Ormond was fe-A\ lls ' io^ a sonse °^ relief at Jt~ tl .oiid having at last declared his 1 t- as an opponent to the Govern- |. i He had evidently been so from i j | uicuceincnt of the session. (Still lof 1 '•) l_r £■ --