General Assembly.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1108, 31 July 1879, Page 2

General Assembly.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TUESDAY. In the Council to-day, a disinclination to proceed to business till after the settlement of the crisis was shown. The orders of the day were postponed. SIR J. VOGEL AJtD TItE LAND COMPANY. _ Colonel "Whitmore, replying to a question, said the Agent-General had not applied to hini for permission to join the Land Company till after he had done so. TREASURY DILLS. The Colonial Secretary, replying to Mr "Waterhouse, said the Government had made £442,000 worth of Treasury Bills payable in. London at'the request of the holders. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY. The House met at 2.30. IMPREST SUPPLY DILL. A message was read from His Excellency, notifying his assent to the Imprest Supply Bill. WOODVILLE, THE MURDERER. Mr Barton gave notice he would move, " That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the conduot of the Supreme Court Judges in the case of Woodville, who Was executed at Pictoii some time ago for murder i" THE RAILWAY MAP QUESTION. The report of the Select Committee re the alleged tampering with a railway works map, was brought up k The Maps Committee repeat the report of the Thames Railway Map Inquiry report:—" 1. That no alteration was made in the map subsequently to its being laid on the table of the House. 2. That the map was prepared in the Public Works' Department in compliance with the terms of a request made on the question by the Hon. Mr Richmond on the 3rd September, 1879. 3. That, a,s the map was originally prepared, it contained no portion of the railway line between Te Aroha and Grahamstown. 4. That this portion, which appears in a different tint from the line between Te Aroha and Hamilton, waa added under instructions from the Hou.

the Minister of Public Works. 5. That tho map in question was not, therefore, what was asked for by tho Hon. Mr Richardson in answer to what appeared in the footnoto upon the map it purported to be, viz., a distinctly colored copy of the map attached to the Public Works statement. 6. That in the opinion of the committee it be an order in all cases of returns made to the order of this House, or furnished iu compliance with questions put to Ministers; that the permanent heads of departments furnishing such returns certify to the accuracy of the returns." PUBLIC EXPENDITURE QUESTIONED. Mr Richardson asked the Government, " What action (if any) had been taken under the amendment of the Public Works Act, 1876, of last session, which added the words 'with branches' after the word Masterton in the 4th shedule of the Public Works Act, 1876 ; also, whether the expenditure required to carry out the proposals to construct a branch line from Woodstock to Greytown had b 4 een brought before Parliament and authorised ?" MrMacandrew said the sum was small, and that it might be defrayed out of the Wellington and. Masterton line. If not, a further sum would be provided. EAILWAY-ENGINE SPABKS. Replying 'to a question put the other day, relating to the damage caused by fire fron the spark of railway engines, The Minister for Public Works said the engines were all provided with sparkcatchers, and the damage referred to had been very much over-estimated. JHE NO-CONFXDENCE DLBATE. The !Premier asked that the no-confi-dence debate be adjourned for haif-an-hour. He explained that it was understood the debate would be resumed this day at 4 o'clock, and, relying on that unerstanding, members might be absent. Sir JW. Fox objected to adjournment unless they gave pledges that tney would proceed to division without further discussion. The Premier undertook that they would not speak to the amendment further on their side of the House, and the motion for adjournment was given effect to. On resuming, Dr Henry said that he would, in compliance with the general wish, waive his right to address the House. He wished to nhew that the Opposition had no wish to delay the business of the country. The House then divided, with the following result:— Ayes, 47: Noes, 33 : Adams JMlance Atkinson Barton Baigent Brown, J. C. Barff Bunny Beetham Oarrington Bowen De Lautoiu* Brandon Feldwick Bryce Fisher

Curtis George Oufcten Gisborno Douglas Goldie Fitzroy GreyFox (teller) Hamlin Gibbs Hislop Greeu Hodgkinson Hart Jackson Henry Joyce Hobbs Macandrew Hunter Mauders Hursthotise Moss Johnson Naho Kelly Rees Kenny Reeves (teller) Macfarlane Seaton Moorhouse Shanks Morris Sheehan Murray-Aynsley Shrimisld Olivier Swanson Ormond Tainui Pyke Thomson Richardson Tole Richmond Turnbull Rolleston Wallis Rowe Russell Saunders Seymour Stevens Stewart Studholme Sutton Tawiti Wakefield (teller) Whitaker Williams Woolcock Tomoana Pair j Montgomery, McLean Absent; J. E. Brown, Bastings, Driver walked our, McMinn, Murray Mr Hislop argued that although the Government had not carried out its measures as fully as he could have desired, still the shortcoming was not of the nature which would warrant any of its .supporters in deserting them at this time. The Opposition had shewn themselves thoroughly incapable of carrying out the liberal measures, and under these circumstances the amendment was calculated to obstruct what was undoubtedly the avowed policy of the country. He reviewed the remarks made by Sir W. Fox in moving the amendment. The attack made on the character of the Native Minister was to be condemned. It was a most insincere proceeding. He (Mr Sheehan) had been a Minister for years, and yet not a word was breathed against his moral character until it was brought up for purely party purposes. H« concluded by moving, as a further amendment, " That the House also thinks it right to add that the foregoing opinion has been arrived at in an absence of official papers or information on the several subjects in regard to which your advisers are alleged to have been guilty of mal-administration and neglect." Mr Rees spoke in support of the amendment.

