PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 231, 29 September 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Friday. The House met at 2-30 this afternooon. An angry discussion took place regarding the delay of the Disqualification Committee lin reporting on Mr Kennedy's case. One motion to reduce tbe quorum from five to three was lost by 38 to 35. The amendments made in the Bill regarding the disqualification of Messrs Peacock and Fisher were not agreed to. Mr Curtis resumed the Waka Maori debate. He never knew such a paltry issue raised to affect the fate of a Ministry. The assertions of .the motion were inconsistent with fact. He found £208 6s 6d had been paid iuto the public accounts for subseii^tiors from January to September, and £300 was still due. The cost of the paper, certified by the Government Printer, from 7th September, 1876, to July 31, 1877, was ouly £185 4s. He thought the Government was fully justified iu continuing the paper on the terms they had done, uuder what he knew to be a substantial guarantee. Mr Montgomery defended the conduct of the Opposition, which he said consisted of right and left wings working continuously together, and were determined not to relax their efforts till they placed new members on the Treasury Benches who had opinions of their own and would stick to them. He attributed the disorganisation of parties, until lately, to Mr Stafford's desertion of his party iu 1873. The Opposition required further information on financial matters before discussing the whole policy of the Ministry, and would be prepared to do so in due time. He considered the Government had acted most improperly iu regard to the Waka Maori, and lie would vote for the motion. ' Mr Sutton thought Mr Whitaker had completely answered everything said in support oi rhe motion. Mr Russell never gave the Government an opportunity to apologise }u his case, ana Mr Sheehan's had never beeij heard of till Mr j^issell got a verdict. Instead of being unable iC carry measures, the Government had pushed on £_? business, and had carried a most important measure, the Education Bill. Mr/rakamoaua denied that the Waka Moon represented the viewsjof the natives | he Government were not always so ready to do what the natives asked as they had shown themselves rcgardiug the Waka Maori, or so ready to read in the House letters from the Maoris. He believed that if the present Government remained in office great evils would arise, and there would be fighting next year. The debate was interrupted by 5.30.

Thursday. The debate was continued by Mr Tawiti, who defended the publication of the Waka Maori as useful to the natives.

Mr Hamlin said that not one-tenth of the Maori people ever saw the miserable abortion. He condemned the means taken by the Government to get up an agitation in favor of the Waka Maoi i. Mr Morris said the East Coast natives were anxious that the paper should be continued. Mr Pyke knew only that the iGovernment had defied the House iu publishing the paper. In some Ministers he had no confldeuoa, but for others he had the greatest respect, and what was really wanted [was reconstruction, so as to get a strong uuited Government. Mr Carrington was satisfied with tha explanations giveu by Ministers [for continuing the publication. Mr Rolleston considered tha case against the Government proved. Thoy did not possess the confidence of the majority sufficiently to euabie them to carry thoir incasures, aud would consult their own solfrespect by retiring. Till they resigned a good Government would be impossible. Mr Wason objected to Mr Rolleston lecturing the House. Mr Gisborne thought there could be no doubt the Government had done^ what the motion said, and that they should hava been able to do so iu defiance of the vote of the House, showed what a farce the audit system was. He would vote for the motion to vindicate the authority of the Houae and Parliamentary Government. The country had a Ministry which was servile during session and defiant during recess. Mr Stafford replied at length to the speeches of Messrs Wakefield, Gisborne, Travers, Montgomery, and others. He defended himself from the charge of having deserted his party in 1873, and narrated the whole circumstances. He denied the present Ministry as really his party, although' formed of old colleagues aud political allies. He saw very little chance of forming fixed political parties, as it was certain two wings of Opposition without a body but with a crowing head did not contain elements of abiding. He thought the Government had acted right in regard \to the Waka Maori, during 20 years 17 successive Ministries had felt it necessary to have a Maori paper. Mr Stout objected to Mr Stafford's autobiographical and patronising style. His position as now avowed as a responsible wire pulled by the Ministry was The country had lost faith in Mr Stafford. If political parties were impossible, then Parliamentary Government waa a failure. He considered the allegations of the motion abundantly proved and as to attacking the general policy of Ministers ha denied {they had any to attack, for they stuck to nothing. If tho Waka Maori is valuable, why had it now been discontinued. Mr M'Lean moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 12*25 a.m.