A LIVELY DEBATE.

Evening Star, Issue 4253, 13 October 1876, Page 4

A LIVELY DEBATE.

In the House of Representatives, on the 9th inst.,l after Sir George's telegram to the Secretary for the Colonies had been read, some tall talk was indulged in by the Opposition.

Mr Rees eharacterised the conduct of the Government as the result of ignorance and impudence combined. When the English mail came in there would, very probably be Some despatches delivered at the Government buildings which would rather surprise Ministers; and he advised Government to be very careful, what they were doing. The oondition of the people of Otago and Auckland just now was by n». means safe; their feelings had been worked up to such an extent by a'continuation of the evil courses of the Government that they were fast becoming prepared to risk all in defence of what they believed to be their rights* Why would the Government persist in disregarding the signs of the times and refuse to take warning ? There were hundreds of people in every part of the Colony who would echo the sentiments of the telegram of Sir George Grey as to a disturbance in the Colony being imminent.

Mr Macfarlane protested against "certain gentlemen professing to speak the sentij menta of the people of Auckland, and he asserted most positively that the people of Auckland wvolted at the very idea of a return to Provincialism. At the elections nearly three-fourths of the people spoke out their minds plainly and said they would have no more of it. Even in Rodney they were tired of it and longed for abolition ; and the hon. member for Rodney knew that in the course he was taking he was opposing the wishes of his c6nstituents. At the hustings he had been ready enough to declare himself an abolitionist, or at any rate that he accepted abolition. Even the Hon. member for Auckland City East did not represent his constituents.

Mr hees : Better than you do. Mr. Macfarlane : The hon. member knows very well he does not; -1 am quite ready to go to my constituents again, and that is more than the hon. member is. I challenge him to resign his seat. If he dare do it, I will resign mine, and then we shall have an opportunity of seeing what the feeling of Auckland is. , s

Mr Hees : I will resign my seat to-morrow morning if you will do tue same in respect to Waitemata. Mr Macfarlane: I am quite prepared to

Mr bheehan said the less they heard from the hon. member for Waitemata about representing constituents the better. It was a well-known fact that the hon. member ™*¥ fl? v « taje got inside the walls of that Mouse had he not professed fervent snpport to Sir George Grey. He might have come there as a petitioner, but never as a member. 'Respite his bitter opposition to Sir George Grey now the member for Waitemata was a devoted follower at the hustings—in fact, he would have been proud to be a messenger in the Provincial Government offices just then.-(A laugh.) The Government had "1?5? r seu?5 e u ?^ eful wh *t they did. The fear of bloodshed was no idle, fancy,- and thev must be aware-of the strength of feeling in Auckland. There wsi-a - i?_.j

r*- w *»*-"«• *ucro were people who lived in an insignificant spot close to Cook Strait who talked of coming up to Auckland and putting ■all straight. They might go to -ancaaad,. but the question was would thev ever come hack. If they took h,s advice they wonld remain at theii offices abutting Co.dc Strait, and attend to their respective businesses ;•* not, they might be unable to do so after the trip North. - - (A laugh ) Mr George Grey said the Premier might laugh, and drive his countrymen to bloodshed, but due Mnißhme.it would descend Ut Ministers laugh; they had laughed when he stated they intended to use Her Majesty's ships of war against Her Majesty's subjects; but it

*> • . , , ° , auowu xouowers of th© Mirutiy had used that threat, and had direotly and indirectly given him to under, stand threats would b* carried out, and Ministers had not attempted to deny the truth of the statement. Minister! would play th«tr game, and men' B ' lives were to be paid as counters. A few nights ago, when he was speaking His sentiments with, out any offence to anyone, a person behind him said We will have five or six of you hung yet."--(Laught6r.) Ministers were threatening to use Ber Majesty's ships of war against the people of Auckland and Utago. Major Atkinson: Ufa.

»ir George Grey could only say" Ministers' friends had said so, and he believed the people weuld resist to death Mr Ormond, replying to Sir George Grey, expressed astonishment that the House had allowed that hon. member to pour forth his continuous abuse against the character of the public men of the Colony. He never made a speech but the "main feature of it was the untruthful imputations he made against his opponents; but, perhaps, the occupants of the Government benches, with their experience of the hon. member's mode of warfare, could afford to treat his malevolent assertions with the oontempt they deserved Not only were political opponents «o^ e A*? thw abQßive Jan g Qa ge, but even I some of his own party were made the vie- ! t.ms of it, and the most gross imputations tion. C ° nßlstent BU PP° rt t0 «w». OpposiMr Stout: Name. '

■ Mr Ormond mentioned the hon members for Av oll (Mr Rolleston) and CS Murray) and went on to criticise tnXdet ship of Sir George Grey. jj e as S erted there was not a single member of the Opp oß ii£ u who was not thoroughly wearied of the impracticable way in which Sir George Grev tL Ab t ß ° lu ¥y of tact and jud? ment, reckless in assertion, and acting with- *° conß< T ences ' he ™» fast ™* ? g tX re * p6Ct men of the p At £* commenceme e^ of the 8888 on he was at the h*ad of a compact band, but now ther d was not a man of the number who would not if he co-ld get 51.2 v 1^ a,le / rBhl P which he had placed himself_( v O , no)-and there was not a man who did not recognise that so long as the present state of thiugs continued the Opposition would serve n-> good purpose i