HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1866, 21 June 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FRIDAY. | The House met at 2.30. ! The following piivate bill- were lead a [second tune: -Perpetual Trustee* and ' Agency Company, and Now Zealand Companys (Limited) Empoweiing Jiill. Ah Holmes gave notice of motion to rei duce the honorai ium foi the. present session i to £jO, and asked the Government to give him facilities to move it. Major Atkinson declined, but said the Government pioposed to h\ the amount at '£100. It v\ ill be for the House to decide it. In reply to Mi Shaw, Major Atkinson said that the Government would not facilitate any niejihiue to inteifeie with the dm aturn of Paihanimeiit. t In leply lo a question put by Mr Seddon, Majoi Atkinson s»aid that tlie (Government could not under the cuenmstances give facilities foi passing a bill this session for readjusting the West &>.i*t Educational Distnct. The discussion which followed elicited an e\planation fnmi Mi Ditkto asm tain that monies due to the Westland Board for the payment of salaiies had been impounded by the boaid's bank for liquidation of an overdraft. Mi Shnmski moved the adjournment of the House to enable further explanation to be made. . . Major Atkinson chaiged the Opposition with the obsti notion of business occasioned by the no confidence motion. Mi ])aiga\illeietorted that the habto in coming to a division on the no-confidence motion was occasioned by the fact that the Government vveie well known to be adepts at uiauipulitinsr majoiities. Mr Montgomery blamed the Premier for brow beating and ovei bearing conduct. Mr TurnbuH defended the course taken by the Opposition, and contended that the | proper cour.se would have been to go the [ whole length of stopping supplies. j Mr Seddon replied. The question for adjournment was negatived. , i Major Atkinson gave notice that ne would ask at rising that the House Bit again to-morrow. The House went into Committee of Supply upon the Financial Statement. In reply to Mr Richardson, Mv Mitchelson said it was not intended to make any Public Works Statement. Mr J. W. Thomson contended that there was a larger deficiency than £150,000 as stated by the Treasurer. They weie already three months into the financial year, and they were asked for another two months, making in all five mouths, so that the deficit will be that proportion of time ill excess of the £150,000. This fact, for political purposes in the present state of the country, was made light of. The Customs revenue was ovei -estimated £123,000, and the railway receipts £50,000. Altogether, the income of the colony foi last year had been over-estimated £205,000. That fact of itself should be sufficient to make the Tieasurer ashamed of himself, having expended £187,000 in excess Of income. The debate was inteuupted by the 5.30 adjoummeut. Mr J, W, Thomson continued the discussion on the Financial Statement, and condemned the Government for the manner in which they had acted in regard to the quarter million inscribed stock issued in the colony. Mr Richardson thought further data necessary before any decision was come to regarding the North Island Trunk Railway, and condemned the present system of railway management, jfifj; IJatngate \<\qk exception to Major Atkinson's statements us to fcho cause ' of the existing depression, and believed the Government' was mainly responsible/ owing to faulty administration, Thejßouse adjourned at 9.35 until tomorrow.

A select quadrille party will be, held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East, on Tuesday IWCt. i ,■ t

