Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 237, 4 October 1894, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

HDTES FROICTHE GALLERY

'(BY tELEOEiI'H. —l-AKtIAMENTAET

~>obbp6bteb.)

Wellington, Wednesday. hx this late anfcnmnal stage of the session, when ' the Minisberial sickle has already been busy among the thick crop, of Bills which used in earlier days to flourish on the ordor paper, one does, nob look to see fresh measures cropping up, One understands, to use a farmer's phrase, that the growth is oat of the Parliamentary; grawn by this tinier' The libble crop of; six new Bills, which, with mushroom suddenness, have ■prong up on the order paper ,;Bnd tfaeb-*'.-.bitt "-'■ .eye:- tCM day; ;shdwfl very clearly thab ib is nob safe to determine anythingbregarding:Jßariiamentafy,s husbandry. Verily, of obe times and saaeons knoweth no man. , . ; Capb. Russell, seeing this littlecrop, ask 3 tho Government,; with some surprise, what is to be done with them.- Are these: .Bills to be dflftlbiWitbibhiß session, when we have already cub down so. many measures and. removed bhetar-oufc of the way. They are, replies the Premier, .ahdihe adds thai they, are all of iuclua character that their passage need nob detain the House or: prolong theiseesiooi; which bhe'Premier hopes may come to a close aa soon as possible. No doubt wifih a.view of accelerating business, he tolla blie chamber .tbab the Govern* meat have decided to answer no questions thia afternoon, /but to; waitiuntil,queries have accumulated to such a: degree that there will be sufficient to occupy a whole afternoon. The House laughingly assents to thia course,1 and turns .to consideration of the amendments mado by the Legislative Council in-the ' > . -• -

LAND- FOR SETTLEMENTS BILL,

The Speaker, that, having considered bhese afflendmenta, he rausb, rule that two df the amendments made by the Councilaarte t inadmissible, viz., thab pro* viding triat no contract for the acquisition Of land under the Acll•shall bo entered into in one. year to a gre&ber amount than £250,000, and that limiting tho price to be paid for land. ..'.:, The, Minister for. Lands announces hia Wish that the House should agree with the amendments made in the Kill by the Council with the 'exception of those in clauses ,5, 21, and 39. He 'further disagrees with tertain points' of clause Band the new proviso' 4 attached to ib; 1 which provides thab tho maximum, amount which, a man may *eUiri may be J composed of' tirßb,' second, mil third-clads iaiid in such area aa that iha 'total' s*hall not Exceed the prescribed maximum., After some discussion on these Amendments, the Mihisier^ Messrs Duncan 4nd Montgomery* a£o appointed to draw up reasons' for the House disagreeing with the amendments of' the Council, and the next order of the day ' ; , THE NATIVE LAND.COURT. BILL is proceeded wibh. This measure proves so barren of "copy," except such as would nob be read .by anyone bub a, lawyer who is an enthusiast in native affairs, thab the

gallery becomes barren; also, some specials "make for" Che Council, where the Consols Bill is being debated. When they return again t6 the Lower Chamber a few members are listening to chiefly legal discussions on the measure, and there.is no copy; After dinner ib is the same thing, and the cry for "copy " Js iouder but as unanswered as ever, and the immediate prospect of something more interesting than native land law coming before the House is not a bright one. N ''. ; :! ■■;'. V», ■': <■/* ,' ■ ■ . '. -. A long disousSipn, which has a suspicion pf fun'inSifc, takes place over clause 20,

which provides that no person may appear, or be assisted in Court by counsel or agenb , .wibhoub the assent of the presiding judge. ■•'■V/Mr Houston at) this point moves to strike oub the words " without assent. of the Judge," ahd is warmly supported by Mareden Thompson, who believes that the interference of lawyers has led bo shameful cxi pense in litigation, bub several other gentlewon point oub-that) to allow no counsel would be moat unjust for the natives. - As Mr Bell puts it, a Maori educated like Mr Carroll would in Court have an immense advantage over bis \ Maori adversaries, aa ha would argue fairly with one who is accustomed to European methods of stating the case. Old farmer Duncan, of Oamaru, with all the Old eWorld prejudice against lawyers, believes that to appear in Court would bo that the Maoris would get law while

counsel got the land. :■''-■: Mr Carroll strongly favours the employment of lawyers in native courts, while Mr Lawry will.nob only exclude gentlemen of tfre law from'these Courts, but from Parliament itself. Ibis they, eaya bo, who have complicated the native land laws. He is seconded in thia point toy Mr 11. M.cKenzie, while Hone Heke thinks well of therecon?..mendabion of the Maori Parliament which

Vat'ab Gisborrie. These recommendations wor\a to ftha effect, tbab. native land courts .ihoul'cl be abolished altogether, and a ' unlive \ committee allowed, to settle disputes among the native?. The House .is somewhat surprised to hear Mr G-, Hunohison declaring himself very jnuch opp°sed fco tho employmenb of ]awy«M in the Native Land Court. The • training of lawyers, says he, in no ,way fits thorn to investigate native titles. ■ Afe ninVo'clock thiß quesbion of lawyers ' .<>r.tMi teyyyerayia pub. to the voto, and a *dM*ic«»/i^ taken,,,with the reaulbbhab the yiovfo which Mr Houston desired to see .^breokout are retained by 35 to 22. . ~ A weary ocean of talk would have to be '-•'travSMod to set forth even a portion of tiWdebate which occupies: the House from th© time of this division _till midnight, >hen thereis talk of getting home. Twenty jninutes later, progress has been reported on the measure, and tho House is rapidly " traversing ' :

THE PUBLIC WORKS BILL.

