Parliamentary.

Waikato Times, Issue 837, 30 October 1877, Page 2

Parliamentary.

; |(pH,6m A CORRESPONDENT.) lour;:Special.Correspondent.] Government BgiiibiNGS, Last night, 7.30 p.m. TAWHIAO SENDS GREETING TO SIR G. GREY. This afternoon, the Hon. Mr Sheehanlaid on the table a telegram from Tawhiao, congratulating Sir George Grey, aud inviting him to visit him in November. Mr Sheehan said this was the first cdinmuni-i cation from the Eirig Since' the I\4ikafco war in 18657 . ~",'"' ■ /,: .;';.'. :TkE:pEßATE; ;^''j/'^^ Messrs Shrimski, .Sutton, Evans, Brown, aud Thomson,. have, spoken to-day. Probablythe debate close to hight. Both sides seem'confident,; and the real fact is the Government have 43 votes pretty cer-

But if all others vote against them they will lose by r one., • -.',-T.hege is. however, a strong probafcility that one or two bf;ihU others/ will walk • out, and that .the Government will thus pull through. - •, • Wellington, yesterday, :-/•;;■; :.-•; - 4;30p.m. fTHE POLITICAL STRUGGLE. ■ Mr Reynolds' amendment created a diversion by: by jeopardising ;five votes. Notwithstanding the amendment, there will • be a probable majority for Major Atkinson of "three votes on Mr Reynolds amend ment,and on the original motion,a majority of eight or nine. The dviision, probably,- will come off to-night. This is the latest news;: Wellington, Saturday. (PROM A OOEBESPONDENr.) THE NO-COjOTDENCE DEBATE.

Major Atkinson made a very weak speech,, and Sir G-. Grey an excellent; one 1 in reply.? Mr, Reynolds moved His and Mr Manders supported the original motion; Mr Gisborne explained his reasons jfor changing sides, and now works with Atkinson. He did so, he says, because all the present Ministry were separationists. Montgomery, Wall is and Delatour opposed Major Atkinson'* motion. The debate was adjourned till Monday. Mr Reynold's amendment will, not save the Ministry. Major Atkinson has ascertained that he has a majority of three, and may probably have seven or nine.

(prom our special correspondentYJ / 4 ; Wellington, Monday. THE NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. If we are to judge by the length ofj speeches with? which the heads of the Opposition and Government opened the No-confidence debate on Friday, the discussion is likely to prove a long one. Major - Atkinson began by reminding Sir George Grey that he had described the House as a really august assembly; commanding the confidence and respect of the Colony, and one whose duty it was to determine whether he, Sir George Grey, and his colleagues ■' were" proper* persons to act as its hea£ This, he challenged to prove, and denied that, acfeordiiig to the vote of a mrjority of the House, the latter was chs head of the Govern, raent. That position belonged to Mr Larnach, and he farther went on to A&y, that but for the supposition that this,would be so-many who voted for Mr Larnach's motion, which displaced the late:'. Government, would not have so voted, and taunted the Premier that he was not able even to command the services of the best men in his own party. The impossibility of finding othei than a merely, temporary leader of the Government party in the Legislative Council, and the fact; that a fortnight. had elapsed, and the vacant, portfolios in the Cabinet had not yet been filled up, were pointed to by Major Atkinson, as evidence of the weakness and unpopularity of 'the; Government Dissecting the ministerial speech of the Premier, made on the 15th inst., Major Atkinson charged him with, having departed from, or, with haying failed to fairly comprehend some of the cardinal points of his policy. One great desire then expressed had been to have,a thorough sifting and invesigation into the finances of the Colony, another to cut (down departmental expenditure. TbVresult, however, had been, that the\ House had waited day after day, and a financial statement seemed as far off as ever, and that so far from either opening up the question, of finance or reducing expenditure the present Government were prepared to shirk the whole question by accepting the estimates of the present Government. As one evidence of the incompetency of the Government) Major Atkinson alluded to the double appointment of Mr Larnach to the two offices of Colonial Treasurer and Minister of Public Works, either of which offices must necessarily absorb the whole time and energies«of any one man;; and he asked of what value were the aspersions thrown upon the finance of the late Government by the Op ; . position if, when they were now in power, they were so utteriy unable

assertion that time should be alio wed to the Government, that if the House would only wmt a short .Jime,,'and' especially till the end* of it would see a Government ffi. whichNew Zealand would be prpnU, for the party ha&greab materUti in it. Major Afcldjißqfc;declined. asilW repre-| sentative of Zealand sf; ;allow f the Government the poWer f sf|filling! up portfolios ialter me JHoifsV risen. He daubed it as his right to know the Government 'urider which the recess woald_be.pass^ed. i) 3 "Of "Mr Reynolds, " That the Government having not yet declared their policy, - the -House declines to entertain i any vote ,of rwant of I confidence'' in the ' Sioistry,' the! leader ot, £b.e Opposition .asked fori what Were tliey to wait. ; ' He pointed ■ out that in his Ministerial statement j the Premier fiad already given one! sketch of 'the'pilfcy'bfthe Goyernrn'ent,' a sscsn<T skejtch had Heen given in the'ObunciLand what were they, to waitifor ?j A third to : reconcile the incongruities of the "two? Major, Atkinson then wound up his speech as follows:—I have shown, and no doubtthe ; hori. gentleman opposite will be ] that! he^dpes r I j dence^,pf uthe^Hoase.^u* He*) has obtained his position not only not ;by the vote 1 of the 4 majority of this , fclouse, 1 but'he has 'riot tHe 'abs6lute r i •confidence .of even' a" 'majority ;of his i lownparty commaud the services of the best men of. vthat,,party. .Is have' Mown that if the hon. -gentlemen was sincere in the point of festatement upon which helaid'sbWch atress, namely, that the finance was to be thoroughly sifted and. discussed, and that the, public '.works be carried out with vigour and economy, he hastentirely faied to, take any steps in that' direction ; that by conferring the appointment upon one man he has made it impossible that the great objectof his desire be given effect tp. I that the accusation that we were precipitate in bringing forward this motion is without any that, in fact, if we were- noi prepared to waste,theVtime ; in delay.tpQ^a.much greater extent than has already been [done, we were bound witft ; theleast possible delay to find bu't'whether i those hon. gentlemen had, the CPnfiI dence of the House or not. I trust ohese reasons will be considered by ■ the House amply sufficient to induce hon. mernberß to support the resolution which I have now the honor to submit. , • /

