PARLIAMENTARY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1020, 2 October 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Last lNight’s Proceedings, I Majority of Nine for Jthe i WeiiLlN otoit, October 2. i The Speaker read a letter from Mr Mac- ; farlane, stating that Mr Lusk had received £SO from the Corporation of Auckland last session in regard to services in connection with some bills. Mr Macfarlane moved that the matter be referred to a committee for investigation. Mr Lusk explained that before last session the Mayor of Auckland engaged him to draft a Bill to suit Auckland. The fee agreed on was £SO. He drafted it, but it was never introduced, as the Government had a Bill which met the case. After the session he received the £SO. After discussion the motion for a committee was agreed to. The de- • debate was resumed on Mr Larnach’s motion. I Mr Ballance regarded the issue as badly chosen, and too small to determine the fate of the Ministry. It was evidently based on incoirect information as to fact.The Government had throughout acted injudiciously in the matter. They should last session have revived the vote for the “ Waka Maori,” and staked their existence on it, if they deemed it proper and! really necessary. Instead of doing this they tried to evade the vote of the House by a: private guarantee. Doing this they should not have printed it at the Government office, because that made the colony liable for damages in a case of libel. He could not either censure or join in the want of confidence motion on this matter, but stiff the Government had not his entire confidence. He objected altogether to M.r Whitaker’s position, and disavowal of responsibility for everything done before he took office. He thought the party which Supported the previous as well as the present Government had been deceived by a private contract between Ministers. If their policy was embodied in the Native Land Bill it was unsatisfactory. They should have resigned when compelled to withdraw that measure. ' He strongly condemned the Government seeking colleagues amongst the Opposition. Such a system destroyed all parties. Ho hoped soon to see two strong parties formed ou the principles of Conservatism and Liberalism. Hitherto the country had been governed by cliques, It was time that the

people asserted themselves. He strongly condemned coalitions as politically immoral. Dr Wallis desired to see the present Ministry turned out and the country appealed to. Mr Reynolds did not think the Opposition sincere. There was nothing to justify the motion. He would like to see a dissolution next session when the representation was adjusted. Mr Fisher thought the motion not half strong enough to vindicate the proper position of the House. Mr W. Wood supported the motion, and asserted positively that Mr Russell’s solicitors had offered to accept an apology and £2OO for a hospital. The Government refused, and the colony had now to pay £6OOO. Mr Barff supported the motion. He thought it no more a vote of want of confidence than the way all their measures were treated. He condemned their whole policy, and especially their centralising tendency, which would prove the destruction of the unity of the colony. The House divided, and the motion was lost by 42 to 33. The House rose at 11.30 p.m. The following is the division on Mr Larnach’s motion : For the Government —Messrs Atkinson, Baigent, Ballance, Beetham, Bowen, Burns, Button, Curtis, Douglas, Fitzroy, Gibbs, Harper, Henry, Hunter, Hursthouse, Johnston, Kelly, Kennedy, Kenny, Lumsden, Macfarlane, Manders, McLean, Moorhouse, Morris (teller), Murray-Aynsley, Ormond, Reid, Richardson, Richmond, Rowe, Russell, Sharp, Stafford, Stevens, Sutton, Taiwiti, Teschemaker, Wason (teller), Whitaker, Williams, Woolcock. For the Opposition—Messas Barff, Brown J. C., Brown J. E., Bunny, Delatour, Dignan, Fisher, Gisborne, Sir G. Grey, Messrs Hamlin, Hislop, Hodgkinson, Joyce, Larnach (teller), Lusk, Macandrew, Montgomery, Murray, Nahe, O’Rorke, Rees, Rolleston, Seaton, Sheehan, Shrimski, Stout (teller), Swanson, Taiaroa, Takamoama, Thompson, Tole, Wakefield, Wood W. Pairs.—Government—Messrs Cox, Fox, Reynolds, Carrington, Seymour. Opposition —Reader {Wood, Travers, Wallis, Bastings, Pyke. Messrs Bryce and Brandon were absent.