PARLIAMENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1086, 11 October 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

[BY TELKGRAI'II.] Wellington, October 10. In the House of llepi-esentatives today, Mr. M'Lean gave notice that he would move on next sitting day that the island of Kawau he included in a County for the purpose of making it liable to taxation. Mr. Hall gave notice of the Electoral and other Bills.

In reply to Mr. Finn, the Government stated they were desirous of giving all the facilities they could for throwing open land for settlement, and that they had under consideration the C|uesv. in of throwing open all available agricultural land at the head of Lake Wakatipu, Otago, and that an explicit answer would be given that day week. Replying to Mi'. Johnston. Major Atkinson said the land tax in each County would be paid by Post Office orders, and that such orders would be issued free of charge. Mr. Hall rose to make his Ministerial statement. He said that, in not getting his Government sworn in so as to be ready to take their seats 011 Wednesday, he had been blamed for attempting to delay the business and prevent the want of confidence motion coming on. Such was not his intention. He had been told by Sir G. Grey that it was absolutely necessary that the Imprest Supply Bill should bo passed at once. They had no representative in the Upper House, Mr. Whitaker not having arrived in Wellington. He was therefore anxious that the Bill should pass through the Upper House before the late Government left the benches, as otherwise he knew it would not be allowed to go through until Mr. Whitaker took his seat, and thereby a whole week would have been lost. Regarding the course proposed to be taken, he said he could not yet give a full statement in consequence of Mr. Whitaker's non-arrival in Wellington. Furthermore, the Treasurer had not yet succeeded in investigating the actual state of the finances, although heliad beeen industriously engaged in the work. On Tuesday, however, he expected to be able to lay before them the result of the Treasurer's labors ; at all events, no time would be lost, and the actual financial position of the Colony would be laid before them at the earliest moment. The Native Minister had also been busily engaged with the affairs of his department, but in consequence of the peculiar manner in which the affairs,, of the department had been conducted'by the late Government, it was not by any means easy to obtain full and correct information. The Native Minister was therefore not yet in a position to make any definite statement. On Tuesday. however, they expected to be able to state what he believed to be the position of affairs on the West Coast, and the steps they thought should be adopted under the circumstances, and also as to the manner under which the alienation of native lands question ought to be dealt with. The question of the purchase of land from natives was also being carefully considered, and the views of the Government on the subject would then be given. In the matter of political reform their sincerity had been questioned by the other side, and they proposed to at once dispel all doubts on the point, and proceed with the Electoral Bill, and he hoped members on the other side would not obstruct the passing thereof. He did not agree with the Government measure of last session, but proposed rather to frame it on the basis of the measure introduced by Mr. Whitaker last session. He hoped to be able to submit Maori qualifications that would be more fair and more reasonable than those contained in the Government measure. The next Bill to

which he would refer was the Triennial Parliaments Bill, which was down on the Order Paper for the second reading today. They believed the Bill to be required by the country. The measure, as prepared by the late Government, proposed that it should not come into operation until .after the dissolution of the existing Parliament. The third matter alluded to w.as the redistribution of seats. They agreed that a measure of the kind was necessary. Still, it was a work of difficulty, and it would have to be carefully considered. It was necessary that all "parts of the Colony should be fairly represented, and no portion of it disfranchised. Land legislation was next referred to. and in framing a measure on the subject the Government would be guided by the principle that it was absolutely essential for all classes that the lands should be settled upon, and facilities for that purpose would be provided. All the questions they would bring down would be not only liberal, but likewise well considered. His colleague, Mr. Whitaker, would arrive to-morrow, when they would devote themselves to the work with energy, so that the work might be commenced with as little delay as practicable. The Premier (Mr. Hall) then moved the second reading of the Triennial Parliaments Bill. Mr. Sheehan said that the Government's silence as to the notice of a want of confidence motion was extraordinary. He challenged them to go on and take the vote 011 the proposed motion at once. If they would take a fair and short fight, they would be prepared to abide the issue, and go 011 with the business at once. He had heard that an attempt was to be made to burk the question, and that it would not be allowed them to bring it on on Tuesday. If they succeeded in that, he would find other ways to test the strength of the Government party. He moved the adjournment of the debate on the second reading of the Bill till Tuesday. Thereupon ensued a lengthy discussion during which the Ministerial part y accused the late Government, and their supporters, of being insincere in their professions of a desire to get liberal measures passed, and characterised the motion for adjournment as in the worst of taste. It was urged that any new Government was entitled to a fair hearing, and that this was being denied to the Ministry. 011 the other side it was argued that the real question was not whether the Triennial Parliaments, or any other Bill, should then pass, but whether the Ministry had, or had not, the confidence of the House, and whether or not business should be proceeded with until the 110 confidence motion was disposed of. The Bill was in reality the Bill of the late Government, and the Opposition was equally anxious to have it passed. The Government declined to let the motion of 110 confidence come on, and this was the only means the Opposition could take to get at the question. The motion for the adjournment of the question was then put and carried on a division as follows :

Ayes, 38 : Andrews, Ballance, Barron, Brown, Bunny, de Lautour, Finn, J. B. Fisher, J. T. Fislier, George. Gisborne, Grey, Hamlin, Harris, Hislop, Hutchison, Ireland, Lundon, Macandrew, M'Donald, Montgomery, Pyke, Reeves, Reid, Seddon, Sheehan, Shepherd, Shrimski, S|,oi<.;ht, Stewart, Swanson, Tainui, Tawhaio. Te Wheoro, Thomson, Tole, Tnriibuli, Wood. Koes, 3(5 : Adams, Alhvi-ight, Atkinson, iWn, Bouth.i,n», liwv.en, Brandon, Bryce, Fulton, Gibbs, FT, 1 !. Hits", Hursihouse, Johnson, Kelly, Kenny, Levin, Masters, M'Caugliaii,M'Lcaii, M-or! muse, Murray, Oliver, Pitt, Richmond, B.ollestoß, Saunders, Seymour, Stevens, Sutton, L 1 jJioana, Trimble, Wakefield, Whitaker, Willis, Wright. Pairs, 5 : Ayes—Colbeck, Wallis, Moss, Shanks, Hurst, i^oes—Whyte, Driver, Dick, Mason, Studholme. Mr. Hall said that two of their supporters were away, and had not paired. Mr. Allwright said that the Government benches must not take it for granted that he would vote with them on the nocnnfiJence motion. His object in voting with the noes was that he wished to see the business got on with as fast as possible. Mr. Sheehan then moved that the debate 011 the Bill be resumed next sitting day. Mr. Wakefield denounced the conduct of the late Premier and his friends as bad and unconstitutional. October 11. After Mr. Wakefield spoke in the House last night, Mr. Speight spoke, and then followed Mr. Downie Stewart, who said that, having succeeded in getting rid of Sir George Grey, he was now free to support Sir. Macandrew. After a few words from Messrs. Rollesion and Murray, the House adjourned at 9.30.