Mr Reynolds here moved. His amendment.

Sir G. Grey, in reply to Major Atkinson,, made a : telling speech, tie denied that it was unusual' for ! a member forming- a ; Ministry to select some other member as Premier; and in reply. to tne tauntsthat he was not supported by the abler men of his own party he, said that their reasons for declining office were in some cases that they had only recently joined his fkrtyj ; and wo'lild not have, it appear that they seemed to have done so for the sake of .office, or that they wished- to see a ' 'Government in which all parts of the colony were and would not keep other men , put.' Describing his policy, Sir Gr. Grey said :— *' I will strive tot do my best to initiate, a policy by which equal .laws may exist in this country ior all; laws underwhieh, every family may hope to obtain its home and its land,, and, under which, the /best of the land of the country shall not be given to the friends Of the Government... A new era is dawning,, new times.are coming, and new men will soon be found in this House. New principles will prevail, attd, I believe, in New Zealand will be established that great principle that all men

have equal rights in the property and in the lands of the colony j that the lands are the property of all—not: the property of a party of there are in this ■country thousands who will 'leap 1 to their feet and aid.myself and my friends in the struggle we are engaged in." ; In the' matter of finance he stated that he had" found the public accounts so muddled that Jthey; were incomprehensible,; except to ; experts,..'but in" the ; Colonial Treasurer -t- Mv Larnaoh- : « : mm the ibaterial of which great statesWen fwere His'integrity was great; his industry unbounded. . A scheme of finance had been prepared, which, he believed; would have been satisfactory both to the House and

to ] the country. '•■■'■ The reduotions •shpwn would have pleased the House, but!the Opposition, ia theit harried attempts to seize an office, -had prevented the.Government from bringing down this r-, statement. r- tie charged the late Government Iwith dishonesty, ia haying resorted to • expedients to take money "without i thei authority of law from the land ' funds bK Canterbury and Otago. This' was robbing those -who had bought landin those districts on the [ faith that the* money they paid" for |it would oe" expended on certain pubic works, ;which would have given increased value to the land. . lie, Sir George Qrey, would have scorned to have,beenaparty to sucfy a transaction. * People who did that would not afterwards scruple to break faith ; wijih the foreign creditor. )AS. to-the Native polioy; that was, impossible, in a worse tangle than that of finance. "What," he said, " was the condition of the Native question at the time wr- took office ? People were murdered even in, the,

wo**weamyim^FWtig<) f and' * tae Government dared net speak upon the matter, but meekly held their tongues. Prisoners were Jl^j|'^ n they weve taken » and |P-Govern'ment was powerless to > & p > -~ "jtfwater portion of the E ™a daring the few W, ™|§Nre been in* office, the TSh Wj e eyiaced confidence in °M? menfc > whicn would have w 3s^ to l«t a speedy end to fSftchfstatepf things/' With regard to Parliamentary reform, the speaker did not go the length of.manhood suttfage; butled apto m broad terms " equ|| ,etectolte * "ghts." As to the' sqUeatipn W ■£s£&s&)* „he. denotinced-thdsrwho would ostracise him from politics because he held 7 advanced views on this question,, ; . It was .the duty of a good citizen duty of a wise man to submit hiinSelftp'sV'srin of which prevails for the time in the country, in which he lives, and to do his utmost, for .his country ?w|ether he ifo institutions ov not, and to make thoße inßtitufioiis ,y, a8 ] 'beneficial as possible for the country. And to ostracise a man because, sacrificing n * s 9 wn f ,views in this wayj he works for the good of his coantry under th¥ form of he finds existing,--to ostracise him j because he is known to believe that |a better ipvm of govefnmenlT could jbe introduced, would be aa unmanly ,and an unwise 1 course pursue. ■•' Hbn..gentlemen > '^he;s^d^ i'-may try in that way to ostracise me; % eTma y; toy to prevent; me* from serving New Zealand; but every effortthey, .make in that direction, every pledge which they break, and which they solemnly made to me, will billy * endea*' mfe' more '*io 'the people of this country; will ensure speedily my power, if I am ■ driven from it, with the'power of carrying' out views- and ihtehtidnfc >hich the great majority bf'Sne jfaUfe wjill recognise, >! as; those.,on which the greatness of the country atad their own future welfare and Happiness depend. ! Feeling this, I unhesitatingly accept the challenge the hon.; gentleman has ;giveh" me >[} and, let this House decide as they please, Ishall : feel I'have"done my duty." J

Mr Shrimski moved the adjournment ;of the debate'tiW Mdtfday 7 .^ ' ■'" .f T The House rose at 12.25, a.m. • •