PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1341, 11 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 8. The House met at 2.30. In reply to Mr Mitchelson, Major Atkinson said the Government had not considered the propriety of defranchising civil servants, railway, and other Government employes,— Messrs Moss, Fish, W. M. Green, and Sir George Grey protested strongly against such a thing being then considered. Ministers thought it would not be right to tempt people from the sister colony of Nova Scotia to conie here, though they made admirable settlers. Arrangements might, however, be made to assist the friends of those already in the colony to come, and it would be considered whether this could be done. Quarry, gravel, and watering reserves would be handed over to lical bodies on application, The Government Yrould hot remit the Property Tai in districts which were now rated for their diotrict railways. The Government had taken steps to remedy any suffering or inconvenience amongst the immigrants by the Oxford, now in quarantine. With regard to the case of the prisoner Ryan, whose remission of sentence had been cancelled owing to his at'emptto escape when being taken to Lyttelton to be released, the Government would be advised to grant a fresh remission, as soon as he had been detained fourteen days, as a warning to others. The House met at 7.30 The Chattels Security Bill was passed through Committee, read a third time and passed. Mr Bryce moved the second reading of the Native Land Laws Bill The Land Courts were not working satisfactorily. Most of ths difli -ulties arose from attempts to purchase native linds before the title to them was ascertained, and this Bill proposed to stop, under heavy penalties, the presence of European lawyers in the Native Land Courts. He was himself in favor of a resolution of the pre-emptive Hght of the Crown, and if this Bill did not remedy the existing evils, he would next year propose to revert to that, even if a new loan should be necessary to put the » rown in a position to buy Air. DeLautour t hought neither the Native Minister nor the Bill went far enough. Parliament might have had good intentions in the past, but its legislation on this question hud been a succession of blundering. We were now trying to protect other peoples property, so as to get it ourselves. He reviewed the beneflei «1 results of the East Coast Land Settlement Company, and expressed the wish that there were many others like it, carrying on operations in different parts of the North Island. He would support Government in excluding lawyers from the Court where investigations of Native title were going on. but not *rom subdivision cases. He would also support the absolute prohibition of all reguliiions for purchase before the native titl'< was ascertained. Mr Moss strongly opposed the Bill. The Maoris, h thought, were quite able to take care of themselves, and should cease to be treated like children. This Bill would lock up the lands, and stop settlement, while it would throw the native owners into the hands of rapacious money-lenders. Mr Shaw would vote for the second reading of the Bill, but if the Bill passed in its present shape it would ruin many men who had for years been engaged in negotiations yet unfinished, and who had advanced largo euins on the uncompleted transactions, which would be rendered invalid if the Maoris did not wish to get assistance in these courts. Ho was quite willing the lawyers should be excluded, but Government also should bo prohibited Horn obtaining legal assistance Mr A. McDonald strongly opposed the Bill, It wa* a wretched half measure. Be would rather see tho Crown’s pre-emp’ive right boldly restored at once. Ho accused the Government of gross nud-administration in native affairs. Friday. In tho House Major Atkinson announced the receipt of a cable from Lord Derby, that arrangements had. been mi»do for the return of the Irish informers by tho Pathan to Lon pon, and that full explanation will be sent by despatch shortly.