Parliamentary.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 816, 8 September 1877, Page 2

Parliamentary.

[From Our Special Correspondent.] Government Buildings, Last night.

In the House to day Hoani Nahe asked the Premier, What action had been taken on report of th.» Native Affairs Committee dated 25th July, 1876, pu petition of Wi Te Wheoro. He said the petition had asked that a road should be diverted at the old burial place at Taupiri. The Ooramitte had recommended the erection of a fence to protect the burial places from trespass.

The Premier replied that steps had been taken to carry out the recommends* tions of the committee The Government had been prevented from doing it before owing to the dolay tint would be caused in ballasting. The necessary funds for the lenci were included in the Appropriation Aot, and the House would be asked 'o vote the mon«y.

Mr Swanaon gave notice of motion to license all clubs.

Reports of sheep and cattle slaughterhouses and telegrapi committees are postponed. la reply to Mr Swanson, the Governmeat said, all local bodies could send correspondence through post free, by mirking letters "oa public service only."

The Petitions Committee on the petition of tua mechanics and artizans of Ackland, report in favor of the local manufacture of railway stock, &o. POSISIOtfS OP PARTIES.

The Opposition boasts of forty-eight votes in any important questions affect ing the stability of the Minis cry. The Government has vitually treated Mr Rees' motion for the appointmenat of a committee re Hawke's Bay land purchase as a ministerial question, and are now hard at work whipping up votes. ■ It is said in the lobbies to day, that ministers reproach Mr Ormond with having weakened their position. Mr Bo wen is reported to have said in Bellamy's, well, I should not be surprised if you were to turn us out this evening. Last-night there was a tremendous efflavium in the House, and member* were to be seen holding chair handkerchiefs to thair nosas. To-day there were the same sniffs of L <gislative disgust all over the House. An exploring party of messengers discovered that the gas had escaped below the floor of the House. There is, however, far more gas escaping above it; The country pays for both. DISGRACEFUL SCENE. The debate in the House last night was the hottest ever known in the Ne* Zealand Parliament. Strong languag * and charges of the grossest character were used The commonest accusation was that of lying. Tnere was a full house; the galleries were crowded. Members were frequently very excited, scenes were constant. The speaker permitted the utmost license without infcerferring. M>* OrmondjS attack on Sir George Grey had been in preparation ever eince the House sat. It was a good specimen of cold calculated spitefulness, neither style nor matter was good. It abouuded in vulgtrisim. Mr Orraond, after the adjournment, appealed to the House to stamp out the imputations. He accused Sir George Grey, during his Governorship, of being incapable of telling the truth, read a letter from Captain Holt, curcumstantially charging him with having, in conjunction with Colonel George, attempted to monopolise 300 000 acres ac Oruanui, in the Taupo district, accused Sir George Grey, when Governor, of encouraging Southern capitalists to acquire large landed estates in the North. An association was formed, and an a»ent appointed to take up 250,000 acres, but a sudden difficulty arose. Sir George Grey got cojl. They met the Governor, and asked what did he want. He wanted, a share in the land. (Sensation.) Then all went "Merry as Marriage Bells." The Governor gave all his aid. A member of the. legislative Council was appointed direotor. He had letters to prove this in the next room. Sir George Grey : "Bring them in." If Sir George Grey challenged him, he would produce them. Sir Georee Grey : I do. (Loud cries of read the lettera.) Ormond: I will quote what I remember of them. (Cries of derision and contempt.) Mr Ormond. with some hesitaaoy, continued : Sir George Grey wrote to the agent of ihe association to scatter a little round amongst the natives. Sir George Grey : "Name." Mr Ormond: The Honorable Henry Kussell. S'r George Grey also wrote to Mr Lock, for State reasons, -don't let my name sppear. The Governor had prostituted his position. He charged Sir George Grey with rank hypocrisy. He challenged Grey and Rees to have any commission appointed with arbitrary power to remedy any land abuses in Hawke's Bay that could be proved. Mr Sluehan rosa with one scalping lock erect, and proceeded to dissect Ormond. He commenced by quoting from Coriolanus the term " Liar," etc., as applicable to Ormond. The latter went to Billinsgate for language, and the Old I3ailey for facts. He took Ormonds statements in detail and disproved them in succession. He ripped up thti Hawke's Bay land transactions and reveslbd startling f-w'-s shewing wholesale bribery by Ormond. He charged him with using the office of Superiu>n.(lent aqd. Minster pf

