General Assembly.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1141, 18 October 1879, Page 2

General Assembly.

[press association.] HOUSE OF JREPRESEFTA--TIVES. "Wednesday. • • , Tho House. met at 2.30 p.m . ' Mr Tomoana . said '.he wished, to correct a statement mado by Mr Sheahan. He denied having said, as alleged, that Mr Hall prommised that the Native Lands Court would bo abolished and all selling and leasing stopped. ■■- Mr Sheehau said ho would take an op.-, portunity to refer to the subject Replying to Mr Moss; / Mr "Oliver said the matter of taking steps to open up communication between Cambridge and Lake Rotomahaiia, by way of Tapapa, would be considered before the Estimates were brought down. „ Replying to Mr Fulton, ; \ : Major Atkinson said the subsidies now duo to various local bodies in the Taieri County would be paid as soon as the Deficiency Sill, had been negotiated. Replying to Mr Murray, • Mr liall said the Government ,had received information of the negotiation of the £5,000,000 loan. It had not been completed. ■' A telegram on tho subject came to hand. last night, which would be laid on the table for persnal. 1 he House resumed at 7.30 p.m. QNEUUNQA- WATER Bllii. On the' motion of Mr idamlin, the Onehunga Water Bill was read a second time. • ' Mv IVla'candrew voted the [adjournment of the House. . ;H e said that the proposal that, he made for going on with the business not having been assanted to, he had no other course left. him.; . Mr rJ all appealed to the House to allow the private business on the order paper to be gone on with. He hoped the determination would not be to obstruct this business to the extent of keeping back that business. Sir George Groy said he stood there an outcast among men; .tie was, therefore, in the position of an independent member, pure and simple. - He was/therefore, in a position to give, a disinterested opinion. „He denied that any : time had been lost. /I'he time spent was of the utmost importance to. .the colony. It : now,. stood 50 years in .advance of what, it was # at the beginning cf the session. Members on both sides of the House were committed to the passing of those; Liberal measures, he had so long advocated. Those who onoo;f- opposed.: him would , now be bound „,to, go . into . the . i-ame lobbies with him. Ho would how drag them along with' him at his chariot wheels. It was the duty of all now to insist upon the Governor removing these gentlemen from the Government benches. He had been told :that so long as he remained the leader of the party, members would not vote for these Liberal measures, and lie bowed to that opinion and retired iVom the position. It was the duty of the Government to follow that example, to retire whei> they found that they were obstructing;* the passing of the measures referred to. , Not having done so simpiy confirmed the opiuiori he had formed that their principal, object was to servo the purposes of a landed aristocracy. The 1 member at the head of tho Government should not have been allowed to resign his place iii the Upper House, and the Governor, in allowing his resignation made himself (the Governor) a partisan. In .fact, .ho (Mr : Hall) simply held ,his seat there as a representative of the Governor. Tho Government having been constituted in that way /it was the duty of the House to oust them from their benches. He would say that they would not represent the country, and they were, not to be allowed to. hold their scats.. .An address should bo moved to the Governor himself tp : dismiss ! 'them'. Mr : Hall -was the representative of the groat land ring of the country. The member called to the: Legislative Council held a similar position Avith respect to the Northlslaud. If then the groat Liberal cause was not to be trampled on it was necessary that a .combination should not be allowed to control the administration of affairs. Some people had said he set class against class. It was these gentlemen who created the class distinction, and now, when he wanted to destroy it/ the cry. Avas set up about class being sot against class. He was now one of - the rank-and-file of the party, and he Avould stand by Mr Macandrow in the determination he had come to, to. allow no business to be done till this Government Avas ousted from office. ' They ought to make a stand against the other Chamber's interference in pending down a man to them to be their Prime ; Minister. The election; of such a. one ought to. remain soleJy in .their, own hands. He hadiieard all manner of rumors. He thought some oftheui were not without foundation. He had heard it said that , if an -Imprest Supply Bill was passed a dissolution would be granted to-morrow. They should take good care to prevent that, tie would not trust them Avith the money. They had • the. noses of the Government party to tho grindstone, and they should 'take good care to keep them there. „ ;■„ Mrßolleston said there was a time Avhen ; he thought there Avas the ring of: honesty in the voico of Sir George Grey, but he felt sure that' the House thought with him that the opinion Avas a mistake. He felt sure that the House was tired of listening to the cant of the previous speaker. He had threatened them with an address to the Governor for their removal. They Avould|not, as he -had done, drag the Governor, an absent man, to the floor of the douse,. for the purpose of heaping odium on him; but Avheii they were called upon, constitutionally, to abdicate their seats, they would do so. Sir George Grey had, id reality, degraded the wl^qlo ai : their party system during the last two years. He had brought constitutional Govern-' ment into more disreputo than it Avas possible ever to have thought of . The previous speaker told them that a reconstruction of the Government ought to havo taken place on tho late want-of-con-fidence motion. But Avhat Avere the facts of the case in regard to the motion in course of debats ? They were told that no coalition or reconstruction could bo listenod toj and tho division on that riiotiou took place with a full kuowledgo of that fact. That day the Premier came here and stated that they were not tho true representatives of tho people. Now, what were the true facts of the caso ? When he Avas in Canterbury, ho gave him au opportunity of impeaching him before the constituencies. He attended one' of • tho; saiiqthigd hold by Sir George Grey in ' 'Canterbury; at -'which j;- instead • of; im- ' peaching, he told the meeting : thiit he (Uv RoUeston) was a wan foj; whom h^e.

