HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1925, 6 November 1884, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

TUESDAY. Rkplmnc to Mr Garrick, The Premier s»aid tho Government would be willing to afford members as much information as to their programme of policy as soon as possible, and if their local government billb wore sufficiently forward to enable them to do bo before next session, they would furnibh member* with copies. The Consolidated Stock Bill was read a thud time and passed. The Now Zealand Loan Bill was considered in Committee. An ainendu.ent by Mr Holmes, to reduce the item £30,000 for immigration to £13,000, was lost by 51 to 12. After considerable discussion tho bill was repoited with amendments, read a third time, and pa&sed. The Property-Tax Bill was reported, lead a third time, and passed. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Bryce deprecated .uiy reduction in the Armed Constabulary Force, which, he said, would tend to disorganise it. Mr Ballance said the Government would not take any step which might disorganise the force. He thought it ought to be reduced, but the beiit way to do this was to accept all resignations, and to make no fresh appointments. The House then went into Committee of Supply, and passed several items.

WEDNESDAY. The House met at 2.30 p.m. In reply to questions it was stated that the lestrictions on the sale of ammunition allowing it to be Hold till 0 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. would be relaxed and instructions j given to that effect; that every consideration would be given to the ad\ isableness of using'coke instead of coal for locomotives ; that if a sufficiently large number of delegate* of friendly societies travolled to their annual meeting, facilities would be given thptn for reduced faies ; that it was not proposed to appoint a select committee to roport upon the sale of the Walhend township to the Westport Colliery Company on the 7th June last ; that enquiries would bo made into the claim for compensation mado by .t. W. Crawford and John Dinan, who were injiued at the Greymouth Harbour Woiks. The Railway Authorisation Bill w,is intioduced and read a Hist and uecond time without discussion. Mr J. S. Mackenzie asked whether or not Ministers would afford any information as to the reported visit of Te Kooti to the East Coast. Mr B.ill.ince said that both the late and present Government had written to To Kooti warning him not to visit the East Coast or Wairoa dthtrict. The present Government had also w ritten to Te Kooti, warning him not to do anything calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, and pointing out that it was contrary to law to go about the country with armed followers, although aa a subject of the Queen, Te Kooti was entitled to protection. Mr Ballanco then lead a letter received on the 24th October from Te Kooti to the effect that he had heard the Government disapproved of. his intended visit to the East Coast. He said it was the people of Wairoa themselves who had expiessed a wish to see him (Te Kooti), and had appointed a time for their meeting each other. They invited him replying upon the proclamation under the Amnesty Act, and he had accepted their invitation. Ho said it was tho people <<f Gisborne and fmtlier up the East Coas-t who still retained their animosity. He added that he had coinmuiic.\tcd the message of the Waiwa. people. He would lot the Government know what they said in ieply. He had accepted this token of their log.ird for him believing that tho amno-ty granted, and the Queen's iiuthoiity would present the recunence of any o\il practice. Tho House went into committee on the Native Lands Settlement BilIT" Mr Ballance moNcd the introduction of new clauses. The clause dealing with land in the schedule provided a penalty not e\ceeding £000. Sir George Grey moved to add the words " or which may not have passed thiough the Native Lands Court." The amendment was lost and the clause passed. Clause 4, providing for dealing witli land by natives, parsed.