HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3304, 24 July 1879, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tlio Address in Rsply. ' r T.he House returned ;at. : -7i3O r on -the •Ad^siniEeplyi "J " ' """ " " pi The Hon jjJpjbn. Sheehan, who was received with 1 ' ctie'arsi' s s'eid,' * before„ proceeding Fiirth'ery he Wished to say that a telegram; from 3?*ranaU;;ijast, received, announced that 24 more prisoners had been taken. He thanked the Opposition for the privilege of addressing them "that evening^ owing to his- absence ' through indisposition list hight; ■ He! thduph't the step taken in moving the^ amendment was a peculiar and uhwarrahteji'one, and such as placed the Government in in awkward position. They might, have allowed the Addross to go by default,;' and have brought down a no-confidehce motion next day. He did not accept "the"-profes-sions of wolves in sheep's clothing. They attempted to delay the carrying out of the policy which; theyf objeqte'd. to. He had not been able to attend through the debate, and could not therefore reply to all the charges made, but he intended to reply to those preferred by §ir. Fox. He had a great respect for tbe'hon. gentleman from his long connection with the colony, and thought he deserved the honors received, but objected to the backstairs way in which he had procured the same. Nevertheless, he hoped he would live long to enjoy the honors.;' Ho did not see the necessity for the theatrical effect which the hon. gentleman attempted in his speech, because they were well supplied-in Wellington with such talent. Tho real fight was not against the policy or the administration, but to get into office. He did not intend to allow- the statement to go unchallenged thatr they /were h\i& real Simon Pufes, and the all that was bad and objectionable. -The* hon. gentleman told them in his opening speech tthat a Maori war was immi-

nen| —a statement that carried some wefght coming from such an authority, and if it was true they knew who were responsible for it. They had been accused of mal-adininistration, and this was a charge which they could hurl back to their accusers because they were most guilty of such a charge. After 25 years of political life a man assumed a very grave face, and he was not surprised at the gravity with which Sir W. Fox made these extraordinary professions of his own gp.o.d qualities in contradistinction, to the failings of the present Government. He was the arch-schemer of former sessions, who used every effort to keep in office, and now sought to get back to the Government benches. They had heard much of appointments made by Government, but he contended that they had a perfect right to make appointments according to their own choice. He was charged with • demoralising the public service by removing Major Mair and Mri Davis. He would show that he could not ,do otherwise in the interest of his, de-; partment. He was urged to take advantage of his office in dismissing a number of those who had bsen strongly opposed to him, but he did not do so, although he claimed to be responsible for his; department. He was surprised to find' hon. members able to attempt any defence of CO. Davis, who had been false to the European population of the country. He; found that all the difficulty about reserves which he was employed to settle were caused by himself,, and he had written proof that Davis attempted to procure for Europeans land which he was empowered to buy for Government, therefore he was justified in giving him his quietus as soon as possible after he went into office. As to Major Mair, he was a good officer at one time, but he had proved himself unworthy of trust, and was therefore dismissed. He had an appointment with Rewi, and was frustrated through Major Mair's interference. He had confessed his fault, and was restored, tP' confidence again; but he was again guilty of the same attempt to undermine his position with Rewi and the Maoris of his district, and he had, therefore,' refuscd;to have anything more to do with him, or to support his claim for -Compensation.' As to Captain Boolh, wjio Was also a good officer, ,he would tell them that he was now in a better: position than before the inquiry, out of which, he came with the flying colours referred to by the hon gentlemany- and Mr Booth had himself told him that he was treated considerately at the hands of the present Government. The charges were without foundation, and the* land was in a fair way for completion of .purchase,. . [Referring to Mr Luckie, he sjaid' they were charged with', taking fa stranger and placing him over the .heads of older servants. Why, that,was -preckely.. what the hon, gentleman had been notoriously guilty of: the hon gentleman brought men from home to place them over the heads of old-established civil servants. He could say that he had never done this, but he had given hisofficer| promotion since be came into office. Efe was going to express his opinion; pretty freely. He would not deal;with prisonhouse secrets, nor ask how the dispute between' two members of 'the Cabinet aro_Sd, ; and he did not think fche-Uoti. tgeur tlcman was jiistified. in referring to it on the strength of a newspaper account of ,the ; same. He would have held Mr 'Bali-

lance,up as a martyr if he bad been taking the side of' the hon. gentleman, instead of holding bun up to ridicule as the. Hon. gentleman, did. They were told that the negotiations : with/ the King party was a -complete failure, and if they wanted to ,ideal' with,the Maories they should np't japp.ear so.anxious, or they might Jose what they wanted to gain; and a good deal waa.said about the Government crawling upon all fours into Kopua. Now, in order otpidealjwith theses charges hewouldcarry them back to J 874. At that time there was ,'fid f fighting,' but ail overtures for peace and opening of lands were futile. They then attempted to get certain krtds, but" failed, and ? when , speculators,- atjteinptiadi jit,! tlanß J)a surveyor was shot, the Government; ,Bteppedj]ilßf and closed the lands against surveys. In 1877, Government was asked to visit Waikato and establish the fact that Jhe! Eingf party we're willing tojPbine^to terms, the only reservation being that the King should have some control in the allocation of the lands. That was the stumbling block which they sought to remove at Hikurangi and Eopua, but evil advisers had steppeed ia ; the interview and failure were no doubt due to them. The King talked of the employment of his people on road-making, and otbfer stipulations, which could only have beet known to them by interested persons, to whom he might yet feel callM upon to refer further. It was not true that no invitations, were received to attend the Kopua meeting, for Eewi Maniapoio asked them, and heowhed the largest portion of the land, and was equal in influence and power with the King pcrty. They went up and were received ..openly ; and hospitably.' The Government were not prepare! to truckle with these people, and hfl bo interest to do so at any time. The tietfiand made by Tawhiao for supremacy, over this land was resisted by nativesvor influence, and that was worh striving after. Kewi told them;.that,;.as. they had not come to terms, he, wouljd,'setiie^nattors himself, snd he decided the boundary which was the cause of the murder of Sullivan. He.said, if the Government would settle the boundaries he would see thatbis people respected-and; maintained any arrangement which might Lie made. The men who had been in rebellipo. a'riibngst the Maoris were thus br6ught!to\ the Lands Court as ordinary suitors-with others, and the importance of their action could not be over-estimated. Iv his efforts to show the Government that he wai <sincere in his desires to secure the peice and settlement of his 1 country, whatever Government came into office he had no doubt they would find Rowi true, to the position he had taken up. There were persons in the House who would admit the' faithfulness of the reports' furnished of these meetings, and ria one could say that Government did not afford the fullest facilities for the publicity of these reports. He would now refer *to the'Waimate affairs : Major Brown had full Rower to deal with these plans, and surveys, but circumstances arose which rendered it necessary to suspend the sur- ' veyg until the surveys were made, and he s was instructed to mark off some thousands of'acres for reserves. The great mistake was in taxing the land before they were able to hold it. Whatever claim these natives; had over the: land up to 1539 was entirely forfeited by the conduct of Tito-. kowaru and his people in that year.