THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Southland Times, Issue 1275, 5 July 1870, Page 3

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thttbsday, Jxmrs 16. THE ADDRESS IS REPLY. Mr F. A. Carrington moved the reply to the addres3. He bore witness to the safety of fche country as compared with last year, and complimented the Government in its native policy. He regarded the establishment of steam communication with America as of great importance, and considered the colony would be the better for an infusion of American enterprise and American institutions. He highly approved of steps being taken to promote systematic colonisation, and would suggest that in future a portion of all land surveyed for sale should be reserved for purposes of public improvement, such as roads and bridges. On the subject of telegraphic extension, he hoped the line might soon be extended to ■ New Plymouth, as well as to those places in the south not yet connected by wire with the rest of the colony. Mr D. Eich, the member for Waikouaiti, seconded the reply, and in doing so congratulated the Government on the success of their native policy. They had achieved exactly what he thought they would — nothing very decisive Or brilliant, for that could not be done with the Maoris — slow and sure progress towards bringing about a better state of affairs than previously existed in the North Island. In a recent tour through the island his opinions on this matter had been strengthened, and the Waikato settlers told him that in their opinion there would be no more war if oniy reasonable prudence was exercised. He had been very sanguine about the. success the Commissioners to England would meet with, but he had been disappointed ; and the conduct of the Home Government in sending positive orders for the removal of the troops (although, for all that was known at Home, the orders might have reached the Colony in the midst of of a massacre of its settlers) had greatly shaken his feelings of attachment to that country ; and he, for one, would not be found backward in supporting any movement to secure independence of the mother country. He would like to have seen in the speech a declaration of an intention to bring down a scheme of protection of Colonial products and industries (Oh! Oh! Oh !), for unless something of the kind was done there was little use in bringing immigrants into the country. Such a scheme would be the best way of keeping them wben here. The other measures shadowed forth in the address were so useful as to need no comment from him. The hon. Mr Stafford said the speech was not very provocative of debate, and he had no desire to raise one on it. He might, of course, on such an occasion criticise the conduct of the Government since their accession to office, but he did not feel the least desire to quarrel over the wretched past. There were large and important questions affecting the future which required earnest and serious attention, and which it behoved those who had the good of the Colony at heart to direct their earnest and almost undivided attention to. He intended, therefore, to direct his attention during the session rather to the future than to the past. With regard to the address itself he possessed no information, and there was nothing before the House warranting what was practically a vote of thanks to Mr Ormond for services on the East Coast. That gentleman'had, he believed, forwarded a large number of anonymous telegrams to various newspapers, and the news so sent might have had some influence in cheering desponding spirits, and calming their anxiety ; but none of the papers before the House showed any record of Mr Ormond's services, nor was there anything that he saw in those papers to warrant the confident reciprocation of congratulations about native affairs contained in the reply. As to the exceptional difficulties, alluded to in the speech, he would like to know what they were, as the only thing of the kind he could think of was the removal of the Imperial troops, but for years past those troops had taken no part in native matters. Indeed, the whole of that part of the speech, alluding to native affairs, bore yery in uch the same appearance as what the Government had, on former occasions, interpreted to disclose an intention of conquering a peace. He might, on this occasion, very fairly comment on some of Mr Fox's remarks on the late Government, while on his recent peripatetic tour in the Middle Island, but he did not wish to do so. Mr Fox had, with what he might call unadorned eloquence, indignantly repudiated certain charges, and asked was it fair, was it right, was it honorable, that those charges should have been made against him ? He (Mr Stafford) might fairly ask Mr Fox was it fair, was it honorable, to make the charges he did against the members of the late Government, A when the public records, and every fact showed that the charges were not true ? Unless forced to do so, however, he did not intend to provoke discussion ofthe past, as he thought it would be more conducive to the progress of the colony not to do so. As to the last paragraph of the speech, the measures alluded to were of great public importance, and the Government deserved credit for inviting the attention of the Legislature to them as tending to remove the stagnation under which the colony unhappily suffered. A well considered scheme of colonisation would deserve the support of every person interested in | New Zealand j but he hoped the scheme, ! when it came down, would not be found one for the exceptional advancement of certain portions of the colony, which were already comparatively well off. Altogether, he thought the speech carefully and judiciously composed, and he should be sorry to provoke any recrimination of debate on it. (Cheers). The Hon. the Premier expressed his