hud "rout respect, and ho 'only wished to have him voting with him on his side of the House. Jlo was prepared to voto with him on his -measures'— and what was ' the ros iilfc ? Ho met with" the greatest ■poHsiblo odium that lie (Sir George Grey) 'coiild hoap upon him. They had been 'told that. the Governor : did wrong in tiocepting the resignation -of tho Premier, ,as a member of the Upper House. XV ow, what were, the facts of the case ? Years when 'Sir George l<rey" was Governor of -Now Zealand, Mr tlall, then a member of the Upper House; 'resigned, and he (Sir Cloorgo O'rey) accepted his resignation. Sir George Givy said he wished to explain that on' that 'occasion he had 'no idea < that he was going to contest a seat in the Assembly. Mr Hall said that, one month before he sent "in his 'resignation "lie "had been addressing fcho odnssfcituSiits for a scat in tho Assembly. Mr Holle3ton thou.Avcnt.on to review the statements by Sir George Grey when in Canterbury, and asked, after these facts, who could possibly respect a man who could, thus dilate and ,- { distort the true facts of the case? He had buon told something about a dissolution having been provided ; for. It was the first he hoard of it. Tho Government benches was ; no , easy seat. The state of the public exchequer was something' alarm-: ing, and he could tell them that before long that would become the burning, question of the day, and it would be ! more severely felt 'when' many other questions were 'entirely forgotten. The con duct of the Opposition had been most discreditable. Before they arot on to the benches they had a vote of waht-of-con-fidence leveled at them. They (tho : Government) would not stick to office, nor would they remain a moment longer than the House had an opportune y of passing an impartial judgment upon them. Mr Reid spoke in support of tho course being pursued by the < 'pposition, and argued that it was most unreasonable that they should be asked to remain another week before they were allowed to bring on tbeii* want-of-conndenco motion. I It was, ho said, the duty of every West Coast Constituency, such as he represented, to support a Government which had dbno.ro much good for the district, He regretted Mr Masters' a defection, and concluded by expressing his strong conviction of the: propriety <■ of the course adopted by tho Opposition. Mr McLean thought the Government proposal a vory reasonable one. Mr Moss suggested that the Native .Minister's.. statement should be made durinj the course of the debate oh the no confidence motion. Mr Seddou thought tho Government should; allow the no confidence; motion to be brought on at once. . . . . .• .- Mr Pitt said it seemed simply to be a '.question as to who would have the 'honor of passing the liberal measurs. ' ' : • Mr , ;v' urray deprecated the action of the Opposition. . Mr Wakefiold pointed out that the effect of the amendment being carried would, bo that the whole • week wo aid be w isted without any- business; being done at all, even after the no -confidence debate wacarriod. . He looked forward to the work of the session being carried on with a ijreat deal of difficulty.; ... . ; „ . . Mr Speight urged that the no-confidence vote should be taken without .dslay.' Mr Reader .^Vpod said the Government ; had ample opportunities of -laying, their measures before tho House, and. to, show his impartiality he would admit the Electoral Bill was a decided improvement oiv. that brought down by the late .Government: last session. v . ... .•; • Colonel Trimble contended that whether tho no-confidence motion came on that day week or. . that, day fortnight it was necessary that the Government measures should be brought down as a; record: Mr Sufcfcon. and Mr Russell both spoke in support of the views urged by the Government. Mr Whitaker moved the adjournment of the debate. -.- Mr Hall said what the Government contended for was, that having come into office with a majority, they should have an opportunity of placing their measures on the -records of the House. That he. contended to be no waste of time. They had the right to put. their measures officially and to make them the records of tho House. That was what they were entitled to, and that was what they were determined to do as a • constitutional principle. They were entitled to do that, and it was of the greatest importance in laying the foundation of. represent alive institution, in a young colony, that a principle of -.-this kind . should not bo violated. What the Opposition said was' this : ." You; had a majority, lately. ; - We have got. that majority. now,. therefore at pur bidding. you are lo leave the benches-/ The whole question was this, whether they .would take the vote on Friday or Tuesday. Ml the difference in dispute was oh a single sitting day. For the sake of this one sitting day, they were asked to lay down a wrong constitutional principle. It was au indecent scramble for office, for the Opposition, as soon as they had made one or two conversions outside the House, to take the course they adopted. . Had the leader of the Opposition his way, he believed the proposal for a day would have been agreed to at once. - --- - .. - - Colonel Trimble said they had been told' by previous speakers; that Sir ; 'George i was a great statesman of wo rid- wide renown. Tho fact was there were two Sir j George Greys, and he had evidently con- [ fused the one with tho other. Sir George ' (irey in that House Jwias a man, comparatively speaking unknown, so far as worldwide ;farao is concerned; .