PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 763, 21 September 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

* ~ i Wellington, September 20. ] In the Legislative Council to-day, 1 The report on the Ellesinere and Forsyth Reclamation Bill was brought up.; The report stated that the estimates for tile tunnel were U30,006 too low, ami « recommended that the operation of the Hill should he ■ eonihi.'d to the lire from Lincoln to Little River. L>r. Meny.ics moved for a Committee on the ques- - tion of tlie Otatio High Schools Endowment. ! Colonel Whitmore approved, and said the Attorney- . Gonenl would attend, and U'ive evidenee. . The W.dtaki High School Hill was read a second ■ time. . . ; ','],,. J!,,..- ile-istration Hill was final I v disposal ot m . Committee. The third reading- was Used for Tuesday. ' The C.„in-il then went into Committee on the post- ' poped clauses of the llrcwers' l:ii!. which Mere -•■! thron-h, the Hill repoi-te.!, and the third reading fixed for Tuesdav. ' Colonel Wliit.niore smtcd incidentally that it v.;n ■ not likely the Harbors Hill would pass this session. The House of Representatives met at 2.:;0 p.m. ■\ report from the Guldliclds CoimmCeo, reeoni- ; mendinu- eertain amendments in tile .Mines A-t. was read, and the census returns laid on the table. .Mr. Tole asked the Government to make further provision for the eiassifieation. diseipline, and general management of the Naval Training' Sehool at Koliimaraihti. Auckl:-. nd. In replv, the Colonial Treasurer said that the whole subject was under consideration. Mr Richardson ash', d the .Minister for Pubiie Works to lav before the House the soeeilicatimis and tt'ehoral conditions of contract for tenders for the construction of the Tapauui Railway, the .late? of the first advertisement lor tenders, dates of deposit of tender, a list of fenders sent in, the date of acceptance ol the fender sent in bv .Messrs. Proudfoot and 11'Kay, the uittiiorhc of Parliament on which the Government have incurred the present liability, and whether any ar ,'«ii'"o'nem is made bv which the present eoiitractors have niiv preference For the contract for the proposed even-iou'of the line. The Minister for I'lihlie Works <-M everything in '.lie matter had been done openly and above b..ard. for v'as '.dd'on'tiie't'd.le. _ No present liab'iiity of any kind had been incurred. The liabilities were entirely prospective. The authority for the contract was a resolution of the House last session, and lie Imped there w..i|!d also be a Hill passed shortly. No arr aie'cincut ~:' anv sort had been made with the e,,utr.ici.,rs in respect to any extension. Air. Sutton asked the Nat ive M.m-ler what papers he .vfcnvd to on Tuesday when be said of the ineeVmu' at Hikm-angi " that certain proposals were made P. the i;i»» patlv which were virtually accepted were in orin' '-mi on' Hie table of (lie House, -.' When the Government will give the !ion,e sue], information as will enable members to undei'Man,; v. ha: i- the result of the several meetings with Un King' natives and vs., what amount of m.nu'J mid I'ecli paid, and Hal.u.ilh.s endertakci., in respect to Midi meetings. '%!,' s'm.chai. said that'the papers ivferre.l to had Keen printed and published before the session m Hie „cv smocrs Tliev had been accidentally omitted from ~;„,'.,.. 'ce P'ipeVs laid on the table. 11l replv to the s'.'',,'id i.v-t'of the question, be said Hie Government ' ■■■.'■ -'ot wish to snm'h am. thine-more than the report i [.-, w'hai passed a-' 'l he public meetings, and hoped I ihev «.,md nd be pr.y-'d ~.,- ii-riVr imormatinu. j The . M.cnses paid ami ineurl'e,! woiil.i he st'.ppne 1 as , e.iivcUvas possible. I The district. Railways Act. :577. Amendment Hill: the Hanks Holidays Ad, ls7:l. Amendment. Ru! ; and | the Me tried Womens' I'roiH'i'ty Protection Rill, were wa's'rem.itied to a Select Committee to report in II '"'The Kle-tora! l'.ill was fur tie.-".' considered in Committee In Clause liVi, an amendment was made by which Hie numbers placed on ballot pa|,ers can be scaled over, so as not to be open to inspection except be breakiii"' a seal. After the who],; of the mam ehu-es had" been passed tlirom-.li Committee, the > Vfornev-Gcnem) stated tiiat he vvcadn ].u,pose :i d-,es o to allow Maori,' t" ' ote "l- .1-1 ■ as ratepayers and .s nc-hoiiieis. Hefoie any claim as a ratepayer can '• no inane, all fates must lia>.'o I'.ee.n paid to the voter. j Mr Sutton pointed out that this was a difierent ! proposal t,. that contained in the KtaU'iu-m ~u Native j Affairs. He proposed that a Maori shoulu do ide to vote eh. Her under a freehold or under a iiuopaymg The N-'tive Minister stated that no doubt at present the native representation was not more than half oi what it should be. Upon a basis ot population, ot nrooertv or of contributions to revenue, their claims , were equally "rent. The special represcntats.h was onP-' f-iir because the Mar-ris celt- tjch.ii.