TUESDAY.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 49, 19 June 1880, Page 2

TUESDAY.

Mr Sntfcdn presented a petition from the Napier Municipality praying that the subiK dies-he. continued r for the present year, when' he directed''^'attention to the fact--1 that the; statutes, of the last two sessions 'had not been'gaWtted in terms of. tfce;law/ and-therefore, it wais doubtful if the lavrr were in force. :';:'_'--'' v.:"V U?-^- :- /■•;:/.- --r - The Premier promised;; thatjithe. matter , should be looked; into inJirMdiatefy; Beplying to questions the Government 'stated that a; bjJ.l. would, be .brpught: in to mitigate the hardship under which hawkers labour respecting licenses in connection. wtijbß,'; County Council'fees.'". -1 ' .'■"■■. I The Qrovernmeht.^advanced £30,000.; on debentures of the.Vjf^imea Railway Company in virtue of • Clause. 19> of the. Eujblio ; Revenues A.ct, and that the. Gbrernment' was not advised that Clause. .32 of the. Public Works Act, 1879^ gives, 'power to make cash ativanee^tp district .railways. . , ' The. Q-over'nmen^ had rio intention of mating Waste. land,B Boards el,ectiTe boards, so even partially do: '•'_,' " * Letters not especially addressed;: were directed t'obe sent from. England: by SanFranciicp. That arrangement benefited the postal revenue» but of late the • instructions, biad been disregarded. The attention of the. London offioe had been >. called to the mntter, and-the.' (Jpverninent had Jdon e its best to. put ah end to the inconvenieno* recently experienced in'themitter".i "" The amount d,ue:to confcraotors ,|or. work at ToprHome, ITelson^had' been plaid. > Clause 23 of the^ general condition of .Government contracts, providing for the pay*, ment of workmen's wages at least each fortnight in cash, wou^d be ervforce^, •>■'

The Government had every desire t- - cure the ' country included in the it':i Springs district,' at Rotomabana and E;torua, for the public benefit, but the Maori owners were averse to it. The Government had prevented it passing into the hands of private persons, but their negotiations for its acquirement still far from being eomplefce: ■ The Hoc John Hall said that a* papers in connection with the inscription of the five-million loan had only just been cireulaled, the Government desired members to ,pscuse them.befox» prp/seedinjg irith the debate on the Financial State inent'.. Ho proposed to ad j urn the debate in the mean* time, and go on -with the. second reading of the. Native L,ands Bill. ; Sir George Grey objected to the second; reading till the whole of the Native -lands legislation was before them. ■-■ After further discussion, the Government agreed to go on with the Regulation o.f Elections Bill in Committee. ' ' ' Mr. Hutchison moved the amendment of Clause 28 so as to empower a returning officer to put as a question to the elector—^ " Have you already voted" uf'this or any f other electoral district .?!*; j : ; .." The discussion^ was .. interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment." ; . The, House v . t '•"'.• Progress was ireported on 'the, Election Biu: V - : ;•■■■';■ '„. ■»■ ■ The Hon. Mr, Bryce moved the second; reading of the Native Land Sales Bill, which he laid was one of eight measnuet, each dealing/with a distinct branch; of the subject, and together. .smhiody ing the Native pplipy of the Government. He. traced tfwu.^. history of Native lands legislation from tha Treaty of W/aitahgi to the present. In 18^1 the lysteih of purcjiase hy-the'S-overn-ment, .cbmmerica;dj inyplvipg great abuse, agents acting for themselvea and friends as well as for the government. It introduced a system which- bad demoralised Jthe. Native, race. ; The., agents and friends got the good land and-- the Government^ the? had* He could scarcely describe the terrible^iniquity winch had grown np under the system, and the Grey/ Government, which had gone into office to reform these abuses, had utttrly failed, not even attempting to do so, but had permitted them to "extend. Ha quoted an instance at Tauranga, where J. C Young had squandered £II',OQO. The plan was to give the* Natives orders on stores, get; them to sign vouchers, in blank, and then fill these vouchers up. To blind the audit, nIV soi to of illegitimate charges were, made against the Upd . purchase a q mnt, and everything particularly bad all ever th» North' lsland seemed to have been charged , against the Patetere Bltfcki] The Governmeotw.ere never likeiy to'getlaVdin return f^r the iindneyi expended. Ori ; the West ..Coast 3 ne officer on »)ie Waimalie Plaiif got an loiprest of £10,000 and then >o. three -Natives who owned; no; ground there; to sign . the vouaier to satisfy the audit, and then, the money was spent in connection with the. Waitara meeting. One block purchased; was estimated at 60,000. acres, arid : proved to only ; contain 7,000. These were not isolated cases. He gave the history of the. PateterebloeK ait length/ f For ; himself, he believed restoration of; ./pre-emptive right, was the blßst reinedy, if possible, but it was not He condemned free- trading ■- in land and contended that the be t available re- . m,fdy for the 'present evil -ws^i that p»>-. f essed in the bill, by whichV when the t.fcle. was ascertained. Native Jlaids would be. dealt with through, the W*ste. Lands Boards., Ifc would ' relieve :'ihe "Natives of pressure. ; and'peraec^tipii7%^ advantage.'. ■ ■-■•"'.» .■'■:.. '"'■'./';.;''' - On the mptiop of Major Te "Vv;heoro, the. debate on the second- readiug was aid journed; to Priday. ; ' - '^ v7 Thft Pharmacy Bill passei through Com-, m,ittee wjth. amendments, and .the House; "io?e. at 11.10. : J ti\ - ' "