WEST COAST PEACE PRESERVATION BILL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1362, 29 September 1883, Page 3

WEST COAST PEACE PRESERVATION BILL.

t * 5 SPEECH DELIVERED BY MR ALLAN MCDONALD, M.H.R. ' (Hansard, August 22nd, 1883.) Mr A. McDonald.—l trust the Bill will not pass, and for this reason : that I have no confidence in the present Government. This Bill is similar to one which was passed last session. I did not object to it then, but after the use which the Government made of that Bill I certainly shall object to this. I should like to ask the honorable gentleman who has just sat down, one question, and it is this i Supposing an individual—l shall name him Te Kooti—murdered the father and mother and child of that honourable gentleman, would he support a Government that had been guilty of allowing that man to go at large, and of giving him a free pardon ? If he says “No” to that, then I ask him why he does not do to others as he would be done by. I trust this Bill will never pass, and I hope the passing of the Bill of last session will be a lesson tn the House not to do the like again. I say and believe that it is a blot on the Government, on this House, and on the British nation, to pardon a man who has committed the most atrocious murders that have ever been committed on the face of God’s earth. The Native Minister comes here and preaches on the floor of this House. It was only the other day that he defended himself with regard to certain allegations contained in a book called “ The History of New Zealand.” He said he would defend himself to the last ; that he would appear at the bar of this House—aye, and even at the bar of Heaven itself, to defend himself. I trust the honourable gentleman will not object to his friends Te Kooti, the biggest murderer, and Te VVetere, the second biggest murderer, in this or any other country, appearing at the same time with him. What a party it would be I The Native Minister in the middle, Te Kooti on his right hand, andTe Wetere on his left I AHI wish is that the Biggs family, who were killed by Te Kooti, may be allowed to appear against them. I refer to a lady Mr Speaker.—l think it is bordering on profanity for the honourable gentleman to allude in this way to the Day of Judgment. I must beg of the honourable gentleman to speak with more gravity on such a subject. Mr A. McDonald. -1 was speaking, Sir, of the outrageous murders that were committed in the district I have the honour to represent. I feel sore and warm upon the subject; but if your ruling is that lam not to be allowed to refer to these settlers in my district I will not go on. Mr Speaker.—Not in the way you were doing—making a mockery of a sacred subject. Mr A. McDonald.—l refer to the Biggs family, and I trust that family will appear there in the way they were found by the settlers in the district I have the honour to represent. If you will allow me, Sir, I will explain to the House the manner in which they were found. Mr Speaker.—You have already repeated that to the House once, and really you put forward the case in a manner which was so shocking that it could not but have been most offensive and distasteful to many mem bets. We are aware of the historical fact, and it is not right for members to shock the feelings of their brother members more than once in the session by a description of such baibarities.

Mr A. McDonald.—Very well, Sir, 1 shall not refer to it. If I have said anything or done anything, by which honourable members feel aggrieved 1 hope they will forgive me. I feel warmly on this subject. I have the honour of representing the district where these outrages and murders were committed. When I am at home I meet every day of my life the friends and relatives of the people who were murdered, and I trust that if I have said anything wrong honourable members will forgive me. I feel warmly on the subject, and I trust If this Bill passes the Government will think twice before doing again what they did in the past,