PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 418, 23 July 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

oii Monday, Mr, Montgomery resumed the debate birthe second reading of the Maori Prisoners Bill. He spoke against the 1 measure as imprudent and unjust, and as depriving the prisoners of all right of

trial.' '''•'. ' , v Mr Bowen said that the prisoners had ibeon arrested, not for a .simple act of trespass, but because the country was in a estate of war. Ihe Government then in fpower had ia perfect right to arrest prisoners, and the present Government iliad an equal right to carry out the real purposes of the arrest.

Mr Ballance scouted the idea that a disturbance would bo created if the men were liberated/and 'contended that-war was more likely to result from their unjust detention than from their liberation. The Hon. HW./ GiMiorhe ) srfid. that the principle df'thW BilMvas tiot the postponement of' trial," but' the v, abolitioh -of'trialaltogether:' phjectipri'to'the" Bill, and itf'Conlmitfee 1 he^no'pe(l'it l Would ,i' ,• l'.'.i' t L«f.r- ;i,it*'f.. ■ *!,■>';? <'M--- > . "'■■>'■ bo obviated. .. - The Hot rrlali'Wdihe^overnmeni;

was anxious to allow these prisoners to, go the very first moment they could d 6 so with any degree of "Safety!""-""'He' quoted from " The Irish of 1871 to show that/the power asked on, the presentfprJaiiSpi $tt}>|lMiS We : s«ivJ pjf mf\ ~ precedented, but that on the, contrary the V Bill now W^/sHrbj. trary than that that m the Maoris were an oppressed people. " They!had»*ifb'eeh but -ribt {ml o^pYeyielf*6^ , *!*A t! fer|fe^nliVe) i exr/enaift're had'Pfe ftffbr ,i yir i, toe■fif: , Their mfMi^wm^m^'. ratin/»ailt|Sif %& ''W^Ww*: called.an oppressed people-• Tbe< ista.te r .. ■ ment : p aß re^4^ if . by anything it waa'by'lhefc^lse.^rjflnjLj,,. and the want'of.-industry and < application.. * Itwali^wtlch^Jt^ail^^ 'We n™ social scale. ' The. ihoriT p/aj*l i *ing a high compliment to the' late*'"NatiVe* ; -, the.only th% f ppppprtiQbiSidoidf ) v the House. ' Ifjrl'» lnm¥/ <y;;' Mr Brown spoke in opposition to i\ie Mr Pyke compared ; Government to •* Bassanio, in the ''■ Merclmiit of Venice.' He thftfekt MW f ;■'• property M, A* * South Island Native Minister, who knew ""nothing ' He paid little' •'•They would always be^ with war whenever they hesitated to give the. Native f of ,s„**» done {o force members,,against their wijll and acamst their, jconsciences. , ~, ~„ ... Hon member for -flgYrfohij' ■JwYio*- had been. 4n the previous GovernnienfTTiad neglected - tp returpfthf'ian^l^Ml^ It waslibatrneg^c^.thabhftdiica^sfl^i'tlH-rfl 7 disturbance. were to blame,.and riot the Natives who had waited for the..^lfilrn'?ntF(}| , pro.miseß. - Mr towards firstMto last as a, - blundestfjujidthiflMl' be no\ exception. If it§My\ should ♦'have been Vi^innocent. acqnitted. TJiOjWe.Bt Cpaift.CJfjm^isaiope^s' report tended <•* and .pot •fn ;the wrong. ought to\< been in , He would oppiJSftfi]^-13111;^';i, "' - * Mr Wl P-V.; ; Mr &»*.*' ipost, * - imquitib&fK-nMatil&re? - -lie- would J "yote*. ' against irr To pass a bill like tins would le a •' 'Ho-was surprised to hear''tjny stand r up and cay he intended it f . Bather than seethe measure go through he would u«e every form pf tlje, ijpuse. to. ,f-PP°so it, and he-called*upon'members of his mind to.Jtonewau.thetraea'sure. • - • Captain Russell believed that they,were bound ? jv 'castody' njatil the especially the sebel Commissioners' 1 report .theiaselves .that thefGaverniTfielnt-aibied at doing them substantial3ustioe.', v ;.ii'^ Mr BTutchison' strongly oppssed tho Bill,-" and said- a Goyornnieplj'whipji brought forward a measure* off tb>;krnd,tto'.deal. -■with a t few;Maoria. would/not hesitates if it' had the power,'to f diea,l^>ijnila i rly''wiUi .ite ippponents, even in that K«ws,e.'' •,_ Natives, Jhe con'terided, l werc-entkl(kt-to the'rights of British, s,ubje<^nnd-,! i hfl- prfltection^ipf> British law; hut tl<frviUilb3p'rt}fes«ed to deprive, them, pf s bot|t. ( <i, s-He,- wondered' how the to'the measure of last kesßiqn, and| bpw J he could ■ reconcile it with his duty, and the terms of his Cotfrifisibn , tp.j&anctidn/4his <nieaßure* Tire Governor. was bonh'tf by Iris c6ihmission; to: protect tbe l Nati'vetf 'from^ift-J justice, and this wißl*-gr'f)Bß*injiiatice. Mr 'nfrainnt ,tbe s Bill B>* ' • * Ms as being altogether;unfair.'in its'proposals'' Mr Ireland//.annoi>nced; his intention to V6"te against the. Bill. , , , Mr Fisher- argued that "as compared, with last session the circumstances were $Uogether,different., He would-, move /as, an amendment-r-"Thatit is-undosir-ablo to proceed with the second reading ;of the Bill, until-the Native policy of ,'Gofern[ment has bepn declared." , Tole Seconded the amendmentarguing liiat "hd'' great harm would, be caused proposed dejay. I-mrris looked on the Bill in ite ** sent»6liape as a wanton piece of cfuelty < He would oppose it to,the utmost. Major'TjS'Whedfd said that if. lands' improperly tsicen were restored there .would. m no further trouble, and no, danger in releasing prisoners. Mr Siirhnski opposed, tho '-Bill, . but thought it was no good prohinging the "discussion. Mr Tawhai thought a wrong was committed in taking these men lo'other islands, and announced that he'd vote againat the "Bill, urging that the prisoners ought to have been brought to trial. ; Mr Hamlin opposed ihe Bill. |

