HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 251, 1 November 1901, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON, Thursday. MORE TROUBLE WITH THE AUDITOR-GENERAL.

Immediately the House met yesterday afternoon the Deputy-Speaker presented correspondence between the Auditor-General and the Treasury regarding a case in which he had been over-ruled by Order in Council as to an objection he took declining to sign debentures for £10,000 under the Land for Settlements Act, on the ground that the interest paid would be at a higher rate than four per cent.

The Premier contended that the Auditor-General's interpretation of the law on the point was» wrong, and on his motion the correspondence was referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

MAORI LAND ADMINISTRATION,

It has always been a reproach to the House that when legislation affecting Maori lands is under consideration the greatest apathy in the proceedings is evidenced by members. This was notoriously the case yesterday afternoon, when the debate on the motion for committal of the Maori Lands Act Administration Bill was continued, and Messrs Herries, J. W. Thomson, Fowlds, Lang, R. Thompson, Field, A. L. Fraser, Monk and G. W. Russell spoke against the Bill. Mr Witheford considered that the Government was doing all it possibly could to solve the native land question.

Mr Kaihau strongly opposed the Bill, and intimated that unless certain amendments, which he considered necessary in the interests of the Waikato natives (whose lands had been obtained by conquest), were made in Committee he would do his best to arrest its progress. He defended Mahuta's claim to the Kingship, and said that there was no intention to interfere with the paramount right to the British throne.

Mr Hone Heke supported the Bill.

Mr Wi Pere informed the House that a majority of natives in the North Island desired that the Bill should pass..Unless the measure became law the Maoris would again fall under the Acts which had been oppressing them for years.

Capt. Russell contended that under proper restrictions the Maoris could well be trusted to look after their own land and become good citizens. He advocated compulsory individualisation of titles of native lands.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)