THURSDAY. The House met at half-past seven. PENSIONS BILL. MrShrimski moved the second reading of the Pensions Bill. Major Atkinson objected to ,th.Q transaction of any business, and moved the adjournment of the debate, which was carried. Major Atkinson moved, " That the House go into Committee of Supply." DISSOLUTION OPPORKD. Mr O'Callaghan moved as an amendment, " That the House, while willing to grant Her Majesty supplies for a reasonable period, desires to place on record its disapproval of the course adopted by Ministers in recommending His Excellency to grant a dissolution without fir h t affording tho Opposition an opportunity of forming a Ministry having the confidence of the House, inasmuch as Pailiament has theieby been prevented from passing measures which it is desirable should be passed bofoie a general election, and also the expense of a double session being unnecessarily incurred. There were three courses open to the Opposition. It was not to be expected that tho majority would tamely submit to the imputation' that they could not form a Ministry. They might be quite justified in adopting the extreme view of stopping supplies, but this would be attended by hardship to innocent people. They were a party under different leaders. An alliance had, however, been formed by these factions to remove the Government, and they had united under one leader for the purpose. That gentleman's natural modesty led him to declare that he would not take office, but as a matter of courtesy he should have been sent for. He was acting as he did by virtue of the position of. Chahman of the Opposition meeting at which this iesolution was agreed to. He was only the mouthpiece of the Opposition in doing as he had done. Mr Macandrew seconded tho amendment. HeexDiessedhis strong conviction of the humiliating position in which Government had placed them. Tliev had been taunted that they could not foini a Government, wheieas the fact was they conld form two or tlnee Government-, if they hdd got the chance. He uiged them not to waste time in t.ilk, but to go to a vote at once. Mr Moss announced his intention of suppoiting the Government. He deprecated the vote of certain members who had thrown over the Government, and by secret intrigii'W seduced the Opposition fioin its original jmrpo.se, and made the Opposition follow them. The ostensible object of tht late vote was to foice a dissolution, auri now they wanted to obstuict that avowed purpose.' Why w*> Mii-. amendment no) moved by a recognised Pailianientaiy l«adei instead of by one of the lank and hie 1 The so-called unity of pai ties was no real unity, but would simply piove a tempoiar> one. He believed that had they jusfc waited their prospects as an Opposition would ha\ c improved. He was quite content to sec Government remain in office, as it was ? well known fact that Government hae simply cairied out their policy as an Opposi tion. MrSutton stigmatised the amendment as a reflection upon the Government and Governor, for doing exactly what they had been asked to do. He did no believe foi one moment that a Government could bt formed fiom the Opposition, cmmnandnij) a majority. Sir G. Giey could not cominam the votes of one third of the House, Mr Wakefield said they had been told b\ Mr Moib that this. Government had c uiied out the \iesvs of tho Opposition, and theie fore they should be allowed to lenuin n office. That was a most cvti«ioidmar\ doctiine, and the sooneiit wasiomedied the batter. Theie could be no doubt but that the object of the no-confidence inntioi: was to get .in appeal to tlie counti y at the culiest possible moment. Since then agi eat change had come over the aspect ol aftaiis. Members lud aimed in tho l'ltomn, and it was quite right that they should now be guided by the new state of affaiis. The} now felt that they wcie in A position ti form a Go\ernmoiit stmng enough to c^n> on the woik. In this case he lu-ld that il the Government still held by tlnnr formal determination it was the duty of the Opposition to take the extreme com se to htor supplies. They should do whatever wa' coimtitutioual, and that was constitutional, and consequently it was tho pioper conist to take. He was not however, piepaied te nay the Opposition was united enough te form a Government. The very fart thai Mr O'Callaghan was selected to move the amendment, was to his mind a stimig indication of that fact. He would, thciefoie, not feel justified in voting for the amendment under the ciicumstauces. He could come to no other conclusion than that the object of the dissolution was peisonal ; that Government had come to the conclusion that a certain man or set of men had no right tr occupy those benches. That was a doctrine opposed to the principles of representatn c Government. In his opinion, theie weu dozens of men in the House who could constitute a Government, with just as mucl credit as the present Minister*. Mr Joyce contended that, as a fusion ol parties had taken place, an oppoitunity should have been given of showing undei which leader they were prepaied te> lango. Speaking from a local point of view, he had no gicat fault to find with the Government as constituted. He thought it but right t. make that admission. It was not, theiefore, on local grounds that he lecorded hi^ votes again&t them. Captain McKenzie did not approve of the course followed. In view of the course events had taken, the sooner they got the veulict of the country the bettar. Mr McDonald did not know what was to be gained by the going to the country just now. In the natural course of events they would go the country in a very few months. Major Harris denied a statement made MrSutton, to the effect that they weie unanimous in their determination for a dis solution. As a matter of fact, a resolution of the kind was proposed, and only seven voted foi it, and the lemainder against it. Mr Richardson said he supported the adverse vote on the distinct undoi standing that it would bring about an immediate dissolution. He, therefore, could not support the amendment. Major Atkinson expressed deep regret that the resolution should have been moved. He did not think that any member of the Opposition believed it true that a Government could be formed that could carry any measures. The Opposition was absolutely divided. The adverse vote could not have been carried but for the distinct understanding that it was a prelude to a dissolution. Had the Opposition wished, they could have carried all the measures the resolutions spoke of, and then they could have brought down a vote of no confidence. The fact was, that what members of the Opposition desired was to get possession of those benches and control the elections. There was no question but the Go\ ernment party was by far the largest in the House. They had julfc had an example of the unity that prevailed in the Opposition. The ' Opposition had leaders, but they would not rise up and attack the Government. All the Government did was to tender to the Governor the advice the House desired. So little agreement was there amongst the Opposition that when ona got up to speak he had to ci oss the path of the other. After what he saw in 1879 he would do always everything he could to prevent certain hon. members getting on these benches to manipulate the elections. He only wished there were two years to run of -the piesent Parliament, and he would let the Opposition on to these benches, and the country would have an opportuuity of seeing what the Opposition was composed of. He quoted from a memorandum by Sir G. Grey to the Governor in 1879 to show that the Government was justified in the course it had ' adopted on this occasion. The Crown might refuse a dissolution, but in that case it was' the duty, of the Government t<> retire- Despite that fact, in 1877 Sir G, Grey wap refused, a dissolution, and -yet ha' remained 1 - in offiita, .That wjy» a humiliation this Government would not endure. He asked the Governor to grant a ' 'dissolution. He believed the House desired it. The Governor concurred. No written documents parsed. The application and reply were made by word of mouth, mi as few .woVds i& he Jmd spoken. He was'glad to say that" he served under a Governor who oould take hia word without a written

