PARLIAMENTARY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3174, 31 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Tuesday. The House met at 2.30 p.m. STEAM SEBVIOB TO ENGLAND. The report of the committee on a direot steam service to Great Britain was brought up by Mr Macandrew, and ordered to be considered on the 13th September. It recommends arranging for such a service by giving a guarantee of six per cent on the capital, not exceeding £1,000,000. SIR JULIUS TOGEL'S LETTER. Mr J. B. Fisher gave notice that he would ask the Government to point out the passage in Sir Julius Vogel's letter to which they took exception, and in virtue of which they considered themselves called upon to return the letter to the writer. GOVERNMENT INSURANCE. Major Atkinson laid on the table the English actuaries' report on the New Zealand Life Assurance Department, together with the Commissioner's report. He Baid he would give notice of a motion on the following day embodying the scheme for the division of profits which would be proposed by the Government. questions. . Replying to questions, it was stated that the cost of erecting and maintaining native schools was defrayed chiefly out of a sum voted by the House—a smaU sum was, however, contributed for that purpose from land leased on Stewart's Island ; provision would not be made for the erection of a light at Kaipara Heads, as there were some other works for lighting the coast of a more urgent nature to be attended to ; the Government could hold out no expectation of the " collect" system being extended to delayed telegrams — any alteration they might make would be in the direction of a reduction of the tariff ; a bill to give effect to the decision of the Native. Affairs Committee in,the case of the Waipawa natives respecting land on Mr HardiDg's run would be introduced on the following day; before releasing from quarantine the Arawata from Sydney at Auckland last week the doctor had communicated the facts of the case to the Government, reporting the passengers in a healthy state and the vaccination regulations duly complied with. STONEWALLING. Mr Reeves asked if it was the intention of the Government to have a light erected at the French Pass, and entered somewhat lengthily into the reasons rendering such a light necessary. On Major Atkinson objecting, the Speaker ruled that Mr Reeves was importing debatable matter into the question and could not be allowed to do so, whereupon Mr Reeves abandoned his question and moved the adjournment of the House, continuing his remarks until the adjournment at 5.30. At 7.30 Mr Reeves resumed speaking, and continued up to 9 o'clock. Sir George Grey then rose, and spoke about the subject ol the Legislative Council, declaring that it was an iniquitous system which allowed a nominated Chamber to overrule the deliberate decision of an elected House, as was done regarding the Oaths and Affirmations Bill and the Law Practitioner's Bill. He warmly commended th* efforts made by the noble little band, who, in defence of their just rights, were opposing this bill, and he called on those wh* usually followed him to assist them in opposing a measure which was unjust to the mass of the people. It was a measure to hand over all the power of the people to a few rich landowners in one portion of the colony, and he would oppose it to the last.'Mr Hall replied at -some length to Sir George Grey's remarks. The question now at issue was even more important than tht

hill itself. It Was whether a small minority of headstrong men should be allowed to coerce the majority, and rule by an unscrupulous use of the forms of the House. These forms were never intended to allow a minority to impose its will on the majority, and paralyze the action of Parliament, This could not be tolerated either by the House or country. At all hazards the Government was bound to maintain the fundamental principle of representative institutions, that the will of the majority must /and shall prevail. All business was now pra-lcably suspended by the new form of obstruction initiated by a member, Mr Speight, who had no concern with the provisions of the bill which were objected to. The present abuse of the forms of the House was grievous and scandalous ; no deliberative body could tolerate such a state of affairs, and day by day the anger of the country was being excited by it. The Government could have sympathised with the Nelson members in reasonable objection ; they knew what they owed to those members, and regretted the course duty had compelled them to take. Had any concession been consistent with duty the Government would gladly have made it to the Nelson members, but it was not now. Of course compromise was impossible, and the Government would undertake that " no other business should be gone on with until this bill was dealt with by the House. The Government would suffer nothing else to be donenow until this bill became law. The majority would not allow themselves to be set at defiance, and the House to be made a laughing stock of to the country. It would assert its authority, and show that the majority must rule. Messrs Speight, Levestam, and Seddon, continued the discussion until 12.30, when, while the latter was talking, the House was counted out.