POLITICAL ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1227, 4 September 1885, Page 3

POLITICAL ITEMS.

(Through our exchanges),

In consequence of the no-confidence motion being negatived, and Mr Macandrew’s amendment ado-ted, the Government con aider that the House having refused to pass a vote of want of confidence has declared confidence in the Ministry. Accordingly. I understand, Ministers havo decided they will not give the remainder of Major Atkinson’s resolutions precedence, bat will leave th m to come on in regular course As a matter of fact they have already been pushed down the order-paper, and in the ordinary course of things they will not lie reached again this session. Moreover, it is contended that Mr Macandrew’s amendment practically and virtually amounts to a declaration that the Hoa.se will not discuss any items on the Public Works Estimates by resolution or the loan proposals till the Estimates are passed. This being carried, it is held that the House has shut out the remainder of Major Atkinson’s resolutions. These may nevertheless be brought on by a special motion, but if so Ministers will oppose, and the House probably negative it. So far as can be gathered, the Opposition had a safe majority of two on Thursday night, but sacrificed it became some more of the party desired to air their eloquence. If so, the substance has been sacrificed for the shadow. It is freely stated that Messrs Cowan and Reid were pledged against the Government, but the withdrew his promise on Mr Soobie Mackenzie’s subm ssion to the Government being reported to him, and Mr Reid consented to walk out without voting. I hear the Maori members are greatly alarmed lest Europeans should he incensed with them for giving a blo"k vote to the Government, and have made pathetic appeals for forgiveness, promising to vote two on ’each side in future. As matters stand, all the finance and public works policy of the Colony has turned on the four Maori votes. As the Native Minister has asserted that the Maoris are qnite satisfied now with his Disposition Bill, 1 may mention that the Native members of the Native Affairs Com inittee have only expressed their willingness to see the bill passed conditionally on the insertion of amendments which nullify its whole principle. This makes aoonsiderablo difference.

It is positively asserted that the East and West C -ast railway vote will be negatived. In consequence of ibis report certain Can terlmry and other members sent a note to the Government insisting on that vote being made a Ministerial question, and threatening if this were not done that they would withdraw their support from the Government. Bhecfly this threat became known a number o s Ministerial supporters representing other parts of the Colony, variously htated at fire to ten, sent a note warning

Miniilors that if they did make it a vital question these supporters would vote against them. As either of these consequences would mean a defeat of the Government, the latter are in rather a serious dilemma, and are striving every nerve to make things pleasant on both sides. It is probable that if either rupture should take place the Government will be once more attacked by a direct vote. Meanwhile many of Major Atkinson’s party are like himself unwilling to have any more fighting on the items as they came ap, and are dissuading him from going on with his resolutions, and initiating any fresh ho tile action. The atmosphere is by no means clear as yet, and any day may witness a new development.

The Daily Times correspondent says:— My forecast of Parliamentary proceedings has proved correct. On the “ corrected ” Order Paper for to-night (Monday) being issued, it was seen that the balance of Major Atkinson’s resolutions stood at No. 51 among the business of the evening,being preceded by exactly 50 orders of the day. This was strongly resented by the Opposition as a breach of faith on the part of the Government, Mr Stout having promised to give precedence to Major Atkinson’s resolulotions. As 1 mentioned yesterday a section of Major Atkinson’s party were much opposed to his proceeding with the remainder of the resolutions, and advocated the acceptance of defeat on the no confidence issue, and fighting the other points in detail as they arose in the regular course. However .Major Atkinson favoured another plan of action, and so when the House met to night there was a tremendous uproar over the relegation of the resolutions to the bottom of the Order Paper. The matter was.aomewhat complicated, because while Mr Macandrew’s amendment in substance clearly applied to the whole of the resolutions, it technically referred only to the one co which it was moved as an amendment, as the resolutions were being moved seriatim. The Speaker, in fact, rnled to this latter effect, but that ruling could not bring on the resolutions for discussion, this resting with the Government and a majority of ihe House. Naturally, Ministers Sid not desire to give any facilities they could avoid for debating the East and West Coast railway resolutions, on which a defeat was imminent, and they declined to give precedence to the resolutions, on the plea that the no-confidence question, which alone entitled them to a claim of prece dence, had been already decided by the House in their favour. A motiou for the adjournment of the House was made to enable the question to be discussed, and a very acrimonious debate ensued, in which charges and counter charges were freely exchanged, and the unfortunate Maori mem bers came in for much castigation on the score of their block vote, and Ministers were severely bundled for their pertinacity in sticking to their seats. The whole affair ended in smoke, and after three hours’ wrangling the motion for adjournment w-s lost on the voices and the House settled down to regular work, albeit in a very bad temper.

On the motion for the second reading of the Property Tax Bill. Mr Pyke o jeered to small property owner* paying noth.ng to the S-a'e. He said the clui-.e which exempted Maoris from taxation must he struck out, an I they should he made to pay for the benetits of civilisation He wou rl move if no one else did so, that Maoris should he made to pay under the hill, and also that there should be no exemptions. The II >n Mr S .out sai l the in in objection to the bill was in respect to exemptions, but he contended that the pas'o.al and agricultural in crests would he placed on an equality. He pointed out that mortgages were not exempted, and that LSUO was cot too large for general exemption.

In reply to Mr Kerr, The Hon Mr Stout said that to tax Maori property would be to discourage settlement, because the Maoris would not individualise their titles It would he im po-sibie to estimate the loss to the revenue hy the hill, but the amount of taxable property would not be decreased hy the bill, because other things were brought under the tax.

Tat. second reading was carried on the voices.

E.-plying to Mr Vincent Pyke why the recomiuvn ration of the Goldfields and Mines Committee made last session, and repeated this session, in regard to the periodical removal of all wardens has not been given effect to, The Hon J. A. Tide said all removals had taken place that could be done wilh convenience to the wardens, and also in the interests of the Colony. The following bill was introduced :—A hill to reduce the number ot votes which may he given by any one elector at any election for a member of a county council (Sir George Gre>)

The ‘EveningStar’correspondent says Should the secret history of the events of the late want-ot-cnnHdence motion come to be written, it will tell a story of political chicanery that would make the electors of many constituencies blush for their repiesentatives. Many stories are in circulation regarding the tactics ado ted by both parties to obtain support. Some of these are false, some partly true, and others wholly veracious.

Talking with Mr Larnach this morning, he informed me that Ministers hoped to prorogue at the end of next week. A story that has been wired out by some special correspondents, to the effect that a large section of the Government supporters have demanded that the East and West Coast Railway proposals shall be made a party question, white other Ministerialists have memorialised in an opposite direction, has been officially contradicted this morning ; at least Ministers say they know nothing about it.

Mr Billanceis sanguine of carrying the Land Bill in the Council.

It is undeistood that Major Atkinson will not press his other resolutions, hut that the Opposition will be content to offer resistance to the East and West. Coast Bailway proposals and other undesirable works when the Public Works Estimates are under consideration.