PARLIAMENTARY.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3371, 11 October 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[Special Wive to " Stab."]

(Pek Pbess Association.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Last night. The House assembled at 2.30. HIS ISLAND HOME.

The hon. Mr McLean gave notice that he would more at next sitting day that the Island of Kawau bo included in n county for the purpose of mulling it liable to taxation. NOTICE OF NO CONFIDENCE MOTION. j Mr 'Macaudrew gate notice that he | would move that the Government does not possess the confidence of the House. With a view of enabling him to make certain explanations, ho rno*ed the adjournment of the House. He then proceeded to speak. lie had one or two words to say in connection with the announcement he had just now made. He took it for granted that the usual constitutional course would be adopted on this occasion, and that the Government would refrain from going on with public business until the motion was disposed of. He wished to say that the Opposition was most desirous to get on with the business of the Country, and that they desired to bring this question to a final issue at as early a date as possible; if the Government were so disposed they were prepared to go to a division on the question at once and they would be prepared to obiie loyally by the result. For his own part he was in a position to say that if the motion were disposed of to-day, and the vote given in the affirmative, he would be prepared on Tuesday to bring down the names of a new Government that would' command the confidence of the House, and to get on with the business of the passing of those constitutional measures that w< re so urgently demanded. He did not, of course, expect the Government to go on with the debate to-day, but he would be content if they would give him an assurance that it would be gono on with on first order of the day next week. LAND FOB SETTLEMENT. Beplying to Mr Finn, the Government stated that they were desirous of giving all the facilities they cculd for throwing ppen land for settlement, and that they bad under consideration the question of the throwing open of all available agricultural land at the head of Lake Wakatipu, Otago, and that an explicit assurance would ba given that day week. NATIVE BESEttYES. - Eeplying to Mr Tainui it was stated that the report of Commissioner Young on native reserve on the West Coast, together with all correspondence and minutes would be produced. BAILWAY MATTERS. Replying to Mr Andrews the Hon. Mr Oliver said the question of causing all railway passenger tickets to have value of the sume printed thereon had been referred to the railway Commissioners, but as yet no answer had been obtained, and that the uuiforms for railway officials was provided for in many places, and it was under consideration to adopt the same in the North Island. Beplying to Mr Hirst Mr Oliver said the Eiverton Invercargill Bailway was in course of being relaid with 401b rails. LAND TAX. Eeplying to Mr Johnston Mejor Atkinson said the land tax in each county could v be paid by Post Office order, and that such order would be issued free of charge. ME HALL IK EXPLANATION. The Hou. Mr Hall said that in not getting his Government sworn in so as to be ready to take their seats on Wednesday he had been blamed for attempting to delay the business and prevent a want of confidence motion .coming on. Such was not his intention; he had been told by Sir George Grey that it was absolutely necessary the Imprest Supply Bill should be passed at once. They had no representative in the Upper House, Mr Whitaker not having arrived in Wellington. He was, therefore, anxious the Bill should pass through the Upper House before the late Government left the Benches* as otherwise he knew it would not be allowed to go through until Mr Whitaker took his seatj and thereby a whole week would have been i lost. 'Regarding the course proposed to be j taken, he said he could not yet*{»ive a full j statement, in consequence of Mr Whitaker's non-arrival in Wellington} further^ more, the Treasurer had not yet succeeded in investigating the actual state of die finances, although he had been industriously engaged in the, work. ,, On Tuesday, however, he expected to be able to lay before them the result of the Treasurer's labors. At all events, no time would be lost, and the actual financial position of the colony would be laid before them at the earliest moment. The Native Minister had also been busily engaged with the affairs of his department, but in consequence of the peculiar manner in which the affairs of that department bad been conducted by the late Government, it was not by any means easy to obtain full and correct information. The Native Minister was, therefore, not yet in a position to make any definite statement. On Tuesday, however, they expected being' able to state what they believed to be the position of affairs on the West Coast, aud the steps they thought should be adopted uuder the circumstances ; also as to the manner in which the alienation of native lands question ought to be dealt with. The question of the purchase of land from the natives was also being carefully considered, arfel the views of the Government on the subject would then be given. In the matter of political reform their sincerity ii«d been questioned by the other side. They, therefore, proposed to at once dispel all doubt on that point, and to proceed with the .Electoral Bill, aud he hoped members ou the other side would not obstruct the passing thereof. He did not agree with the Government measure of last session, but proposed rather to frame one on the basis of the measure introduced by Mr Whitaker last session. He. hoped to be able to submit a Maori, qualification that would be more fair and more reasonable than those contained in the late Government measure. The next Bill which he would refer to was the Triennial Parliament Bilf, which was down on the Order Paper tor its second reading to-day. They believed that the Bill was required by the country. The measure, ai prepared by the late Govern-

