PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 339, 17 October 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

: 0.- \ ( t On Tuesday, Whitaker\took Jiis. seat jn the Council. gentle. ,man -ujadg, a brief, statement aa.to ttrfe | inand attecisome discussion the Council-adjourned. The . wgs the usual course while ,a vote of No Confidence was pending, andtMr Whitaker remarking that he had ho desire to press business until matters were settled. ; In the ; House of Representatives, after the formal business and a personal explanation,' ' v ", _,„ Mr Hall went on to say that the Bills mentioned on Friday were in course of being framed 4 by the Attorney-General, and he would ask leave to introduce them The Land Bill prepared by the late Government, with a few Blight alterations, would be adopted, and brought down not later than Thursday. A Financial statement would be made by the Treasurer that night, and the Native Minister would make his statement on Thursday. The Maori Ministers had not been made as useful as they-ought to have been, and- a Bill to define their duties more fully would be introduced. The West Coast troubles had occasioned which, considering all the circumstances, could not, with safety to the settlers, have been avoided. They had been put to serious loss and inconvenience, and considering these facts, they had shown great forbearance. Steps would t be, taken, however, to put an end to these troubles at once. They had, it was alleged, arisen in a great measure from unredeemed promises. A Royal Commission would be appointed to enquire in to all the facts of the cast. They hoped at anearly date to.pu,t arj end to all these troubles without serious.risk.to to either life or property. The'present law with regard to theaiienationof Native lands was unsatisfactory, and a promise made by the late Native Minister to make a change therein had not been given effect to. ■'<■■■■ A • proposal had been made to (Sell these lands on behalf of the Natives. That proposition was looked upon with favour" 1

by the Government, and efforts would be made to carry it out during the session. The purchase of Native lands carried on by the Government during' the last two years was in a very unsatisfactory condition. They proposed that .Govemnj&ri - '?' advertisements should bb fairly distributed, regardless of the political opinions of -;the newspapers. Regarding the Government so soon as Native affairs were more peaceful on the West Coast they would lay up one of the, steamers and do the business of the country with the other 1 ,, and by that means save "-expense. 1 He added that the Government---was- very anxious to go on with the business without further delay. ELECTORAL BILL. The Hon J. Hall then asked leave to introduce a Bill to amend the law relating to electors qualified to vote at elections. They proposed that it -should be basedron the principles of manhood suffrage, that every man 3 who Y resided in the Colony twelve months, 1 and iri : a partrcul ar electoral" district six should be entftled* to vote, and that the rights of property should also be recognised by giving^vote for freehold estates of the value of £25, and proper officers -appointed to get all persons entitled to have their names on the roll. '• ' - .' " ■ '' ' ,! . waNt '.Of ; -confidence. Mr Macandrew moved an amendment to the following effect:—"That while this House is anxious to > pass; the Electoral Bill, it declines to do so until it has been shown that the Government has the con.fidence of the H0a58»",'„...,,. , ~, , The Speaker. rhOved that the amendment could not'be put.' " ? Mr Macandrew said all that was left for them then was to oppose all Government motions until the question of confidence was settled.:, Heieitefated that those oh his side of the House had no wish to inters rupt the business,:in'- token 'of IwhicK he pointed to the fact,that they had elected him 'leader, he being well-known as a working and not a speaking member .7: r • ' Mr-Pitt asked If • the motion -were riow negatived, could it 4>e re-introduced again that session."-. •■ : 1 ir • •■ , :-.-/•: > -, The Speaker replied in "the negative." After further discussion, " Mr Sheehan ;moved foat-the'/'debatb be adjourned. ;ti11 ; 7.30,. SO as to allow the Financial Statement to be made, the' prey sent debate to be resumed thereafter. ,

••* The motion for adjournmeht was carried and the" House rose' at '4 o'clock.

At-.the .evening sitting Major Atkinson make the' Financial Statement. He intM mated a total deficit to, be provided for this year of -£783,858. . In. concluding his statement the Eon gentleman : said that what he desired to point* ouito<the House was this: They had actually Bpeht up, to the.: end. of, September, on? quarter' of;, a million which together with their engagements would amount to a total sum of £2,000,000, ' and . that' before ' knew ' wheather the foah could be'i-aised, slightest-intimation; having yet heen re-; ceived ■on the'subject. • s He in strong terms* the impropriety of pledging the credit of the Colony> in that way. He did not know; how far the loan would go. Fortunately the credit of the Colony, was good; still that was no excuse for' the course pursued ,in, |he, ( matter by the late Government.' Such then was the financial position at the' present! time. He wished the-tale he had. to tell had been a little mbre ] cheerfui: It was clearly, however, the bounden duty cf-bon members to face the, whole question of finance at once. Thef position was undoubtedly a grave one. and would demand iinnoediate attention. ;It '■ seenied to him 1 that it was absolutely necessary that: ati the present time not only a capable Government, hut likewise, one sufficiently strong to • legislate for the- in-' .terests-of the and not merely for "those of party were required. -It'was their bounden duty he submitted to-' dispense with party facticsiand turn 'their 1 undivided attention immediately to-those serious dm> cultiea, and way devise's a. 'scheme to get the finance of the CqU>ny placed in a sounder and better position than it stood at presents ' ■ : ■'' : ■■'•'•*- A debate followed, in which a number of members took part. After Major Atkinson had replied, the. Opposition tried to get .their, hand in at the adjourned debate on the introduction of the Electoral Bill, but the Hon. .John Hall fought shy, and said -the) 7 Government would not be coerced. "

Mr r Macandrew said they were outflanked for the day/and' had only to submit, and the House adjourned. On Wednesday, after the formal business, on the question of the introduction of the Electoral Bill coming on for discussion, Mr Sheehan moved the previous question. The whole afternoon and evening was taken up in an endeavor -to force Ministers to accept the inevitable, and take the discussion on/the, ;Wjnt of Confidence motion. The latter, jbowever, utterly declined the issue, and the .Opposition had tocontent themselves with preventing the Government going on, with;the business.': After a debate on 1 1 nothing,; the; '• House adjourned atlQJpQj.; 7;. 1777't i j