LATEST PARLIAMENTARY. Government Buildings, 8 p.m.
Progress was made yesterday in Committee, ,on the Abolition Bill. The Otago members „ waited a . great portion of > the sitting in a futile discussion, whether or not Southland was better before it became a province than afterwards. This aiose upon an amendment by Mr Cuthbertson, ti at Southland be created a provincial district. Mr Cuthbertson ultimately withdrew the amendment, and this very practical controversy dropped. After various passages of arms, some o.f them very bitter, progress was made wish the bill:' During the afterndon, the bill was passed as. far as clause ten. Sir George Grey moved an amendment upon the clause enumerating the provinces, that Auckland be omitted from ' the Abolition Bill, ile said he did so because he did not agree with the course taken, and> intended to test the legality of the Government's action at the proper time- He did not press the amendments to a division. Mr Stout, however, did with an amendment, omitting Otago, and was' defeated by 53 against 11. Clause 3 was' amended so as to recognise more definitely the existing local 'bodies. During the debate, Major Atkinson having "denounced Provincialism, Sir George Grey rose and made-a bitter attack on the Government. He said they had been guilty of acts unbecoming a Government, and unparallelled in ,the ' British Empire. He cited an instance where the General Government Agent was offered a douceur in the form of a share worth £2,000, in a prospector's claim, while negotiations for opening the field were pending, and when tae agent declined to take it, it was given to a clerk in his office. The Government had an amount of "funds at its disposal which, considering the smallness of the population was excessive. Messrs Bowen and Atkinson intimated that when the proper time came, the Government would meet every charge made. Messrs Gibbs and Waketield also protested against the un-English practice of referring to charges as yet unheard, and condemning the Government without^ trial. Sir George Grey made a strong personal attack on Luckie, charging him with sending a telegram to the " Cross," representing Sir George Grey as a traitor to the Queen. He characterised him as a hanger-on to the .trovernment, and was called upon by the Speaker to retract the expression, which he did. Mr Luckie replied that the telegram referred to was from the Press Agency, and not his. Owing to a misunderstanding relative to the meeiing of Provincial Councils, Stout and Reid threatened to renew the fight till Februacy.
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Waikato Times, Volume IX, Issue 520, 18 September 1875, Page 2
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421LATEST PARLIAMENTARY. Government Buildings, 8 p.m. Waikato Times, Volume IX, Issue 520, 18 September 1875, Page 2
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