New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5152, 27 September 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 27, 1877.

At last! The mystery is solved—the man has appeared ; easy-going, good-natured Mr. Larnach has been induced to take the lead of the forlorn hope, and his vote has been gained, as it is hoped, for Mr, Bunny’s party, by committing him to an open assault upon Ministers. Yesterday Mr. Larnach gave notice of his intention to move, on going into Committee of Supply,—“That this House disapproves of the action of the Government in continuing to publish the ‘ Waka Maori’ newspaper at the public expense, in defiance of the vote of this House, and in allowing its columns to be used for the publication of libellous matter. For weeks past the air has been dark with shadows of the coming event; the lobbies full of rumors damaging to the Government, got up with care, and circulated with assiduity ; the exact hour when the Ministry was to fall has been often predicted, and as often postponed. A great shepherd king, however, who left for the South on Sunday last, and who has been driven into Mr. Bunny’s arms by the terrors of Mr. Reid’s land Bill, publicly announced before his departure that three days would be the extreme term of the Ministerial existence; noses had been counted, and the additional Minister and the two future “Parliamentary Undersecretaries who had seats in the House” had made all secure. Under these circumstances it was natural on the part of Ministers, but, as we think, scarcely necessary, to face Mr. Larnach’s attack at once, and, treating it as a vote of want of confidence, to suspend all other business until it had been disposed of. This is the course which has been taken. To-day Mr. Larnach will have the opportunity of satisfying the House as to the facts alleged in his resolution, and of obtaining, if he can, the expression of disapproval which he appears to desire. He will not, we think, succeed in either respect; the cat’s paw will be singed, but the chesnuts will remain in the fire. We will briefly state the facts, so far as we have been able to collect them, relating to the “Waka Maori.” On the 17th October last year, in Committee of Supply, when the vote for the Native Department was under consideration, Mr. Sheehan made a virulent attack upon that department, and upon Sir Donald McLean as the head of it, and moved that the vote £22,332 be reduced by £SOOO. This was lost on division, the ayes being 18, the noes 38. Mr. Rees is then reported to have moved “ that the vote be reduced by £4OO, and he said that he did so for the purpose of doing away with the ‘ Waka Maori,’ which ought to be self-supporting, and would be if it were conducted energetically, as was the ‘ Wananga.’ ’’ This motion was carried on division, the noes being 29, the ayes being 31. We can find in “Hansard” no report of any further reference to the “ Waka Maori” in the proceedings of the House on that occasion or afterwards. Early in this present session, whilst the Hon. Robert Henry Russell’s action against the editor, Mr, Grindell, and the printer, Mr. Didsbury, was actually going on, Mr. Rees, with that high sense of propriety which distinguishes him, proposed a resolution condemnatory of the action of the Government in continuing to publish the “ Waka.” The interrupted debate on that motion stands amongst the notices on the Order Paper of the House to this day. The “Wananga” is the rival Maori journal. It is energetically conducted, according to Mr. Rees’ view; but it is not said to be self-supporting. On the con trary, itis probably with its staff a grevious charge upon the funds of the Repudiation party in Hawke’s Bay. But as it propagates their creed of dishonesty, glorifies Mr. Sheehan in articles contributed by himself, fosters discontent among the native people, and vilifies the Government upon all occasions, it maybe worth the money to the party. It is a very dangerous publication, and the outcry which was made by the loyal natives in all parts of the island last year, when the “ Waka Maori” was discontinued, no doubt induced the Government to resume its publication as the antidote to the disloyalty and disaffection which it was the mission of the “ Wananga” to preach, and which were alarming all well-disposed tribes. We have noticed in the late publications of the “Waka” long lists of Maori subscribers. These amount we have heard to more than eight hundred, and at 10s. Gd. make a round sum; they attest the interest taken by, the Maoris in the matter, and their desire for reliable information upon the topics of the day, political and social. We await with curious Mr. Larnach’s proofs of the allegations in his motion, that the printing and issue of this newspaper are an expense to the colony, and that its columns are used for the publication of libellous matter. Mr. Larnach may know more than wo can know what is the cost of the publication; or whether in that respect the public interest suffers. We take leave to think that it does not. He can have no better knowledge than we have on the other point, for the columns of the paper are open to both, and a careful perusal of the numbers that have been issued since its ropublioation after the vote of last year, leads us to hold an opposite view to that

formulated for him by the concolors of his resolution —they contain no libellous matter of any kind, that we can discover. Mr. Larnach may,.' -we think, be 1 shown to be altogether misinformed: andyin the wrong. , It is to be hoped that qot much' time will be N waated in .sweeping kway;this n|e>v obstruction to the business <Jf ’session,' and a little more - familiarity with'the provisions of the Land Bill may reassure Mr. Labnach and his friends. The “Waka Maori ” will not carry away that liberal measure, or prevent the land being made accessible to the people in Otago and elsewhere. We should like to see that question put to the test'of the hustings.