PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1078, 3 October 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Y> r ELi.i>;oYO>.~, October 2. The House met at 2.30. Mr. Hall rose to make an explanation. In the New Zealander of this morning a letter was printed, signed t: J. C. Brown," which set forth that the Hall-Vogel Government of 1572 had promised him (Mr. Brown) anything he might name for his vote at the time when a want of confidence motion was pending. The members of the Government at that time were the kite Sir T>. M'Lean, Messrs. Pox, Vogel, Onnond, GisboniCj and Reeves. He (Mr. Hall) had communicated with Mr. Ormond on the subject, and the testimony of Mr. Reeves would be available, if required. Mr. Ormond's recollection quite concurred with his own, and lie (Mr. Hall) would ask the House to believe that the statement so made by Mr. Browu was absolutely nothing more nor less than tin unblushing and unmitigated falsehood, Mr. Brown's name on that occasion never having been mentioned in the Cabinet, and it would be the very last name the Cabinet would have thought of mentioning. The other statement in the letter about the Luna being sent to bring voters from Otago was also an untruth. The Luna was down with the San Francisco mail. Mr. Brown rose to a point of order. He complained of the language of the leader of the Opposition, and on being questioned he explained that his objections referred to the words " abaoiute unblushing falsehood." Ho would challenge the leader of the Opposition, whom he dubbed '- : . a Johnny all sorts," to get a Select Comurttee appointed to enquire into the truth or otherwise- of the statements which appeared in the New Zealander. On the Speaker's ruling, Mr. Brown withdrew the term " Johnny all sorts." In response to an appeal made by Mr. Hall to Mr. Gisborne, that gentleman said that he was a member cf the Government referred to, and no such proposal had over been made to Mr. Brown so far as he knew. Had it been made, he (Mr. Gisborne) would never have remained a member of a Government capable of such conduct. Mr. Brown said lie aco •■.'■: tort Mr. Hall and Mr. Gisborne of- a!: responsibility for the proposal, neverrholes-i it had been made, and if allowed a:i opportunity he would prove it to be true before a select committee. Mr. Hall challenged Mr. Brown to name the party by whom the offer had been made. ?.fr. Brown replied, that if a select committee were appointed he would be prepared to establish both that and other facts of a similar import. The debate on tiie no-confidence amendment v. a., resumed by the Hon. Mr. Fisher. He said it was surprising thai the gentlemen who wished to turn them out of oilice professed Liberalism, and yet they had never attempted to do anything of a liberal character until they were forued to it by the voice of the country. He thought Mr. Hail was wrong in coming f irward as the Liberal leader, as he had never been known to introduce a liberal Act during the lime he had resided in the Culoiiv. lie defended the Governmentagain?: the charge of having improperly interfered with immigration arrangements. Those who wished more immigrants should be made to provide for them when they arrived. The complaint simply emanated from those wiio desired to sec the wages of the laboring classes reduced to a rate below which they could barely exist. That was tiie class of men who desired to see si change in the Government. Mr. Murray failed to s u o the grounds oil which tiie Governor acceded to the request, for a dissolution. Tiie cost could not have been less than LIOO.OOO. Mr. Barron said that although entirely free from party trammels, still he would feel bound to vote against the amendment. He complimented the Opposition, and thought it would be a great pity to convert- a good Opposition into a bad Government. Mr. Masters rose to explain that an assertion made by the previous, speaker to the eifoct that he was returned to support the Minisu-y was incorrect. The H use re-assembled at 7.30. Mr. Shanks' motion that the debate be further adjourned till ten minutes to 8 o'clock was put and carried. The Premier then moved—That the Standing Orders be suspended to enable the House to go into Committee of Supply to pass the Deficiency Bill of LIBO,OOO rendered necessary in consequence of information having been discovered in the Bill authorising "the raising of L 4,000,000 in virtue of the Public Works Act. In answer to Mr. M'Lean, the Premier said that this Bill had nothing to do with the notice given by the Bank of New Zealand to terminate the agreement entered into with the Government. The Bank of Now South Wales had offered its assistance to the Government, the terms being six per cent., and half per cent, commission.

Mr. M'Lean said that ho considered the Bank liad suffered at the hands of the Government, and at a crisis like the present the latter should have done all it could to relieve the pressure. He thought the Bank of New Zealand ha '. great cause to complain undor the circumstance?. Renlying to Mr. Johnston, the Premier said that the L 130,000 had been authorised by an Order iu Council, and it had been hold chat it was valid authority for raising the money. The resolution for passing the Bill was then put and carried, and on resuming, the Bill as passed was reported. Major Atkinson said he did not quite uiiderscaud the transaction, but he wished 10 guard himself against any appearance of acquiescing hi itMr. Seddoii resumed the debate on the no confidence amendment. He contended that the result of the appeal to the country showed that the voice of the people was with ihe Government. Mr. Whitaker said thac he intended voting with the Opposition. Mr. He Lautour said he felt that they had gradually arrived at a very important crisis in the history of the Colony. A Ministry ought to be composed of the ablest men in the Colony, independent of the question as to what part of the Colony they belonged to. Still he would be inclined to lqok upon a purely Canterbury Ministry with some misgivings.

They had been told by members that they had advocated Liberalism for 15 and 20 years, but it was reserved for the Premier to bring forward that Liberalism in Parliament, with a view of giving practical effect to it. He went on to quote from the speeches delivered by the leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, in which lie did not consider that because one was bound to obey the laws, he thereby acquired a voice in the making of these laws. He would ask if these were, the sentiments of true Liberalism. At 12.00 the House adjourned on the motion of Mr. Bowcn.