POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 34, 26 September 1896, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(l)V MMiGEAHr.--SI'KCIAt, OORKGSI'ON'DKNT) . WuttixisTox, Last Night. THE DEFENCE REPORT. Con.sidkuauli-; irritation is felt at the, ililay (if tin: Government in brlngint* down Colonel Vox's defence report, which is said to have beet) in the hands of tin: Premier for several days past. According to lobby goss'p, 'be delay in presenting the report to tlie House is because it contains some, severe strictures on the deienees of tile colony, and especially on the Torpedo corps. Tin; idea is that the report will bo kept back till the expiring hours of the session, when there. will of course be no time to consider it owing to the anxiety of members to get back to their home 3. THE ELECTIONS. It is reported that Mr Grimnioud is going to make the pace pretty hot for the Premier in Westland at the coming election. My informant states Mr Griminoud's candidature is becoming more popular every ilny, and that if iie does not actually defeat Mr Soddon he will come unpleasantly close to it when the numbers are up. Mr Gl'imuioud is no novice in political circles, having represented Westland in a, former Parliament. 1 also hear that Mr Colviu. the Opposition candidate, has an excellent chance of beating Mr O'ltegan for Jiiaugahua. A gentleman from that part of tin; colony positively stales indeed, that Mr Colvin's election is almost a certainty, and that his success will be largely due to his great persoml popularity. THE UREWEUA COUNTRY. Mr Carroll's Hill dea'iug with the n itive reserves in the Urewcra District has provoked ([tlite a lengthy debate. The opposition to the Hill arose largely from the fact that so much power is placed in the hands of the Native Minister of the day Mr I'irani this afternoon spoke strongly on this point, and said that the present Croverntnent in i early every Hill they brought down wished to secure 10 Ministers unlimited power in currying out those measures. Mr Carroll, in moving the committal of the Rill, explained that it was intended to constitute as a reserve the whole of the Urewevtt district, coiipiising some 050,000 acres. The. country was not lit for settlement, but on the other hand it was rich in natural beauties, etc., ami was a convenient hiding-place for the native owners. The Governinant had reserved the right ti tike laud, he said, as sites for accommodation houses in the proximity of the Lakes a.nd for camping grounds for steel;, as undoubtedly this would in the future become the direct route to the North, (.'apt. Russell, in opposing the Hill, said that the Colonial Secretary had failed to inform the House that the Hill involved a complete revolutionary change in the native legislation of the Government. It had been laid down that all minerals should be the property of the Urowu, whereas under this Rill the rights of mining and the profits out of it were to bo given to the natives, and furthermore it proposed to vest the district in the hands of people not properly qualified tor such questions as were involved in the ail judication of titles. Another lengthy debate aroie this afternoon on the third reading of the Rill. Captain Russell divided the House on the final stage of the measure, but it was carried by a larce majority. MAJOR KEMP'S PETITION. A petition has been presented to the House by .Sir Robert Stout front Major Kemp, showing that he is the oivner of Block 1-1 in the llorowhenua Rloek, containing 1200 acres, and (1) that there is a Rill now before Parliament proposing to confiscate this to the Crown, according to the recommendations of the llorowhenua Commission ; ('J) tint at the commencement of the present session he presented a petition alleging (3) that the llorowhenua Commissioners bad misconducted the enquiry by listening to the unsworn talk of the natives without ever identifying the speakers and a finding affecting the petition i-s actually based on this hearsay, and that while selecting in support of their tin.lings particular passages from the evidence they have directly nis-stated them, and in short the petition alleges grounds which, if the enquiry had been in the ■Supreme Court, would entitle him to a new trial ; (I) that though he has been in Wellington the entire session he has not been afforded an opportunity of being heard before The Native Affairs Committee, to whom the petition was referred. The prayer of the petitioner is that the House will allow matters relating to him to go to the Supreme Court for trial the same as some other matters in the same Hill. He therefore prays now that before his title is confiscated"and lie is clnrgsd f-2000, he shall be hear.-! by counsel at the bar of the House to explain the whole posiCAPTAIN RUSSELL AND THE ■SPEAKER, A most exciting scene occurred in the House, to-night. The Premier was making a personal explanation in reply to some remarks by Sit Robert Stout, when Captain Russell raised the objection that the Premier was introducing new matter which was not in order in making a personal explanation. The Speaker said he was watching the. Premier closely and he was quite in order. Captain Russell again rose and said the Premier was certainly introducing new matter and surely that was out of order. The Spjakor sternly replied that lie was the best judge of that. Captain Russell was once more ritinc in protest when Sir Maurice angrily exclaimed " I must ask Captain Russe'l to sit down when the speaker is on his feet." Captain Russell: " I rise to a point of order." The Speaker : " I shall hear you after the Premier has [hushed." Ciptlin Russell : •' Oh ! This is ridiculous." The Speaker : " That is not proper laugr.age to be u-ed towards the Speaker from the Leader of the Opposition." Captain Russell ; " 1 submit I have a riulit to be heard on a point of order." The Speaker : " Will the Premier proceed with his remarks." Mr Seddon did so, and on resuming lih seat, the Speaker said he shoul I now heir dpi. Russell. The Opposition Leader, however, quietly replied : " No Sir, you refused to hoar mo on a point of order," and the Speaker ended the matter by mlling on some other member to address the House.