HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 66, 10 September 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Sentember 8. Mr Seymoar resumed the debate on Hawke's Buy Land transactions, opposing, that a committee sbould perform such extensive duties. The enquiry suggested should be confined to enquiry into the charges msde in the House against Ormond and Grey, nnd the way Hawke's Bay land suits were conducted. Sir George Grey denied that he had ever heard of passed by old settlers, impugning his ■trnthfulriess. ;:< Meiorwho'se n< m'es wer.e^quofed as "'parlies "thereto, were old a_d vilued friendsr Hejdenied that; the-, House had anything to do with Oranui case, which was with a European, who. if wronged, had tho Courts of law open, fco s iiim. yi He stmpily refused to pay money for a bargain he never made. He denied positively ever having been a member of a Land Purchasing Com** pany.: He , had been desirous of es-. tabliahing a settlement near Taupo,' and. when a company was formed to establish one there,, he had promised to assist what he considered a goodobs jeer, bul; he had no further interest in the company of Henry Russell Cox Whittaker, Thomas 'Russell, Whitmore and others. He read a letter from Whitmore stating positively thab Grey was not a member of that company. He warmly defended Bees uud Ormond as most insulted. Rees' constituents, with himself, were quite satisfied with Rees iutegrity and disinterestedness, ile strongly;.jcondejuned the means by, which, Hawkers Bay land had been acquired, as /shown by the Report of the Commission. He did -not 1, believe the House could pass a law. to shut the ordinary Courts j ; o "a special tribunal for redress

He was quite willing to have hi-^» transaction-* investigated by a Com- W mittee. Hh had nevei;„. ; bqught an JI acre of Native, landr^ r ", ' l Mr Button; thought a Coinraittee ' would be useless, and spoke \at length in defence of Hnwke's Bity faj-rl pura i chafers. - .' \®\ j Mr Rowe would' leave th^whole matter to ihe Supreme Cou.rfc.HyJ? Mr Stout condemned tliM manner iv wh'ch Hrey was being tr|e?i by the House and the Prfss. ; reaction would come. If Grey* had acted , wrongfully and been bribed regard in;*/;:" ' Taupo hind, aa stated by OrmonOT;" > had not Cox and whittake.' done so* also in bribing a Governor. He re- 1 ) fenei at length to Hawke's Biy traner actinna, especially Suttons, as "detailed by the Comnvssion. He supported the appointment of a Committee. Uns^eH's amendment was nejitived on the voices. Whittaker then moved to add to Ree.-'' mil ion words to tbe effect that/ the Committee enquire into tho charges made against Ormond and Grey, in reference to the Taupo affair, and into thie alleged improper conduct ol certain land suits at Hawke's Bay. He replied generally to Grey's charges against him regarding Taop-i land affair.) Ue believed Cixs sti'ement. that Grey was concerned as he knew Cox to be truthful and Grey not so. His" own connection with the affair was, that when the company was formed in Wellington Tom Knssell! put his name down as one. When; he heard of it he declined, becaufe ' tlie scheme was too large. He knew no more till Russell dre"w on him tor -£_0 to pay expenses. After the company broke up. He spoke against jßees, in relation to- his leaving the West Coast, when llees denied the accusation to he true. The Speaker called Whittaker to . order, and said that such personalities werp highly irregular. said he had been attacked and simply wished to retaliate. Wakefield warmly" condemned the conduct of the Government, and supported the appointment of a Committee. He was ashamed of the debate, and inclined to say with King David " All men are liars." On ft division Whit-taker's amendment wao rejected by 26 to 25. The debate on the original motion continued ani the Ilouse ndjoueped at 1.20, p.m.