PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 1 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

- UNITED BRESS ASSOCIATION. WEDNESDAY. The Standing Orders Committee reported against the proposal that tho House always adjourn before 12.30 a,m, Fifteen questions of no general interest were answered, Ministers stated that they did not recognise any necessity for the Supreme Court sitting at Gisborrie, and could not say what action they might take in regard to punishing Te Kooti and Purukntu until they were legally convicted as criminals. Twelve new Bills were introduced and read a first time, and a number of returns ordered.

A long discussion took pla:e 011 a motion of Mr Hutcmsok'b that meetings of the Public Petitions Committee be open to the public, and reports of its proceedings be published with Hansard. Ultimately the motion was withdrawnMr M. W. Green moved the second reading of the Eight Hours Labor . Bill, and in doing so referred, as an oxample of its necessity, to the long hoars systematically workoa without overtime by railway employees, post offico clerks, mail, carriers, bank clerks, &c.

Mr Biuokeh accond6d the Bill, as ono tending to moral and social elevation of the working classes, Messrs Holmes, Barron, and Levastam supported the principle of the Bill, bat thought it would require amendment in committee to render it effective. Messrs Trimble. Fergus, and Shepherd thought tlio Bill would be inoperative, but were wil'ing it should pass, Mr Fish spoke at considerable length in support of the bill, and stated on good authority that the . engine driver recently killod'at the accident at Kartigi had been on duty for <ls hours previously without having been in-bed. Mr .Johnston promisedjto make enquiries, as sub-engine diivors wero never naked to work more than 12 hours per day. He supported the bill as the Government had no wish to over work its employees, Messrs Bathgate and Joyos spoke in favor of the principle of tho bill and it was read a lliird time.

The gas consumers liability bill was roac a second time on tho motion of Mr Hoicm SON.

Tho debate was then resumed on tho second reading of the West Coast Peace Preservation Bill by Mr Hoiims, who, at considerable length, expressed tho hope that tho'hill would not be passed until the proclamation of October, 1881, was rescinded, and proper reserves legally sot asido for To Whiti and hiß people, who he thought,' had been most hardly and unfairly treated. The House should not constitute itself judge and jury to try these men. If they had broken the law they should be left to the ordinary tribunals, .The West' Coast Settlement Aut

of 1863 was an iniquitous measure, Te Whiti had always been loyal and yet Ms lands had been confiscated. He would like to have Te Whiti and Tohu hoard at the bar of the louse, and moved as au amendment that the bill be postponed till'a bill was introduced legally setting aside reserves for Te Whiti and his people, Mr Taiaroa seconded this amendment. Ho held that the confiscation had from tho first been illegal, and that the promises made to tho natives had been broken, Ii To Whiti had broken the law he should be tried. His sole object„bad been to set his grievances and claims brought bofore a court of law. This bill would not settle the difficulty, but would rather increase it and might lead to a general row. Tho way to settle tho difficulty was to try Te Whiti, carry out the report of the West Coast Commission, and fulfil the promises which had in years past been made to the natives. After the usual adjournment, Mr Weston admitted that perhaps in the past the Natives had not been treated with the consideration and firmness which should have jeon shown, it wis however impossible to submit to tho position To Whiti had taken up. It was necessary for the peace and safety of the eourtry that he should now be detained in honorable restraint, and that necessity fully justified the present bill, at the same time ample reserves should and would be legally Beoared to him and his people. Mr Fitzgerald at some length replied to the wild and reekloss assertions made by Mr Holmes, and declared that the amendment was an insult to the Native Minister. Ho approved of the bill, and was prepared to giyo the Native Minister's policy his warmest support. He would feel it presumptuous to oppose it, and believed the whole colony approved of it. It _mi?ht be very inconvenient to get a conviction for sedition against Te Whiti, for how could any judge mete out proper punishment without mixing himself up with political'quostions ?If reserves wero now given to hiti it must, after the proclamation of October last, be as a matter of grace and favor, and not as of right. He was pleased at the position taken up by Sir George Grey. Mr Steward said the present question was one above party considerations. No doubt we had treated the natives badly ana were now reaping the result, Te Whiti had cer-. tainly always been a man of peace, but he was subject to strong delusions, and might at any time become a man of war. To release him now would bo to enormously strengthen his influence and convince bis people that lie possessed supernatural power. Tho responsibility rested with the Government, and that being so, he felt thot the Opposition should grant them the powers they sought, fle would suggest that if tho Bill were made simply to read that until Parliament met again Te Whiti and Tohu should not be allowed to leave the Middle Island, it would be an improvement. Mr Tomoana moved the adjournment of the debate, and tho House adjourned at mid-night, 1 : THIS DAY. ' TE WHITI PETITIONING.

In the House to-day Mr Macandreav presented a petition from "Wi Parata, who holds authority from Te Whiti, asking that Te Whiti may be heard by counsel from the bar of the House with regard to the Weßt Oottat Peace Pre»emtlon