HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 233, 2 October 1877, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Monday. The House met at 2-30 this afternooou. Major Atkinson as a matter of privilege, said it had beeu pointed out to him that Messrs Guthrie and Larnach on the Bth of August entered into a contract with Governinent to supply 11,000 sleepers at 2s 9d each. Pie moved that it be referred to the Disqualification Committee to enquire whether Mr Larnach is not disqualified,—-Mr Rees moved that Mr Whitaker's alleged disqualification be enquired into first, so soon as Mr Kennedy's case is disposed of, and that Mr Reid's name ba substituted for Mr Whitaker's on the Committee. After considerable discussion Mr Button's uama was «üb«tituted for Mr Reid's iu the amendment, and tha motion at amended was agreed to. Mr M'Lean resumed the debate on the Waka Maori question. Ho denied that the Government had in any way concealed tha position of the Waka Maori. The libels had appeared in tha paper under the present Government, and in pleading justification in Mr Russell's case the Government had acted under the advice of counsel after full inquiry. No opportunity to apologise was given them. He did uofc think tha Government would meddle any more with th« paper, but he hoped private enterprise would carry it on. The present issue was altogether too paltry to turn the Government out on. Nothing worse than an error of judgment, such as all were liablo to, could b» charged against them. Mr Tairoa said the conditions on which he and others had asked that the Waka Maori should be continued had been entirely di«regarded. Why was the publication stopped in July last? Mr Beetham considered it necessary that the Government should have a paper to counteract the influence of the Wanangx on the question of repudiation, aud to convay their views to the natives. Mr Murray maintained that the Government was fully liable for the Waki Maori libels. He replied to Mr Stafford, accusing him of having betrayed his followers and proved traitor to his party in 1873. The Maoris preferred the Wananga to the Waka Maori. Mr Russell had beon willing to accept £200 for a charity and an apology, but the Government preferred to bnug their whole power to bear to crush a personal and political opponent, and now the country had to pay £6000. Considering his formar relations with Mr Ruasell, Mr Stafford's remarks were very uugenerous. It was owing to Mr Russell's sacrifice in 1868 on Mr Stafford's behalf that he gained security for the Hawke's Bay land ring. The debate was interrupted by 5*30. Tuesday. The Speaker read a letter from Mr Macfarlane stating that Mr Lusk had received £50 from the Corporation of Auckland lait session in regard of services rendered in connection with some Bills. Mr Macfarlane moved that the matter be referred to a Select Committee for investigation. Mr Lusk explained that before last session the Mayor of Auckland had engaged him to draft a new Municipal Corporation Bill to suit Auckland, the fee agreed on being £50. He drafted tha Bill, but it was never introduced, as the Government had a Bill which met the case. After the session he received the £50. After a discussion the motion for a Committee was agreed to. The debate was then resumed on Mr Larnach's motion. Mr Ballance regarded the issue as badly chosen, and too small to determine the fate of a Ministry. It was evidently based on incorrect information as to facts. The Government had throughout acted injudicious'y in the matter. They should last session hare revived the vote for the Waka Maoii, and staked their existence on it if they deemed the paper really necessary, but instead of doing thia they tried to evade a vote of the House by a private guarantee. When doiugthis they should not have printed the paper at the Goverpment office, because that made the colony liable for damages in case of libel. He could not either censure or join in the want of confidence motion in this matter, but still the Government had not his entire confidence. Ha objected altogether to Mr Whitaker's position and disavowal of responsibility for everything done before ha took office, and thought the party which supported the previous as well as the present Government had been deceived by a private contract between Ministers. If their policy was embodied in the Native Land Bill they should have resigned when compelled to withdraw that measure, lie strongly condemned the Government seeking colleagues amongst the Opposition, as such a system destroyed all parties. Mo hoped soon to see two strong permanent panics formed on the principles of conservatism and liberalism. Hitherto the country had been goverued by cliques, and it was Mine now that the people asserted themselves, lie strongly condemned coalitions as politically immoral. Dr Wallis desired to see the present Ministry turned out, and the country appealed to. Mr Reynolds did not think the Opposition sincere, and saw nothiug to justify tho motion. He "would like to see a dissolution next session when the representation had beeu iv-adjusted. Mr Eisner thought the motion not half strong enough to vindicate the proper position of the House, Mr Hursthouse opposed the motion, and would support Ministers until he saw other men fit to take their place. Mr W. Wood supported the motion, and asserted positively that Mr Russell's solicitors had offered to accept au apology, and £200 for tho hospital, but the Government refused aud the colony now had to nay £6000. ■ J Mr Bad? supported the motion, and thought it no more shewed a want of confifidence than the way in which all the Government measures were treated. He condemned their whole policy, and especially their ceutralising tendency, which would prove the destruction of the unity of the colony. The House then divided, and tho motion was lost by 42 to 33. The House rose at 11*30 p.m. DIVISION LIST. The following is the division list on the want of confidence motion, the names of the Xelson members being in italics: — For the Government: Messrs Atkinson, Btugent, Ballauce, Beetham, Bowon, Burns, Button, Curtis, Douglas, Fitzroy, Gibbi, Harper, Henry, Hunter, Hursthouse, Johnston, Kelly, Kennedy, Kenny, Lumaden, Macfarlane, Manders, M'Lean, Moorhouse, Morris (Teller), Murray-Aynesley, Onuond, Reid, Richardson, Richmond, Rowe, Russell, Sharp, Stafford, Stevens, Sutton, Tawiti, Teseheraaker, Wasou (Teller), Wbitaker, Williams, Woolcock. j

For the Opposition: Messrs Barff, J. C. Brown, J. E. Brown, Bunny, Delatour, Dignan, Fisher, Gisborne, Grey, Hamlin, Hislop, Hodgkinson, Joyce, Larnach (Teller), Lusk, Macandrew, Montgomery, Murray, Nahe, O'Rorke, Rees, Rolleston, Seaton, Sbeehan, Shrimski, Stout (Teller), Swanson, Taiaroa, Takainoana, Thompson, Tole, Wakefield, W. Wood.