PARLIAMENTARY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1017, 28 September 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Last Night's Proceedings. Wellington, September 28. The debate was resumed by Mr Button, who thought the Opposition should have brought their whole case forward at once, and not made an attack on a single point, threatening there were others to come. Too much time had been wasted already. He was quite satisfied with Mr Whitaker’s explanation. Mr Evans Brown supported the motion. The Government by its action had defied and challenged the House, and attempted to deprive it of the control of the public purse. Within the last week the Crown Law Officer had pleaded the poverty of the editor and publisher, to induce Mr Sheehan to accept an apology alone, without the £IOO he asked, as compensation for the libel, and lie consented to do so. Now it appeared it was to save the guarantors. Mr Fitzroy would support the Government, being satisfied that the “ Waka-Maori ” had been supported by the subscribers. Mr Hoani Naho said when he and others had been asked should the “ Waka ” be continued, they said no, but it had not been conducted as they suggested. He would support it no longer, as it caused trouble. Mr Manders opposed the motion, but urged Ministers to consider the propriety of a reconstruction of the Government. Mr Wakefield supported the motion, and pointed out that the libel on Mr Sheehan appeared in the “ Waka ” after Mr Whitaker was in office. Even if the “Waka” had been self-support-ing, the clear desire of the House last session was that it should cease as a Government publication. He thought the House had a right to know who the guarantors alluded to were. It was absurd to suppose it possible for the Opposition to discuss finance and general policy on that motion. Mr Harper, •judging from “Hansard,” thought the objection last session was only to the expense. This the Government had met. The libel on Mr Sheehan appeared nearly a month before the vote was taken. The present Government were not liable for the libel on Mr Bussell, though perhaps guilty of an error of judgment in defending it as they did. Mr Thomson thought Mr Whitaker’s explanation was unsatisfactory. Ho distinctly remembered that Major Atkinson promised last session that the “ Waka” could be discontinued. It was very damaging to find a number of private gentlemen using the Government, ollice and funds to carry on a newspaper. Nothing had been shown to justify the Government in defying the House. Mr Gibbs did not think the Government had exceeded reasonable discretion. Hr Hodgkinsoij supported the motion, and looked on the guarantors as bogus. The very men would have been able, like Mr Russell, to incur cost in seeking redress when libelled by the Government. He could not vote to condone such a grave constitutional wrong as done by the Ministry. Mr Bowen complained that the Opposition, instead of attacking the general policy of the Government as they had a right to expect, narrowed the issue down to one miserable point. The Government had simply maintained the “ Waka” in compliance with a general desire of Natives without cost to the colony. The guarantors were not liable for the libel on Mr Sheehan, as it appeared before the arrangements with them were made. Mr Travers would vote for the motion. Had Ministers instead of special pleading, openly avowed and defended what had been done, the House might have condoned it. On two previous occasions, Ministers had avoided giving the House information it had a right to about how the paper was continued, and, with a view to deceive their opponents, had answered the questions so as to induce a belief that the paper was still published at the Government expense. The Government, should have apologised and withdrawn the libel on Mr Russell. The Government had not acted straightforwardly. If a false issue was raised, the fault was the Government’s. Mr Curt is moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at midnight.