PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2059, 4 August 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) MONDAY. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The Hquso met at 7,30 p.m. Mi' Balunce moved the second reading of the Native Land Disposition Bill. He briefly explained the provisions, and said that during the reoess he had visited a large number of Native Districts, - and had found the chiefs and leading men express themselves m favor of the Bill. He had also received letters from some chiefs adverse to the measure ; but he was safe in statinp that the majority of the natives favored it. The difference between this Bill and that which was to have been introduced by Mr Bryca was' that while the latter would be puided by the feelings ■of the majority of owners present, this Bill provided for the ap ; pointmentof a corparate body, appoint ted by owners,, and which was to deal with the land. He believed that the reatjy n)ean§ qf gelling the jfind provided by the Bill, wqultj rqpnlt {gag mjjolj land being placed in the market ag they could deal with. There had been a good deal of hostile criticism on the Bill, but in no instance had fye seen the principle attacked. The principal machinery (|l thp Bijl was the committee system, which ljq believed would result in much good. He had used every endeavor to introduce a Kjeasp fajf (Vlpce to Elirppew and Natives, and he sjibnjittedit tq tl|eHouse W)th every confideiipf> ;

Hi'Owpgavc Mr Miwqe'credit for sincerity In introducing the measure. He had hoped far a more confiding speech, and considered the House was entitled to a statoment of the administration of Native affairs during the recess. To Mr Bryce they were indebted for insisting on the natives .respecting t]|o law, w| no Jfajijye took (>%!e 'under more favoraljle circumstances than the present Minister, He found in Jfr sajlauoe'® Mwvipwg wi& the n#?fi§ |n tlie \Vaikato district, that he had given a pledge that Maori land would not iie taxed by either this or successive Governments. The Minister had no right to make that promise, which would be harmful to the Colony. From reports of these meetings, jt appeared as if fcjp'o f8» to bo a return to persona} government of nstlyo aftairs, He objected'to the committee system, and said the natives did not want iji, He also, objected to extra Maori representation, as tlie natives were ijqf to the same taxation as Europeans. Ho argued given by the Minister $9 natiyes could not bo carried out, and the ijatives shoulfi iflfftrm.efj tljat

neitlier the House nqr the country wqiild Ije bound by them, With regard to the Bill now before the House, he had a firm conviction that it would stop the alienation of land, and the measure was not required. If the Bill was negatived, as he hoped it would be, the Government !|hquld difeot tlieir attentioi| to devising qqme other and mqr.e acseptaljl? scheme, jphe Bremjer said Mr Orn]ond's speech traveled PHtside the provisions pf the Bill, Ho condemned the native administration of the late Government, and defended the Committee system advocated by iiis colleagui, combatte4 the arguments used by the last speaker, and said while he (Mr Ormond) advocated lfjoa) (Hiyejpeijli fgr IjUropeatiß, he ps adyerse to giving the natives a voice in j.he management of their own lands. It would not be just to tax native lands, as the owners were not in a position to pay, He objected to the pre-emptive right as likely to lead to further borrowing, and claimed that the Bill was a fair one. Mr Bryce 'said the utterances of the Native Minister in Waikato meant a good deal, but the. promises could never be fulfilled. He objected to the Committee system and declared that any present committee had the same power as what it. was proposed to give under this Bill. The existing- committees were simply a Board of Arbitration. With respect to the land purchase system, he admitted it had been a failure in the pait, but that was in consequence of the Government being brought into compe

tition with private individuals. He con tended that not ono yard of the North Island Main Trunk Line should be com menced until the Colony had a substantial guarantee in the shape of a large amount of land being acquired, and the title, ascertained. That was an understanding arrived at before the construction of the line was authorised last session, The Bill would, in his opinion increase land'sharking. It might be made workable in Committee, but he thought it would be better to draft a new one, The present proposals would be the means of establishing a thousand committees, and there would hardly be one Maori out of a hundred or hundred and fifty in them, he said. They, would be the happy hunting grounds for speculators. In concluding, he gave the Native Minister every credit for sincerity in bringing down the Bill,' Mr .Pratt moved the adjournment of >.the debate, which was agreed to. The Auckland University College Reserves Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 12.30 a.m.