THE ADMIRALTY AND NEW ZEALAND PORTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11014, 11 July 1901, Page 5

THE ADMIRALTY AND NEW ZEALAND PORTS.

« CRITICISM IN PARLIAMENT. (SPECIAL to 'xin. PRESS.") WELLINGTON, July 10. Both the Premier and Sir Joseph Warn had a tilt at the British Admiralty in rit*" House this all. .-11001!. The critii.ts.i! arose .nil of the refusal of the Admiralty ,uil!i->ri-ti.s to allow the T.-tgus a. itli '.lie For,:\!i Contingent oil board to proceed to I lie B_i:fi. Mr .Seddon said this decision .-.ud v. >.y lit.!-.-for tin- Admiralty.'in fact it provi .1 .tut: tii-Admii-idty knew nothing about it. 1• -1 mure feeble, conclusion tie ii.nl nevi r ii.. _d. The same trouble had ari.Ni Avit-n t .>._n. (lore Winsloi. and the llpliir. 11- had 10-.t two days to the people oi 11 x_- -:".i'li to . -uiH'i'tion with tlie Royal vis... l.hruudi v.5 seeing grave dangers that did not < ;o couii.vtii.in with the lunbom . at. I'ori t'iiai-mei-s and Iho Bluff. Ho ha .1 als.. stated 11 a . a fact that- he would not un s: 1; ■ > Lytteluiii, and yet .vlii-n he (Mr Sklo.iu;. ~-niv.J. tlitte he found him already tied up to the wharf. Sir Joseph Ward said it sennd ... ium a very regrettable and extraordinary . .m-liuoi. of affairs that those rt sponsiliie tor the uui. tr.tl of the steamers coming out to the colony with the returned and imperial troops should have so lit! it- khovvit.h,"- of tho conditions of our harbours as to allow tlie vessels conveying them lo pass Jit-si-rl.i•_ ports l! should be the duly of tho.-.- responsible for tin- upholding of the. Moiititthat. exist to makh the .tn.ngT_t. ivprevui.^

tions, poinling out that grave in justice A\alikely to he done in cniisequeiin. of i he or.._ i stupidity of some of the nun who \v.-re sent out here. .As for Coiuiiio. 01 _. Winsloe, h<< had caused himself 10 be. made hnlarous in the eyes of the men of thy m._di.uit ...Tvi. o here by stating that lie i-oiild not- lake liio Ophir into Lyttelton harbour. Tins sort of thing left the iinpri.-.ion on p,.-oplt-'.. minds that those avlio were, put 111 charge of Imperial ships had not the uere. sary I.iioavledgo as compared with the k.no\vi_.d_;.. of th? masters in th. mercantile murine Any 01 these ships could havo gone to ...ither of (lit; siiiithern ports. J_n (in. <;as.» of tho Royal party, they had beer. put. to great inconvenience liecnuse Commodore Winsloi. would not take his ship to I'ort dialim-ix. In the case of tha Tagus, the colony iv.is now being put to inconvenience and e.Np.n...-, K--causs. of the. attitude of the authm itics. It-, hoped tlie Admiral of I lit" *■;.!.,•!: '. .: would tako the opportunity of visit ..-i.- Mo- part. .." this colony, and see that it ay;;.. Iks duly to remove, the false impression tli.it s.enu-«i in exist in the minds of those who \..i_ 1:1 charge 13.000 or 14,000 mile. aw..'. Mr TluimpsiHi (Mar-den) said the whole thing, no doubt, arose I'roni liv- .l.'.uoi.ii.y using obsolete charts. Captatn Russell said hard ami' fast ni ; ". were laid down, and had to h. udii.'r.-d to by those in charge 01" the ships. Tiii-it v. t _ no use, tliei-fore, in blaming the Comr.:..dore. Mr Laurenson—He deserves it. Captain Russell—-No doubt the- lum. g-n----tlema.u knows as much about .tailoring as he knows about ]jolitios. (Laughter.) Sir Joseph Ward replied that if t h---■■_ stringent, regulations existed, it was timo they A\-ei_ altered. He pointed ..ill. that the'flagship Orlando had gout: inti. tl,_ ports in question. .\ir Seddon added that tlie BritiUinic, a bigger ship, had trail.hipped 1000 ImpellaJ troops at the Bluff, yet now the Admiralty said the Tagus, a, smaller ship, could not tranship 600. Mr .Laur.iiMnii replied to Captain Russell that h . (Mr Laurensou) believed in his jiolitics, and what watt iuoro, acted up to them. Ca])tain Russell, on the. other hand, neither believed, nor did he act up to his belief. (Laughter.) Mr Seddon. amid laughter, and cries of •'Ah," read a telegram from Dun.din, to th. eJfect that has c-inantti-.eiMS' aa ___ badly wanted doAvn there in connection AiiUi the Tamis. '-"ilie-Sp-irker intunsite'i.. that the matter was not. fo'rnmll.v before tiler Hows., and; tha, discussion ceased.