HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4555, 10 August 1883, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Yesterday. Mr Dick, as a matter of privileee, brought up a telegram published by the Evening Post from Dunedin, giving the substance of a communication by Mr Fish to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce as to certain matters which had transpired before the Telephone Committee. All that took place in Committee was privileged, and to state what took place in Committee was a breach of privilege.—Sir Geo. Grey contended that no breach of privilege had

been committed, and that the evidence taken before the Committee shonld be published.— The Speaker said that to publish such evidence was a breach of privilege—The matter then dropped. Major Atkinson said Government had not considered the propriety of disfranchising civil servants, or railway and other Government employes.—Messrs Moss, Fish, Sir Geo. Grey, and M. W. Green protested strongly against such a thing being even considered.;— Ministers aaid it would not be right to tempt people from the sister colony of Nova Scotia, although they made admirable settlers; arrangements might, however, be made to assist the friends of those already in the colony to come here, and he would consider whether this could be done.—• Except in special cases quarry, gravel, and watering reserves would be handed over to local bodies on application—Government would not remit the Property Tax in districts that were cow rated for their district railway.—Government had taken steps to remedy any sufferings or inconvenience amongst the immigrants by the Oxford now in quarantine.—With regard to the case of the prisoner Ryan, whose remission of sentence had been cancelled owing to his attempt to escape when being taken to Lyttelton to be released, the Governor would be advised to grant a fresh remission, as soon as be had bren detained fourteen days as a warning to others. The Settled Land Bill (Mr Connolly) was introduced and read a first time.

City of Auckland Additional Loan Bill, Wellington JSarbour Board Land and Reclamation Bill each passed through committee, and were read a third time and passed. ■ On Mr Driver's motion Messrs Holies ton, W. Johnston, Macandrew, Montgomery, Joyce, Sutton, W. C. Buchanan, Swanson, George, and the moTer were appointed the committee on the Direct Steam Service.

Mr Bryce moved the spcond reading of the Native Land Laws Bill. He denied that the New Zealand Parliament had ever shown any greed to acquire native land—it had always shown the utmost desire to deal justly with the natures. The Native Lands Court, for various reasons, was not working satisfactorily— the difficulties it had to contend with, however, were very great in ascertaining. He thought it would have been better bad the officers not been called Judges but Commissioners, or examiners of title, as it was the Court was made too much one of law. The great cause of the difficulty in its working, however, was in attempts to purchase native lands before the title was ascertained. These attempts were not countenanced by law. Ho thought it a matter of regret that the Crown's preemptive right had ever been waived. From the very first, however, Europeans had gone in making illegal bargains with the Maoris, and trusting to the honor of the natives to keep to the terms. The natives, he was bound to say, had almost always done this. Owing to the abuses of the system of Government purchase by Commissioners, that system had to be given up. He believed that restoring the Crown's pre-emptive right would cure those evils, and be for a time satisfactory to the natives, but there were difficulties; the chief of these was the want of money for the Crown to purchase with. There would also be other serious difficulties which prevented his proposing to restore the pre-emptive right. He hoped the present bill would cure the evils. It did not change the present law, but it imposed penalties for a breach of that law. If this was not adopted the only remedy would be next year to propose to revive the pre emptive right, and to pass a bill such as he proposed in 1880. He would propose this next session, even if it rendered a new loan necessary. The bill proposed to simplify ths working of the Land Court, by leaving it to the Maoris to prove their own titles without European assistance. He thought this would facilitate the work, and promote the ends of justice. He thought the penalties proposed by the bill would prove effectual in stopping purchases of native land before the title was ascertained. — Mr DeLautour thought that, with every desire to do justice, the legislation of the House on native lands had been a series of blundering and plundering. He at great length explained the beneficial operations of the East Coast Native Land Settlement Company's operations j in the Poverty Bay district, urging that they deserved encouragement, and that an extension of the same system to other parts of the island was desirable. He complained of the little done to open up the North Island. The present bill would not, he thought, answer expectations by stopping the system of pre-purchase, nothing less than the penalty of imprisonment would effect this. He would support the Government in stopping these transactions and excluding the [lawyers from all proceedings as to ascertaining native title, but they should be allowed to appear in cases of division of interests in Crown Grants as Europeans were often interested. lie congratulated the Native Minister, on, at least, an instalment of practical legislation.—Tawhai also spoke in support of the bill. —Mr Moss was altogether opposed to the bill, —they must cousider the North Island as well as the interests of natives. This bill would stop settlement and cause wide spread corruption, there was no j necessity for it. The one great thing wanted was to allow natives to form companies amongst themselves, and transfer their individual rights to those companies without paying the duty on such transactions, all would then be done that was necessary.—Mr Sutton supported the second reading. He did not think the bill would retard settlement.—Mr Shaw would also support the second reading, but would move amendments in Committee.

liiteb.—This day.

Mr Trimble supported the bill most strongly, but would like to see it rendered more final. He quoted instances when the lawyers' costs had exceeded the value of the land put through the Court, and then the lawyers frequently took fees from both sides—the native sellers and the European buyers.—Mr W. C. Buchanan supported the second reading, but indicated a number of amendments which he thought required consideration in Committee.—Mr A. McDonald strongly opposed the bill. It was a wretched half measure*, and he would rather see the Crown preemptive right boldly restored at once. He accused the Government of gross maladmin* istration in native affairs.—Mr Watt expressed his entire approval of the Bill.—* Mr Stevens entered at considerable length into the merits of the bill; urging that the course might do much good by being careful as to whom they appointed as interpreter, etc. He would, in Committee, more

a new clause to preserve iutact all existing equitable rights and inland regulations. —Mr Smith gave notice of a new clause to restore? the Crown's pre emptive right. —Mr Hursthouse moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 12*45.