Works to. acquire lands- by~spoli ation. Fire writs were issued, in Hawkes Buy ; one was setded in favour of plaintiff, and another»delayed -b v M r Ormond-. attempting, to ?bribe. plaintiff. He characterised Mr-Ormondes speech as a specimen of remarkable • audacity, gjrplißjy •libellous-and of aueh a nature ..that it could not bo rightly characterised withoutausing .certain' ugly unparliamentary wordgi -' t Mrj .spoke until half-past tfwjJn" d'ctook. He was quite hoaree nthedbeblosed. Mr Russell in a* temperate speeoh ac- . Sheehan of misrepresentation, and moved an amendment that a Bill be brought in appointing a to enquire into and-redress- all grievances arising from land transactions in Hawkes Bay, tneitf decision to be final and the losiag.ijide td/,pay all costs. moved an adjournment on the ground that members' passions were excited. ■ Mr Reader TWood moved am adjournment, but afterwarde that the letters referred to by Mr Ormo'nl belaid I on the table. . Mr Whitafcer bppesedi The letters were given into Hoi j, hands confidentially. A strong And acrimonious debate fol« .-lowed,, Me«t»ra Stout, Bunny, Gisborne, J C.Brown, iJwansorii and J Brown several denounced the action*of the government. Mr 0 Brown moved tbat the standing, orders be suspended for the immediate production of the letters. Another hot debate followed and Mr Joyce got calbd to order for characterising the oonduot of the Government as cowardly. Mr Stout and Mr Moorhouse charged the Government with having obtained letters by unfair meins. The Government had refused Co give them up to Mr Locke when demanded. Sir George Grey denounced the version of the letters given by Mr Orraond as grossly untrue. He thought' at first ihafc Mr Ormond had suddenly gone insane. The discussion was further' prolo-iged* On a division, the motion fur the pro" duction of the letters was carried by 36 to 13. Tha House adjourned at five minutes to two. The House was all the afternoon discussing Mr fifes' motion re the .Hawfce's Bay land transaction. Mr Whitaker said he had not got the consent of Mr Russell to lay the letters on the table, and that he threatened legal proceedings against him if he made them .public. Tn» letters were ordered to be returned, the action of the Government being strongly condemned by many of their own supporters. Mr Pyke in a strong speech said he wis as lamed to belong to such a Parliament; no gentleman would make us* of private letters like Mr Ormond bad done, who deserved expulsion from the Ministerial benches, from the House, and from society. Taab .gentleman, he said, had obtained letters surreptiously, and forieited ad claim to tbe name of gentleman. The Speaker also expressed strong opinions as to the action of reading private letters.

GUBERNATORIAL LAND JOBBERS.

Sir George Grey has r'ceived a letter from Colonel Whitm >re as follows : " My dear Sir George, I remember distinctly tin circumstances to which your inquiry refers, though it is now t<«n years since they occurred. You wei-e desirous of inducing settlers to occupy the interior and spoke to H Russell, Cox, and myself on the subject. You had received offers: of country for a run from the natives and those you passed over to us. We proposed to form a coinnany with Messrs Thomas Russell and Whitaker. and you promised us letters of iulrodnction to natives, and advised us to go up and see tne country. In the end it was decided that the prospects were not satisfactory and we abandoned the project. At no time was it supposed »r intended that you should be a partner.- I think, all of us understood that your only interest in the matter was your desire to induce settlement in the interior, as the natives seemed disposed to be friendly, and at you believed that an increase of Europeans would have a g.»od effect upon them, —Yours truly G S Warrjuoßß. Sir George Grey's plan was to establish a town in Taupo.