PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 192, 13 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[The first portion of yesterday'a Parliamentary proceedings will be found on the fourth page.") Mr Sheehan defended Sir George Grey. The North had still tha fullest confidence in Sir George, and it was impossible to " wipe him out." As to the Bill, he could noi support it, as it wag not a Bill really to give representation to a population who were equally large contributors to the general taxation as ourselves. They should be taken into consideration, and the Nprth Island be given six more members than was proposed. The North had already endured sufficient injury from southern domination, and would never consent to allow further power to be given to the South. Uolessthe same number of representatives between the Islands was maintained there would ariae a demand for separation which no Ministry could resist. Mr Collins characterised the Bill as chimerical and unfair, He and other friends of the Government would have to vote against it, and Ministers would have to depend on their enemies to carry it. It was mo3t unfair that those parts of tha colony which had not kept pace with other parts because they had not had a fair share of the expenditure of tha borrowed money, for which they were all equally liable, should now be punished for their misfortune by being deprived of part of their representation. Mr Hursthouse protested strongly against the injustice proposed to be done to Nelson by the Bill. The duty of the Government should bo to render the people happy and contented, but this Bill would render 26,000 people discontented and make them feel a sense of injustice. The Bill wag one to hand over the government of the country to the centres of population, aud he should oppose it to the utmost. Messrs Moss and Hurst also spoke strongly against the Bill as being most unjust to the North Island, and especially to Auckland. The latter pointed out that the present injustice would lead to still greater injustice if any future public works loans were to be allocated, and the districts which had already fared the worst would be rendered still more powerless. Mr Gibbs moved the adjournment of the debate, aud the House rose at 1.5 a.m.