Parliament.

Clutha Leader, Volume VII, Issue 359, 27 August 1880, Page 3

Parliament.

s&dljijtheiHpuse;ot, I teprn^en tati ver .— -.< :\ i?xiiSafiiei}iunifP,p,ortant,. ; questions : were •as^edjajgd answ.er* i d :: ,- s .-., : : : : ; „ , ; o^.TJieiiMini^ter.ior Works laid ; on, r tbe table-4VfAllisocu- v b> ..Smith's \ telegram, .• that ; build at, least 40 waggons was cut by Messrs .G.uthrie t to .the siz? : .usefi in waggon "con^tru9t;ip*n, and purchased from them inre in 1.8.78 . and early in,, 1879 ; alsp " showing, that the ironwork /of 'wa^oris which - M.r\Blair "^escribes af four and a-half years old. Bears the English manufacturers' brands $;i ; 878,F - ■ : . ' J Mr""Pyke; gave notice, to, ask if the were aware that the line j of. Railway' recommended by the i Rail'waTCbtti'rai'spion'ers, Sheffield to ' Oxford, ft mere pretext to gel the line continued to Tetnuka, sothit it might pass •through 1 the ; estates ; owned by the Pre--Wright* member of the : ■ -'■-' -The Premier- stated that he 1 might 'just- at once say ; there was no foundation 'in'facHor^the'insinuation 'put forwai d -by the^uestion; - ' ■ : • ■ t♦ ' i'M r^'Py ke : I * wil 1 read = a telegram- ad - dressed 4;o"< me oh the. subject, by, a res'icderifcof thedistrict, who. was, well-known caridi highly; respected by:the House. — .(Grieß:of;;^:Name !")— Mr Ryke. : I.will fn.Oit j give the :. name.. It was only the jiO.thecjdaj^a-simjlar case took place, and <yo.9»ißir, : ruled that it was not necessary, f tpjgivei the, name before a telegram could; be*read., ,:I.wiJl lay the telegram on the .table after I; have read ir. j, ;s T^e7Speaker still ruled that until the jiame.was given -the -telegram could not , be f .read. , 7 r : „ 'J-Mr ?vke .' Then I will not read it, as 'I; can see ihe, Premier does not want it. '_ .The said the. hon.. member \ did jtiojt give; the name because he was ' simply. ashamed of himself and the part c liepad^taken in the matter. ! 1 ''Ok the motion for going into" Com- * toittee' of Supply, ; v "'Mr DfLau toil r called attention to * the importance of some provision being made for the admistration of lands in ; Gtagb held under pastoral lease. The discussion last night showed that parties "had not information regarding the time when the lease expired. The value of -the public estate was variously stated ■at two, seven, and ten millions of acres. •■The Government ought to have given .such information as would have set the ; House right. .There was. inlormatioi, -.before the House to show that, 300,000 •acres would fall out of " lease " in 1883. -•In that case, eighteen months prior to , March- 1883, this land would have to j be dealt with, so that it was, practically fSpeaking, misleading the House to say .that. land did not fall in until 1883. In t fact, they would have to be dealt with -.before the House was again in session. In, that, case, they had the right to know what the Minister of Lands proposed to do with it. Did they mpan to leare it to be dealt with by the Waste " Land Board, or what ? These bosirds bad' pot proved to be an unqualified success, and it would not be wise to leave the lands in their bands. He moWd— " That in the opinion of this ' House it is desirable that the Minister 'of Lands, before the close'of the session, ; ■hfauld/gire a distinct enunciation of his "policj; in regard to the future adminis--tration of Crown lands in Otago now 'occupied by pastoral tenants on lease." * -The Minister. for Lands said thatcon- - sidering the : 'constitution of the Waste c l*ands Board :of^ Otago, he ivas pained to Hear imputation cast upon it. He •had been challenged to bring down and enunciate a policy of land administrac.tidn.; He believed that the best policy j they ; could adopt was to offer every -iip'QßsibleTacility.to the progress. of settle.meojitand^p to the present time they £ as,a jUQyernment had taken every posjßJble,opportunity of following, up that course. . .They, would not lay. down any c cast iron rule on the subject,.;,but just a - r few rr general;, principles, and act upon O ;as. occasion suggested. He agrepi , .tjiat" classifi cation should, pre- "., cedei the* date ...when these lands fall in. ]^rtield7that the course was to get r holdjof r the best pieces of these .lands r'Jjbr \ small settlers. Their polic}^ was T^ißn^rally laid down in the Regulations ]j&tji%j[j[l ~ The course ■ 'the ..Government " inten'dedtqtake under, that Act was a 'f Question the House had a perfect right v 'to°lie, 'on,* arid he "would tell heSvas "prepared just nowi'br at to supply that informaIt wa's riot the intention of the to conceal their intentions. vTKßV^were prepared to give the fullest -possiow information. - fi ' f -" j "Mp Ma'candrew defended: Mr De Lav- ' tour ir froni -the chai'ge of having em- " ployed' an improper tone in opening the -^debate7 vi -The' question was one second "»" in" importance ; to .none. . The renewal i* of- these leases had kept back settlement to a very great extent. Mr Thomson- said that in conser "^Cjuence :of the : 'action !of the Colonial aJ Secre{arv in renewing these .-» leases the T i night befere . he left i oflßce as Superin-ri-tend'ent ofiOtago,. the Colony had been * involved in a large amount injhe. way j* of j compensation. He supported., the i.'xnotionJ::- -.-. . . " .-. johThe ;ColoniaL Secretary spoke at some ilength-as to the land laws which had n.forjnerlyiexisted, in . Otago, and on the cjqtfßßtjo.nxPf the runs, falling in,, and the f fpmjohaße>o£/land on the deferred-payr - ttOilt is6t&3u! R.i •/; .. ..; !

Messrs: Jones, Shrirp^i tv ap.d Brown spoke Jnlfayouji oJ[jhelcQX>iibii._ 1 ."TjSar" Gjwge Grfcy '^)\&m/sd thej&jnisfer : of Lands for having used unbecoming;' lan(jua»-.« r t0.,, Mr,~Be;""Lautour, who.had . only clone' his aVfy'to"Ure Colony. 7 'He "spoke afcleugthiin '.support- of the- motion. The questioa was that befpre f the Hquse met agsmr'&tS'OOO ' a:6res of pastoral; land:would hava to be:dealfc with:rirhey i naturally distrusted • the Government! because their plan- was to - deal ;with ' questions of this kind in. .a most .unfair; mariner, and to the prejudice of the ■ public interest: . in no place could they : fiud more men who had .dealt with land in this way than' were to be found on these bencties— he l alluded; ;to Canterbury " gridironing." The whole career of the members of the Govern- '. ment showed that the House was justified in extracting- a promise as to what: they ihteridecl'-dbing with 1 tbesVlands ' It was,a great^nd serious subject. A reign of terror Had been set up by these gentlemen tocrush" ! th'e poor " victims "of their spleen,, 7, „ : ...... .■> The amendment of the member for, Mount Ida was nfgatived by 40 to':3s, and the House went into Committee of Supply, and' progress was not reported till 4.30:.6.iri.v; ",:""•"■