THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
[By Telegraph ]
Wellington, September 18In the House :>f Kepresentit'ves, at 2.30 yesterday afternoon, » Mr Taiaroa obtained I.ave t"> introduce :> Maori Representation Act Amendment »nd Continuance Bill, and it was read a first time. Mr Reynolds's Ofrigo Harbor Board Empowering Bili and the Ciutha Trust Reserves .Bill were r<'ad a first time.
Mr Fitzherbert sain, before going into Committee on the Abolition Bill, he wished to make a complaint in reference to the tampering wiuh the Press Agency's telear.nus, putting words into the mouth of a member, which had the effect of holding bim to scorn and ridienje. He quoted from the 'Evening Star,'of 6th September, re Sir George "Grey, saying he, for <>ne, would assist the peoule in the *atne wy as tii>> course taken by tha United " tates again t thtf mother country The hon. member then quoted from ' Hansard.' showing that the words used by -ir George Grey had been garbled, and in the issue of the ' Sou .hern Cross' a more foul perversion he had Beeu. It was accusing Sir (i. Grey wf a traitor to bis Queen. The hon. member then read a memo., stating that the words had beeu interpolated by the ' Southern Cross.' The lion, member referred to the reduced rate at which Press telegrams were sent, and animadverted strongly on the information being sent at (he might say) public cost for the purpose of abusing public men. The hon. member then adverted to the foul abuse which certain pprtions of the > e\v Zealand Pres-s had heaped upon Sir G. Grey, because he had dared to bring forward a grave charge of public maladministration. The hon. member finished by hoping the House would take the matter into consideration
Tne Speaker said the hon. member should make a motion.
Mr Fitzherbert replied that hj" thought the discussion would be sufficient, and perhaps better than any action of the House. He therefore, merely move, pro fo> ma, the adjournment of the House. Mr Luckie criticised Mr Fitzherbert's speech. The ' CroiS' and other papers had b en accused of heaping scorn and contempt on Sir George Grey, but Sir George himself had heaped scorn and contempt on nearly every member of the House, and on him (Mr l-uckie) last night es specially. The hon. member maintained that the words printed by the ' Southern Cross' and those sent by the J?ress Agency were almost identical in meaning. He read from the 'Cross,' the Auckland 'Herald,' 'Pies*,' 'Times,' ' Guardian,' and ' Evening Post.' He argued therefrom the singular unanimity or the Press in the by the words used by Sir George Grey. He also read from a document dated 1849, in which he (Mr Fitzheibert) had abuswd Sir George Grey as not caring one whit about the liberties of the people 89 long as he could maiutain his power and autocratic position. Perhaps Borne good might come out of this discussion, viz., that members would in future be more careful about making charges against other members. The hon. member read a telegram he had just received from the in tnager of the ' Cross,' which said the garblt-.il telegram iu the Cross' had been copie*]. verbatim from the}' Echo.' Sir Donal i U'L an regretted that personalities were becoming prevalent. He, though not a very old member, had been in the House some years, and could not help feeling that the tone of the House lnd deteriorated by the strong persona,, feeliu? imported into debate. .Members were tbere to exercise their best abilities for the j-ood of their country, and he hoped that for the rest of the session a better feeling amongstimembers would prevail. One of the penalties of men taking a prominent part in public affairs was of course that their actions would be criticised, and probably themselves abused.
Mr Uolleston thought the House indebted to the member for Huti. for bringing the question before the House. Commonts, however severe, on a pubiic man's action ia a leading article, and putting words into a member's mouth, were very different things. Public rrea would of course be abused, and Sir Genrge Grey coild as will aff >rd to be so as any mau in tiie country; but he. thought the rt-.uso sliould take seriou-* not,e of what, as in the case uuder discussing, lealiy amounted to private slander. Numerous attacks on .Sir G. Grey bail arisen because of the m>uiiy way in wliih he had exposed certain transactions ■•■{ ih" land purchase department and other abuses. He rend in public print what was stated to have taken place at Government caucuses, in which Sir C. Wilson said the Government must be very careful in their dt-aliuga witli Sir George Giey, because he believed when ssir George Grey was Governor, Ministers would never enter into consultation with him unless a clerk was present or it was put into writing. The House went into committee on the Abolition Bill afUi about an ln.>ur and a half's discussion oa the subject brought forward t»\ Ivlr ilteherbert. Mwars Murray ami Stout aiinofct
enthely ocoupied the tfme till BJBO p.m. In dfacussing sub-sections in cliuve 12.