tkflifiolud boast of. He never said the ■|jp|)osition could not form a Government. 'Government had taken the constitutional course&under the cucumstances. It w.ap, ~tB J eref6re, only a waste'of time to discuss this motion, and the Government asked that the work started should now be proceeded with. They should devote the few remaining hours to considering the important question of finance they had to deal with. Mr Shrimski denied that the Opposition had delayed the business of the session. Mr Montgomery analysed the resolution, with the view of showing that there was no foundation in fact for the assertions made by the Premier. In the face of the vote carried the other night, the statement that the Government had the laigest patty in the Hou^e was dimply absurd, The fact that the Opposition was not ngieed on. all points, simply proved the .sincoiity of their convictions. The cry about multiplicity of leadeis was only a re echo of what nic Grey Government had complained of as against the then Opposition. On that occasion it was doubtful whether Mr Ormond, Major Atkinson, 01 Mr McLean were the lcadei s. There was this difference, that the Grey Ministry chaffed their opponents in a good-humouied way, and not, as was now the case, taunted in coarse and ill-natured invective. The hectoring style of the. Fremiei was most objectionable, ami was condemned even by his own suppoiters. If the dissolution was such a simple pei fonnance as the Premier would have thorn believe, how was )t that they wete kept in ignoiance of the Governor b determination for such a length of time. All that the resolution said was that an oppoitnnity should bo given to the Opposition to fOlf 01 m a. Gov eminent. If they could not, then it was time enough for a dissolution to have been sought. Thcv were told boastfully of what the Government would achieve by going to the country. What wei c tl"e f .vets of the case ? The Premier his visited thffoiont parts of the colony, and his leception wa<- the opposite of favourable. The Minister of Lauds, who has been returned by the same constituency dining the List 1 1) ye.v-, got a vote of noconfidence. Where vw»io the newspapers speaking favourably of the Government V Theic might be one m Wellington, but that was all— m shoit, Government could not imagine for a uiomuiit that the country would make the leturn in their favour. All they would obtain was a few months longer of politic.il existence. Themajonty against them of nine was swelled up by lccout .innals to 14. In that ca^o the Opposition had a light to expect that the Opposition would be asked to foi m «t Government. If the Opposition had failed, then the Govcimnen would have gone to the countiy with clean hands., Now however, it would go foith tii.it they could have fouued a Government but did not get the chance.

Defeat of the Opposition. Tlio motion for going into Committee of Supply w.ib then put. The House divided -Ayes 37 ; Noe>, 37. The Speaker gwe hi-> vote with the ;iyc% , with tho view of getting the mattei icle gated to the country ai soon as po^ible. I The Hoiu.c went into Comunttee of Supply. , M.xj.n Atkinson .xt once moved to repoit l>iogie->'', which was earned. | The House ios>e .it Imlf-p.ist tw elve,

The following is tho division lift: — Ayes,— 37. Noes— 37 Allwiigbt Huron Atkinson ]).ithgato Beetham Blacken Biyce Brown, J. 0. Buchanan, W. 0. Cadman Conolly Daniel Dick JDarpaville Dodoon .Duncan Tit/^eiald "Keldwick Pulton ]''i>,l), (i. tiieon, J. UeoigD (tiecn, M. W. Urey H.xinlin H.ini^ Jlobbs Hutchison Huistlnm^c Joyce Johnston, 0. J. Mncuulrcw Johnston, W. W. MacrioJi.ild Kelly McKen/.io, J. Mackenzie, Y. W. Montßoniery 0 Uallaghan iMitcliolbon Teai -on Moss Petne Muino Pilliot Newman Seddon Peacock Bhcelian Pustluthw.vite Slicphaicl Uolloston Hhumxki Hte\ois Smith Suttei Stew.v d Sutton Taiaiov Hwanson T.vwliai Thomson, H. Tiioiu^on, J. W. Tumble Tole W.itt Tomoana Wilson Tmnbull Wymi- Williams White, W. I'AIKN A\ l.s. NOE-i. Blown, J. JO. Moms Mason Pyke Mcllwiaith Holmerf