HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1865, 19 June 1884, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

86 to give the Opposition an opportunity for considering the present turn events had taken. Mr Bracken also denounced Government for the course it had taken. There was no necessity for a disolution, as the Opposition could well form a Ministry. The amendment for adjournment till half-past seven was put and negatived. On the original motion for adjournment till Thursday evening, Sir G. Grey said that the course taken was a most irregular one. He could not credit what tho Premier stated as to what took place between Ministers and the Governor. He believed tli.it a representation had been made to the Governor that the Opposition desired a dissolution. He would ask the mover of the adveise amendment to follow up his action by such a motion <is this, "That this House earnestly solicit the Governor to call to his counsel advisers possessing the confidence of the House." That was the course lie thought should be taken. He had no confidence in the Government, who had threatened that tlnco seats would be taken in Auckland fiom members who had gone against them. Such conduct was most irregular, and should not bo tolctatcd. After leciting a number of abuses in the matter of land regulations, he stated that a peison who had lcndcicd good service to the colony, and earned tho Victoria Cross, and was entitled to a small land grant, had omitted to conform to some regulation, and in applying foi his grant was told that it was his fault not to ksow the law. A Minister sitting on tIiONC benches had, however, taken up some 3l)00 acres of gum-beai ing country conti.ii vto the law. He omitted a certain icguUlion necessary to complete his light. In this case Government held that his ignorance of the law was excusable, and that Minister now sat un those benches unlawfully. He held that enoimous tiact of land. Sir Geoigr dwelt at length on the case of a man in Canteibury who had tiied to pm chase 20 acres of Government land, but yet it was given to a rich lun-holder under pretence of an application made 22 years ago. Mr TurnVmll concurred in the conclusions diavvn by the pievious speaker. They had all along been taunted by the Premier that they could not fomi a Government, and when they vveie to do so the Tieasuiei himself took steps to pi event their doing so. He had no hesitation in stating th.it the Tieasuier was a. most un-cin-pulou-5 man, and ho had no doubt but that Government would take advantage of its position to manipulate seats foi its own suppoit. He asked what they had to go to tho countiy upon. He considered the Gov ei nor had acted most unvv isely. He had involved the rountiy in a gieat expense. At the most ci ltical tune he had sent Paihament to the countiy with no issue befoie them. Mr Stewaid alluded to the case of tho man "Walker, m Waimate, whose case was dealt with by ttu Geoige Giey, and fiuther explained bv Mi Tuinbull. He stated th.it he (Mr had taken up the man's case, and was bound to say that whatever the haidship of the case v\as, the Minister for Lands was not to blame. Mi Montgomeiy objected to the length of time asked b\ the Tieasuiei. Alluding to the cfiuisp puiMied by Sn Geoige Gicy in 1875), he lead an extiact fiom Hansard giving an assuiancc that a dissolution would take place within t\\ o days aftei prorogation, and the v\ i its bo made returnable within 30 days thei (.after. The Tieasuier now asked for (iO days, and he hoped that would not be agieed to. Majoi Atkinson pointed out that in 1879 the elections did not take place all on the one day. The conditions were otheivvise alteied, consequently he could not take upon himself to cairy out the elections in loss than the tune stated. Tho motion for adjournment to Tbmsday was put, and carried on the voices. The House adjourned at ten minutes to four till Thursday, at half past seven.