The following are the proposed new olausee to the Kill :
28. (1.) Section 17 of - Act Is hereby repealed. (2.) It sl.aii not. be lawful for the Superintendent of any P. roving to convene thereof. <» .'or *ny Provincial Council ••'> •■n,-re in sr «a ion, b. fori- the day next alter th« !»>•.. day of ihc firstsession of next or the sixth Parlianxn : of &ew Zealand. 29. No ci>pr.racfc i»r made or entered into afrr v the fif-enl 1 day .»■" September, one thousand eight lm<:.'red ■•>.•.' ,«"Venty-five, by thfi Suppriuf«nd mi>' of my Pro rince as sudi wHereby or ;n res pect whereof any public moin'y, ex eeding in amount LIOO, nhall or niay become payable, snail ha*e any force or '-fiVnt. unleps the money required to meet expenditure, to l»o thereby incurred, ban been duly appmpriated; xiid the Governor Khali have beou satisfied, previously to making or enteruu? int «me.h emit; act or engagement t at 'r >vii,cial reve>ue receivable before the 30 hj day of .7ui-<-, 1876, will be tjaffio eut to \ meet such ■ X'.er.diture.
30. Sections 28 ami 29 vf thin '• .«t shall tome in'o operation o;•. Aim day on which it Ib assented to by t lii- Governor, in the name and on behalf of her Maje,;y, a,'id the lemaining section- of (bin Ac! shall conv into o|.elation on the -.lay next after thy lust :a» of the first ses-i-'.on o the uext or sixth "irbamont of New Ze.\i.i.d.
On the 'f?ouseresuming at 7 30, After half aii hour's fn-tei" discussion on chiuse 12 ot the Abolition ill, it wan passed without amendment. On clause 13 a long liscus-n >n ensued as to whether the officials of the Provincial Governments of abolished Provinces should he placed • n the name position as ihe Civil servants of the General Government in respect to pensions, &c. The Hon. Treasurer pointed out that by the fJivil Service Vet of 1866. Provincial officers when taken ov<*r by the General Government w. re placed in the same position as officers of the Gem Tul Government, so far as their time in computing the amount due as compensation or lobb of otfic- was conoernt-d, but that the i of pensions must bt dealt with by a sepanite- Act, t tie hon, in- mber said he would undertalce to give the House an opportunity during the present session of expressing its opinion as to the question of warding pension* to Provincial officers. The wonds iu the fi-st line—"within one year"—wei-e struck »ut; and in the sixth line, after the word " olony/'-.he following words, on the motion of V;r <)* C nor, were inserted : " Such sum »\s he may l>e entitled to under the terms of any agreement entered into previous to 1875, and iin default of auy such agreement then "
, 4 ftertwo hnus' discussion, the clause, as above aiue>d, d, was pus-el. On clause 14, Mr l.eid that the license fees an i fino :"or <*caU in <-Ae<\, ehouldbe paid direct to the >miiii<:ipaliries and road boauis iußt(-a<l af to tin- public account. Mr W. oil moved an amendment in the clause, giving erlVi t to iln- bfve su^gest'on. The 'ion. Treiisuier sai«i the Government would accep: the amendment. Mr HauiH'U i»vo..esti'.d against license «nd other fees ban ed over to municipalities, In W. stand the license fees amounted to nearly ; .10.0. 0, and jnunicipalities did not want so large a revenue. It was much more wanted in out districts. An amendment propvwd by Mr Shepherd, of Nelson, that publicans' licenses should be omitted, was lost by forty lo nine. •Ir Wood s ,<ine<:dmen£ wns then carried on the voice*. A verbal alteration waA made on the third line of the. second paragraph of the clause, and th» j follow hi; pr.vian aided to the clause :-—" I'rovi-iedtbat all fines and penalties inflicted for breaches of th« bye-laws of any road board rhall be paid to i;L>.> mud board in which the fines have been inflicted." The ' 'hairman reported at 1 a.m., with leave to sit again ou iSiesday, and the Housi adjourned.
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Evening Star, Issue 3922, 18 September 1875, Page 2
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1,527THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Evening Star, Issue 3922, 18 September 1875, Page 2
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