NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, Page 10

NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

Mr Davey complained to-day of the constitution of tbo Native Affairs Committee. Ho thought thero should be more South Island members on it. They wanted an independent tribunal —he did not speak in a personal senso —which they did not at present possess. During a brief discussion that ensued, there was a passage of arms between Mr Hardy and Mr Davey. The former said that the latter had told him on more than one occasion that he could not do his work on so many committee.-, as he wnh on in a proper way. He (Mr Hardy) said ho did the work because, ho liko:l it; he was a glutton for it. As a matter of tact, he did more work on committees than any othor member of the House, except Mr Herries. Mr ->avey complained that the lion, member for Selwyn should repeat in that Houso what another member hau told him outside the Houso. Mr Haray said he was quite prepared to let tho House decide between himself and Mr Davey. Mr Dpvey: "I am quite prepared to do that, also." The committee as set up consists of Messrs A. L. D. Fraser, Greenslndc, Hekc. Herries, Houston, Jennings. Kaihau, Mander, Ngata, Parata, Stevens, Thomson,, Sir Joseph Ward, and tho Hon. James Carroll. THE MEIKLE CASE. The first Hill on the list of the orders of the day this afternoon was tho Meikle Acquittal Bill, the second reading of which was moved by the Premier in a brief and well-balanced speech. There was,, however, a very general and loud pV>r>rus of ,"°'-" when Sir Joseph Ward announced that the Government proposed to make Meikle another grant, amounting -10 £0000, as a full dhcharce in connection with tho case. Tho Bill, it will be remembered, was stronsly obstructed last session, and eventually it was abandoned. The opponents to the measure again got quickly to work this session, and Messrs Hornsby and Remington proposed to kill the Bill by reading it a second time six months hence. Mr Remincrfcon, sneaking to the proposal, said that whiie travelling in a railway train a few weeks a%a a gentleman made a statement to him that the Premier was going to bring in tho Meikle Bill again this session, and put it through tho House, whether members liked it not. Sir Joseph Ward: "Who made that statement?" Mr Remington: 'Mr John Hutcheson." Sir Joseph Ward: "Ho has not seen mc or spoken to mc on tho subject." Mr Remington: "H>> said the Local Committee had." Sir Joseph Ward: "The Loral Committee have not seen mc." Mr Rominston: "I am only stating what Mr John Hutcheson told mc." Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at a later stage in tho debate, said the only ono who had seen him recently about tho matter was Meikle himself, who had asked for an interview with him with regard to his case. The second reading of the Rill was carried by 41 votes to 10. More strenuous opposition to tho measure is anticipated during the Committee stage.