General Assembly.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1107, 29 July 1879, Page 2

General Assembly.

HOUSE OE REPRESENTATIVES. FRIDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mi* Tainui, a Southern Maori member, was introduced, and took the oath. THE LAND TAX. In replying to a question put by Mr Gooi-ge, re the Land Tax, The Premier said, the total number of properties in New Zealand was 87,105. It had been found that there were some persons who own as many as 100 properties in the colony. It" had also been found that there were G7,000 properties under £SOO net value. It was believed that the revenue derived from the land tax would amount to the estimated sum of £IOO,OOO. Kotwithstandiug the depreciation, ia property that hud

taken place, had the valuation been made at the time the Act was passed, there was no doubt that least 50 per cent, more would have been realised. There are now in the department a valuation of every property in New Zealand, and should there be any alteration as to the | exemption, it would not bo necessary to make a Hew valuation of properties that would becomo liable to the tax. The total of the improved value, of property .was £99,56(y,773, and the amount of mortgages, £21,864,292, which, probably included a largo sum lent on the security of live stock. It was believed that £10,123,586 might bo estimated to be foreign capital, and £11,6-10,712 might be estimated to be colonial capital. The total interest was £1,815,076, which was 8 j per cent. The amount of foreign and colonial capital, however, Avas enly an estimate made upon the best data that could bo procured. The actual expenditure of the department to the 30tli of June was £17,073 19s lOd, and the liabilities at the same date, due principally to valuers, £6021: total, £23,09-1 19s lOd. It was estimated that the expenditure for ths current year would be £8,500. THE WANT OP CONFIDENCE DEBATE. Mr McMinn made a defence of Majors Jackson and Mair. Major Jackson,' he said, had been a member of that House. He was a good settler. He know that the Government were under a compliment to him. He had bought a piece of land, about which there was a difficulty with the natives, and Major Jackson had withdrawn from occupation at the request of the Government. He believed that Majors Jackson and Mair had been the means of inducing Rewi to take the stand he did. He regretted very deeply the telegram Avhich had been sent to the Hawera settlers. He supported the Government last session, but he could do so conscientiously no longer. Mt Hobbs rose to speak about 11 o'clock on Thursday night. There was a good house, and the Opposition mustered strong. Mr Hobbs was listened to attentively, as it is known that he has given great attention to native matters, on which subject the Ministry is arraigned, and that ho was present at the late meeting at Kopua. Mr Hobbs commenced by narrating the history of the Kopua meeting, claiming to have given the first reliable information to the Premier in regard to native matters. He (Mr Hobbs) found that the natives had said nothing at all about the railway to Taranaki. He Avas quite surprised Avheu he heard that, remembering Avhat had been said last year in this House, the natives had never been spoken to on the subject. He found they had three grievances. The first wan, that the Government had not kept faith AA'ith them. They said that it had been promised that they should have all the land on the Avest side of the Waipa, of which they had since found that some of it had been disposed of. The Premier, on the other hand, said that he had not promised to give back the Avhole of the land on the west of the "Waipa, but only that part Avhich had never been disposed of to Europeans. The second complaint was with respect to the Raglan Koad, and in respect to that it was the understanding of the natives that nothing should be done in regard to roads and bridges, until Sir George Grey had met Tawhiao to settle matters. The third grievance was, that the natives alleged that a promise had been made that there slumld bfi no leasing or selling or surveying within their boundary, until after the Kopua meeting. The natives did not desire to have auything to do with the Government, and did not Avant to be interfered AAdth. Mr Hobbs said, that Avhen he went into the King country, he found a strange contrast between these nati\'es and those with whom they were familiar. They had a healthy appearance. There were numbers of children, and there Avas general good conduct. When they assembled for Avorship, their earnest and sincere behaviour had a great effect upon his mind.. On the first occasion, one woman-with a baby in her arms stood up and repeated a fervent, earnest prayer that their deliberations might be conducted to a successful issue, and that the blessing of the Almighty might rest upon them. Ho must sav that he Avas grieved to see .it Alexandra so much drunkenness amongst the natives, which contrasted with the sobriety and general good conduct of the Kingites. Mr Hobbs then referred to the en so of Major Mair. He (Mr Hobbs) had told the Native Minister last session that it was a mistake to dismiss Major Mair. The natives all respected him, and ho avrs a man of Avorth, a man of great influence amongst them. The Native Minister had told him that Major Mair had been dismissed because his reports were unreliable. That was rather a strange reason for Avhich to dismiss a man on fourteen days' notice. When Ministers fivst wont'to Alexandra Major Mair asked, that being his district, if he should accompany them to the meeting. The Premier said he thought it Avas unnecessary. A great deal has boon inndc of a letter which Majar Mair had written to Rewi, but _ he Avould like to ask the Native Minister how he came into possession of that letter. The fact was that it Avas stolen. 'ReAvi asked Major Mair to Avrit? to him, and he did so, saying, Avhat Avas the fact, that nothing had been done that session in Wellington, for the natives. This Avas the letter, Avhich was said to be something like a treasonable letter, and a, document sufficient to convict him of that offence. The letter should be produced, and the matter investigated. He believed Major Mair had been a useful man—that he had the confidence of the natives. Be had been brought doAvn to Wellington last session, and had been treated as he should not have been treated. The origin of ic was, that Sir D. McLean had read a telegram in tho House from Major Mair, Avhich had been marked private and confidential. Sir George Grey had accused Sir D. McLean of hob-nobbing with murderers. Sir I). McLean telegraphed to Major Mair to nsk if the murderers referred to wore there, and in tho ansAver Major Mair said that Sir George Grey had been in company Avith Tapihn.ua, who was considered to haA-c been the instigator of some of the murders which took place in the early part of the war near Papakura. Sir L>. McLean read this telegram in the House, although he expressed his regret for it afterwards. Major Mair was a marked man from that time, and was made a victim for that telegram. In referring to what had taken place respecting °the Maori vote. Mi- Hobbs said the Premier had allowed himself to be connected with men that had done him a great deal of harm. Tliis was quite well known in Auckland. Some of them would recollect when the Premier wrote to a native chief at Hokianga, and told him to support his friend John Lundon. Here Mr Hobbs ret?d an extract from Mr Bryee's report to show how Lunpon had manipulated the Bay of Islands electoral roll. He said that it was no excuse for tho present Government to say that the old Government had done all that sort of thing. They could not accept that as an excuse. Again, in dealing with the natives, it was of the utmost importance that the persons dealing with them should be men of good character. He had no hesitation in saying that the NatiA r e Minister's action during the last twelve months at any rate, had been a public scandal.' Should ho say that it had been a Avhited sepulchro ? No ; because not even the outside of the cup and platter had been kept clean. He had no desire to attack Avhat avss called a mauls private character, but Avhen a member of this

