PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4817, 30 August 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Tuesday, August 29. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at the usual hour. PAPERS. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN laid on the table papers relating to the San Francisco mail service and Bank of England stock. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. The Hon. Colonel WHITMORE, referring to the statement to be made by the Premier in the Lower House that evening, complained of the discourtesy shown to the Council on this as on previous occasions, and asked the Colonial Secretary if he proposed to make any announcement of a similar kind. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN stated that the usual practice was for such statements to be made in another place, but if the Council would sit that evening, he would be prepared with a similar statement. The Hon. Mr. ROBINSON, considering the circumstances, moved the adjournment of the Council until next day. The Hon. Colonel KENNY protested against the adjournment, and said that if they were to adjourn it should be only until 7.30. — Colonel Whitmore also spoke against the motion. A division was taken on the question of the adjournment till next day, which was agreed to by 11 to 10, and the Council then rose. HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday, August 29. The Speaker took the chair at half-past two o’clock. PETITIONS, etc. A number of petitions were presented and notices of motion given. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. , On the motion of Sir Robert Douglas, leave of absence for ten days was granted to Mr. Williams. QUESTION. In answer to a question as to the Registration of Electors Act, The Hon. Sir JULIUS VOGEL said the matter should receive the earnest attention of Government during the recess. NEW BILL. The Waiuku Native Grants Bill was introduced and read a first time. MESSAGE PROM THE GOVERNOR. The Hon. Sir JULIUS VOGEL brought down a message from the Governor, forwarding drafts of Bills for extending the currency of certain debentures, and an Act to give effect to the arrangement effected by Sir Julius Vogel for the inscription of New Zealand stock by the Bank of England. PUBLIC WORKS BILL. The Hon. Mr. RICHARDSON said that to expedite public business he proposed to withdraw this Bill from the Order Paper, in order to have it brought before the Upper House. MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION. Sir GEORGE GREY asked when the statement promised on Friday by the Premier would be made ? The Hon. Sir JULIUS VOGEL said it was proposed to make the statement indicated by the hon. member at half-past seven, and in the meantime not to go on with debateable matter. There was plenty of business of another character on the Order Paper. He then explained the course the Government intended to take with respect to several measures. The Financial Arrangements Bill was to be withdrawn for the purpose of allowing another Bill to be brought down more intelligible in certain particulars, one amendment being to give effect to a proposal of the Government to make better arrangments with respect to those parts of the country which did not desire to come under the Counties Bill. A new Bill would be brought down by message. PROVINCIAL ABOLITION FINANCIAL AREANGE-

MKNTS BILL. The Bill was discharged. RATING BILL.

The Eating Bill was read a third time and passed. BUILDING SOCIETIES BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The House went into committee on the Bill, and progress was reported. REGULATION OP LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL. The amendments made by the Legislative Council in this Bill were considered, and in some instances agreed to. DEBTORS AND CREDITORS BILL. The House went into committee on this Bill, and reported progress. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. On the House re-assembling at 7.30 the galleries were completely crowded and great excitement was manifested. After some little preliminary business had been transacted, Sir JULIUS VOGEL rose and said, —Sir, the other day X promised to make an explanation to the House upon the subject of the Agent-Generalship. and now I will proceed to redeem that promise. For some time past, as is well known by lion, members, —I may say from the time of the vacancy in the AgentGeneralship of New Zealand being made known to the House, —my name with those of several other gentlemen, has been connected with the prospect of that office being filled up. Sir, I venture to trespass upon the indulgence of honorable members and ask their permission to make a short personal statement. I am aware that I have to ask the indulgence of the House ; but under the circumstances I trust it will be accorded to me. Whilst I was in England last year I was very ill, more so probably than many hon. members are aware of, and I had very great inducements offered me to remain in England, valuable not only on account of the inducements themselves, but on account of saving me the great risk which I ran at that time in attempting to come out again. Indeed, I had taken my passage twice, and twice was obliged to give it up in consequence of being advised that I was not well enough to come out. I never wavered, however, but from first to last considered it my duty to come out again. On my return, my colleagues did me the honor to ask me to resume the Premiership. I told them that though I was desirous of carrying out the policy with which I had been identified, I could not undertake to continue in the Government for any length of time. I told them my health was such that I did not consider it open to me to remain long in public life, and I told them also that I realised the fact that public life was altogether inconsistent with that attention to one’s private affairs which everyone more or less should give for his own sake, and for the sake of his family. I have now been [seven years in office, and I have come to the conclusion that being! jn

