PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 85, 10 December 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER ;). lecislat:vl council. [Peb Phesh Association.] Wellington, December 9. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p .m, I'ne Council agreed to insist on the mendments to the Shipping and Seaaen’s Act Amendment Bill, and Muni■nal Corporations Act Amendment Bill, and the Water Supply Act Amendem Bill. The Council agreed not to insist on he amendment it made in the Police :>eond reading of the Medical FracdThe amendments made by the House i the Fire Brigades Act Amendment Jill and the Public Revenues Bill were greed to. i'he Hon. F. H. D. Bell moved the The Council wont into Committee loners Bill, affirming the principle hat there should be a body of medical len in addition to the Registrar-Gen-The Bill was read a second ime.

The Council wfent into Committee n the Hospital and Chariiaole instintions Act Amendment Bill, which as read a third time and passed. Several local Bills were put through ill stages. The Council went into Committee an the Police Force Bill.—The Hon. J. vigg intimated that when the time ame he would move a'new clause to te effect that nothing in the Act tould be deemed to prevefat any soiety or association now or hereafter cing established having for its oIA 3ets the improvement of the condiions of the members of the, Force with Ogard to wages, hours, .duty and ther conditions between the officers ncl men.—The Hon.F. H. D. Belli Vnd the public!.—Mr Rigg, continuing, aid that his proposal Was that the association should have nothing to do vith any trades union. It would not e used for the purpose of assisting strike, but would really be an association on the lines of the Civil Serice Association. —The Hon. F. H. D ’oil: The Government has not the lightest intention of allowing such an ssociation to he formed in connecion with any body, whether military <• civil, with respect to which diec-i---->line is essential. —The amendment as defeated by 1G votes to 4. The Council adjourned at 11 o’clock.

house ! 6f representatives. Tljfi House met. at 2.30 p.ni., fK . :Replying>to Mi| (H. tAtindrej tha Hdn ,y. P|«Ma«4y jsajd ihatf he ‘ptofrhsejd ' o-incbrppi4tp in : di;t Bil| ( th,e. inosl Aportaftt features of the Shops iar.d iffiocs Bill, which would come befor: Parliament to-morrow or on the ncx* lay. _ ~Xh.e, tll( imehdments made by the Legislativi Council in’ tlie Education Bill. Most of the afternoon was deVoted |to ■detailing the work accomplished dining the sitting of the House. 15t ' *££.■•. •• w t# 1 ’■*> native lands bill.J. : V f i - -"-r ■ At In the afternoon Hon W. H. Herries .moved the third reading of the Native Land Bill, Mr T. Parata, Mr T. M. Wilford, and Mr L. M. Isitt placed on record what Mr Isitt called their loathing for the measure, which filched lands from Maoris and handed it over to Pakehas. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr A. T, Ngata said that ho could not let the Bill pass on to the Stacute Book without -entering his protest again-s a measure which violated a trust. The Bill might make th calling and election of the Taranak members sure, but that was no just: fication for perpetrating an injustic as was done by the Bill.

Mr G. V. Pearce protested that th; Bill was not promoted by the Taranaki members. Maori members want ed the BilF. The Taranaki Maor was now in the position of a remit tance man waiting for his rent, which he promptly spent in a public house. If ho were allowed to sell a portion of his land he would become more in 'dependent, and if there was any goo< in him it would come out. The Bil prevented the Maori from becomim landless, but it would give him bac a portion of the lands which, undei Liberal legislation, were won from them for ever.

Dr. Rangihiroa said that it grieved him that he had to stand up in Par liament and make his final protest against an injustice which was being done to his race. It was a piece c effrontery for Mr Pearce to stand up and tell the House that the Pill wa for the benefit of the Maori. 'i honorable gentleman was a lessee of Maori land, and would he benefited by the Bill. That was why it was in-troduced—-to assist him and the likes of him who objected to a Maori landlord. The Bill was to some extent a legalisation of the color line. I the Maori were degenerating it wa: because of drink and of the racemeetings which had been introduced by the ‘Pakeha. Why did not men like Mr Pearce vote for prohibition? Why did they not vote for limitation of horseracing? Why did they not seek to remove temptation from the Maori? No one objected to surplus Maori land being settled, but this Bill proposed to take settled Maori land and hand it over to the Pakeha. Dr. Rangihiroa. continuing, said that what ought to be done was to encourage the Mama to farm his own land. What proposal was there in the Bill to do ‘ that? ft was pitiable that a Native member should have to stand up in Parliament and plead for justice to his race. And the most pitiable part of it was that one of their own peopleshould sit on the Government benches i

and Support an injustice being done. The Hon. Dr. Pornare said ,that he was charged with selling Ids own people, but the Bill would emancipate his ,race. An objection made to the Bill was that it gave the Maori the rignt to sell to the Government. Was that the first time that that right had been given? What about the 3,000,000 acres that.the, . Liberal Government bought from the .Maori in recent years at -Is an acre when it was worth 30s? Was that justice to the Maori? Sot these gentlemen,,came into the House and wept, tears oyer the Maori. Hon .Member They were not trust lands. |)r. Pornare thatthe honorable members talked of the saciedness of trusts, but what had they clone on the West Coast? They had'taken the lands of the Maori and leased them tc the Pakeha for all time. This 0!’ would enable the West Coast. Maori to work out his own salvation witn-r.it fear and trembling. The legislation of the Opposition had made those Maoris perpetual minor sand ..lunatics. Mi- P. C. Webb: that was why they sent yon here! Dr. Pornare: The honorable gentleman should not say too much. People who live in glass houses should i ot throw stones. - Coptimiing, ,Dy, Pornare said: support, this- Bill bW«e !t « ives J ' e .M’aoris better hope and a chance of becoming citizens of this country. Thy debate was continued by Mr H. Atn.ore, Mr W- !)• S. MacD.mud, ■md Mr K C- Weld), who opposed tin Bill, , and Mr -C, K. Wilson, who supported, .it.-.- , ■ . ■ Sir James Carroll, said that sure.y the: earnest appeals,,u;hich had ..been made on behalf ,of .’the Maori poop e by the member -forthe (Southern Mari district and by other speakers should make the Minister pause before he proceeded to perpetrate the injustice done .by the Bill. He would ask the. Minister in his reply to confine h-’n-celf to two points, the exclusi m of Mapri representatives from the Mar i Land Boards, and the violation of a -acred trust. Ho wanted the. Mums--' er!to tell the House why a Man;', ihould he excluded from a board deal-ing-with Maori lands. The pressure behind the Minister w.as from European tenants.' ,' iSo in/this ueriod of > mr civilisation \ve. ..were achie.’i-ig j nothing better than, legislative accomnodation, which meant that the di" ’.steT was going fp fji-eohold o koine people by joking .dj. Lorn )thers, ■ , The debate wrtS‘OAWtfnned by Messrs Teed. lin+il 2.35 a.m., when the Minister rose to •epjy. • * A division was tjabeu at 1.15 a.m. rhen the third,. reading of the Bill vasi carried by 31 votes to 20. The >illi then passed, and the House rose t 1.28 a,m. { ...