PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 647, 27 May 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, May 26. BANKS AND BANKERS’ ACT. The Hon. Mr Whitaker gave notice of a Bill to amend the Banks and Bankers’ Act. FISHERMEN. The Hon. Mr Chamberlain gave notice to ask if the Government, when renewing assisted immigration, would consider the subject of introducing fishermen. HARBORS ACT, 1878. The Hon. Mr Wilson gave notice to ask whether the Government have any intention to bring in a Bill co amend the Harbors Act, 1878.

THE DUBBIN MURDERS. The Hon. Colonel Brett moved —“That the Governor be asked to send an address to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, expressing the Council’s sorrow and abhorrence at the Phoenix Park murders,” but after a brief discussion the motion was withdrawn, so that Colonel Brett 1 might move one more general in its terms as to the Irish outrages. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were, on the motion of the Hon. Mr Whitaker, read a second time without debate, and referred to the statute revision committee ;—Companies Bill ; Fisheries Bill ; Friendly Societies Bill ; Inspection of Machinery Bill ; Justices of the Peace Bill ; Lunatics Bill. SIR GEORGE WHITMORE. The Hon. Dr Menzies, amid loud applause, congratulated Sir George Whitmore upon his new honors. Sir George Whitmore, in replying, expressed his sense of the courtesy of his political opponents to whom he owed it, and said it was a recognition, perhaps a little tardy, of the services of those who fought under him, and it was thus he valued it.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES.

Friday, May 26. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NOTICE OP MOTION. Mr Bracken gave notice that he would ask how the officer in charge came to be appointed to Mount Cook Central Prison when there were many officers his seniors in the service. CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT.

Mr Wynn-Williams brought, up the report of the Select Committee on the Currupt Practices Act as follows: —“I am directed to report by the above Committee that in reference to the penalties under the Corrupt Practices Act, 1881, for illegal practices, your Oommitte considers that, inasmuch as the Judges have no discretionary power, and'the whole of the penalties in case a candidate be found guilty of illegal practice must be im. posed, notwithstanding that strong mitigative circumstances may appear, your Committee consider such penalties may, in certain cases, prove too severe, and would recommend that the Act should be amended so as to enable the Judges trying a care to impose upon any candidate such of the penalties created by sections 17 and 18 as in their discretion the circumstances of the case shall call for. That the above provisions should apply to other persons than candidates, and that the Judges hearing the petition, and finding that an illegal practice has been committed, may impose all or any of the penalties therein detailed upon the candidate, or other persons, found guilty of having committed such illegal practice, and, thereupon, no further proceedings shall be taken against such persons for any charge for which he or they shall have beenalreadyso punisned.— H. Wynn-Wil-liams, Chairman.” Mr Macandrew asked what bearing the report would exercise on the Stanniore election. Wr Wynn-Williams replied that the order of reference contained nothing that would enable them to deal with that particular case. He thought the House was quite prepared to deal with it by special legislation. He moved the adoption of the report, which was put and carried, with the addition that effect should bo given to it by legislation. QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, Ministers stated: —The Government did not propose to interfere with the Employment of Females and Others Act, 1881, in the direction of changing the half-holiday from Saturday to some other week day. If employers were allowed to select their own day, the Government was apprehensive the halfholiday wbuld disappear altogether.—The practice, in Lyttelton was to issue free

railway passes to roasters of all vessels

over 250 tons, irrespective of the nationality of the vessel, foreign or colonial.— The Government did not intend to bring in a Bill extending the provisions of the R. M. Evidence Act, 1870, so that it might apply to the Abolition of Imprisonment for JJebt Act, 1874 The subject would be under consideration when the reports and Bill of the Judicature Commission were received, and it would be for the members if not satisfied to move in the direction indicated, when the report was under consideration.—The

Government proposed certain alterations in the Land Act, but these did not go in the direction of (1) having the Waste Lands Boards elected in place of nominated ; (2) the ballot system introduced in disposing of deferred payment lands in place of the auction system ; (3) the introduction of provisions limiting the area that can be held or occupied by ono person or company on pastoral lease.—lf the business of the session permitted, a Bill would be brought in this session to extend (he franchise in the dilection of giving a vote to leaseholders.—The Government had no intention of altering or amending the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, and one member had tabled a notice in that direction, so that any alteration deemed necessary could then be considered.—Mechanics and others engaged in the railway workshops wrought no more

than eight hours per day. Drivers were not quite so regular as to hours, but in the aggregate he did not think they exceeded that time. However, he had called for a return in order to satisfy himself on the point. He had no desire uf contravening the eight hoars’ movement any more than was absolutely necessary.

FIGST READINGS. The following Bills were introduced and read a Hrat time : Co amend the Education Act, 1877 (Mr Pyke); Native Reserves (Mr Bryce) ; To Enable the Otago Harbor Board to Obtain Further Borrowing Powers (Mr Pish) j The Government Life Insurance (Major Atkinson); To Re-

peal iG. miug and Lotteries Act, 1881 (Mr McDonald) ; Industrial Schools (the Hon. Me Dick); To Prevent the Purchase of Vo es fo - ilio Elec, ion of Members of ilia House of Representatives (Sir G. Grey).