-cd irntn i ■ oiue'-.Ktez the household, leasehold, or residential i ('ii'ihiicttions. The Maoris had displayed a greater amount of interest in public .dmUs than the Eur..i pe.'.t.s He imped the- present dual rep, esentat ions j won id soon cease. The House should try to convince the .Maoris that it was prepared to give them a full i measure of justice. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. In Committee. Sir Koberl I.iotig'las appealed to members to deal with the question of Maori voting'entirely wiMioiit party spirt. Mr Stout called the amendment to wuovu.v. r.ite- ! pavers' franchise from Mu...;s su.,. j> a ..aio-v. ind to int'.-'vf. -e Vih u .e nat.\e policy ot the Government. Mr. Ibvc.e and -Mi'. Gishe.ne objected to freehold ,lii'aliricatinn beine' extended to non-riitiiiu: i.roperty. .nniiVhoivlit that the .piestion should be treated on its merits without party spirit Mr. Fox said equal laws did not. apply, bc-ause \l-'ori rateoavers could not be eompelled to pay rves. neitlier could their land be touched in civil be' rebels certi-itdy. ~l,eeae.se the last. Ministry had ' I in'oKen tuii.it viieli t hem in manv cases. Sirieily ■- | s,, v .,ki„" Hie proposals before the House were ille-al, j !a,...use all the races '.mi'.er cnstilntioiiai law, must , ] 1,., uealcd abbe. 1 Mr "Whiiakor believed the eonstltuta.ual law referred to did not exist. Restriction had been imposed upon Provincial Councils only, not upon the House. The fault of the Hill was that if did not put .Maoris ui.on an equal footing with Europeans. '.Mr Hrandon maintained thai the_ old spirit of " Mr '.M'l'.can would support the clause as it stool, but not the amendment proposed. September 2!. 1 V, Stent's ameudniebt in re the Maori ("lalim-Mion Clause, was citified after a very l"ig dt bate bv J:. The followine' is Cue division list :- - l Aves- -Messrs. Atkinson. Barff. liowen. liran.lon. P.rown (.1. E.), Hi'vee, Curtis, Uoiiglas, l-'iixroy. F..X, 1 Cibbs Gisborne.' Green. Uenrv, llursl house, dohusion. Kellv. M'l.ean. Moiiftt.iii.er.v, Morris. MnrrayAvi.si..',. (mivei. innionn. Hiebardson. Uidmiond. I ip.llesio'n. hnsscli, Sevii-.our, Sharp, Stevens. Sutton. ! Tes-hemaher, Tiirnliull, Wasoii, Wititaker, an \ j V, oolcoc!,, i \.,es: Messrs Haieeiit, Halla'iee, liifton. Has) ;„-.■.. i f.rown .'I. c. liiimev, C.'irrin";t"n, P.alfour, Ilia-nan. I I'el.l-viek Eisher. iieorire. Grev, Hamlin, llisl.e,. ! Holes. Hotlgkinsoii. .lovee, Kenny. Mae uidrevv. MacI .'..,■:■„... M'Minn, Moorhoitse. M<iss, Mitrrav. NaMe, i |'v',.■.. lie ■s.Howe Sanders. Seatoii, Slieelmii. Shnm- ! | ski Svvans'.|i.-|hi:i'roa.Takamo:inn.Tawiti,Tllomp.s„ii. ! T..''.'. \Vakelieid. and Wood. I The clause, as amended, read-as f. 11. ws :----Kv ery S :,,.'.,. Maori of '2l tf.JS oi atie shall, stih.je.ci to the > election of members for the House of Uepresentatives. but ulii.ll only be. so qualified if (A) he is at law (ir in equity of lands or tenements for IPs own life or for tic life of anv other person, or for anv lai-'er estate of the clear value of l,L'."> at the least, and Ins" been seized for six months previous to the date of his claim to vote, or if (11) his name is enrolled ," on a ra'epavers roll in force within the district of f which be claims to vote on account of lands or teneincuts beloiigin'.- to him. and shall have actually paid ' his rates for the year in which his claim to vote is Clause 10 was amended to vettd a;, follows :—" No iav% to la, oi uiisouiid mind, or who at any time theretofore, shall have been attainted, or convicted of any treason, felony, or infamous oll'ence within any pari of Iler .Majesty's dominions, unless he shall have rej reived a free pardon or shall have underaonc t'-e s.entenee or punishment to which h.o si.no nave been adjudged for such offence, snail be qualified to vote at iii. flic metion of Mr. De Lutein- the fol- ' lowing clause was inserted to follow Clause 17: - '• Every holder of a miner's right or business ' lievuse, who is enrolled on a ratepayer's roll within the electoral district where such roll may be ' in force shall he entitled to have his name placed en > the electoral roll for such district, and all qualifications so created shall be considered to he residental qualifications, and shall be subject to all limitations and other conditions attaching' thereto." [ Progress was reported at '2.10, and the House adjourned.