pleasure at the good taste and moderation displayed by Mr Stafford, and from the fair, candid, and moderate tone of his speech he hoped they might all join to lay the foundations of an advanced progress. As to Mr Ormond, he could say that the words of the speech very feebly represented the obligatioris"~of the Government to him. They owed him obligations of the deepest character for the way in which he had performed the laborious duties of his office, and much he had done would never be known save by the result which would be, he (Mr; Fox) - believed, the permanent pacification of the EastCoast. The exceptional difficulties of the last year consisted, in the first place, of the violent termination of the presence of Imperial troops when the Government was straining every nerve to capture Te Kooti, while at the same time to keep peace with the King, in whose country the rebel was. Thus removal of the troops .under such "critical circumstances was an exceptional difficulty, unparalleled in the history ofthe British Empire ; and it was a bitter cruelty on the part of the Home Government, which was made even worse by the publication of Lord Granville's despatch on the Bubject— -a document calculated to encourage hostility and aggravate the temper of the native race. He was; sure the House would agree that these were exceptional difficulties. With regard to the Government plan of colonisation, he thought the House would find it was not one of the character deprecated, by Mr Stafford, but one which would hold an even balance between all parts of the Colony, and tend to the general benefit. He trusted both Bides of the House would vote for the common good. The hon. Mr Hall was not going to speak, had it not been for Mr Rich's remarks about the Home Commissioners. He was glad their misson was as unsuccessful as he always thought it would be. (Mr Rich here said he was as glad as Mr Hall was that the Commissioners had failed about the troops.) The departure of the troops was the dawn of a better day for the Colony, as it enabled the Colony to prove to the world that it could depend on itself. At the same time •' the Home Government had not. behaved well towards the Colony^ He hoped, however, that the Commissioners might" manage to induce the Home.Governmerit to, in some other way than by troops, acknowledge the responsibility which? it fairly owed to the Colony. He was sorry to find no allusion in the qpeechL to the special depreciation urider which the agricultural community of the Middle. Island was laboring. Mr Fox, in his recenttour, must have seen this depression, and it was surprising to find that it was not recognised in the speech. Practically, the Middle Island was unrepresented on the Government Benches, andthe Premier ought therefore to have told hfs colleagues that beneath the fair surface things in the Middle Island were really in a very unsatisfactory state. But a 'very poor and sorry return was' obtained > for the investment of capital in industrial enterprises, and it was then for the House to devise some alleviation ofthe distress now pressing on such an important industry as agriculture, when the neighboring Colonies could pour into this their surplus of grain ; while when this Colony had a surplus it was met by a heavy import duty if sent to Victoria. The address was then put, and, after being prepared by a committee, was agreed to. A bill to amend the Post-office Act, by reducing the fate of Inter- Provincial postage, was received by message from the Governor, and read*a first time. Mr Mervyn's Goldfields Act Amendment Bill was also read a first timeY and the House then adjourned.

Fbeday, June 17. 8 V , ; The following new members took rthe oaths and their seats-:— J. C. Brownj Bruce ; G. Webster, Wallace ; and L. M'Gillivray, Riverton. Some petitions were then presented, amongst others two fromthe Auckland Chamber of Commerce; one asking for a Reciprocity Treaty with the Australian Colonies, and the other for a shortening of the time within which bills of sale can be registered. Mr Swan asked the Premier whether the Government was acquainted with the fact that a cargo of South Sea Islanders had been imported into the Province of Auckland for the working of flax fields in the Province, and this by collusion with the chiefs of the island where such cargo was obtained, and bythe dispensing of douceurs to such chiefs ? , Also, whether the Government was aware tbat it was the intention of the parties engaged in the traffic to continue it, t ljythe iptjpduction of further cargoes ? Also, whether Government was prepared to place the trade in these islanders under proper control, both in the interest of tbe pubhc and the natives themselves;, or *^o bring down a measure to prohibit the traffic in South Sea Islanders altogether. Mr Fox said the Government had no information as to how the islanders in question had been obtained ; if, however^ -the Government ; ascertained . there; had . been' or were likely to be "such gross abuses as hinted at were likely to occur, the Government, after due consideration with the Auckland members, would take steps to remedy the evil*,; but the Government would act very cautiously in the matter. The Government had already sought information on the subject from the Superintendent of Auckland. Leave was granted to Mr Fox to bring in the following Bills: — To amend the laws relating to Vaccination; Otago Educational Reserves Abandonment ; and Election by Ballot. . ; The following motion, proposed by- Mr Hall, was passed : — " For a return of the number of corn*sacks imported into the Colony since the lst July, 1869, and of the duty of customs paid in respect of the same. Also, a similar return in regard to woolpacks imported since the Ist July, 1869." Mr W. H. Harrison would trouble the House with but a few remarks upon the motion he now brought forward. Under

the Municipal Corporations Act there existed no power by which Borough Councils could levy a rate for the prevention of fires. The Bill he wished to introduce would give special power to Borough Councils formed' under the Act, to levy a rate not exceeding 3d in the pound for the establishment and support ' of fire brigades, and other such purposes. Some such power should be given to Borough Councils in towns where large quantities of combustible materials were • stored. His principal reason for bringing forward this Bill was that in Westland several serious fires had occurred, and an enormous amount of property had been "■ destroyed. The inhabitants were willing " and desirous to contribute towards the formation and support of fire brigades, but at the present time they had not the opportunity of doing so. He would move for leave to bring in a Bill to < amend the Municipal Corporations Act, , ] in order to empower Borough Councils to I levy special rates for fire prevention purposes. The Bill was then read a first time. The following motions proposed by Mr Yogel were agreed to : — " That a Select Committee be appointed to examine into and report upon questions relating to the public accounts ; ; the said Committee, to -. consist of Mr Curtis, Mr Fitzherbert, Mr Gillies, Mr Kelly, Mr Macffarlane, Mr Peacock, Mr ;'; Stafford, and Mr Stevens.' 1 — : j "That a Seject Committee be ap- 1 pointed to inquire into the subject of connecting New Zealand hy t Submarine Electric Cable 'with other countries, and . to report thereon; the said Committee to consist of Mr Clark, Mr Edwards, Mr Hall, Mr Macandrew, Mr O'Neil, Mr j Richmond, Mr W. Taylor, Mr Webster, and Mr R. G. Wood; four to form a[ quorum, and the report to be brought up ; before the 15th July. ' .'.*" ' m " "" ;' ■ ■ '-