PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 274, 24 August 1872, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, August 23. Mr Collins complained of the Ministers having been travelling about in what he termed regal style ; and wanted to know where the money came from to enable them to do it. He also complained of the abuse of patronage, and the number of members of the Assembly who had been given appointments. He said that the Pakipaki line of railway seemed specially selected in order to benefit the Hon. Mr Ormond’s property. He complained of the unfair distribution of Government patronage to newspapers. Katene complained of the action of the Ministry in certain matters, but would not vote against them because by doing so tliey would lose Mr McLean’s services.

Mr Reynolds said no one would deny the cor''ectness of Mr Stafford’s first resolution. Grave errors had been committed, but the same would probably have been the case with any ministers. Dr. Featherstone’s appointment was injudicious; and the immigration scheme was never likely to be very satisfactory in his hands. The Government had, however, acted promptly in rectifying his errors. He thought Mr Stafford’s third resolution was certainly not honestly intended, and that Mr Stafford and his party were the last men to carry its provisions out faithfully. He strongly objected to the probable composition of the new Ministry if the motion was carried. Mr Murray strongly supported the resolution, and condemned the Government on a variety of points, and contrasted Yogel’s Otago Provincial professions with his colonial career. Mr Stewart thought the charges preferred against the Government had not been proved. He would not be one of a party to turn out one set of men to put another set in, which was all the resolution really meant. Mr Swanson thought the charges made by Reid were not sufficiently replied to by the Government. Ministers really pleaded guilty to the first resolution. Great promiseshadbeen made in reference to public works to be done, but there was no sign of tlieir commencement. If the Government escaped now, it would be owing to the reputation of Mr McLean. He had no fault to find with him, and lie refused to believe the statement that however Mr McLean might fight for his party, he would refuse to take office with other colleagues if called upon to do so by the unanimous voice of the country, for he was not a man to sacrifice his county to a party. Several serious questions were impending, such as Education, Civil Service, Native Lands Confiscation, &c., and lie and two or three others wanted to know the programmes on either side in reference to these matters before determining on the vote to be given. What the country wanted was, first, peace; second, economy ; and as to the first it was necessary to have Mr McLean. If the Government were let off this time, he hoped they would conduct themselves more regularly in future. Mr McLean moved an adjournment. Mr John McLean lias resigned his scat in the Legislative Council. FRIDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Mr McLean resumed the debate, and reviewed at length the whole Native and Defence policy of the Government since his accession to office. He declared that he had received earnest and valuable cooperation from his colleagues, more especially from Mr Fox, and no difference of opinion had ever existed in the Cabinet. The expense of the Defence Department was now less than one-third what it was

when he took office, and he hoped soon to be able to do with less forces, and to spend the money so saved in employing natives on public works and utilising the services of the chiefs to maintain order in their districts, so as to make them feel themselves an integral part of the Colony. He believed that the time had now arrived when the Ministry might advise the Governor to proclaim a general amnesty. He alluded to tho great efforts that the natives are making under Government encouragement to establish schools to teach their children English. He announced that, after mature consideration, the Government had decided to appoint one or more chiefs to the Executive Council, so as to form a sort of Board to advise Ministers in native matters. He declared most positively that it was not possible that he could join any Ministry under Mr Stafford. It was only under special circumstances that he had joined any Ministry at all, and, whatever happened, he felt deeply grateful to the officers of his department, and to the native officers for their great assistance and co-operation. The present Government had done their utmost to secure peace, and had brought affairs into a state never hoped for when they took office. He believed that whatever trifling difficulties might hereafter arise between the two races, peace was now really established on a firm and permanent basis, and if the Government went out they would retire conscious of having done their duty.

Mr Creighton expressed his deep regret at Mr McLean’s decision not to join Mr Stafford. He hoped that Mr McLean would bo reconciled, as otherwise members would be placed in a dilemma between anarchy and civil war on the one side, and wasteful and reckless expenditure of public money on the other. Another reason why he should reconsider his determination was that the proposal of the General amnesty would come more acceptably from an entirely new Ministry than from one headed by Mr Fox, who in the strongest tsrms had scouted the idea when suggested in 1870 by Dr Pollen and Mr Firth. In his own heart and conscience he believed that Te Kooti had been more sinned against than sinning ; but since 1870 L 250,000 had been spent in hunting him round the Island to tho place he started from, ,and now the Ministers wero willing to accept what Te Kooti had offered of his own accord two years ago, to settle down quietly if allowed to do so. The Ministry had pleaded guilty, and been convicted of the mal-administration of Public Works and Immigration, and were now endeavouring to shelter themselves behind the shield of their Ajax. The Grant they had in their camp, if McLean succeeded in saving them this year, next session he would disappear with the unanimous consent of the country. The Government instead of being excused by the mislakes of the engineers, was responsible for employing incompetent men, to the exclusion of those experienced officers whom the provinces had appointed. The present Ministers were without the slightest idea of business, and utterly regardless of the discussions of tho Legislature. Their retaining office could only prove ruinous and disastrous to the country. Karaitiana ventilated a number of personal grievances against the Ministry, and declared that the natives generally would not regard a Government formed by Mr Stafford without Mr McLean with favour. But in his own mind he was not decided about how he would vote. Ho would probably vote with Stafford.