PARLIAMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2758, 28 June 1894, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(PEE PEES 3 ASSOCIATION.)

HOUSE OF BEPBESENTATIVES.

" Wednesday, June 26. , , no-confidence motion. Sir B. Stout moved, " That a respectful address be presented to the Governor, praying him to appoint some eligible person to the position of Sergeant-at-A.rms." In doing so, be said the Premier bad adopted _ib present attitude of set purpose in order. to compel him (Sir B. Stout) to declare himself in opposition to the Ministry. He was not going to be influenced by a triok of that kind and would prooead with his motion in order to assert the right and privileges of the Houße. His motion was not a want of : confidence in the Government. He then > proceeded to refer in detail to tbe prooedure , in regard to the appointment of the officers of the House, and pointed out that! . Colonel Fraser had not been appointed by 1 the Governor«in*Gounoil, presumably beoause it would be an indirect violation of 1 tbe Disqualification Act. He asked the : young members ot the House to consider ■ whether the law was to he broken for purely party purposes. If so, then all the possibility of purity of Parliament was at 1 an end. This gentleman was to be 1 appointed bb Sergeaufcat-Arms merely ac ) a reward for his having stood aside to allow another Government supporter to be f elected, and Sir B. Stout asked whether the House would allow itself to be dragged 1 through the mire in this manner. He > reminded the House of the position the present Government took up with respect i to the appointment by the late Govern* ment of the judge of the Supreme Court: Were Ministers, then to be allowed to i break tbe law in respect to this appoint1 ment? Mr Hone Heke seconded the motion. ; Mr Seddon held that no graver censure could be proposed on any Government ' than to approach His Excellency over the 3 heads of Ministers, as this motion proj posed to do, and Sir B. Stout might well have waited 24,honrs before preoipitating a orieis of this wind. He complained of Sir B. Stout's aotion with respect to the 1 Waitemata aod Tuapeka elections, and said it seemed to him that nothing the i Ministers did was' right in that hon. j gentleman's eyes. He denied that be . wished to force Sir B. Stout into opposition, but he did wish the Government to be created with respect. There had been 3 no violation or evasion of the Disqualify cation Act over this matter, and tbe Government had not the slightest intention ot asking or moving that the Diai qualification Act Bhould be set aside to [ meet the case. He denied that Government bad paid Col. Fraser's expenses to t Wellington. They had not paid him a shilling or promised to pay a shilling till ' after tbe time of his disqualification should have expired, He warned the young members not to be deluded into voting for ! tbe motion, whioh might lead to a split in , the Liberal Party. The law had not been ; broken, and it was well for tbe young members to know it! It must be remem* 1 bered that Sir B. Sfcont himself had in 1884 advised the electors of tbe Thames to return Colonel Fraser as their repre* I sentative, and he had for years been a strong supporter of the Liberal Party. So much for Sir B. Stout's attack, which was in reality not on Colonel Fraser, but , on the Government and Liberal Party. Sir B. Stout, by bis present action, was helping to do what the Conservative press 1 of tbe colony bo much desired — namely, to cause a split in the Liberal Party. Sir ■ B. Stout was also assuming great responsibility, as tbe Imprest Supply Bill < must be passed before tbe Ist July, and be (Seddon) hoped tbe House would not pass the motion, MrG. Hutohison strongly condemned the aotion of tbe Government over the matter. Captain Bussell said be was absolutely dear that there had been an endeavor in this case to infringe the provisions of the Disqualification Aot. If this sort of thing was allowed to go on, and if appointments which were absolutely indefensible were forced on tbe House, the whole country would say it was not creditable to Parliament. The motion was pat and lost, on a division, by 48 to 19. Tbe following is tbe division libt on Sir B. Stout's motion : — Ayes (19) — Allen, Bell, Buchanan, Button, Dutbie, Earnsuaw, Fraser, Green, Heke, G. Hutchison, Lang, T. Mackenzie, Massey, McGuire, Mitcheleon, W. B. Bnssell, Stout, Te Ao, and Wilson. Noes , (48)— Baddo, Buick, ' Cadman, Carncross, Carnell, . Carroll, Collins, Crowther, Duncan, Flatman, Graham, Gainness, Hall, Hall-Jones, Houston, Harris, Hogg, W. Hutchison, Joyce, J. W. E?eiljr, W. Kelly, Lawry, Mackintosh, Maslin, MoGowan, J. McKenzie, K. MoSenziej 'MqLaohlan, MoNab, Miller, Meredith/ Mills, Montgomery, Morrison, O'Kegan, Parata, Finkerton, Pirani, Q. W. Russell, Beeves, Seddon, E. M. Smith, G. J. Smith,- Steveoß, Tanner, Thompson, Ward,,and;Wlliß. . '" ,1 ,' ADDBESSIN-BEPLY. The House resumed at 7.80 p.m. Mr G.-W.' Eussell (Biecarton) resumed the debate on; the Addrees-in-Beply, and criticised at great length the speeches ot the;/ Opposition' speakers. He warmly applauded the policy and' administration ot the Government, who should also bave control of the Railways. ; . : . • - Mr E. M. Smith strongly supported the policy of tbe Government, but Baid a great omission was l made in the Governor's Speech by the absence of any reference to the ironsand industry of Taranaki. '"V 'l » Cf 4O

This closed the debate, and t_e motion was put and oarried on the voices. ~\ / .., ; QUESTIONS.' In reply to questions, it 'was stated a bill would be iotroduced this eaasion ipit|i| the direction of abolishiog Sohool fioia|V|? I missioners and appointing land boardo^tgliwi i administer Grown lands. _■_■ IMPRISONMENT FOB DEBT. 9^| Mr Seddon moved the seoond reading^ of the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Bill, whioh had been before the House last session. •-' ". i? "^i Mr Willis oppoßed the bill. ~f~~:~~. \fys Members urged that more time shoujd:- vy be". given for consideration(of this .measure," ' and tbe Premier agreed to the adjourn* ' ment of tha debate. —f~>- -4 ; .^,