LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 85, 17 August 1868, Page 199

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

-JULY ld*. _ ..

ADDRESS IN RERLY.

The'hon; Dr; Pollen -explained ffhe circumstanceb under'which'his Excellency refrained fromviritihg Hokianga. He had not ibeen forbidden tO'go’there irom the Bay tff :bnt had been advised not to do so in consequence .of society there being inv a : State ,of tur•moil.' Two tribes of natives had*, quarrelled; a murder had been commifetud, and 1 an investigation into the circumstances was being held.. His presence there might ; haye : -the j appearmace .of sanctioning the conduct of one or the other party engaged dn the ! dispute. With regard to the. Thames fields, the people that own the land had a perfect right to keep it intact if they liked to do so ; and it was a high compliment to the Government and the people that such, right had beeu respected, and .no attempt at trespass was made oh the lands which'were kept closed,'though such lands were believed to contain a very rich goldfield. The arrangement with the natives for the land opened gives them the proceeds of the miners’ rights, and reserves to them their rights in the township; but business, .auctioneers’, and publicans’ licehsesj : and;the.gold duty, belong to the revenue. With respect to taxation and loans, the mind of-the Government had been declared in the speech. ■The address was then, agreed to. r ADDRESS TO THE LATE SPEAKER. The hon. Mr Seymour .proposed an address to the hon. Thomas Houghton Bartley, the late Speaker* ; on.;the occasion of his resignation:, of the .office he had held for many years. The hon. Dr. Pollen . ; se,condecl the motion, and the address was agreed to. METE KINGI ELECTION' BILL.' This bill was brought up. from the House of Representatives, read a first time, and second reading ordered for next sitting day. USURY BILL. Dr. Pollen moved the second reading of the Usury -Bill, which fixes the maximum rate of interest payable on mortgagees of freehold property at 8 percent.

The hon. Mr Johnson suggested that the maximum rate be made 10 per cent. . The hon. Colonel Russell could not agree with the suggestion. flAthought it desirable to lo wer tho rajte paid as interest. It was . true jßauksi had charged 10 per cent. - for overdrafts ; •but they had divided .' 174 -per -cent., and also added 'considerably to' their reserve funds. He was glad to see that the Bill made the. maxiginm rate 8 per cent., and. he hoped-.it -might hereafter be made much low’er.

The Bill was read, a second time, .committed, .read a Jbird time, and passed, - . ■'■ ;. ! * PAWNBROKERS- BILL.-' On the motibb of the hon. Dr. Pollen the Pap-brokers’ Bill read a second: time consider.ed ia committee. . ... ( , . , Juty 15. NATIVE APFAIRS. The hon. Colonel Russell asked what course the. Goverqmeut intended to pursue regarding, jthe native, at'Wanganui.i -;-i . r ; ? ; The lion. Dr Pollen said that there had not been any specific news", but if notice of motion jyere giyen he sliouid probably be ,in a reply .next: sitting day.-. v : : ~ ' ; ; LhNA-TIGS. • A bill was brought in by the hon. Dr' Pollen to consplidate And amend tiie fa Jtyjbjatics, _:.. J:. : ! The standing orders being suspended for J that- puirpdse; v the f Metb Kih^i

‘BJectibnijßiU awfta >passe<J through its' r ;jOl|opbßiitiptf /&oin ; the :hon^^Maii* , ctellKwKo'jthojughtc .the: altering of a law topleaseithe-nativeswouldheanother , of taots which -tna.de us;a laughing :stqclfi;:,» :We ishould/ teach thelnatiYesthat: guided by .our :aud the person supposed ;to be elected: should resign:, his; office to go to his constituents,; for re-election, or allow; another to be. elected .in his stead. f : He should press the , question tora. division in -order. that his vote zpight be! recorded,

The hon. Colonel Russell agreed with his hon. friend. He saw no need of special legislation; he could not see any evil likely to occur from the election being disallowed, and he should vote against the Bill, , The hon. Colonel Kenny said he agreed with-much, that had been said, but as the . Bill related principally to the other House, which had passed it, it : .would not be expedient for the Council to reject it. He hoped it would not he pressed to a division, The hon. Mr Seymour saw no reason why they should go out .of their way to legislate for one particular case. The fact of their other two representatives taking their seats would suffice to show the natives the true reason for the disallowance of this one. The hon. Mr Johnston thought the fault lay with the Government, who should have explained this matter to the natives before the election, as its disallowance would cause them to think it hard to understand our law.

After a brief reply from J)r, Pollen, the Council divided as follows :• —Ayes, 5-—Major Richardson, “Col. Kenny, Dr. Buchanan, Mr Johnston, Dr Pollen. Noes, 4—Mr Seymour, Mr Nurse, Mr Mantell, Col. Russell. Majority for the bill, 1.