publio life is utterly incompatible with attention to one s private affairs, and therefor* I feel-somewhat strongly impressed—and that impression has been strengthened when I reflect that I am liable to he prevented by illness from dealing at all with my private affairs—that it is my duty to myself as well as to my family that I should relieve myself of those fatigues which may interfere with my health. And here I may say that when I returned to this country I told ray colleagues feat I was under no engagement whatever which faiade it neoessary for me to give up office at al®y particular time, —for of course had it heed otherwise I should not have again taken-the Jpsition I did, —but at the same time I gave them clearly to understand that I wished to be relieved of office as soon as possible. I do not think honorable members can accuse me of a desire to desert my post or to abandon the policy with which I have been identified. Such a charge cannot be made, because there can be no doubt that that policy has been thoroughly adopted by the country, and when a public man’s policy has been generally adopted he can scarcely be called upou to continue to administer that policy regardless of his health or regardless of hia private affairs. Of course at the time I returned to • the colony it was unknown that there would be any vacancy in the AgentGeneralship. But when it was made known that there was a vacancy, my name was connected with the names of others who -would most probably be asked to fill the vacancy; but nothing was done by the Ministry for some time, as I stated in reply to questions previously put. The Government had not even discussed the question till within the past ten days, but now it has been intimated to me that they think it desirable that I should undertake the duties of the office. I have replied that lam willing to do so for the present, but will not undertake to fill the office for longer than about twelve or eighteen months, because I consider attention to the duties of the office would be incompatible with the duties I owe myself and my family. And here I would point out that my health this session shows that I am unfitted for continuous hard work. I have felt the work of my office exceedinglyonerous this session, and constantly have gone to bed with no certainty that I should be well enough to get up in the morning. Several times, as hon. members are aware, I have had whilst suffering greatly to perform my duties in this House. Of course it would be utterly inconsistent with my position in the present Government that I should by this Government be appointed to the office of Agent-General. If the question of Agent-General alone had been at stake, therefore, it would have been necessary to have a reconstruction of the Cabinet. But apart from the Agent Generalship, the personal reasons I have explained have made the probability of the Government remaining in office for any length of time exceedingly small. Had I been asked whether it was likely the Government would continue in office after the session, I could not have answered in the affirmative. Every division Hat on important questions has shown that the Government had the confidence of the House, but still the Government as at present constituted could not have continued to exist, for the reasons I have explained. Under these circumstances, I have sent in my resignation to his Excellency the Governor, and on his request to be advised for whom to send, I advised him to send for the Hon. Major Atkinson, and accordingly that gentleman has been sent for, has bad an interview with bis Excellency, and will inform the House what course he proposes to take. I may state that the question of the Agent-Generalship is entirely open; the Government havedone nothing which will at all bind the House to the appointment—this must be clearly understood. Perhaps I may be allowed to say before I finish that I am not without hope that the day may come when I may be able to resume an active part in public affairs in New Zealand. Be this as it may, wherever I am it will always be impossible for me to forget what I owe to New Zealand ; it will be impossible for me to feel otherwise than the greatest anxiety to serve this country wherever or in whatever position I may be. I shall always remember New Zealand as the land of my Ute; as the land in which I have found many strong and firm friends, in which I hope always to have many friends; —(hear, hear) —as the land in which I have contracted the dearest ties of my fife ; as the land in which my children were born; and as the laud in which I have achieved the greatest success, and in which the highest position has been given me. I shall not leave it without the greatest sorrow and the greatest regret, but I feel convinced that in the course lam taking I am pursuing the right course. I shall always have the greatest pleasure in leading every assistance I can to the country to which I owe so much, and in which I hope I shall be remembered as one who has endeavored to honestly and unselfishly serve it. (Cheers). The Hon. Major ATKINSON : After what has fallen from the Hon. the Premier, I have to inform this House that his Excellency has been pleased to send for me, and has done me the honor to request that I should form a new Ministry. It is desirable that I should consult my friends, and therefore I trust under these circumstances that the House will not think it unreasonable in me to request that we adjourn until Thursday evening next, at halfpast seven o’clock, when I hope to make some definite statement to the House. I will now move that the House do adjourn until the hour mentioned.

