THE ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 85, 3 August 1878, Page 2

THE ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

[FB6ai OUB^QfITN CQBBESPOIfDENT/]' : '> :- WExirNOTok, Wednesday. ' The real wort of the Session commenced last night, although members have, "riot as . yet fulfy answered th6 sound of the " eaill" In the Council the business was of -a.;particularly; formal and routine character, therebeing Nothing beyond the usual production , of Papers, and selection of Committees, of i: ~ which," oh the motion" of the - Colonial Secretary, Major Richmond was appointed Chairman. . . The: : Hon. jGolonel '"Wnitihoir*; applied for leave to introduce the following Bills:—. - -;:: ■•>:,•//,; ■>; ■ \ ; -;>* An \ Act. to authorise the Trust ees of. .Savings Banks to pay over to certain 1 y institutions profits made by. ._sucb; banks/and to provide for the invest--meht of such profits, .i ■■ -'':? An Act to regulate the -Branding of 'Stock, and theregistration-ofbrands- :- . - jusedfortbafr purpose. -,,;/; •;> „ An Act fco:provide for the eradication of scab m sheep. ;;■ .. v ; , L .■•., ;.-• ; . An Act to. .supplement , "The Sale of Food and drugs Act, 1877. '.-.'; .■ , An Act for the prevention of cruelty to A animals. , In all of these leave was granted, and they were ordered to be printed and read ia> second time. '- " ■ Tbe'Hon. Colonel Whitmore brought up.the address m reply to the Governors. . Speech, •which /was read by the C.erk, and. - notice given for its adoption next day. ■ The; House of Representatives met at 7.30 1 for the despatch of business, when MrJames' Green, and Mr Saunders, this [newlyelected .members . for , Port Chalmers and . Cheviot took the oaths and the^r ' seat's* Messrs. Stout and Thompson stood. sponsors for the former, and Messrs. Montgomery andFqx for the latter. After the various committees were appointed, the House was on itsbest behavior ".-to" listen to the address m ' reply moved by the hon. member f or Hokitika. Mr Geobgb ..commenced -by.' saying: .that he was hot only one of the youngest born to political life* but- he might say, -m - point of years he was the junior member of the House. At the outset he was somewhat timid, but the encouraging interjections thrown m from both- sides of the -House,.- ■■ had a material stimulating effect, and before the conclusion of the' address tha speaker had given evidence that when more at home m the positionj he will.be an acquisition to r the debating power of-the-As-sembly. Taken as a whole, however, the speech did not represent much, being^al- ■ most as nol able for the superfluity of thank* with which it ' abounded , as the utterances of Sir George generally have been; with I promises. Mr George . merely touched, upon the various items m. the Vice-regal Bpesch, and wis ly refrained f rom anjr . elucidation or explanation. Mr Hobbs, seconded the motion,! and m acquitting . himself of the task, proved that although - .new 'to the House, he was no stranger to public speaking. His Swords were, well cbo«pn, therdelivety easy, and there was a> pleasing absence of that coi'Straint, and . hesitation which is the usual drawback fa "maiden" utterances. He w:?s repeatedly* cheered during thedeiiverv,.apd at the emir; elusion waa greeted with '('ppl'iu-'e- Mr ■','. Hobbs, iike^isfriend'anfVCliiaf^^h© Native ' Minister, wasiborn inihe colony, and witb.' Mr WiUiw 118 !" tn e - mmemberr r - for Mongpnui

and the Bay of Islands is, not only a son of the soil, but a good native scholar. It is j somewhat of a coincidence that when Mr Hobbs was introduced to the House his sponsor? should have been two native born . xnemßers— Messrs. Sheehan and Hamelin. To the surprise of all, the seconder had no sooner resumed his seat than the erratic, and turbulent (member for Auckland sprang into the breach, and became the eelf-con-stituted leader of the Opposition. The reverend .or" rather ~irreverend Doctor, after complimenting the mover the address, followed up with a sheer at the- profession fvoin which he. (Dr. Wallis,) has-cut himself adrift, and then proceeded to inform the House that his faith m the present Ministry had undergone a considerable change during the Recess. He criticised the composition of the Cabinet, and m a very lengthy, but not over clear harangue condemned the programme put ■ before the country. As might have been been expected the action of the presumptuous member brought Mr Fox to his feet, and m alluding to the speech of tho ; previous speakers -he . expressed himself, m the following somewhat equivocal language :— " The Oppsitionknew the versatility of the iHon: member, and being aware of the"Btrong support he had given the Ministry last year, felt sure he would be on the opposite side this year." • After this doubtful compliment to the fiery doctor's consistency, he launched out into a , depreciation of the labors of the Premier and Nativie Minister m settling the Native ,' difficulty, waxing eloquent m his eulogium upon those of Sir Donald McLean, to whom and-Dr. Pollen he attributed all the credit to be hestowed. He ridiculed the recent meetings -held at Waitara between Rewi and, the Premier, Btating..that neither the l^ig, Manuhiri, William King, nor any /Of th>>hief s who had- m6st_to_do with the fewere present. The next to catch r^he eye of the Speaker was the hon. member for Geraldine, and Mr Wakefield, m a cutting, sarcastic speech, scarified Mr Fox for his many disingenuous utterances, and expressed himself as -surprised that he had permitted party spirit to so blind him as to "be perfectly oblivious of facts; He characterised Mr Fox's storyiof the state of things m 1869 as positively untruthful, and asserted that, the neoi of the rebellion had been broken by Colonel Whitmore before Mr Fox took office, stating that the last remnant of the starring wretches on the West Coast had surrendered two or three days after Mr Fox came into office, and yet the hon. gentleman wanted to claim credit for members ofjhis Ministry. In"conclur won, he charged the hon. member for Wanganui (Mr Fox) with ha-ring been the cause of much of the Native difficulty by his rash and inconsiderate reversal m 1869 of the ' policy of the-StafEord Ministry." Mr Wakefield i 8 not a man to mince matters, and this "way m which the eastigation wag administered, winding up with the above impeachment, can only be imagined by those who have heard the member for Geraldine when he"is using the flail. The Native Minister was the next to occupy the floor, but he confined himself to replying to the remarks made by MtF.jx with regard to the|part Sir Donald McLean played m the. Native difficulty. Mr Sheehan said he could quite understand why the member for Wanganui (Mr Fox) should set himself up as the apologist.for Sir Donald McLean, for of all other men m the colony Mr Fox had abused the dead statesman most. The object ofthe member for Wanganui was not to do justice, to the, memory of Sir Donald, hut to deprive, the present Government: of the credit that was due to them for the estab* lishment of peaceful and friendly relations with the tribes formerly at war with the Government m the North Island. He denied that the tour of the Ministers had saddled the country with expense, and stated that m the course of his official visits to the Tarious parts of the colony he had to make a pound go as far as fifty at the disposal of other Native Ministers. Up to this stage of the proceedings, the Europeans had had the fight all to themselves, when Mr Karaitiana Takamonna, ' the representative of Eastern , Maori, thought he would " chip m," which he did, taking up the cudgels for his Chief, and r .cutting' up rough on Mr Fox, whbm^ amidst loud laughter, he characterised as a badv man, and as a proof thereof, «tated that he used to endeavor to persuade -the King people not to believe m the King, and his conduct" was for the destruction of the Island. Mr Fox did not reply to the statement of the dusky, orator, and the debate was resumed by the ex-Premier, who stated that while objecting to several statements m the Speech, he would not oppose the motion, rather preferring to throw the responsibility of substantiating them upon the Ministers. The motion was then agreed to," and the following address presented by the committee appointed for that purpose :— May it please your Excellency. — "We, her .Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the representatives of New Zealand, m Parliament assembled, beg to thank your .Exr ccllency for the speech which your Excellency'was pleased to make to both Houses Lof Parliament. We assure your Excellency fc^hat we are glad m your visits to parts of the colony you should, as the Queen's Representative, have been received with the utmost loyalty and cordiality, and that ybu should have witnessed the marked progress m material prosperity that is everywhere taking place. We have heard with much pleasure that peaceful relations nave at last been established with the Waikato ond~ Ngatimaniopoto tribes ; and we hope that ere long European civilisation will be permitted to establish itself through the length' and breadth of the