-In fact; it was the imputation of the other Sir George Grey which had been confused with that of the late Premier Sir George Grey had talked- in slighting, terms of the Upper ■louse. The fact Avas that no one called more men to that t House. than Sir George himself He ought to havo refrained; from speakiug' in tho way he did. The. speaker also reprobated the allusions made to the Governor, addiu.£ that these quarrels with the Governor was an old practice/ on] th,e part of /Sir .George Grey, and could' only be accounted for on the Jplea tliat ho' clesired to be Governor; him-. seP. He cited the' practice of. the Imperial Parliament,.to prove that it, was their duty ■to have a clear majority before bvinging down their policy. .He eouusellod the Government |to maintain jtho. stand it : had. taken • . : Mr Masters said that his name had been dragged into the debate, and allegations made that he had uot fulfilled his hustings pledges. ; He. quoted from a district paper to prove tho opinion was not shared in by his constituents, . Mv Hiuvsthbuse spoke in favor of tho course taken by the (xovernmeut. The nocalled liberal measures of the late Government which the country demanded, was a liberal laud law, and he (Sir iieorjre Urey) had given a Triennial Parliament Bill, a thing the country never asked for. The member foiv Hokitika said that the late overnment had done much for the West Coast. The fact, however, was significant that the place was being deserted, beoause I no provision existed for settling residents on the lands. ir Oearge <-rey had told them that this House should be the governing body of the colony. Now, the fact was, that it was such a governing body, unless when Sir < >eorge 'Grby was Premier. During that period; he (Sir Georgo Grey) consti.tuted : himself -the, sole governing body, and, in support of that, ho inststvued, ,tho -Thames railway, and other jobs undertaken in defiance of the action'ot. the. House. He hoped. tho Government would maintain itstposition. Immediately on the Hou3o r.e.-

assembling, after the ovoninjr adjournment, tho motion for adjournment was put and carried on tho voices. The tfousothon adjourned at 11 o'clock. Thursday. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. . • conariTTßU of supply. Major Atkinson proposed to move a suspension of the Standing Orders, so as to enable him to go into Committee of Supply. It was necessary. : for carrying on the public business that a Supply Bill should be obtained, and ho hoped no . obstacle i^woiilcl. be, thrown, in his way. . If ho got assistance, he would move the House go into Committee of Supply. Mr Maoandrew said, unless tho Government consented -to the jio-coufideuce 1 motion coming on ,to-"ioYfow, ho would," as soon as tho Speakor was out of the ch ; air, state a^grievaneo. .'fter a few more re'inarka,' Mr Macandrevv said that it was evident enough, the Government was ! I unable to control the House and goon with the business. In that case, he moved tho adjournment of -the House. Major Atkinson said, ho could auswer bho.otheivsido. that no amount of obstruction would force them to goon with the no- confidence motion a moment sooner than they had stated. __ Mr Montgomery said that they did not refuse to grant' supplies! What Mr Mao- . audrew sad was this : H e had a grievance, , and proposed to ventilate that grievance \ before supplies were grunted. So soon as that grievance was ventilated, the supplies would be granted. .vir McLean' said that tho proposal was an absurd one. They all kne,v what the grievance meant. „ Ib meant .the no-oonfi - dence motion, aud that would take, perhaps, three weeks to debate. Yet he wanted it to be understood that they were not blocking the business. Mr Bo won said that 'it was ono thing to refuse the granting supplier in advance when there was money in the Treasury, and' another -thing to 1 refuse them wh«nbhoro was really no money to moe 1 ; current expenses. The attitude of the Opposition was this : if its will was not to be allowed to rule supreme, then they would refuse to provide supplies urgently demanded. In .that case, he thought tho country would bo better put to Bom inconvenience arising from this delay than that this very questionable proceeding 1 should bo yielded to. '.The country would see whore the responsibility for the block rested. Mr Dowmo Stewart spoke in favour of the position taken up by the Oppo itioui and quoted a number of constitutional precedents. Mr Pyke said, ho wished to explain th^ vote he gave on tho last want-of-confi-dence motion, and reconcile it with the vote he intended giving on this vote of no-confidence." On the pi'evious occa>ion, ■' lie gave it iyith : the vio w of getting , thb Q-overnmenl;, as then constituted, recon--itructedi and ho still held that wis tho 'course which ought to have been followed Mv argned that the Opposition had a perfect right to" s Ate its grievance, and the Government had no right to lay hold of thab trifling fact -to prevent supplies being granted; vI r; launders said, after tho Financial statement delivered the other night, it was^little short of. bl-isphemy to stand up" ind talk about Liberal measures when the -finances of the country was in such s, deplorable state. . „ . • : . Mr Moss said the previous speaker had said enough to convince him that if these gentlemen were lett in office, tho Liberal measures would bo neglected, on the plea that it was necessary they should' direct their attention to the financial situation of tho country. ' • The question of adjournment was then put and carried on the voices. ■ At 10.40 the Mouse rose. ' '■ • : ' <■>> ■■...- — . . ■— , iw..«'i mum' i'i' ii \x