GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1435, 21 September 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[per press agency.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Friday, September 20, the akaroa trust bill. In the Council to-day the report on the Lakes Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation Bill was brought up. The report stated that the estimates for the tunnel were £130,000 too low, and recommended that the operation of the Bill should be confined to the line from Lincoln to Little River. WELLINGTON RESERVES. A report was brought upon the Wellington Reserves Bill, which recommended that the measure should be dropped. CHARITABLE AID. Mr Hall’s resolutions about charitable aid were postponed till Wednesday next, OTAGO HIGH SCHOOLS. Dr. Menzies moved for a committee on the Otago High Schools endowment. Colonel Whitmore approved, and said the Attorney-General would attend and give evidence. BILLS ADVANCED. The Waitaki High Schools Bill was read a second time. The Dog Registration Bill was formally disposed of in committee, and the third reading fixed for Tuesday. The Clyde Athemeum Bill was referred to the Local Bills Committee. The Council then went into committee on the postponed clauses of the Brewers Bill, which were got through, the Bill reported, and the third reading fixed for Tuesday. HARBOR BILL. Colonel Whitmore stated ineidcntly that it was not likely the Harbor Bill would puss this session. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, September 20. The House met at 2.30. GOLDFIELDS REPORT. A report from the goldfields committee, recommending certain amendments in the Mines Act, was read. CENSUS RETURNS. The census returns were laid on the table. THE NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL. Mr Tole asked the Government to make further provision for the classification, discipline, and general management of the naval training school at Kohimarama in Auckland. In reply, the Colonial Treasurer said the whole subject was under consideration. TAPANUI RAILWAY, Mr Richardson asked the Minister of Public Works to lay before the House the specifications and general conditions of contract for tenders for tho construction of the Tapanui railway, the dates of tho first advertisement for tenders, dates of deposit of tender, list of tenders sent in, date of acceptance of tender sent in by Messrs Proudfoot, and Mackay, authority of Parliament on which the Government have incurred the present liability, and whether any arrangement is made by which the present contractors have any preference for tho contract for the proposed extension of the line. The Minister for Public Works said everything in the matter had been done openly and above board. All the information as to dates of tenders, &c. asked for was laid on the table. No present liability of any kind had been incurred, the liabilities were entirely prospective. The authority for the contract was a resolution of the House last session, and he hoped there would also be a Bill passed shortly. No arrangement of any sort had been made with the contractors in respect to any extension. RESULT of hikueanoi. _ Mr Sutton asked the Native Minister what papers ho referred to on Tuesday, when he said of tho meeting at Hikurangi —(1) That certain proposals were made to the King party, and which wore virtually accepted, were in print, and on the table of the House. (2). When the Government will give the House such information as will enable members to understand what is tho result of the several meetings with the King natives; and also what amount of money had been paid, and liabilities undertaken, "in respect to such meetings. Mr Sheehan said that the papers referred to had been printed and published before the session in the newspapers. They had been accidentally omitted from among tho papers laid on the table. In reply to the second part of the question, he said tho Government did not wish to supply anything more than the report of what passed at the public meetings, and hoped they would not he pressed for further information. The expenses paid and incurred would be supplied as corructly as possible. FIRST READINGS. The District Railways Act, 1877, Amendment Bill, Banks Holidays Act, 1873, Amendment Bill, and Married Women’s Property Protection Bill, was read a first time. PAY OF THE POLICE. The question of the rates of pay of the police force was remitted to a Select Committee, to report in fourteen days. administration bill. The amendments introduced into tho Administration Bill by the Legislative Council were agreed to, except clause 35. ELECTORAL BILL. The Electoral Bill was further considered in Committee. In clause 142 an amendment was made by which the numbers placed on tho ballot papers can bo sealed over, so as not to be open to inspection except by breaking a seal. After the whole of tho main clauses had been passed through Committee. Tho Attorney-General stated that he would propose a clause to allow Maoris to vote, both as ratepayers and as freeholders. Before any claim as a ratepayer can be made, all rates must have been paid by the voter. Mr Sutton pointed out that this vyas a different proposal to that contained in tho statement on native affairs. Ha proposed that a Maori should decide to vote either under a freehold or under a ratepaying franchise.

The Native Minister stated that no doubt at present the native representation was not more than half of what it should be. Upon tho basis of population, of property, or of contributions to revenue, their claims were equally great. The special representation was only fair, because tho Maoris were debarred from voting under the household, leasehold, or residential qualifications. The Maoris had displayed a greater amount of interest in public affairs than the Europeans. He hoped tho present dual representation would soon cease. Tho House should try to convince the Maoris that it was prepared to give them a full measure of justice. Tho debate was interrupted by 5 30. EVENING SITTING. Tho House resumed at V 30. ELEC CORAL HILL. Sir B. Douglas appealed to members to deal with the question of Maori voting entirely without party spirit.

Mr Stout called the amendment to withdraw the ratepayers’ franchise from the Maoris simply a side wind to interfere with the Native policy of the Government. Messrs Bryce and Gisborne objected to the freehold qualification being extended to non-ratepa/ing properly, and blamed the Government for vacillating. Mr Rolleston was surprised at the change of the policy, and thought that the question should bo treated on its merits without party spirit, and that it was not right Jo threaten the House with raising the Native difficulty afresh.

Mr Fox did not know of any considerable results arrived at in regard to removing the the Native difficulty. Equal laws did not imply that, because the Maori ratepayer could not be compelled to pay rates, neither could his land be touched in civil cases.

Mr Sheehan thought perhaps 6000 natives might bo rebels. Certainly not more. The late Ministry had broken faith with the Maoris in many cases. Strictly speaking the proposals before the House were illegal, because all races under constitutional law must be treated alike.

Mr Whitaker believed the constitutional law referred to did not exist. The restriction had been imposed upon Provincial Councils only, not upon the House, The fault of the Bill was that it did not put the Maoris upon a, equal footing with Europeans. The Maoris preferred special representation. Ho proposed that Maoris should vote for Maori members only ; that representation should be in proportion to population, every male twenty-one years old to have a vote if his name has been placed upon a list of voters. If the House would not continue special representation, then the Maoris should vote under the same law as Europeans. Dual representation was bad in principle, and would bo unfair in practice. Mr Brandon maintained that the old spirit of secrecy was still kept up in regard to native affairs. Equal laws did not apply. Ho quoted a case where a Crown grant had been issued, bub the Queen’s writ would not run, and trespassers could not be ejected. Mr McLean thought Ministers were fighting against their own Bill. He would support the clause as it stood, but not the amendment proposed.