PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 198, 12 August 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEUrSL.VL'jVE COUNCIL. W _ i KiTO.Nr, Frida-. , In the Legist vi»«« C>un;il to- lay, on thy adjourned m mon tha the Commi-siuners of the Public Deb s Sinking Fund be summoned to the bar of the douse, an amendment was moved by the Hon. Dr. Meazi^s tiiac the Sp-aktr be requested to direct the attention of the Oommis-ioners to the de'ay which had occurred in tin; transmisdon of thtir r port, and reminding them of the terms oi tbe Act, was carried.

The Hon. Mr Mantell's motion for the production of papers re the bo iy found iv Sumner Lave was agreed to. The Hon. Dr. Pollen introduced a bili to amend the Public Health Act. The second reading tikes place on Wednesday. In reply to a question by the Hon Colonel Wbit^iiore, Dr. Pol en said the necessary steps would be taken to pive.effect to the New Zealand Cross Endowment Act. The Council adjourned to Wednesday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Friday. Tbe House met at 2 30. to day. Major Atkinson in reply to Mr O'Rorke, said tbat the Government did not intend to extend the chain of settlements throughout the Seventy-mile Bu?h so as to connect the settlements between Wellington and Hawkes Bay provinces.

Tbe Premier, In reply to Mr Rees, with regard to the appointment of an AgentGeneral, gaid that the Cabinet had not yet discussed the matter.

Sir George Grey asked the Native Minister if the Government would lay before the House the reports received from the Native Lands Purchase Commissioner in the Poverty Bay district. The Native Minister said that the report contained grave accusations against certain Government officers, and with a view of enquiring into the matter the Government had withheld the papers, so as to give those officers an opportunity of replying to thpse ex parte statement. They hadnodeaireiowithho!d the papers from the House but thought timet common fairness demanded of them to pursue the course they did. Sir G.Grey objected to this explanation as unsatisfactory, and moved the adjournment of the debitein order to have the matter discussel Thereupon a long discussion ensued Re: s, Sheehan,Wakefleld, and R. Wood spoke warmly in support of the adjournment. Ultimately Sir George Grey withdrew his motion for adjournment. The Native Minister then introduced the Native Land Sales Bill. This started another debate, Mr Sheehan availing himself of the opportunity to show how unjust to the Native, and inconsiderate of their interests it was to bring down a bill of such vital interest to them, and to bring it on without giving them an opportunity of expressing an opinio a upon it. He suggested that the bid be referred to a select committee,

The Premier explained that the object of Bringing the bill forward so soon was to get it passed through its second reading as early as possible, and then to refer the bill to a select committee before going further. The discussion thus originated was kept up until the Hou. rose at 5 30, without any time being fixed for the second reading. Messrs Karaitana and Tairoa said the bill should be circulated among the Natives before being considered in the House. During the course of the debate, certain things in connection with Native affairs and the actions of the Native Minister were sharply criticised by Sir George Grey, and Messrs Sheehan and Wakefield.

Saturday. Upon the House resuming at 7-30, Mr Stevens took up the Separatioa debate, saying that it was not brought forward so completely as by Mr Whitaker in 1866. At one time he had favored separation, but of a different kind to that shadowed forth in the present resolutions.| He st -ongly reprobated the practice of saying that the Parliament was Dot a representatiye body, as he considered that it represented 'he co ony very well in whatever way they liked to look at it. While prepared to detl with the general policy or finnnce of the Government Irom an independent point of view, he could rv>t look upon these resolutions as in any way connected with the conduct of Ministers. The hon gentleman then proceeded to consider the Bcbeme embodied in the resolutions from a financial point of view and went on to show that the scheme proposed by Sir G Grey would be most injurious to the credit of the colony. Touching upon the land lund, he could not agree to ccc that interfered with, but while he maintained the right of Canterbury to that which she had enjoyed for twenty yeirs, he was colonial enough in his feelings to vote for enabling Auckland to maintain an effective Government if Bhe was umble to do so by herself. He Bubmit-ed to the House an imaginary financial statement as to the cost of governing the South Islan I in case Sir G. Grey's resolutions were carried, and, though he professed to have taken the Provincial Estimates for the purpose of making thtae calculations he showed that the Government machinery of the Island could not be maintained in good woiking order under a million <ml a half per annum, which would compel them to make common stock of the land fund, or to impose a Jnitional taxation. The people of Canterbury were quite prepared io give ot what they had, but they were not going to give anything to galvanise into life the corpse of Provincialism. He must oppose separation whether be looked at it from a selfish or a sentimental point of view.

Mr Donald JKeid supported the resolutions in a long speech, in the course of which he criticised unfavorably many ofthe detiiis of the Government policy, and ai_ued that according to his estimates (much more moderate than those of Mr Steven^) he would be prepared to show that the Government of the two Islands, including a Federal Government, could be carried on a great deil < heaper than' the over-grown system at Wellington. He deniol that the resolutions meant a vote of want ot confidence. The Ministry were probably as good administrators as any set of meu in tha House. It was not them he objected to go much as to thtir system. Any other Ministry under the same regime would be as objectionable, and if tbe resolutions were not carried he would not assist to turn them out of office, but he warned them that they must not hope to force their propofals upon the people without creating feelings of discontent that would not be easily allayed. The hon. gentleman went at considerable longth into the proposals of tho Government to show tbat they were not only undesirei by ihb public at large, but we _ utterly unsuited to the wishes and requirements of tbe people, and that under them it would be impossible to locil'se the Land Fund.

Mr Moorhouse opposed the resolutions, and defended the Government fiom the accusations of incompetency and extravagance made against them, especially the Premier and Native Minister, and mentioned that from his experience of the liberal and imposing style with which Provincial Government was curried on in Otago and Canterbury, it would be quite impos-ible to carry on the three Governments proposed as economically and efficiently as their present legislature was To him the only object of the resolutions appeared to be to harass the Government.

Mr Larnaidi supported the reso'utions on the grcund that the work of the Government at present was unnecessarily extravagant, and th'it substantial economy could be atiaiowi under fcir George Grey's proposals, thungh he did not blame the Government so much for that as the Houee He denied that the charge would neceesarily injure the credit oi the colony.

Mr Ru_ell opposed the resolutions, and rifipveciitf-d the ex' inordinary per«onal rancour <ii i>:_yvd in die course ot the di-bate against mdiviiu/i! m tubers ot the Ministry by cert.io in rob ; r* of tliu Opposition. Mr Wakefield m.^ed the adjournment of the debate, and the House adjourned at (2.45,