SECOND HEADINGS. The Customs Law Consolidation and the Customs Duty Consolidation Bills were read a second time. THE CHAIRMANSHIP. The motion for the election of .Mr Hurst as Chairman of Committees was further postponed till Tuesday. BANKRUPTCY LAW.

On the motion of the Hon. Mr Dick, it was agreed to appoint a Select Committee, to consist of nine members, to enquire into and report on the operation of the present Bankruptcy Law, and whether it : requires any further amendment, and, if so, what amendment; or whether any, and, if so, what other system would, in the opinion of the committee, be nidie effective for the objects to be attained, and to confer with any similar committee appointed by the Legislative Council, and to report within one month. At 3.40 the House adjourned to 7-30. WEST COAST TRACE PRESERVATION BILL. The Hon. Mr Bryce moved the second a reading of the West Coast Peace Preset- •) vation Bi'l, and in doing so recapitulated at some length the circumstances leading up to the necessity for the Bill. He cared little personally for the passing of the_lndemnity Bill, but thought the Peace Preservation Bill was a necessity. The native tronb'es went back as far as 1860. From that time to this, a period of twentyone years, troubles on the West Coast had continued ever since, and the settlers had been in a consent stale of danger. Members who were inclined to sympathised with the Maoris should bear these facts in mind. He knew of families that: fiad been ruined by these disturbance?. Coming down to more recent times the speaker referred to the Parihaka gatherings, aud said that whatever the origin of Te Wh|li.s power, there could be no doubt tha* it was most hurtful, both to the natives and, to the colony. The natives had impoverished themselves in a most extraordinary way to supply food for these meetings, and there was a constant danger with such a number of men at band to do what ho (To Whiti) might desire. Actuated partly by hope and partly by frar, they expected him to do some extraordinary work.Time after time he promised to raise the dead. With such power and influence over them was it extravagant to imagine that they were ready to do his bidding, however great the outrage might be. ‘He denied that Government had shoiVn, £ strong predisposition to war, as had been alleged, in what they had done to pat down the Maori rising. What was done was not in the direction of provoking a war, but for the express purpose of averting one. He passed a handsome compliment to the Volunteers for the ready assistance they had rendered. Although not a military man himself, he had seen active service as a volunteer, and he said that that force which was marched into Parihaka was a most efficient one—a force of which any country might have: been proud. Whether they were proud p£ them or not, he could assure them he wan proud of them. So complete was the position that at no time could they have been taken at a disadvantage. Then again, he argued that this muster of Volunteers exercised a most salutary effect on the Maori mind, and would do a great deal towards eradicating warlike feeling from the native mind. It had also a beneficial effect upon the mind the colony at large. It showed conclusively that there was a most effective force ready to assemble at short notice for the com- -r mon protection. Te Whiti was now arraigned on the charge of sedition. Whether that charge was prosecuted or not, itl would never do to allow him to go back to the Government had brought down -this Bill to prevent him going back. If He went back, the Maoris would be sure to re-assemble, and 2,000 or 3,000 could not be assembled there without making some mischief. If this Bill was not passed the

further responsibility would not rest with him, but on those who prevented its passage. What had been done had been done well, and he had no reflections to cast upon himself. He knew when he rejoined the Government he was risking his life and reputation, and he would rather forfeit that life than think about apologising for what he had done. Sir George Grey highly complimented Mr Bryce upon what he had done as Native Minister. The thanks of the colony were due to Mr Bryce. He had brought about a peaceful solution of; a difficult problem without shedding a drop of blood, without a single act of cruelty, and without doing anything which reflected discredit on the colony, or could cast a slur on its reputation. For this all honor was due to Mr Bryce, and he hoped the House would pass the Indemnity Bill without a murmur, and give the Native Minister what was undoubtedly his due. But in bringing about this peaceful solution Mr Bryce had a great friend. That friend was Te Whiti. He fully believed that Te Whiti’s intentions were, peaceful. Te Whiti had embarked in a moat dangerous project; he had undertaken to do what he could not perform, and it would have been all but impossible forhim to have restrained his followers much longer. If the country was threatened with danger from the influence of one man, he believed it was perfectly rightto keep that person in safe custody. ; He' thought they were quite justified in venting Te Whiti from returning to Parihaka. That was the cou se, to which they should assent; but he did not think they should condemn Te Whiti without allowing him to be heard, and that was just what the preamble of this Bill did, and he would suggest that the 'mble should be struck out, and. the

preamble .:riu Bill left to say simply that it was necea* sary for the safety of the country that a certain chief should be detained in safe

keeping. In that way they would get out of all difficulty, and at the same time place the country in a position of security. The same thing had been done before. The Native Minister was in no way responsible for the native difficulty. He found it after it had been created, and he had acted strictly as he (Sir George Grey) would have done had he remained • in office, although probably Mr Bryce had done it better than he would have been able to do it.

Other speakers followed, and at 12.5, the House, on the motion of Mr Sheehan, rose.