A Maori Stonewall. AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. SYDNEY TAIWHANGA HOLDS THE FORT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 290, 15 August 1888, Page 3

A Maori Stonewall. AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. SYDNEY TA I WHANG A HOLDS THE FORT.

The tin eat made by Sydney Taiwhanga thai ho would stonewall the Nalne Land Bill was carried into execution ycbtciday afternoon. Diiectly cla-uaC 3of the Native Land Admiui.stiation Act? -Repeal Bill was reached, the irrcpie&siblo Sydney was on his feet, and in oidcr to gain as much bieathing time as possible, he addie.sscd the Committee in his native tongue, and had his icimuka lutei j-rctod instead of speaking in broken English, as he usually docs. After a few pioliminaiy remarks he inflicted on the House the Treaty of Wiitangi, and then read hum a work .showing how the .same had been abrogated. Air Hamlin ruled the lion, member ©ut of oidcr, and ho thereupon moved to xcpoil "what jou call it,' bub iinding hi& light of speech was thus limited, he moved that the Ghaumau do leave the choii , w Inch entitled him to speak all round the question. After that, he had possession of the floor for upwards of two houis*. He started j to icad from a pamphlet dealing with legislation on the native que&tion from 1862 up to the present date, when Mi Allen asked whether members weie to be boied by listening to one hunched page* of printed matter, which would not en lighten them on the Bills under consideiation. The Chairman of Committees replied, " I do not think I can rule the hon. gentlemen out of order. Tho time will come, I doubt not, when the Committee will unanimously direct mo to put a stop to this painful waste of time. In tho meantime the hon. member is at liberty to goon." Mr Taiwhanga smiled bcnignantly, and a&siued the Committee that the pamphlet did not contain one hundred pages, but only thirty-one. Dr. Newman protested auainst the interruptions, and pointed out that other stoncwalleis during the session had not been reprobated. At 5.30 p.m., when the dinner adjournment arrived, Sydney was still reading, he having had possession of the floor for two hours and a half. At the evening sitting, he proceeded with his weaiisome task, having expressed his intention of keeping possession of the lloor while his breath held out. Interruptions 1 of a humorous kind were repeatedly made as the night proceeded, but, nothing daunted, the member for tho Northern Maoii District continued to pursue the oven te':or of his way, being occasionally lelicved by Taipua rising to speak to points of order. Just before tho usual hour for the supper adjournment arrived, Mr Fish said it was 1 evident that the hon. member was addressing himself to tho galleries. He therefore moved that the galleries be cleared, and, on a division, this was cairicd by 29 to 26. Thus lor the fourth time this session the officers of the House were ordered to see that the galleries were cleai cd. With a view to tiring- out the aboriginal stonewaller a list was prepared ot membeis who were willing to stay till daylight, and arrangements were mado for their being then relieved by others. The stonewall of the Native Land Bill lasted all night, and is still continuing with

every prospect of much longor silling. On seeing that Taiwhanga, was determined the (jovernmen (.endeavoured lo arrangomalters with the chief, but failing 1 in this, preparations wero made for a protracted siege. Messrs Tlamlin, Seymour, and W. J. S toward arranged to divide t'ho duties of Chairman and a iota was al.so avianged by tho ollicers oi the lloumc. Members diopped in by relays during tho night, and tho discussion was carried on in tho presence of a bare quorum, neaily all pio^enl, eveopt tho .speakers, having composed thonibolvcs to ;ost. Taiwhanga held on biavely until after one o'clock, by which time his voice was husky, and ho appeared almost exhausted. Several motions weic put> to the HouhO for reporting' piogic&s, etc., and while Taiuhangasal somewhat dazed and oil his guard tho third and crucial clause ot the Bill (lepoaling the Nalivo Laud Administration Act) wa.s put and catried on the voices. Tho pie&s icpcrleis weie then (1.30 a.m.) ic-adinitbcd on the motion ot JNlr Marchant. In consiiloiing claviso 4, which makes natives alienate land in the samoway as l ( ]uio[)oan c ; sublet only to the frauds L'ie\ei\(ion At t. Sir ( Jcoigo CJivy mo\o 1 an amendment to limit pin chase-, of land by any Emopcan to the value ot C 2,500, which Mr Yon all proposed to altci to Cl,ooo. After borne further discur-Mon Sir (leurgo (>i'<y firoposctl that the Chairman do lea\o tlie chair. Mv Taipua spoku for an liour, when ho was iclicvod by Mr Taiwhanga, mho held (he lloor tor an houi and a half. Mi Tayloi then olleted his assistance to tho Maoiis, and at the end of half-an-hour Mr U. H. Kccves took l.is pi ice, .mil load mid comnuntcd upon thcTitatyot' Waitangi foi upwaid- ofanhoui. MesM'oTa) loi,T.uwhanga and Taipua Jilltd up tho lemainder ot Die moiuini^ until tho Lnctikbisb ad join iimcut, and strongly uiged the (Un eminent to postpone tho lii'ls till they could be di-,-cii'-bed by a meeting of chicle to be held in Match at the Uav ot l&landb