Sir George Grey said that Sir W. Foxhad misled the House in drawing au analogy between the proceedings on this this occasion and that followed by Lord Derby on a previous occasion in the Imperial Parliament. The charges made against him had not been fairly expressed, and the only apparent motive was to damage his Government in the eyes of the country. The charges of maladministration were most unfairly made. At Wanganui, Sir W. Fox had made damaging statements regarding his action towards a previous Governor. The facts were these: When the Governor left New Zealand he was offered a passage in one of the man-of-war-ships, or, if not, a handsome allowance would be made him if he went privately. He applied for a passago in the Hinemoa. At that time the steamer was urgently wanted for colonial service, for the safety of many families on the West Coast. The plea of a sick Marchioness had been set up as a great reproach to him for not having consented to allow the steamer to be used. He looked on the life of the meanest settler as of equal importance to that of a Marchioness, and her comfort could have been very well provided for in a man-of-war. It was this worship of great people that was a besetting sin of Sir W. Fox's. He had, within the last few days, been tampering with the present Governor to the prejudice of his Government. He (Sir George) never had any insulting term applied to him by natives, as alleged by Sir W. Fox. If such term was used, it was suggested by a European to an ignorant Maori. The responsibility for such conduct rested, not with the ignorant native, but with those that came to the House and repeated them. He defended tho Native Minister against the imputations cast on him. He (Mr

Sheehan) had had adverse circumstances to contend against. Ho had pecuniary difficulties to contend against. Still, his conduct had been honorable throughout. He (Mr Sheehan), amidst all his difficulties, had the offier of a bribe of £2OOO to settle a certan matter advantageously to the party by whom it was offered. Ho did not accept it, and every kind of misrepresentation had been made to the prejudice of the Government. They had been charged with neglecting to carry out the promised reductions ; but in the short time they had been in office, it was quite impossible to make good all their promises. The House itself had obstructed itheir efforts towards entrenchment. He then preferred to complaints made against him in connection with the appointments made in the Upper House. They had felt it was necessary to get men into the House who were honestly imbued with liberal sentiments, and would aid in carrying "out their policy. Ho believed that most of the colonists had come out here to escape from the burdens imposed upon the inhabitants of the mother country. All their' efforts and energies were cramped and confined by excessive patronage which is now exercised in the home country. Nearly every avenue in life was closed, except as against the wealthy and influential. Th«?Xagriciiltulal laborers in England wait never in such [deplorable plight as they were at the present day. It was to guard against the recurrence of such evils as those in New Zealand that liberal measures were demanded. The franchise stood thus: There were about 50,000 names on the electoral rolls, and some 65,000 or 66,000 whose names were not on the roll. Why were those names not on the roll ? It was simply because no facilities had been given them. The moment the Government tried to make the requisite provision the Opposition banded together to obstruct them. They went to the Government and said they represent the people of New Zealand ; hnt they do not. They robbed the inhabitants of their just rights. He could tell them they were working so hard to get his Government out, whose great efforts in taxation was to take it out of the poor man and shift it from their own shoulders. In that way they had ruined hundreds of families in New Zealand. Then about the land laAvs. They talked about the Native Minister. Had they ever found him going away and taking thousands of acres to make a Ministerial' run of Canterbury land, as some had done. For want of a proper system of land laws they had ruined thousands of families, as well as by unjust taxation. In the matter of public works they had managed so to arrange matters that their burden fell upon the poor man, while they themselves took good care to escape. In immigration schemes they had taxed the labouring man to bring out men to compete with him. The native lands had been more unfairly dealt with than the Crown lands. If these transactions were investigated, it would have been found that the natives had been plundered of their lands. It followed thai; a Government that had set its face against such transactions would raise many enemies. He (the Premier) then enumerated the various measures which his Government had brought forward, the effects of which would have been to counteract these evils. Amongst those ho mentioned the property and income tax, which he said he would yet live to seen in operation in New Zealand. The proceeding was a most unfair one from beginning to end. They were attacked at a time when they were not in a position to defend themselves. He had been stigmatised as a common enemy. Ho was not a common enemy of all. lie was a common friend of all. He could go to any part of New Zealand and meet thousands of friendly voices. Himself and his friends would not fail to pursue the course they had entered upon. It had yet to be seen whether they would not appeal to the country. He for one would gladly resign a power if could only be retained by pandering, as he, for one, Avould not pander. MrMauders spoke to .the amendment. Mr Hamlin read the following telegram he had received from' the chief Rcwi : "To Mr Hatuliu in greeting.—My word to you is that you may continue to make public my telegrams. They come from no one, European or otherwise, but myself alone. In viewing the relativo positions of myself and Sir George Grey. In former times we were opposed. 1 have not yet seen any fault of his. This telegram is my own."—Prom Rbwi Maniapoto." On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost on the voices. On the motion of £ir W. Fox, Messrs, Wakefield, Stewart, Green, and the mover, were elected a committee to draw up and present an address to His Excellency the Governor in accordance; with the resolution passed. The address was brought up, read, and adopted. The House adjourned at 9.30 till tomorrow, at 2.30 p,m.