LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 24, 28 July 1927, Page 13

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day. ' ;

Three days' leave of absence was granted the Hon. E. "W. Alison on account of illness. ■

The Church Property Trust (Canterbury) Amendment Bill was read the third time and passed. Moving the second reading of the Samoa Amendment Bill, the Leader of the Council (the Eight Hon. Sir Francis Bell) said it was a matter of great regret to the Government that the subject raised by the Bill should be one in -which the- political parties were divided. They had hoped, and hoped .still, that New Zealanders would present a united front in the matter. Division of opinion was one matter, and division of party was another. It would appear later,that the Government had a responsibility in a right cause, and that others would .find they had sup-ported-the cause of exploitation of the natives of Samoa. The powers conferred in the Bill to tho Administrator, subject to the approval of the Executive j] Council, would be entrusted not merely |j to the present Administrator, but to 3 whoever thq Government appointed to jj carry out those arduous duties. Sir 1 George Richardson had the complete rj confidence of the Government. (Hear jj hear.) He was a man who had devoted ■j singular industry: and caro in the exer- | cisc of his duties. Sir Francis said I he regretted he should be met with opposition not genuine, by persons who were not acting in. consonance with New a Zealand's trust. Sir George EichaTd- | son had mastered the native language, j and under him Samoa had progressed |to wonderful extent. • x.opical diseases had been practically « exterminated under his administration | due tohis persuasion of the natives to t use scientific methods. As New Zea«landers, we might feel justly proud of ! the results achieved under our adminis- ; fration. i J?OWEB OF BANISHMENT. '■ Sir Francis outlined the provisions of , tho Bill. The'first provision might tech- . nically be called banishment. The - authority of the Government must be ■ obtained by the Governor-General be- : fore he could "exercise his powers. It J was already provided that natives . might be deported; and it was eough-j to - expend ij; to half-castes and others. The ■ power to deport aliens was a power .; inherent in the Sovereign of the nation and the power to expel residents who were engaged in preventing the exer- : cisc of-the authority of the Govern- ; ment was more exceptional, but it exist- ■. Ed as a necessary part of the right of ; sovereign authority. He did not see : : how anyone could say the proposal was contrary to precedent when exactly the ■ ??- m v P°wer "^as conferred upon the , High Commissioner of the Western Paci-

8-k Francis Bell quoted the opinion of Mr. Justice Isaacs in regard to the canes of Walsh and Johnston in Australia, pointing out that ho had justified deportation without trial not as a punishment -but' as a qjreventative of the storing tip of strife. Native sentiment m Samoa was expressed by the J;ono of Faipules, which was unanimously _m support of the present Administration and unanimous in their request to Parliament that agitators should be got rid of.

(Left Sitting.)