PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 196, 18 August 1881, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, We-Jnesdsy. In the Legislative Council to-night neLaw Prarririoc.r,' Bill *es throwD ontoc a .-i r j,i, DYv 2 0 lo 6 _ Tho Bir! c ; n S- rols Bill p aEßß d through Co Qi . ittei , W!;h aa , enc j mPD , s; Ibo fri.oulju, .vrarta.Jio sh- House to-dey :__'!- Cnlocis! Industries Committer imports whh a view foenccurfttfe the cacnufaptur? of reserve fruits, jam, etc, «fee Committee, oiler fakirs evidence, t, &Ye direoled me to repon tbat in tbft opirior. <>i (h» commit tpe, tae cuty u-.nn imported jam?, jeHie?, and preeerves should be increased by one hair-penny per lb. That the Goyernracn? thould, as soon n 8 p^sible, import sorghum e-,1 for distribution, and should tlso import tie machinery required for (ho manufacture of sugar from sorghum. The cost cf such machinery, your Comrciaeß have it in evidence, will not exceed £70. In Iba Legislative Council tc-dsy, Mr Whitaker introduce! the Supreme Coort Procedure and Practice Amendment Bill, which was read o first time. Mr Scotiacd mov?d fhe second reading of the Ljw Practitioners' Bill. Mr Whitnker oppoeei and moved the rejection of the Bill. Messrs Wilaon, Reynold, and Waterhouse supported the Bill while Messrs Fraser acJ Grace opposed it. The debate wa3 interrupted by the 5 30 adjournment. The Housa met st 2.30 p.m. Replying {o a question put, it wbs stated tbac a survey would be roaie to decide upon the moat favorable route for the extension of the Mount Somere line to the coal measures oa the Stour. Ihe Government did not coneL'er a Board of Inquiry necessary re the granting of mineral leases for Collingwood goidfielde. The Waste Lands Board of Nelson bad not granted any mineral or agricultural Icas.s, notwithstanding an adverse report from the Warden, but the Commissioner had granted a mineral leese within a pold-miniug area, and his action was believed to be legs!. So far as {he Government was aware, applications for agricultural leases on the Collingwood Goljfields were made to the Warden in the usual way. All pspers relating to Johnston and Company's mineral lease nt Bedstead Golly, Collingwood, were in the hands of the Government. The Government did not intend wafcing its rights under the bond entered into for reimbursing the Telegraph Depf. any deficiency occasioned through the opening of Telegraph offices in their district. The opinion of the Law Officer "wos being taken sa to whether the bonds could be enforced after the change of tariff. The fioal report of the Judicature Commission would not be ready nntil November, and could not possihly be considered this session. On the motion of Mr Seddon, it was agreed ttat all letters and telpgremß received by the Government, County Council?, local bodies, and persons relative to tha afcolhion of the gold duty, be laid before tins House. Oc (he motion for going info Committee en ibe Representation Bill, Mr Reader Wood ccoved as an amendment, That the bsaia of representation should be, B 8 nearly na practicable, population; that the estimates of population for the purposes of repreaenistion should count of EoropecES ecd .Scoria combined; and that the Maori Eer.reeentaiicn Acts should be repealed. He argued that the time had arrived for repealing the special representation. It was not creditable to them as a legislature tbat while they bad been engaged in liberalising the franchise exercised by ibe Europeans, they bad done nothing to extend similar privileges to the natives. Mr SwansoG concurred in the amendment, j Mr Taiaroa suggested that it should Btand over till cast eeEeion in order tbat the proposals might be considered, and be understood by the native population. The debate wes interrupted by the 530 p.nt adjournment and the House I resumed at 7 30 p m. J Mr Hall resumed the debate. He hoped the House would not adopt the amendment. With regard to its first clause the difference between Mr Wt>od end the Government was only one of degree. The Government propoeals. were to base representation as nearly as possible on population The question at issue was the second proposition. Unsil it was really practicable to apply one law to Natives and Europeans, tbat proposition was impossible. It waß no use deceiving themselves en this point. Obedience to Isws aDd payment of taxes were essential preliminariee. It was not practicable to have one law for both raoeg, it was not therefore desirable for them or just to us to give them equal electoral rights. In a large portion of I the North Island the Queen's writ was i still weste paper, aDd yet it waa prcpoßed to give the natives who would »ot obey the law the power of making laws. No doubt a better day wsb dawning, but such proposals were although premature. When the time came ifeat the North Ithad, by incresss of populaiicc, could claim nn increased representation no one would more willingly accede to the request than he would. Mr Tomoana could not support the amendment. Time should be given the Maori people to understand what "Was really proposed. Mr Gisborne would at the proper time move an addition to the first clause of Mr Wood's amendment to the effect, " Pi ovided tbat the present number of representatives returned by any provincial district shall not be reduced." He was not prepared to assent unreservedly to the second part of Mr Wood's amendment. The subject required much more serious consideration. He spoke at great length in [strong condemnation of the Bill generally as calculated to produce revolutionary consequences. Mr Moss said that out of the total Maori population there were not above 10,000 out of tie 42,000 people amongst whom the Queen's writ did not run. He strongly supported the amendment of Mr Wood's. f Mr Lundon] supported the amendment.

Mr Hurst also supported the amendin en t, and spoke strongly in favor of the Nor th Island being given equal representation in proportion to the South. He did not think Canterbury and Otago would do justice to the North in the matter of public works. : Mr Andrews thought the Maoris were merely used as a stalking horse in the debate. What was really meant was increased representation for the North Island. It was time to abolish special native representation, and he o wouiil vote for the amendment. Sir G. Grey contended that representation should precede observance of law the payment of taxes, and he supported tho amendment. Dr Wallis would oppose the amendment as it, was not acceptable to the Native members who were the best judges.