AN EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 August 1910, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH.

BY A LEGISLATIVE COUN-

CILLOR

AN M.L.C. ON M.H.K's

WHO HAS BEEN BOTH

A recent issue of Hansard gives details of the extraordinary speech delivered by tlio Hon. Mr Wi Pere a full-blooded. Maori, on the occasion of the panegyrics pronounced in the Legislative Council of New Zealand on the Into Hon. Mr Scotland. Mr "ere said :— Mr Speaker,-Sir, lam one of the members of this Council that fools great pain at inv heart for the bro-ther-member who has descended into darkness. J feel that pain tho more keenly because since I became amemmber of this honourable Council I observed at a very early stage that the honourable gentleman who has departed from our midst was one who felt inclined to indorse all 1 tried to advocate here. Ho was indeed a gentleman in mind. There were no two ways about him: he jiad only one way. When f say hell ad the one way, T want the Council to understand that he followed the. U'fty which was the way of justice. He Was a white man and [ a'Maori, hut he did not wish on that account to walk a different wav from me. No; ho recognised me as white as lit was himsolf. Mo I regarded liim ns, like myself, a Maori. ff I knew thai any particular men was advocating what would' bo harmful to tho pakeha, f, m a A.aori, would try to prevent it. [ only wish to ndd my tribute to a character that deserves, great honour. ft is wol, that we know this: When our Saviour, Jesus Christ, left his apostles he said, "I leave ysu here; 1 go to prepare a home for you in heavoti." 1 bohevo our friend has gone to the home that has been preparad for him. Sir, let us fight and carry on fill sort of warfare while we arc 'here but no olio can

GIVIO US A CROWX GRAXT entitling us to a home in .heaven. I lie best Government in the world cannot give us n Crown grant in fche homo to which our dear friend, lia.s K<me. David said a man may live eighty years. We are onlv given tune in whicili to fashion and make ourselves fit for n place in the homo the Saviour said he wouhi prepare for us. We enter into ah sorts of strife: hut, after all, we are nothing. When we leave here we leave everything behind us, and co Jience to that home. Therefore why fight and struggle in the limited time we dwell herei Let us rather work smooth!v in all oui works. I feel certain "that our deal rt'ioiKt has gone to Iw.s home in heaven, and that he is now possessed of a Crown grant where he will live in peace and happiness in a place that is unknown to us. My heart went oiit to the Hon. Mr Scotland because no made an effort on several occasions to support what I have advocated here. Never mind: he has taken his departure, and soon perhaps L will follow-in his wake. I hope. I leave you, if f should go beroro you, and you can remain here and spend the balance of your time in confusion, if it pleases von. "We are elected by the people of the various districts to represent them and to act as a mouthpiece for them. A momber of an institution such as we have the honour to belong must not be swayed from the path of justice, but some of us are

APT TO lib] LMD ASTRAY by the offer in some cases of £100 or more, and so they have wavered from the path of justice. But not so the honourable gentleman who has left us. Xever mind, as each of us occupy oiw seats we watch and JiMi'ge who is acting fairly and who otherwise. I remember well on tw* important Maori questions F spoke on here the Hon. Mr Scotland cried out Hear, hear," and indorsed .what I advocated; and at is because of what I observed of him that I feel certain ho has gone t:> the homo prepared by by our Saviour. Xow, perhaps some honourable gentlemen mav think I am a minister of the Gospel by the way I am speaking, but if they entertain such thoughts let me tell them they are wrong. J luivc left the House where things do not go on the one path. lam now a member of a House where I am convinced there is only one path we ran travel. Fn another place members are easily swayed from the proper path, but I feel certain that members here stick tiuht to the true and just one. We in this House have been given a more honourable name. We have been culled honourable, wo are expected to act honourably, and wo :!o so. We are not going to be

INFLUENCED RV MONEY or any form of bribery. Money is filthy; money is the' devil. The la.wyers in some cases are the agents of the devil. They use all sorts oi' flattering terms in order to iret money. The Hon. Dr. Findlay.-May I suggest to the honourable geiitclmiin that this is scarcely fitting on a motion of this kind The Hon. the Speaker. I think the honourable member is not in order. The Hon. Mr Pere.-The late Hon Air Scotland was a lawyer, and he was the exception to the rule. He was a lawyer, and he was indeed a gentleman. fin-, if you live onough you will find the truth of my words. Let us leave behind us sucii a good character as the hjte ■honourable gentleman left. He has obtained! his Crown grant from the King, and ho will now live in peace and happiness in that home prepared by our Saviour. Who has come from that home to let us know what it is like? We are told that it is a glorious home, and that if a man lives a proper life he will occupy a place there. We do not want to be like'tho man mentioned in the Gospel, jvlio knocked, at the portals and asked to be admitted, and he was told that foi

• - oxi'] f.u'lt ox.i,y he coul/.l nut be sulniitfccv';. and l.c was refused admittance. Let us have no faults. 1 Ton! rVepiy L!io loss of a very dear IVi-vl. Do not tlunk r am going to lament in tin:, strain for every" member who 'nay happen to die. in this Council; t>oro ate some I would not wiovo for at all. lam only jio-ing' to lament those who deserve it. Honoui iblc members must nr.-t bc'v.'me i.npaiient at the length (A my re marks, i-n- [ am trying to express what I foe! foi n dear friend who lias gone, an 1 if it hurts yon, or if you «v.o annoyed nt me for speaking, plenso do not show it. I nni not afrni:] of you. J am alone in thi". Council representing my race, anrl [ intpn-l to be heard— one ngninsfc man\*. Wly [ prievo is be-anso I hare lost the truest friend 1 h,\-] in the Council nnd T am now looking round for :

kindly face to take his nluc.o