PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Mataura Ensign, Volume VI, Issue 284, 24 August 1883, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Wellington. August !.">,

The debate on the second reading of Mr Bryce's Native Land Laws Amendment Bill was a most instructive one in several respects. This Bill came on for second reading on Friday and as you have already been made aware of its provisions I need not go into that part of the subject. Suffice it to say that it absolutely forbids under very heavy penalties private dealing in Native lands until title has been settled, though Government or their agents are to be allowed this privilege. Now, to my mind this is the great defect in t'-.e Bill. Why should the Government desire to traffic in Native lands and accord themselves privileges denied to privats individuals ? Besides, the permission given in the Bill to Government or their agents opens the loophole to fraud, and provides the gateway for the proverbial coach and four to drive through the Act. There will be found many Government agents ready and willing to oblige their friends, and unless this clause is struck out or considerably amended when the Bill is in committee the good effect, or good intentions rather, of the measure will be very much decreased. ; Some startling revelations were made by Sir George Grey, in the course of the debate, who showed from a return furnished to the Upper House that during the past two years over 13,000 acres of Native lands supposed to be reserved for the use of the Maoris had been acquired by the Whitaker family, whilst the firm of Whitaker and Tlussell had acted as agents for the purchasers of much larger blocks of the same kind, the purchaser in most instances being Mr Thomas Buddie. This gentleman is a young lawyer in Auckland and, it is understood, a member of the firm of Whitaker and Russell. He is also a shining light in the Young Men's Christian Association, and the son of a much respected and lately deceased Wesleyan missionary. All these facts should go to show that he is an eminently respectable young man who would not lend himself to any wrongful act. But there is a suspicion afloat that he does not hold the title deeds of those immense blocks of land, and that the Whitaker family have acquired more than their fair share of the territory of this country — and not by fair means either. Sir George Grey wanted to know why these lands which were supposed to be reserved for the Maoris were not declared open for sale and advertised in. the Gazette or elsewhere so that all might have had n,n opportunity of seouring a slice of land who so wished to do. So strongly does Sir George feel in the matter that ho announced his in'cntion of introducing a Bill to annul these grants to the Whitaker family, There does appear to be a screw loose somewhere, and ]ioweyer rnuph his politiqal opponents may decry, and seek to throw ridicule on, Sir George Grey the colony will undoubtedly thank htm for speaking out plainly and endeavoring to save what little there is left of the lands of the colony from the hungry maw of wealthy land sharks. It is detrimental to the future qf this polony tljat large blocks qf the best land of the calqny should fall into the hands of private speculator^, Consideration u? tip question of pay- ( wont nf m-ru'w^ill probably ocoupy a considerable poition of the remaining period of the session. Already the warning note has sounded in the introduction of B'Hs bearing on the sulqect and the tabling of a niotiqn in 'the Upper House by the Hon. Mr Pharazyn, the latter having for its object the discontinuance qf the honorarium to. members of the Legislative Council. Poor Mr pharazyn, who deserves j thanks of his country for his . pluck in submitting such an outrageously imper* tinent motion for the consideration of his brother peers, was attacked in a most brnta| manner by the " Tprds ; " and the | whole discussion was a pitiful spectacle I of the greed and avarice of human ' nature. By common consent these representatives of the patrician class agreed to descend to the l eve l °^ hounds . and with deep and prolonged baying fell together upon the" depredator of their kennels. Of course there

were several who held aloof from this cowardly attack upon a poor old gentleman of over 80 yews of age, who sat courageouly and fearlessly before his tormentors and never Sine bod from the stand he had taken, but the majority gave the best proof they could of their Ucjelessuess und uufitnoss fur their position. New Zealand can well do without such a body of men they by their avarice, their greed, their want of manliness and their coarse jibes and insults to a man whose hoary and venerable head shou'd have commanded rospecfc, at least, from those who differed with him, have disgraced the legislature of this country far more than their much despised brother legislators ia the plebeian chamber have ever done. It is to be hoped that the House of Eepresentatives will mark its displeasure of the conduct of their peers by refusing to vote their honoraria. That would perhaps have tha effect of breaking up this wonderful Council and dispersing Ms.L.O. to their homes with wrathful threats that they would never return. And a good job "too; rats it is said leave a sinking ship, and curs have a certain premonitory discretion which impe.'s them to relieve a place of their presence in advance of the certainty of being kicked out. The days of this useless branch of the Legislature are numbered, and it is a pity that the Council was not abolished whilst we could yet have retained some little respect for its members. They will go now surrounded not with halos of glory and honor and the esteem of their follow colonist, but followed by the disgust and contempt of all patriotic men.

