PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1028, 22 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, August 21. JURIES. On the motion of che Hon Mr ManTEIX, the Juries Act Amendment Bill was discharged from the paper, and the petitions of twenty-six dentists to be relieved from sitting on juries, with the report of the Petitions Committee on the same, were ordered to be printed in the journals. ALLEGED FORGERY AND UITERING. The Hon Mr Reynolds moved —-“That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the alleged case of forgery and uttering by E. Ff. Ward jun., of a certain document or deed purporting to be signed by the late Dr INesbitt.” The Hon Mr Whitaker opposed the motion, as it was unusual to have Commmittees to investigate and decide cases which had been already decided by the Law Courts. The motion was then negatived. - THE CRIMINAL CODE. This Bill was discharged from the Order Paper. RETRENCHMENT. The Hon Mr Reynolds moved —“That the expenditure on the Council ought to be reduced by at least L6OO. ” The expenses of the Council, irrespective of honorarium, were L 3,200, whereas the Otago Provincial Council, with much greater business, was only L 909 a year. The Hon Colonel Brett showed that the expenses of the Council here were much less than in Victoria and in New South Wales. The motion was negatived by 27 votes to 5. THE OTAGO HARBOR BOARD BE-OONS3TTU-TION BILL. The Bill was partly considered in Committee. The Council rose at 5 p. m.

HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, August 21. The House met at 2.30., , • questions. Replying to questions, Ministers said : —That every possible effort was being made for the arrest of W. Dale, who recently absconded from Taranaki, but as yet they had no definite information as to his whereabouts.—That the Government did not consider it had any power to refuse authority to use the totalisator at race meetings. The Act was mandatory in its terms —That in contracts the Government made a distinction between articles manufactured in the colony and those which could only be obtained by importation, thereby enabling manufacturers who are not importers to tender for colonial made articles.—That the Waipapa Point light would be completed in about two months, and it would take longer than that to obtain and fix a bell buoy coated with luminous white paint That the Government had already given encouragement for the cultivation of mulberry trees and silk culture, but they had not been able to see their way to adopt any proposal yet made for the purpose of cultivating the tea industry. Any fresh proposals, based on more reasonable principles, would have the attention of the Government. —That restrictions had been removed since 31st March last to the alienation of Maori lands, which restrictions were contained in or endorsed upon the grants to the Maoris. —That the Government could afford no facilities this session for passing the Railway and other Employees Bill. During the recess they hoped to prepare a measure which woul i meet the requirements of the case.—That the Government would give effect to the recommendation of the Public Petitions Committee re the widow of Major Withers, and a vote would appear on the Supplementary Estimates. government business. The Hon Major Atkinson moved thai Government business take precedence tomorrow and Wednesday following. Mr Montgomery said that the motion brought them face to face with one of two alternatives: either members were not prepared to do their duty, or if so then the place was so utterly inconvenient that it was quite impossible to do the business.

Mr J. W. Thomson said that there was an evident desire to close the session, not because the work was done, but simply because members could not afford to remain any longer. Mr Sheehan agreed in the opinion that this was a most inconvenient place for transacting the business of the colony, and to that was due the ’ impatience of members to remain any longer. The question of changing the place of meeting would be brought up in a fuller House in a few days. Mr Seddon and Mr Fish opposed the motion.

Sir George Grey thought this closing of the session as proposed was a wrong proceeding. Private members had been enabled to do nothing. ! He had one measure put on the Order Paper-at the opening of the session, and now it was at the end.

Mr Macandbew thought the proposal a very dangerous one in principle. The Hon Major Atkinson said that if private members chose they might remain as long as they pleased after the Government business was done. The fact was that they had got into the habit of attempting to do in three months what properly done would take six. What the Government proposed doing was perfectly reasonable. They thought that all that was necessary for the real good of the country could be done in a fortnight, but it lay with the House to say whether it concurred in that opinion or *not. He would take an early opportunity for stating what measures the Government proposed to drop. The House divided—Ayes, 47 ; noes, 27. NATIVE LAND BIEL AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion for going into Committee on the Native Land Amendment Bill, Mr Moss and Mr J. W. Thomson objected to the Bill. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment.

EVENING SITTING,

The House resumed at 7.30.

