PARLIAMENTARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 13 June 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

| UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

On tho House resuming yesterday. Mr Bkyce siid tho Address in Ropl.y was not yet owiod. When it was, nnd presented, Ministers would ask tho House for a short adjournment to consider their position. They were acting quite Conasi'utioualiy. and would do so to the end.

Mr Sutton asked leave to withdraw his amendment, but it was refaaed on tho voices, and then rejected on a division of 07 to 7

Mr O'Callaohan briefly defended himself from havin? " ratted-" from the Government, and explained a variety of reasons why, he could no longer support them.

Messrs Tawhai and Seddon also briefly explained their reasons for voting against the Government,

. It Newman's motion, that an Addrojß in Reply be prepared was then agreed to, and Messrs S'eward, De Lautour,o'Callaghan and Levesham be a committee to prepare the Address, was adopted, and the House rose at 12 35.

Iu the House last night in the' debate on the Address in Reply, Major Atkinsok said he was not surprised at the Opposition snatching a victory last night, when, after years of toil they found they had a temporary majority. They were afraid to wait a "O'li'le of days for fear of losing it. The Government had not intended anything derogatory to Mr Steward in saying thoy would prefer the motion from a man of Grey's standing. He denied that any sufficient indictment had been preferred against the Govbrnment or their policy. He hoped yet to see his National Insurance sohenio become law, unless some one else had a better scheme to propose, and to abolish pauperism. The present Government hadconducted the administration well, and had passed a great many valuable measures. They had noihing to be ashamed of, and the charges now made against them were trumpery. He really had nothing to reply to or to defend, He reviewed the position of the colony when he took _ ofhee in 1979, and compared it with the present position, more especially as to their credit in London. He spoke long and warmly in favor of the colony federating with Australia, and the unfortunate position wo should occupy if excluded from the federation, Thero was no united opposition although there was a majority against the Government, They had lost votes by raising the railway tariff in Canterbury and stopping native land speculation. Tlioy had done their duty to. the colony in these matters regardless of the loss of support, The votes thus lost, however, were only temporarily with the Opposition, and thoy would not support either Grey or Montgomery. If ihoy now went the country he was convinced neither of those gentlemen would come back with a majority. Grey would havo a few moro ; followers and Montgomery a few less, that would he all. If tho Government went out of office, they would do so proud of the record of tho work thoy had done while in power.

Sir G. GitEy said it was quite unconstitutional {or Ministers to retain their seats for an hour afier last night's 'voto. The Premier was treating the great criois with unbecoming levity. He charged them in fcho name of the outraged people with having robbed the people of their lands and given them to their friends, with having squandered publio monies to add value to the lands so given, with filling Government offices with their friends, wi'h supporting a libellous paper from the public fundß, and giving publio money improperly to a favorite bank. These and other charges he made against them now a majority had at last risen against them, He had made no terms or offered them to those with whom he waß now acting, there was no compact that no one should take office till after a dissolution. All ho wanted was an appeal to the people so that the taxation nilfiht be put on the right shoulders, and the miseries of the people be reljeved.. New Zealand was already fedorated to the Empire and should join no other federation He denied that Native matters were in a more satisfactory state now than when Major Atkitißon took' office, There was discontent everywhere, Administration of land was corrupt and great injustice had been done in regard to the kauri gum fields. Everywhere there was tyranny; arid maladministration, and without (Way they must drag the Ministry from those benches,