ment, proponed that it should " ISlot come iuio operation unlit after the dissolution of the existing , Parliament" Tito third matter alluded to was the Eedisiribution of BeuSs. Titfy agree?! that a measure of of tfhis kind whs necessary. It was a work of difficulty, :uid it. would have lo be carefully considered. What they would him at was, that ail parts of ihe colony should be fairly represented, and no portion of it disfranchised. Land legislation was next referred to, and in framing a measure on that subject, the Government would be guided by fhe principal that it was absolutely essential for all classes that lands should bo settled upon, and facilities for that purpose would be provided. All the questions they would bring down would be not only Liberal, but likewise well considered. His colleage. Mr Whitaker, would arrive in Wellington to-morrow, when they would devote themselves to work with energy, so that the business might *be .gone'on with with as little delay as practicable. Mr Mall, in moving the gecoud'reading of the Triennial Parliaments Bill,.said since the previous Bill had passed a considerable change had taken place id the position of affairs. His own opinion had been that a five years' duration ought, in the first place, to have been attempted. Mr Sheehan said that the silence of the Government on the notice of the want of confidence was extraordinary. He challenged them to go and take the vote oh on the proposed motion at once. If they would take a fair fight and a short figbt they would be prepared to abide the issue and go ou with business at once. He had heard that an attempt was to be made to burk the question, and .that it would not be allowed them to bring it forward on Tuesday. If they succeeded in that he would find other ways to lest the strength of the Government party. He moved the adjournment of the debate on the second reading of the Bill till Tuesday. j Mr Whitaker said that they had heard both, inside and outside House that they did hot intend to carry out the Liberal measures. Now what do they find? they found the very party responsible for these reports attempting and obstructing them, in their endeavor to go ou with the very first of these measures. He contended that that fact alone went to prove that the Opposition was not honest in its professions about getting these measures passed. Then again the Premier had told them that the electoral and other measures demanded by the country would be brought down with the least possible delay. The motion as put by Mr Sheehan was in ihe worst possible taste, and showed palpably the confidence that was to be placed in their professions about getting on with business aud carrying out the Liberal measures sought for by the country. He called upon all the independent members to take a side against such a proposal, and to negative the motion for the adjournment.

Mr Turnbull argued that the real question at issue was not the passing of the Triennial Parliaments Bili, or any other Bill, it was simply as to whether or not the business should proceed until the notice of motion given by Mr Macandrew had been disposed of. Mr McLean said tha Government wonld stay on their benches until they had'told the House about the finances of the country, or he would have nothiug more to do with them. The state the finances were in was a most deplorable one, and it would take the Very best men in that House to elucidate the present condition. It was kind of the Opposition ;to offer to go to the division to-day seeing that four of the Government supporters were away. The motion for delay, was a mere subterfuge of the Opposition to shelve .the'bill altogether. The truth was they did not want it and they dare not vole against it. That was apparent from the facb that the Bill as framed was not made to apply to this Parliament/but the nest Parliament. Let them if/they were honest pass a Bill to affect themselves and not make a sham of passing a Bill which will only affect future legislatures. Mr Swansoa urged the iinptH-taoce of going on with the Bill and having the whole question between the two parties' on the want of confidence motion passed at once. •■■ ■ : " ■" Mr Bowen said it had been over and over again stated that Ministers had no right to have a fair hearing before a vote of want of confidence was taken. The proposal was a most unconstitutional one, and he hoped one the House would not commit itself to. Mr Header Wood contended that the late Government had not had a fair trial. Immediately the Governor's speech was brought down they were attacked and displaced. Ho blamed the Government for not having attempted a reconstruction of the late Government initead of placing oa the benches Ministers even more objectionable than any cf the members of the Government they had displaced. No reason had been shown why the projected want of -confidence motion should not be gone on with at once. j Mnjor Atkinson said that it was curious that the want of confidence motion and the motion for adjournment had been moved by members who had persistently voted against the Bill on previous occasions. It was s fact that after two years of office not a single Liberal measure of which they had talked so much of was in a fit state to be preiented to the House. He would also be able to show that the finances of the colony was even in a worse condition. If this Government was turned out, and another put in it would be a Ministry put in by the will of the late Premier, despite all they had heard of that hon gentleman's unfitness to be leader of his jparty. He would ask nevir members to give the Government an opportunity of placing their measures before the House, and then judge for themselves how far that confidence should be extended. He could tell the House that they were determined to go into the whole question of finance despite the anxiety show to prevent them doing so. . Mr Macandrew denied that he had opposed the Triennial Parliaments Bill in the past. He disclaimed all intention of attempting to defeat the passing of the Bill. It was in reality their Bill, and they were determined to get it passed. His idea in supporting the moion for adjournment was to force the Government to accept his proposal of want of confidence motion in a regular and constitutional manner. Mr PeLautour said the question was whether the House had confidence in the Government or not; the Government declined to allow the motion of no-confi-denue to come on and this was the only way they could take to get at the question. t MrKolleston scouted the idea o^the

I motion for adjournment being accepted ai a vole of want of confidence, and said that the Government at all events would not accept (if il in iiiat li^hfc. Mr Kelly spoke auainst tho motion for adjournment, iisul the debate was interrupted by the 5.30 udj uriuneut.