Thames Affairs.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4274, 12 September 1882, Page 3

Thames Affairs.

• ■ [By Telegraph.] (fbom oue own cobbespondent.) Wellington, Last nighti ;For an hour and a quarter this morning the House was employed discussing Thames affairs: first, the matter of Farrell'g reinstatment, and then the Thames - Volunteer question again. * DETECTIVE FARBELL. Mr Sheehan wanted to withdraw the motion about Farrell, but on Mr Darga- . Tille's objection, tbe question of withdrawal was put, and the original motion -carried against the amendment. PARIKAKA VOLUNTEERS. Mr Sheehan said the matter was very simple. Was an agreement made? Yes. ' 'Was the agreement authorised ? Yes. "Was the work done ? Yes. Then there could be no reason why they should not be paid. The Government should not be miserly, but.deal justly. '-'■'' Hurßthouse wanted to know if the same i, .telegrams. were sent to other volunteer " corps. The Thames volunteers had been ..already paid 50 per cent, more than "other volunteers, and now they wanted to be ,; -paid 60 per cent. more. Mr Levestam said the volunteers were promised two months' pay certain, and being hired for two months were liable to .be kept'for any longer time they might be wanted for. He considered th 9 Nelson , - volunteers had been badly treated. The position of all the volunteers was this: they were not disbanded until they were paid, and the Government was liable by proceess of law to pay the volunteers up ' .to the date of their payment.; in the sase *. of the Nelson men, two months fully after their return. , ... Mr Sheehan said the telegram was sufficient agreement in a court of law to make Government liable. Someone had blundered, and the Government was . -responsible. What good were the kits to miners, he would like to know, about which, so much had been said. They could be of no use to anyone for any ". purpose but as heirlooms of the Parihaka campaign. Mr Wynne Williams thought no tele gram could be more misleading than Col. Reader's. The men were hired for two months, and they we're entitled to two months' pay. It being urged that the men had agreed to a compromise, Kelly, Chairman of the Public Petitions JCommittf c, Ipointed «at that the men had not agreed to it, when Mr Charles Johnston, brother of the Minister of Public Works, using Bryce's words in an adverse manner, said the mercenary spirit displayed by the Government was a disgrace to the colony. ,