PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 230, 28 September 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF KEPRESENTATIVES. Wellington', Thursday. The House met a 2*30 this afternooon. The Canterbury Rivers Act Amendment Bill, No. 2, to declare that no member of the Rivers Board was or has been disqualified as a member of either House, was passed through all its stages. Mr Larnach then moved a vote of censure on the Government for continuing the publication of the Waka Maori newspaper. He accepted the full responsibility of its being a voie of want of confidence. He read letters between Mr Stafford and Mr Waterhouse in 1872, showing that eveu then the paper was prostituted for personal and party purposes. He contended that a promise was then made to discontinue it; this had not been kept, and the result was that the paper was maintained in direct defiance of the wishes of the House, and the Government in January last, by pleading justification for the libel on Mr Russell, involved the country in the cost of at least £60J0. The Government was a continuous one, aud could not escape the full responsibility. He moved the resolutions. Mr Whitaker said if the vote was carried, Ministers would resign and recommend the Governor to seud for Mr Larnach. They were glad the matter was brought to an issue. This was a test question whether Ministers had the confidence of the House or not. He denied that the Ministry was a continuous one ; he had insisted on precedence iu it to show how completely ho had dissevered himself from the Vogel Ministry, Which on important questions he had opposed; and Mr Ornioud and Mr Reid had joined since he had. He did not think the cost3 in Mr Russell's case would exceed £3500, and the House would be asked to vote them. He quoted Ilansurd to show what took place when the vote was struck out last session. The. paper was then temporararily discontinued ; but owing to representations made from all parties by the natives, and in consequence pf the large amount of support promised, the Government decided to continue the paper. Sjr Donald M'Lean and a number of other gentlemen gave a guarantee for all expenses, including responsibility for all the consequences of publication. Under this) arraugement the paper was continued till last July, when, in consequence of remarks made in the House, it was discontinued. It had paid its own expences during the time. The libels alluded to were published before he joined the Government. He recounted t);e history of the Maori newspaper from the establishment of the Maori Messenger in 18-18 by Sir George Grey to the present time. He contended that the dates and facts he had given showed that Mr Larnach's assertion iu the motion was entirely unfounded, aud no honorable man could vote for such a motion after what he had stated. Mr Lusk supported the motion, contending that Mr Whitaker's admissions proved that the statements iu the motion were substau? stantially correct, aud that the paper had been continued by the Government in defiance of the clear intentious of the vote of the House and at the public expeuee. The debate was interrupted by 5.30. In the Legislative Council to-day the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill was thrown out by a majority of 9:— Ayes 8. Noes, 17. Messrs Pollen, Robinson, Bonar, Fraser, aud Bell spoke ij.gaj.nst the Bill; and Messrs Chamberlain aud Mantell in its favor. The amendments made by the House in the Friendly Societies Bill aud the Industrial Provident Societies Bill were agreed to. Friday. The debate was resumed by Mr Button, who thought that the Opposition should have brought their whole case forward at' ouce, and not made an attack on a single point and threatening there were others to come; too much time had been wasted already. He was quite satisfied with Mr Whitaker's explanations. Mr Evaus Brown supported the motion. The Government by its action had defied and challenged the House, and attempted to deprive it of the control of the public pupse. Within the last week the Crown Law Officer had pleaded the poverty of the editor and publisher to induce Mr Sheehan to accept the apology alone without the £100 he asked as compensation for libel, and he consented to do so, for it appeared it was to have the guarantees.

Mr Fitzroy would support the Government, being satisfied the Waka Maori had been supported by subscriptions. Mr Hoani Nahe said when he and others asked that the Waka Maori be continued they said no, but it hadnot been conducted as they suggested. He would support it no longer as it caused trouble. Mr Manders opposed the motion, but urged Ministers to consider the propriety of the reconstruction of the Government. Mr Wakefield supported the motion. He pointed out that the libel on Mr Sheehan appeared in the Waka Maori alter Mr Whitaker was iu office. Even if the Waka Maori had beeu self-supporting, the clear desire of the House last session was that it should cease as a Government, publication. Mr Harper, judging from Hansard, thought the objection last session was only to the expense this Government had met. The libel on Mr Sheehau appeared nearly a month before the vote was taken. The present Government were not liable for the libel on Mr Russell, though perhaps guilty of an error of judgment in defending it aa they did. Mr Thomson thought Mr Whitaker's explanation an unsatisfactory oue ; he distinctly remembered Major Atkinson promise last session that the Wa ka Maori should be discontinued. It was very damaging to find a number of private gentlemen using Government office aud funds to carry on ahewspaper; nothing had been shown to justify the Government in defying the House] Mr Gibbs did not think the Government had exceeded reasonable discretionMr Hodgkinson supported the motion. He looked on the guarantors as bogus ; very few men would have been able, like Mr Russell, to incur the cost of seeking redress when libelled by Government. He could not vote to condone such a grave constitutional wrong as that done by the Ministry. Mr Bowen complained that the Opposition instead of attacking the general policy of the Government, as they had a right to expect, narrowed the issue down to one miserable point. The Government had simply maintained the Waka Maori in compliauce with the general desire of the natives, without cost. to the colony. The guarantors were not liable for the libel on Mr Sheehan, as it appeared before the arrangements with them were made. Mr Travers would vote for the motion. Had Miuisters, instead of special pleading, openly avowed and defended what it had done the House might have condoued it. On two previous occasions Ministers had avoided giving the House information that it had a right to about how the paper was continued, and with a view to deceive them, The opponents had answered the questions so as to induce the belief that the paper was still published at the Government expense. The Government should have apologised aud withdrawn the libel on Mr Russell. They had not acted straightforwardly. If a false issue was raised the fault was the Government's. He believed their policy, if fully examined, would be fouud rotten at the core. Plenty of opportunities for this would arise. Mr Curtis moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at midnight.