House occupied the poaifcion of Native Minister, ho should jealously guard hit public character. The Native Minister had told them last night that he would leave the Ministerial benches a poorer man than when he took his place upon thorn. He believed that the Native Minister had been a fool to himself. "When the country rings with these stories, when the natives were all taking- about them, was he to keep his mouth shut ? If he did so, he would lose his self-respect. They could not submit to go into a lobby at the dictation of a Ministry, like a lot of sheep going to be dipped. They came out clean, but, in this case, it was the reverse, and they were soiled. The rule he had followed in business, he intended to -carry out in politics. He was prepared to face his constituents on this matter, and had every confidence in the result. They might talk to him and try to intimidate him, but he scorned such influence. He only hoped there would be a dissolution. There was much talk about working-men forming Liberal Associations, but let him give a hint to working men to let them have nothing to do with men who could not manage their own affairs, whose dis- 4 honoured promissory notes were flying * about in all directions. These were the sort of men who had done mischief in England. He believed in honesty in public and in private business, in every relation of life. Ho was a firmer belie veins the doctrine laid down in the Old Book, " That righteousness cxalteth a nation, while sin is a reproach to any people." He flatly denied, as had been stated by Mr Rees, that a European had told Wahanui to utter reproaches to Sir George GreyAc ktrri Inn tola. IJc challenged Mr Rees to prove that. Mr Hobbs then referred to the extravagancs no had observed at the king meeting—the money that had been spent amongst those natives to grease the wheels, while there was the greatest difficulty in getting money for roads and bridges. All kinds of goods had been supplied to those natives at Alexandra. Extravagance had been denied, but he would simply reply "produce the vouchers." *