colony. We are glad fcliat steps axe being taken to provide for the sale and settlement of the confiscated lands along the West Coast of the ■ North Island. We assure your Excellency that, the tnonsnre* tending to protect Gorernment Native land purchases for dealing with electoral reform, with the extension of the jurisdiction of local Courts, with Native lands, and for amending the District Bail ways Act, will receive bur careful consideration. We shall carefully consider the Estimates when laid before us; and the proposals for a. change m the incidence of taxation will meet with due deliberation. We hope that the various administrative changes made, and proposed to be made, will tend to the efficiency of the public service. Any proposal that will enable a more rapid means of communication by steam with England will receive .our best consideration. We are glad that such arrangements have been made with- the Australian colonies as will make more perfect bar postal and telegraphic communication with the United Kingdom. In conclusion, we assure your Excellency that all ttier means tending to promote the progress.of the colony will be favorably conBidered by us ; and we join m your Excellency's prayer that the Spirit of Divine Wisdom may so guide our counsels, t hat t.he peace now established may be continued, and that the happiness of the people may be further secured; "• The Legislative Council commenced its deliberations on Wednesday, at the usual hour, the adeption of the address having been m the hands of the' Hon. J.N. Wilson, • the only redeeming feature An the speech being Ms brevity. The Hon. Mr Bpckikt eecooded the motion in' even . more -.brief

terms than his predecessor, merely-dwell-ing upon the vexata quaestio of the settlement of the Native difficulty. Colonel Bbett fired a broadside into the Government anent the defence of the colony, -when .he was succeeded by Messrs. Ham, Hart, Dr. Pollen, all. of whom had something to say m praise of Sir Donald McLean. The Speaker was of opinion that the Government had -not meant to ignore the services of their predecessors, and ruled it was not competent for the House to discuss the matter where those most concerned could not reply. After a little further discession, the address was adopted, and the Council adjourned at five o'clock. pn the House of Representatives assembling, the new member for Grey Valley, Mr Reeves, was introduced by the AttorneyGeneral, and Mr J. C. Brown. The business commenced by Mr Fox, amidst suppressed smiles, asking the Minister of Justice, whether the Government intended to intro--duceaßill for the amendment of the law relating to the common sale of intoxicating liquors. Having been informed m the affirmative, and that it would shortly be. m the -hands of members, he next, wished to be informed if a measure were to be introduced for the suppression of lotteries, the i reply to which was exactly the same as to the previous query. He next drew the attention of Ministers to the arrival of commissioners m Victoria from Japan, wishing to know if it were intended they should be invited to visit this colony. Sir George Grey, however, would give no decided answer m the matter until supplied with more information. The usual number of questions were then put to Ministers amongst which ■• was one by Mr asking whether the Governments were willingto lay before the House, the correspondence . between the Mayor of Wellington, Mr Shearman, the Government, and the questioner. To this Mr Shearman said the correspondence would be laid before the House as soon as possible. The Mercantile Law Further Amendment Bill was read without discussion, and ordered to be committed the following day. In moving the second reading of the Trades Union Bill, the ' Attorney-General stated that its provisions were to facilitate trade union, and render their acts lawful, and give the members the same opportunity of disposing of their labor as other classes of the community had, by combination, of getting certain prices for certain goods. The provisions of the Bill were similar to those of a Bill m operation at Home. In this Colony, banks arranged amongst themselves the rates of discount and interest to be charged or given, and sheep farmers and others were found combining amongst themselves to pay -only a certain rate of wages. Why should not laborers be placed on the same footing, and be able to say, "We shall not sell our : labor below a certain amount ?" The second provision' in the Act related to benefits, and allowed unions to take advantage of the Friendly Societies Act: