THE PREMIER And MR. FITZHERBERT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 202, 26 August 1874, Page 4

THE PREMIER And MR. FITZHERBERT.

Our telegrams informed us that some hard hitting took place between these two gentlemen, on Friday evening, on 'the subjecfrof the Manawatu-Rangitikei r '3feim. ~We take' the following report of the altercation from tbe N.Z. Times : — A message was brought down from his Excellency recommending an appropriation of £15,000 to the Province of Wellington in connection with tbe Manawatu-Rangitikei claim. Mr. Yogel said at once that the Government wofild not consent to borrow 'money over the expenditure of which it bad no control. The choice of tbe -jwqrks was left to the Provinces, but the approval of them must be left to tho .Minister of Works The Government , would not be a party to borrowing money for public works on any other condition. They would not consent to put themselves in the position to borrow money that otber persons might spend it. : $fr Fiizberbert said the House had decided that £15,000 was due to the YRroyince by the General Government ~(No, no),— and tben down came the Treasurer in a vindictive spirit to say . yoa shall not have it. Such a course wonld not convert the Minister's majority into a minority. He accepted, however, the clause as it was proposed by the Government — hard lines ''■ -'as it was for the Province; but when the Premier asserted that he would '- still resist the vote, he thought the hon - gentleman was going too far. Mr Yogel said tbe hon. member for the Hutt had so often attempted to deceive the House in this matter that he was attempting to deceive himself He stated once more, in. the most emphatic terms, that the Speaker bad not decided that the General Government was indebted in a sum of £15,000 to the Province. It should be quite enough for the hon gentleman, at bis y-'atage of political life, to occupy the 'position he occupied at the present ,moment in public estimation. It was utterly impossible, after what occured, that the Government could have any confidence whatever in the authorities- * 'of the Province of Wellington. No man bad ever done more than he (Mr Yogel) bad done for the Province of ?/= Wellington. It was not for the Province that the hon member for the Hutt cared, in this ; o_atter, but for tbe personal power in expenditure of the money. The hon. member was Pro-•--vitfcial when it suited him, and Colonial wfieiHt suited him, and at present he :_ was Provincial. He. (Mr Yogel) was not to be deterred, however, from doing his duty to the country by anything the hon. member might do. The Province of Wellington gave the General Government more trouble than all tbe "other Provinces together. He denied that he was animated by any vindictive . epirit towards the Province of Wellington. He knew tbat if tbe House had : - been asked to remove the : Superinten- • dent of Wellington in consequence of his action in tbe matter lately before the Court, the House would have done bo. Mr Fitzherbert aaserted that there was never a more bitter enemy of the Province of Wellington tban the hon. _ .gentleman at the bead of the Govern- . ment, whom he accused of an insensate ?- greed of power. He accused the hon. s- gentleman of conduct disgraceful to °- afiy Premier, in. having conspired with members of the .Provincial Council of Wellington as to the rejection of the „ Public Works Bill. In public life, be Kaa Veen /able on more than orje occasion to check-mate the hon. member. Poor as the Province of Wellington was, and masters of millions as the Premier- was, he (Mr Fitzherberi) would yet beat him. irr. -Mr /Fox did not desire to increase elreiffy too great acerbity of the _di^«baite. As for the threats applied to sv : lhe Premier, be would only remark that tbreatened*_oen live long. Mr Fitzherbert : Superintendents A. especially. (Laughter.) : n . f >= Mi 1 For asserted, without fear of Z [Mp^f idiotion, that when the Premier . and; himself weie in office, everything '■-'.-' possible had been done for tbe Province ?C*W«ll&jjton, which they found in tae hi 7 A*^ 7j e P& °* poverty,, the Superih(Dr. Featherston) actually afraid iolwalk out in consequence of the importunities to which be wks .'^.exposed, with his Treasury empty, his own salary unpaid, and his whole staff OY disorganised because they were unpaid, and even its trust funds appropriated. They assisted the Provincial Government oot of its difficulties, and in doing so lost the support of many mem-ten's who represented other Provinces, on : the ground that they had unduly favored Wellington. Ho bad not known of anything that had since been done to justify the cry of persecution of. this " poor . Province of Wellington!*' There might be a feeling of. hostility towards the Provincial Government of Wellington on the part of tbe General Governmerit, but there was none towards the Province j^and he reminded the hon . meth- *"' ferfor'the Hutt when he spoke of tie approval of ihe people of his conduct, that a very large number of the people of thfe Province, and its northern part -.-hia particular, bad no confidence whatever jn jthe hon. member as Superibtendeut or his Executive. He denied altogether, that this sum of £15,000 I was a debt due to the Province. j

, ■'. if. . ; •. ■ • .- . l - J , >n?,it: l £p»M Db * a &, P a P o r «ays:— "Curiojus persons who examine the Monthly A-tn^ list have often.. expressed ttiiir S^fsurpried at the display of patriotism

made by New Zealand as illustrated in its pages, where not dozens only, but hundreds of our brave fellow-subjects are found bearing commissions in the colonial Volunteer service, which are duly recognised in the official lists. Of. majors alone, for instance, there appear to be enough to fill a very respectable battalion on their own account, without any assistance from tbe lower military grades." This sarcastic writer professes to have instituted inquiries as to what the New Zealand majors are doing to keep up their acquaintance with military art. One result is a communication from Taranaki describing a local Wimbledon which had taken place there: — "Mr Collins, whoobtained the best score — 54—' was awarded a plum cake, a lady's necklet, and a jet cross.' The second to him (Mr Furlong) received a bottle of claret, and the third (Mr Elder) a silver brooch and doll. But the more substantial acknowledgement of a sucking pig was specially reserved for the lowest scorer (Mr Roebuck), apparently on tbe same principle adopted in certain races among ourselves where the last in wins. As tbe local paper remarks ' nothing occurred during the day for special remark, with the exception of a narrow escape tbe marker had ol being shot, tbe disc hand having been cut in two by a bullet,' the whole of the proceedings passed off very pleasantly, and no doubt were calculated to give tbe Taranaki Volunteers at once an excellent opinion of their own military qualifications for a place in the Army List."

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