GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1391, 31 July 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, July 30. The House met at 7 30. NEW MEMBERS. Mr Green, member for Port Chalmers, was introduced by Messrs Stout and Thompson, and took his oath and seat. Mr Saunders, member for Cheviot, was also introduced by Messrs Stout and Montgomery. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Gisborne gave notice to move for a series of Customs returns for 1877 and the first half of 1878 ; also, for returns regarding immigration and emigration. Mr Fox gave notice to ask whether Government intended to introduce Bills for dealing with the sale of intoxicating liquors, the suppression of lotteries, and to bring under their notice the presence in Australia of Japanese representatives and their mission. Mr WoOLCOCK gave notice to ask if Government intended this session to ask for nn appropriation for a line connecting the East and West coasts of the Middle Island. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Documents relating to tho construction of a tramway or railway from Kamo to Whanparei wore laid on (he table at the request of Sir R. Douglas. BILLS INTRODUCED. The following Bills were rend a first time A Bill to amend certain provisions in the Acts relating to the civil service; a Bill to amend the Mercantile Law Amendment Act, 1860 ; a Bill for the management of Trades Unions in the colony. These were all introduced by Mr Stout. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. The usual sessional committees, with one exception, were appointed. That was the Select Committee regarding public petitions, &o. ADDRESS IN REPLY. Mr Seymour George rose to more the address in reply. He went through the address clause by clause, commenting upon each in commendatory terms, and asking the House and country to re-echo the sentiments embodied in that address. Regarding the purchase of Native lands, he hoped a better value would be obtained for their money in the future than had been the case in the past. As to the new Electoral Bill, he hoped and believed it was tho intention of Government to extend the franchise as far as possible and give every man in the colony a vote after a certain residence, together with improved registration. He considered it time that a certain tax should be placed upm the lands of the colony, so that those who benefited by the outlay of borrowed money should pay, and thus equalise tho incidence of taxation. He would ask the House to give their best attention to the promotion of direct steam communication with Great Britain, He asked t,ho House to express gratification at the recent telegraph arrangements made with Australia, The hon. member was received with applause on rising and sitting down. Mr Hobbs seconded the address. Referring to Native matters, he said he hoped an early opportunity would bo taken to devise some means to induce the natives to exchange their tribal rights for Crown grants. He paid a high compliment to the Premier and Native Minister for the bold and successful way in which they met and dealt with Native chiefs. He advocated the recognition of the powers of chiefs of tribes, and hoped in dealing with the Native lands that if mistakes were made, and the Natives were dissatisfied, they would have at least their own people to blame. He was in favour of volunteers, provided properly qualified officers and general efficiency were obtained. He supported steam communication with home, though he hoped at the same time they would not overlook the commerce of the islands in their neighborhood in the Pacific. [Applause.] Dr. Wallis said be would comment on the address as a candid and plain spoken friend. Last session he gave the present occupants of the Government benches a loyal support, and promised to continue that support so long as they kept in tho path they had laid down for themselves. But he had come to the conclusion that their practice did not square with the principles professed and preached when they were on the opposite side of the House, lie remarked that the address was fortunate in being moved and seconded by two such blind believers in tho virtues of the Government ; but they evidently had not yet cut their eye-teeth. They had not discovered what a transformation getting into office sometimes effected. When tho present Government succeeded to office last session by certain tactics, friends during the excitement of the struggle called it generalship, though many people outside called it artful and awful dodgery. When Sir G. Grey obtained office last year he chose to surround himself with certain gentlemen, in order to carry out the various reforms ho had promised to introduce, and yet none of these gentlemen kicked in the same paddock. Certainly some were thorough Radicals; but then others were something very different indeed. He was at a loss to account for the Premier selecting such a composite Cabinet. Wfittt had these gentlemen been doing during the recess ? They had been told, “ Oh, if our party get into office we shall do better than has been done.” But what did he find ? That both were much alike. There was a great parallelism, hut no contrast. Caesar and Pompey were very much alike, especially Caesar. What had become of the departments during the recess ? Why,’theEdu aiti n Justice and Public Works departments had been allowed to fall into a most uns itisfactory condition. Instead of reorganising and reforming those departments, Ministers flew hither and thither all over the colony. He made bold to say that the people of the colony would bo astonished at the most of these voyagings of pleasure. The Hineraoa, which had been so much begrudged to (heir prt.dececsors, had become a Ministerial yacht. Where were the many reforms they had pro- ’ raised ? Did any one think they were likely to obtain it in the matter of finance ? It api poire l to him the best and first step to secure that would be a general reduction of salaries of Ministers ; but they dare not do that. They made certain professions last year in that direction, but when the question came on they spoke of it with bated breath, and if tho Government whip used his whip at all on that occasion, he must have used it to whip away

instead of whipping in. They promised reduction of taxation, but it was only to reduce in one direction and increase in another. It appeared to him that their financial reform really meant increasing the burthen of taxation. Yet this was what they called just, and equitable taxation. As to manhood suffrage, which the Premier so eloquently and persistently advocated, what had become of it P To go by the speeches of members of the Cabinet, he found there were to be four different kinds of franchise, which appeared to him an absurdity. Ho could not help thinking the main object was to retain their scats. He hoped the Premier would return to his early love and carry out the promises he had once made. Let him settle the Maori difficulty, introduce universal suffrage, and representation on Hare’s proportional system, and ho would immortalise himself, Mr Fox did not rise as an Opposition member but as an independent one. It appeared to him that certain clauses of the speech savoured of what he called misrepresentation and a want of generosity. He alluded to the remarks which attributed to the Premier and Native Minister the satisfactory position in which Native affairs had been brought. There was no allusion to the celebrated man who had passed away and to whom the real credit was due of gradually inducing the good feeling which had been brought about between the two races. The bon. gentleman then proceeded to recount the rapine and murder of Te Kooti, Tito Kowaru, and others, and other difficulties which surrounded the colony when the late S r Donald McLean undertook the delicate and dangerous task of pacification. The land that they then could nol put a foot on with safety had since been sold for £2O per acre. The address said ; —“ At last peaceful relations have been established between the Waikato and Ngatimaniopoto tribes.” But how long was it since they had any disturbance with these tribes ? Why! these tribes never interfered when they were hunting up Te Kooti. They might as well be asked for congratulation that Noah’s flood was ended. Altogether the whole tone of the remarks on this point was misleading. It was ignoring the results of efforts of previous Ministries for years. He believed he had good cause for saying that the recognition of the remnant of the Native race in Waikato did more to impede the prospect of our obtaining peaceable possession than anything which had been done for many years. Ho referred to the negotiations which had taken place between the Premier and the Natives. But as to the exact result of these negotiation*, who knew anything about them P The public mind was in a great state of obscurity on the matter. It appeared to him that the old secrecy, which at one time distinguished dealings with the Natives, and of which they had thought they had rid themselves for ever, had once more been brought into vogue. After nil what importance could be attached to the Native meetings ? The most influential chiefs who had been identified with Native troubles in the past were not present. Manuwhiri was not present, nor Tewhiti, nor even William King, the cause of all the troubles in the past. What Rewi said just eighteen years ago lie said at the Waitara meeting. When asked by the Premier what he wanted, Rowi said, “I want Waitara back.” This so stunned the Premier that ho adjourned the meeting till the next day. In the meantime, the Premier had a secret interview with Rewi, of which no one knew anything. What could be gleaned by the expression, “Waitara is ours, and the matter will be settled by us two ” ? The hon. gentleman was still speaking when ten o’clock came.