At one o'clock the, ( !Ho,usa..divided—Ayes, 14 ; Noes, 28. The amer|dnjent wlas r|egal|ved! % ) /^ Abothef division took place on the second reading, which was carried by 30 'to\l4.' | r% \ Q I j -| V House adjpWn|dJlt J.lg>i4 ,j | On Tuesday the House went into Com ~Mp n Ilaifse &Mr3heeh§n |o|e\l/an-'ftddi-tion; provraing he discharged unless he shall be<released on his trial according to law, in respect of the, IjffendeWitsh irclanged: '?W™ /'On a by 2J6 to and The clause was .passed., ! . ,_ /IV , ,:uv> JlThe Bill. as amended was reported, read! a third Me KfM to 25; iM paspfe'd. . _. t>.; •' 'a- ■■ ■ if '- The whole of the evening isittin'g, was devpted to a further debate on the second fr|ading of the Native Land Sales Bill. ( , ; j Alter a motion for the adjournment of jthe [debate was negatived, '.'Mr Ham'hn "nifived the!adjpdrhi?ie > nt!^f.the'&ouße , { ! a;nd v a (|epultory disfiUtisjohifollowed,) Tbe Hon jJ rfl H.all regretted that jnembers {wasted .jtjfae; in going on ,with.th/ and aciiKed the of beinjr put up to .talkJJjßgaiiiHi titne and itonewall. Te Wheord and Tawhai denied '}*w:;. t dem|!d jtjw's. The, Hop J. flail stated .that ! 'he adjourn theidebate if.it ■'wbrd 'resumed at 230 next day. Mr 'ißheehan and of hern objected to thejprivato biQujber'B day;bgjng taken for Govern-j rhienjt business. Ultimately the motion to adjo'nrn.th^lHbns^was liegativedf anrir adjoufnnteilt^ofi'the'deb *te' filT r 2i3o/tllis afternoon was agreed to. The House* iWr'7 )•■* i! : ' i foiiTlni%dfty^rep*lyirig* ; to M) StSWaft is' !tq!\vlie^heV^he^attten'titln 'of' the G^erii-' ment had been directed to the circiiiii-" Btances; ""uftdei"' which""Mr a .'-hairi.Hter •■ ol -'lire 'feupreme r - i CJoufH' 1 recently ordered by/.th.e*':dieHidentv> Magistrate, at Ashburtoh to„.bfi-.comintted to seven:! days' imp'risoiunentA.for, .alleged Jpntempt. of Court, and.jt j it ,-was the, mtentiorj. take, any; , h \ ' VvVy ,\ Lo*i , ; -:k* • The»;Hop t VJT, * |-epjied j that Mr # PurneJlt'-)calle(d !ttppn r bim?i aud\ inadei.ii a,. VerHaJsGOmplaintli He informed liilii* thfit' hei would inake;i!hifl i ' 'coikplaiht ill 1 itiWlmid 6 ! fenrfer, and after an explanation had been received by: he i; , considei what further action should be taken. Tlie. Native Lands Sales Bill was' read •a* second time and ordered tblje'committed tnirulay; • T>l/.:TH«'IK! -IiVVTA ! Tie Municipal Corporations Act Ameridflttmt Bill was further considered in at li 6 a.m. '