Mr. ROLLESTON : It may seem strange for me to rise on an occasion like this, after what has fallen from the Hon. the Premier. Sir, I have beenja consistent opponent of that gentleman ever since I have been a member of this House; and I would wish it to be distinctly understood that anything I may say on the present occasion is not intended in any way to mar the feelings of acknowledgment of the deserving exertions made by the hon. gentleman in the interests of this country—of the work he has done for the country during the past year. Sir, I should not have risen to speak had I felt that anyone else was about to rise, and I am sorry that nobody has to say a few words on the present, important occasion. Sir, I feel that a young country like this cannot afford to let an occasion of this kind pass without expressing in some way a sense of what is felt on the important matter which has been brought before the House to-night. I heard with mixed feelings what fell from the hon. the Premier just now. I felt that he spoke under great difficulty,and I felt that anybody who shouldfollow him must likewise speak under great difficulty. I think it would be a great mistake in a young country like this that a precedent should be created, which is felt generally by the representatives of the people to be a bad precedent, and that it should not be immediately acknowledged. I think that no technicality of position, such as that the Ministry on those benches have now practically ceased to exist, should stand in the way of hon. members expressing their opinions on the present situation. I think the course pursued is extraordinary and unprecedented. 1 think the country has a right to complain that at a crisis such as there never been in this colony before, the leaddr of the Government, who has guided the of the country for some time past, who has been looked up to by the country generally, and who has had the utmost confidence of the country during the past—that he should take advantage of a vacancy in a subordinate office of the Government to place his resignation in the hands of his Excellency, and ask this House to approve of the course he has taken. I believe that this action is unprecedented in character. I should be sorry to use any language which might seem to be heartless, or which would wound the feelings of hon. members differing from myself; but I feel I should be wanting in my duty to myself it I did not express what I feel, and that is that the country is placed in one of the falsest positions that any country was ever placed in. IVe learn from what has fallen from the Premier that on his return to the country he told his colleagues, those who, on all constitutional principles, owe their existence to him—that he was willing, having come back to the country as he was bound to do that he was willing to take his position as Premier in the House, but was unwilling to remain in that position. Sir, I think hon-

members will agree with me that ho should have told the House thou what he told his colleague*. I think wo have not had that confidence in the matter which we ought to have had. Ho says he told his colleagues that as soon as they could relieve him, he hoped they would do so. Well, it is something new to me to learn that the Prime Minister of a colony owes his existence to his colleagues, and that he should appeal to them to relieve him of the position he holds. I regard such as an entirely false position. He says, and X am sure everv member of the House sympathises with himj that his health has suffered in the public service. In the short history of this colony many men have sacrificed health in the public service, and I am sure the House is alwavs ready to recognise their services. But I do not think, and I apeak advisedly, that on the occasion of any great crisis in any country men who have led the public affairs are justified in quitting them on the ground of private affairs. I think the House would he wanting in its duty to the country if it let an occasion of this kind go by unmarked. It is a precedent in its own history and in the history of the colonies most dangerous. I must hope that we shall have an opportunity of discussing the question whether directly or indirectly tho Premier can vacate his seat in favor of taking a subordinate position under the Government of the country. Mr. AXDKEW said that though it was unusual to oppose a motion for adjournment under the present circumstances, yet the case was so unparalleled that it was impossible to avoid asking whether, with a flowing majority at his back, it was proper for the first Minister N of the Crown to resign his portfolio in order to take a subordinate and more permanent office, even though he complained of failing health. Mr. Andrew read an extract from a life of William Pitt, to show that under similar circumstances that statesman had acted differently. Mr. STOUT thought the action of both Messrs. Rolleston and Andrew unconstitutional. If any opposition were to be made against an appointment the proper thing to do would be to move a direct vote of want of confidence. He declined to say anything on the statement of Sir Julius Vogel, as this was not the proper time. An adjournment should be taken until Thursday next at half-past seven, when anyone who wanted to debate tho constitution of the new Ministry, or the present appointment, could do so. The House then adjourned.