;, ia no disenssion, and the Chairman of Oommittee merely reads out the number of the olauaea. We geb as |ar clause sixteen when Mr Roderick McKenzio, wno has . bean the cause of much delay during the evening, declares fchab he is not pleased with something, and says be will block every clause if any attempt) is made to go on with tho Bill. The Hou3e is clearly angry with Mr Rhoderick, who has sorely tried our patience before this, and at length the" Premier rises.; He recognises " (he aaya) the rights of every member,, and vo member has had more consideration : shown him than the member for Bnller. ] Thab gentleman Has "'by his conduct caused 'art obstruction needless and senseless (the

i Premier makes matters very plain), and ! ijucb conducb is nob to be tolerated. Mr ' Beddon goes on to, say that he will be very Vsorry'''to''call on the Speaker to remind ,; Rhoderick of his position in the House. {He sincerely hopes that it will not be necesl,»ary bdtake this course.' Ho looks to the 'Chairman to control this obstreperous 'member, nay, he appeals to the member " Jilmself, butitU useless. Rhoderick rises and" defies everybody, he wants no consideration shown him, and he ib not to be

' pub down by anybody, so he talks much matter while everyone is itching ,' to have him put out;of the way.' Rhodorick: "goes on till suddenly he wearies of his 41 ob3tract}on,,snd we go on smoothly, but in spite of the'absence of long diasnssion it is three o'clock'bofore the House adjourns. ;) C 2 THB.HAtF.HOUDAy,BII < L., ,: • ;r.!.ThttJ«Le|tJfelabiTit)GounciV ildlio.&i,' '■ • decided :fco iasist on;iba amendments in the Stoop and .Shoj? " Bill, "and

managers Yore appointed ib confer with managers'from tho Lower Houbo. "\ - " JOTTINGS:" k \ James J; Walte's petition for inquiry into his dismissal from/ the service of the ilarineDepartnaen thunder K wjiich, t he>. Jheld.^ the position of lighthouse-Veeper, has beenreportgd on by the Public Petitions Committee. :.-,■ -The., Committee JBayJbhab bhe.eyidence before them ia insufficient to enable them to arrive ab any decision. ; The trost over the whole colony-of bhe licensing elections was £6,948. 7 '

-A return has been laid on the table showing bhe_char^smade. on our railways for conveyance of ffuib, dairy and agricultural producbß, as compared with charges for the dame class of goods on Australian railways, I ;ftlr O'Regan is going to ask the Premier if, in view of bhe declaration made recently by,the new. Victorian Premier in favour, of intercolonial free trade, the Government} will take steps to encourage and develop a laudable desire to bring about commercial amity between the Australasian colonies by. representing to their several .Governments the desirability of an. intercolonial trade conference. ■ ■-■ • '■■■•-■■

On the petition of Jennie G. Best and others, of Auckland, that the Contagious Diseases Acb, 1869, should be repealed, the Public Petitions Committee report that as a Bill dealing with the matter is now before the House, they have no recommendation to'make.

The Public Petitions Committee has reported that they have no.recommendation to make on the petition ofc Reuben Bailley, for amendment of the Municipal Corporations Act. . ■ .*. :■'••■■■..'. i

I .The Public Petitions Committee has reported on the petition of R. Hobbe and others, of Auckland, praying tbab (she Shop and <Shop Assistants Bill may be passed that as the measure is now being dealt with the Committee, has"'no recommendation to make/ . :■. :.' :■.

Showing the view the House is inclined to take of Mr Reeves' latest Bill, ib may be mentioned thab Mr Mitchelson intends to ask the Premier if the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill, circulated on Tuesday morning, October 2nd, was introduced with the approval of'the Cabinet. The petition of Johanna O'Connor, G. Robbs, M. W. Lake, W. Simmonds, W. Shakel, J. Dunne, R. Mackenzie, W. Woodward, P. O'Meagher, J. Cpstello, J. Syms, and J. R. Chields, praying for compenßE.bion for loss of publicans' licenses, has boon considered by bhe Public Petitions Committee, which reports thab as the subjecb mabter of the petition relates to a question of public policy, bhey have no recoindation to make. ' .

Mr W. Hutchison has «ivea notice to move that in" the opinion ofthe House ib is nob expedient in the present circumstances of the colony thab public mpney Bhould be expended in entertaining any of the members of the Royal Family.