Mr Sheehan resumed the debate on the motion for going into Committee on the Native Land Act Amendment Bill. He traced the progress of the native land legislation from 1840. The Act of 1865 was, in his opinion, by far the fairest ever brought into operation. The Bill now before them required many amendments. That fact was recognised by the Native Minister when he talked about the possibility of the pre-emptive right being resorted to next year. The people in the North did not want a measure of this kind. They wanted to be enabled to develop the country in their »wu way 1 he effect of the Bill would be to shut up the North Island from settlement. The .time had come when the natives might fairly be allowed to deal with their lands in their own way. This Bill intensified the Native Department. It intensified personal government and perpetrated a number of evils they had hoped long since to have broight to an end. Unless the Native Minister was satisfied with the nature of every transaction that transaction could not go on. r ihe Bill did not bear evidence of that careful thought refuted to distinguish the Native Minister. It was evidently begotten from a variety of newspaper reports, reports in which there was no truth, and which were framed for nefarious purposes, one of which was the framing of this Bill,

The native lands were being bought up all over the colony by bond fide settlers, and many of these transactions were now pending, and if this Bill passed into law it would do these parties great injustice. The Bill put enormous power into the hands of the Minister, and thus exposed he would be subject t« a great deal of embarrassment with his friends.

Mr Fish saw no reason for voting against the Bill because it might require amendment in the future, tie was in favor of a resumption of the pre-emptive right. At present, however, he looked upon such proposal as impolitic, as the Govern- * ment had not the money, and before such a responsibility could be faced they would be forced to raise an additions loan. - This Bill was an honest attempt at honest legislation, arising from illegal transac- - tions., Mr Smith opposed the Bill.

Mr Taiaroa said the Bill placed far too much power in the hands of the Government. If the Government would be content to . remain as trustee or guardian for both parties, and allow roads to be opened up; he would say it waS a good Bill. He acquiesced iu the clause excluding lawyers. Mr Macandbew thought the Bill proposed to put far too much power iu .the hands of the Government of .the day. He saw no reason why these lands should not be administered by a Board of Natives. _ Mr Stevens moved that the'Bill-be' committed that day six months. Mr Turnbull said the effect of the ißill now before them would be to enable the friends of the Government to swallow up the land, instead of excluding the lawyers. He was opposed to a white landed aristocracy, and he was equally ; so to a black landed aristocracy. Mr Hobbs approved of the Bill, and contended that it would not have the effect of looking up the laud. He objected, to pending transactions net .being .protected. In other respects the Bill wis a good one., , Mr Ivess supported the B»ll, and Mt ■Joyce spoke against it. Mr Stevens’s amendment was negatived oh a division by 52 to 8. , ' /r. The Hon Mr BiiYCE said he believed they had heard too much about the abuses perpetrated by Europeans, and tub about the • many fair and ’ honest trahe-* actions. He denied that there was anydanger of the Government giving utidae preference to its friends. r / The House : went into Committee oh the Bill. . •• -iiJ; Clauses 1 to 4 passed.

On Clause 5, > .. ; The Hon Mr Bryce moved—“ That it be altered to read ‘ land hold by natives under their customs, usages, or any other title.’ ” —Adopted. The Hon Mr Bryce gave notice that be would move for its re committal on Thursday to substitute the * following, fpr : clause 6 :—“lt shall not be lawful after the passing of this Act for any person to negotiate for the purchase; lease, exchange or occupation of any native land or any estate, right, title, or interest, therein until forty days after the title to’such land shall be deemed to have been ascertained,' when (a) the time within'which A re-hearing may be applied for uhdor '.the Native Land Act 1880 ,shall have elapsed without any application haying, been made ; or (b) all shill have been refused, or(e) judgment ik given on a re-hearing. Forthwith, upon the title to any land being ascertained "as aforesaid, it shall be a dqty of the Ohjaf Judge of the Native Land Opart to cause notice to be given in the setting out that ibe title has heed so ascertained, together with the name'by which the land is known, and the day when dealings with such land will cease to be prohibited under the provisions of this Act.” Clause 7-

On the motion of the Hon Mr. BuYCE the following addition was made “ Native land in this and the next preceding section does not include land in respect of which a certificate of title or memorial of ownership has been ordered to be issued before the passing of this Act.” The remaining clauses passed without amendment, and progress was reported.

The Bill was ordered to be re-com-mitted on Thursday.. v The House rose at 12. 40.