HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3618, 31 July 1880, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

( Wei&ington, Friday. The House re-assembled at 5 p.m.

Mr Stewart presented a petition from 350 railway employees praying for the reconsideration of a resolution to reduce their wages.

Sir George Grey gave notice that he would direct the attention of the Government to an in- quality between the North and South Islands in the matter of. University education.

Mr Bryce introduced the Maori Prisoners' Bill. He said the prisoners were part of an organisation setting itself up in opposition to the authority of the Queen, and that was the reason the arrests had been made. He hoped as a question of policy, the House would pass the measure through all its stages without discussion. He moved the second reading, In replying to Sir George Grey,' Mr Bryce said that no notice had been given of the nature of the penalties to which they would be subjected under this bill. The motion was carried.

In Committee Mr J. B. Fisher pointed but that as worded a native charged with all manner of offences, murder, felony, &c, would come under the operation of the Act.

Mr Bryce admitted the objection, but did not see how it was to be obviated.

Sir G. Grey suggested that a proviso should be inserted that the Act would apply to all arrests made by the police, subject to the approval of the Native Minister.

The clause was amended to make it read, "Arrests made by authority of th» Government."

Sir G. Grey protested against the amendment made, and denounced it as unconstitutional and all illegal. The bill, as amended, was reported. On the motion for the third reading, Mr Montgomery protested against the bill, stating thatT had Government done its duty and proclaimed the West Coast a disturbed district when that should have been done, this irregularity would have been averted.

Sir Geo. Grey also protested. With a few minutes delay, he said, the bill could have been made more acceptable than it was. He reprobated an undue baste in passing the measure. : Mr Header Wood said the bouse had taken up a false position in passing the measure, and throwing a responsibility for its passage on Government. 'Without desiring to impede the Government, he denounced the measure as a most untenable one.

Mr Bryce replied that Government had given evidence that it was quite prepared to accept the fullest measures of responsibility for the passage of the Act. Referring to the remarks of Mr Wood he said that member was a free lance, and gloried in the vagaries of irresponsibility. He ventured, as the mover, to say that if the passage of the bill rested with the hon member's individual vote,.he did not take upon himself the responsibility of preventing the measure from passing. House divided, ayes, 41; noes, 24.

On the motion that the bill do now pass through, Mr Speight recorded his protest. He said the bill was an admission that they were unable to govern the natives by the same laws as they governed themselves. ■

Mr Pyke also denounced the bill as cruel and unconstitutional.

Mr Pitt defended the bill, and Mr Moss, Major Te Wheoro and Sir George Grey spoke in strong terms against it. Mr Bryce replied and the motion was agreed to. ■■ ; ■''■■"