One of the results of the Dargaville episode has been the motion of Sir George Grey to the effect lhat the Premier of the colony should not hold any position in connection with any bank or company trading in thecolooy, which he moved on Monday, interceptingSupp'y to do so. After Sir George had delivered a very foicible address in support of his motion Mr Eolleston was put up to answer him, but after the able speech of the people's tribune that of the Minister of lands fell very flat. The usual ' silent ' tactics so often used tins session were again employed, and there was no other speaker on the Government aide ot the House. Several Opposition members spoke; and the debate lasted about two hours and a-half, and a majority of IS decided against the motion. It is a thing to to be deplored that the Premier of the colony is not a representative of the people, but that having been rejected by a constituency he was called to the Upper House for the purpose of being made Premier of the colony, and is not therefore in a position to defend himself on the floor of the House. The head of the Government should certainly be elected by the people, and in this respect the present Government cannot be congratulated, for the former Premier, it will be remembered, had to be taken from the Upper House, although it is fair to add that he afterwards secured a seat in the Representative Chamber. Supply was again arrestedfon Tuesday by Mr Ivess, who moved his long pending resolution to the efhet that tho House approved of the principle of the money clauses introduced into his Election Petitions Act Amendment Biil, for relieving candidates'!' rom the expenses of election petitions where an election was invalidated through the blunders of returning officers, subject to the approval of tho Court, That is to say that,' if the Court, agreed that the elcctiou was upset owing to the laches of returning officers, the country should be held liable for the costs against the candidate unseated through the mistake of a returning officer. This prii.ciple was opposed, as it was argued that if it wore affirmed that nnioh rpvilod class of the community — the lawyer.* — - would promote petitions with tho object of niching from the public- purse. During the debate the Colonial Secretavy promulgated a most arbitrary theory. He thought that if candidates were afraid to risk an election because of their want of confidence in returning officers, and their fear of incurring pecuniary losses, they need not stand for election, This frqm. a Minister of the Grown in a free oountry ! If such a doctrine were to obtain we should have the wealthy class only sitting in the representative chamber ; the poor man would be effectually barred, for ii before contesting a seat a man has to consider wheth.e-.r- besides Mie election expenses he can pay £600 or $SOQ costs of defending a disputed election, contested by reason o| the hohes of a yetvnwn.g qfijoer- who is irresponsible, J and, it may be, a partisan and unsorupulous,he will pause before seeking Parliamentary honors. For the pro.tection of the poorer class. o| candidates someone should he liable for the blunders of an irresponsible officer. Major Atkinson h,as, however, announced 'that the whole question of I ejeetoraj reform will be considered at next session. So that thoste who. may ' be contemplatiu? a seat in I'arliainenfc ne*t general election, may find comfort hi ihis assurance, j

A deal of time was wasted on Tuesday evening in discussing Estimates, Class VI, JSative Land Purchases in the North Island, £73,000, A long and acrimonious debate between mem. bers of the Grey Government and Mr Bryce occupied most of the evening, charges and counter charges in connection with the administration . pi Native land during . the Jjenujje of office of the previous and present 'Government being freely hurled about.

This was an inexcusable waste of time because the whole discussion will be repeated when in committee on Mr, Bryce's Native Land Laws Amendment Bill. Then a sort of stonewall occurred immediately afterwards on the gold'field roads votes, Opposition members accusing Government of spending all the uioney in the districts of their supporters. These and other votes were passed without reduction, and at 3 a.m. Mr Fish protested that to go on longer at that hour would be burking discussidn. He therefore moved io report progress. Major Atkinson was of opinion, however, that things with going along very smoothly, and refused to budge until Government had #ot through the votes they wanted. Tins committee in despair then rushed through several items and adjourned at 3.i'o a.m. until 7.1J0 pm. Wednesday boing a private members' day and probably the last private members' day of the session as Uovernment will confiscate all others for Government business, there. was a large number of orders set down on tho pai.er. Government, 'however,' determined to burk discussion on those and to do so commenced 'stone falling.' on Mr Smith's motion for placing on Supplementary Estimates a sum of £6,000 as a grant 1o Public Libraries. , Although opposing the motion Government had no rea objection to it; their opposition was simply to enable the question to be talked out at 12.30. and thus prevent any fresh business lieing brought on. Half-a-dozen amendments were moved in order to waste time, and eventually the motion was carried with the addition of Mr Dick's amendment to the effect that no one library should receive more than £50. This sort of thing may be smart Parliamentary practice but it is hardly creditable to the Government, and many measures of. great importance to particular districts will now be bhelved this session. I was sorry to see Capt. Mackenzie lending himself to the 'stonewalling.' He made a most erratic speech in opposition to the motion, and was frequently called, to order by the chairman.