COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. THE TE KOOTI EPISODE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 397, 28 August 1889, Page 5

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. THE TE KOOTI EPISODE.

The House gob into supply afc midnighfa last night, when the ifcetns under the heading of volunteers in the Defence Department were taken. Mr Seddon at once rose and opened the Te Kooti business, which, he thought, had not been sufficiently discussed, and on which, he thought, the House should pa&s an opinion. He then proceeded to go over the whole business from beginning to end. He spoke for forty minutes, and seemed almost as if he was stonewalling. As he had given a very peculiar account of the whole business, the Native Minister rose and related the whole occurrence as far as he was connected with it. He complained that he had been raisreprebented not only in the House, bub by the press of the colony, and denied that he had fGfced Te Kooti or that he had paid him attention?, and declared that the Government would have had no power to stop Te Kooti from coming to Auckland, quoting Stoufc as an authority for this. This explanation was well received by the House. Mr Graham then defended tho Government at some length. Indication was given that when the Customs vote is under consideration the appointment of Mr Shannon will be adversely critici&ed, and also that when the railu ay estimates are being di&cussed the appointment of commissioners will be condemned. The House sat in Committee of Supply until 2.15 a.m. when the following votes were passed the only one on which any reduction was attempted being £900 for Wellington and Auckland Government Gardens, which Dr. Fitchett moved to reduce by £100, but it was lo^t on division by 26 to 5. Defence Department: Volunteers, £28,912; stores and magazines, £1850 ; police, £97,962 ; miscellaneous services, '£1,730 ; making a total with that formerly passed of £160,316; public and school buildings and domains — department public buildings, £30,375; school building?, 25,000 ; Government gardens, Wellington and Auckland, £900. Total, £56,275. After the Premier's statement on Monday night the House will continue tho consideration of the Estimates Ministers are confident of gofcling through tho session in a fortnight. A deputation from the New Plymouth Harbour Board will wait on the Premier next week. I understand they are desirous of getting a loan of one of the big dredgera for a few weeks.