HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 49, 21 November 1907, Page 9

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SESSION TO END ON SATURDAY. When the Houso of Representatives met, Mr. Gray asked the Premier if he could say approximately when the session would end. the lion, gentleman approached by ftne Leader of the Opposition before ho asked this question?" queried Sir Joseph Ward, with a smilo. (Laughter.) Proceeding, he said that on account of tho prolixity of some of the members they had had to sit longer than ho had expected, but he hoped tho Leader of tho Opposition and Mr. Herrics (laughter)—would help by taking up as little time as possible. (Laughter.) Mr. Lewis (to the Premier): One of your sentences yesterday contained 183 words. (Laughter.) I he Premier went on to say that without any undue ■ haste, and by meeting at 11 o'clock ovory. morning, they should complete tho work by Saturday evening. He hoped thqy might bo saved the need of meeting on ono or two days noxt week. Referring to tho Order Paper, ho said that his colleague was prepared to strike out a contentious | clauso in tlio Animals Protection Bill, which j would onablc the Bill to go through for tho bonefit of some of the important provisions it contained. Tho balance of tho Bills might be put through, and the Houso riso on Saturday ovenmg. He referred to a couplo of "washing-up" Bills to bo brought forward, and also a small mcasuro of two clauses regarding County Councils, which should go through. Only ono or two Bills on tho Order I'aper should take up any timo. Mr. Massey said lie did not. propose-to ohjcct to meeting at 1 o'clock. H 0 IV as anxious to expedito business, but it would lie better to drop somo of the Bills than rush thom through in an incomplete maimer. • 'J'ho Premi'or said they were dropping some] Mr. Maesey: You should drop half-a-dozon. NATIVE LAND BILL. Without discussing Ministerial replies to questions, tho Houso went into Committee on tho Nativo Land Settlement Bill, The House dwelt a long time over Clause 3, which deals with the amount of land lo 1 come under tho scope of the Bill, The

Nat-ivo Minister moved to alter tlio clauso to place it in t)io Biuno stato before haying boon altered in tho Native Affairs Committee, find mako it extend to land to bo dealt with by tho Commission. Mr. Kniliau said that if tho Bill passed trouble would commonco. Tliey woukl have the' Maoris shooting the Europeans if they took thoir lauds. 110 was proceeding, with increasing vehemence, when'the Chairman s(iid the subject before tho Committee must hot be departed from. Mr. Ivnihau then sat down. Mr. Masscy, replying to a remark by the Minister for Justico, said with some heat that there - was no man on tho Opposition sido ,of tho House who bad niado a shilling out pf Nativo lauds; and that couldn't bo said of some on tho other sido.

A Lawyers' Puzzle. Mr. Vi'ilford, in tho courso of a speech, said ho did not believe fivo lawyers in the wholo of tho Dominion knew anything about the Nativo laws. What did they do when Nativo law was referred to them? A Member; "Chargel" (Laughter,) Mr. Wilford: "Yes; and so they ought to." The lawyers wont round to all tho Nativo experts and thrashed the matter out with them. The reason was the multiplicity of Native Land Acts. Judges diffored, and the. Privy Council over-ruled their decisions. Mr, Herries: And tho Nativo Affairs Committeo over-ruled the Privy Council. Small Interest. At' 4 p.m. the House did not ccr *••»!« a quorum, and tho bell had to bo rung "iin, half an hour later, this had. to !■ .no. Littlo interest seemed to bo taken .. tho majority of mombors. Amendment Garrioc!. Tho Hon. J. Carroll's motion was carried by 29. to 14; Jfr,' Heko moved to amend tho clause so that no lands should bo sold—only leased. The Minister was. in sympathy, but thoy must sell somo of the land and have cash to help settles the Maoris. ~ ■ Tho amendment was lost. Clause 3, as amended by tho Minister, v,'as then'adopted. Clauso 7a (empowering tho-Board to inquire into any equitable claims with respect to such land, and' to deal with such olainis 'as.it may think fit, subject to tho consent of the Nativo Minister),-was struck out on the motion 1 of tho Minister. Tho clauso was a now ono inserted by tho Nativo Affairs Committee, and was the ono referred to by ( tho Premier in tho second reading as opening tho way (in conjunction with Clauso i>o) to abuses. , Mr. DaVey moved to amend Clauso 10 to havo the land sot apart for salo disposed of by ballot instead of by auction or tender. The amendment was supported by Mr. Major; but Mr. Masscy, Mr. Barber, and others pointed out that it was not Crown lands that woro being dealt with. The amendment was lost by 45 votes to 8.

At, Clause 25 (which gives tho purchaser po'wor to transfor • land after five yoars if the purchase money has been paid) Mr. Witty moved to increase tho term to seven years.— Tho 'amendment was negatived on the voices. Subsidies for Roading. In referring to a now sub-clause (providing that a subsidy of 10s. to tho £1 should bo . paid out of the Public Works Fund on' all money expendod in cutting up and roading , tiia lands), Sir. Massoy approved tho priniciplo and thought it should bo appliod to ! Croivn lands: ;Of Into yoars the praotico had 'been discontinued, though.it lmd b'Oen followed in tho past. Sir Josoph Ward pointed out what was in the mind of the Government in regard to this matter, To induce the settlement of tho' newly-opened Nativo lands tho Government wero. bound to do something in the , way of giving access to tho properties; unless thoy did that they would jeopardise their '.policy arid retard settlement. 110 recognised the force of Mr, Massoy's remarks, and said the Government had, each session, given direct assistance in rates and subsidies, and in-loans' to loqal bodies on tho repayment system.: Tho. elauso whs amonded by the striking out of'the.-words " to the extent of 10s,"

Amending tho' Amendments. Clauso ,50, which had been altered by the Native Affairs Committee, was restored to its, original form. The olauso provides that whore any negotiations' for the disposal of Nativeland liavo been commbncccl hefpre the land became subject to this Act, the Governor may, by Order-in-Councilj authorise tlio Board to. complete the same. The altered fsrsion of. the clause left all tlio responsibility \rith the Board. ' In Clauso 51, which gives tlio Boards power 'to set apart reserves, the words making such power conditional uiion the consent of tlio Governor-in-Council liad bcon struck out by tlio Native Affairs Committee. Theso words were restored. Several new clauses added by the Native Alfnirs Committee wero agreed to, despite , vigorous protests against some of them by . Mr. Kaihau. Now clauses wero adopted on tlio motion of Mr.-Ngata to enable any Maori lessee to •borrow money on mortgage from the Government or private persons, and to enablo tlio ;Uoiirds to raise nionoy for Joans to Maori lessees.Mr, Ngata. also secured the adoption of a new clause empowering the Native Minister to apply that land be incorporated under the Native Land Court Act, lss)4. Third Reading. | The Bill was reported as amended, and at 11. LO p,m, the third reading was proceeded.with.

Mr. Masscy, in the course of his specch. deplored that the amendments made by tlio iSativo Affairs Committee had not been permitted to remain. Thorc w.ero ouq or, two good points in tho Bill, but lie generally rcgrotted its inadequacy to deal with this very groat probloni. ' ' '1 he I'remier doprecated postponement because it meant throwing the Nativo questi >u back another year. He declared that between tho Native' authorities in tho Houm there woro differences of opinion, and if that woro so, could anyono wonder at the difficulty that existed in dealing with this question ? Tho debate was carried on by Messrs. Kaihau, A. L. D. Fraser, and Wilford. Tlio Hon. J. Carroll then replied, and tho third roading was carried by 37 to 7. At 2 a.m. the House adjourned until 11 a.m. this morning.