PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5915, 2 June 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(per united peesß association.) Tuesday. In the Legislative Council, The Hon. Mr Buckley, in reply to Mr Menzies, regretted that the attempt to introduce herring spawn had proved a failure. The Hon. Mr Buckley, replying to Mr Wilson, said the Government did not intend introducing the Threats Molestation Bill this session, but would offer no obstacles to mem* bers doing so, The Hon. Mr Buckley, replying to Mr Wilson, said the Government had given permission to a certain few Civil servants to occupy paid positions in certaiu public offices. There was no attempt on tho part of these officers to evade the regulations. Mr Reynolds moved, that in order to ascertain what reductions can be effeoted in the expenditure of the Counoil, a committee be appointed*— Mr Sootland, Colonel Brett, Mr Mantill, Mr Shepherd, and others spoko against the motion,— Meßare Bathgate and Whitaker supported the motion .—The motion was put and lost, on a division, as was also the amendment. The Defence Bill was further considered, and reported with amendments, The Connoil adjourned until next day, In the House of Representatives, Replying to questions, it was stated that the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the investments made by the Government Insurance Association would not be opposed by the Government The investments referred to were discussed at a meeting of policyholdera, and no purchases were made since that meeting,— That the steamer Tuhua had been engaged to land Land Purchase offioera at Wanganul for 4J days at £10 per day. The expense was defrayed by the Land Purchase Department. Several bills were introduced And read a first time. Tho Native Reserves Titles Grants Em* powering Bill was read a third time and passed. ■ The Hon. Mr Larnach moved the second reading of the Mining Companies Bill, and said its objeot was to consolidate the various Mining Acts now in force. — Mr Seddon supported the bill, and Baid that it was an improvement on the existing law. — Agreed to. The Hon. Mr Tole moved the second reading of the Supreme Court Reporting Bill, and explained that with a few alterations it was a similar measure to the bill brought down last year, , Mr Rolleston said the Hon Mr Tole Bhould have shown somo reason for bringing down this bill, in the face of the very unfavourable report of the Judges on it, . Besides, the present state of the colony did not warrant an expenditure of this kind. He should not oppose the second reading, but; hoped tho bill would not become law thia session. Mr Guinness opposed the bill, and said the experiment would not be successful* He moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr Downie Stewart and Sir George Grey supported the bill. Mr Samuel opposed it and said the Judges wete unanimous in condemning the proposal to appoint shorthand writers to conrts. The Hon. Mr Tole said it seemed this bill was to be sacrificed for the Bake of economy. All the Government asked for was £500, merely as a tentative measure, and no fresh department would be set up, He desired to speak with all respect of the Judges. What he would aek was, whether no measure of reform should be introduced because it had not received the support of the Judges ? He hoped the Houbo would pass the bill, which would prove a great public benefit. The amendment was lost on a division, by 35 to 33. The motion for the second reading was carried. The House went into Committee on the Charitable Trusts Extension Bill, which passed without amendment, was read a third time, and passed. The Muuioipal Corporations Bill was further considered in Committee. ] The House rose at 5.30 p.m. | The House resumed at 7.30 p.m., and went into Committee of Supply. Major Atkinson proceeded to examine the details and policy of the Financial Statement. The results of the year generally were satisfactory, but if the accounts had been properly stated there would have been no surplus. £11,000 had been kept back from tho local bodies, and £25,000 had been transferred from Loan to Defence. £25,000 from the Sinking Fund was credited to revenue, which had no right to be bo used, co that really there was a deficit of about £18, 000, instead of a surplus. When the previous Government left office the Land Fund was £80,000 in credit, but it was now in debt £20,000. The property tax had not been lowered, The deficit of the previous Government could have been paid off. He quoted from figures at length to show the reductions made were only reductions in name. They had no right to reduce the Property Tax while charges were still being taken out and thrown on Loan, as Charitable Aid, for instance, indireotly was. He contended they had done a very foolish thing in consenting to the conversion of loan operations, for they amounted to paying 4£ per cent, after six years, while it was certain money could then be got cheaper than that. He approved of the proposals of the Government re borrowing by local bodies, but objected to the continuance of subsidies out of loan. No explanation was given why the expenditure on public works had exceeded the votes by £120,000. The Treasurer appeared to have forgotten the liabilities outstanding ; there were £1,170,000 of charges already incurred, so that, including the proposed loan, they would in fact want £2,700,000 to carry out the proposals of the Statement, The whole Statement from beginning to end showed that the Government had not grasped the financial position of the country at aIU He defied them to give effect to the proposals of the Statement under £4,000,000, and if they included the North Island Trunk Loan it would be five millions. Unless they wanted heavily increased taxation, they would have to face retrenchment and make very large reductions, and that this very session. They must set their face against any new works whatever until they saw what money was wanted for those now in hand.

Sir Julius Yogel ridiculed the idea that there was disunion between himself and the Premier. What he aaid at Auckland really was that they Bhould map out their scheme of railways and adhere striotly to it, but not necessarily that they should go in for the whole lot at once. No subsidies had been withheld from local bodies, but some had not had time to take advantage of the act, There was no secrecy about the £25,000 of 'Sinking Fund k It had been duly notified in the Gazette according to law. The speaker defended the conversion operations, and quoted Major Atkinson's former speeches to show that the latter had formerly been in favour of a similar course* As to retrenchment it was a new cry to hear from the leader of the Opposition, He certainly had left in tha pigeon holes a scheme faintly shadowing an attempt of the kind, but it realiy involved an increase of expenditure, gradually amounting to £200,000 a year, and after that falling. He maintained the opinion he freely expressed, that the Civil Service was not overpaid, The liabilities on public works would devolve on the new lc.an according to the regular custom, by which the liabilities of one year become the new votes of the npxt. The balance of £800,000 was thus quite free for the wants of the next two years, He congratulated Major Atkinson, after his defence of the Roads and Bridges Act, upon his oandid admission that tho Government proposals were better. His idea that four millions would be wanted to carry out the Government proposals was altogether wrong. By economical administration £30,000 or £40,000 could be saved during the year, and he defied anyone to say that the Government had not been careful to save in every possible way they could- He concluded by thanking Maj or Atkinson for the good temper he had displayed in criticising the Budget.

Mr J, W. Thompson contested that the Government wanted to borrow too much ; a million a year was quite enough, If a surplus could be shown at all it ought to have beeu much larger than £37,000. No member of tbe Government except the Minister of Public Works had shown any desire to retrench during the recess.

The debate was adjourned till 7.30 tomorrow, and the House went into committee on the Municipal Corporations Bill, thirty clauses of which passed with* slight amend* nient.