UEIKLE ACQUITTAL BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 7

UEIKLE ACQUITTAL BILL.

TEDIOUS TACTICS.

"STRONGLY - OPPOSED IN COMMITTEE,

α-whole' nicht-s, debate,

The work, of another of tho few weeks that' still■■jemauv,of. tho, present/session of. Parliament was oponert last-evening with an anno'unccmi'Jit. from the Premier that tomorrow, ho -would inform tho House when the,'-': Public 'i'JVorks >Statoment would Do brought down, Vinci as* to the probable length of 'iilib session., ' Tlie.'Hjo'usd, was 'then' declared in committee «o deal, with tho Mciklo. Acquittal Bill: Ii .was an open secret that this Bill ! was' : to-.bo atrenuonsly opposed,, and the

dob'ato ■ jiad'i,; not proceeded inany minutes before'this'aspect. pressnted.-itself -unmis-'. ■■'taliably. ■.•Mγ.,'Poland 'moved to have the Biii';..'jnadei general ,''iri its application, to wrongly imprisoned persons, and not to deal only with-thq crso,..of ! .Meitpe. > The debato vras carried' oil im, turiv, by..-Messrs. Poland, Remington; .HpniabX, Hcke; Lawry, Parata, andUker.* b'y ; Messm-'Ngaia and Fraser. The. ' Opposition took no; parti 'Early,: in the ovening'' Herries",, who , declared, himself- a supporter ■' of tlio Bill, Ueiranded of ,; ;the Premier whether , ho re'ally intended to put ~. it tlirough 'cdmniifct'ee,. or he was going ,to' ali'ow'.'alioifcliiei 1 ; , oyErnng to bo wasted:'. Eoplyingia low,:- before the supperadjournment toytliese resrrarii's,r.tiio Premier: indulged in a; littlo.sarcasnn. at Mr. Homes' the , ' were genuine,iiii their JEtautions. '■' Ho, alsV Baid tho.Goy.ernmoiit...had (adopted ;tiie onlypossible", method; of giving effect ■to tho re-■ commendations' of the , Itayal Commission. It-livas,■ ; 'fii"'said,-.'im'po'ssFble! that the Bill' "ehbukKbe made, to apply .generally to all, H cases ■similar to' M'eiklo's , . , Ho assured mem- ; bers; that : tho Government had gone fully, and *'fairly."intothe-question. .'.'• .'''■■'■''.. , '.When"members resumed -their.seats after guripcr, Mr. , T. Parata-harangued them, in Maori,'; exhibiting now,and' then 'just the •faintest desire to,bre'ak'|into.a>haka'; Points ' of.Vbrdqr were raised,-.amidst laughter,'that the r ;in'cmber was ii6t uriderstandablq, but thev Ch'airman; "ruled .-.Mr./'fParata' within his' 1 rights. At length': an' interpreter appeared, and explained that Mr.\Paiata, was against the '.Bill. At ■ 10.55 o'clock attention was halted to ,the state jof' the House, .and a count-out ■' was narrowly'' averted Tho xSpeaker'.was called .in,.but . declared tlio Chamber contained ( 'a". quorum. The debato dragged-wearily .on,'the 'boil_ having .to be; repeatedly rung to k'e^p. : a quorum' togetherl, 'At 1 a.m. a' division on 'a motion by Air. Ngata to : report"progrd'ss -was -lost by -19 votes to'; 18/';;'';, ~■.,,'•'■■ " ;, : ., : ','...'» •■At 1;35 a motion;..to,.report j-prpgress was oarried, and the House-adjourned'at 1.65. a.m.; Mr. Meikld during the whole of the. n'igiit. .occupant'-of. .'tKo'-galldry.' ~'■.'