TELEGRAPHIC

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 83, 19 October 1877, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC

-> • [BT ELECTIiIO TELEGrItAPH. [ [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE MINISTERIAL POLICY. Wellington, October 16. There are questions regarding public lands upon which a considerable misunderstanding may exist, for instance, it is possible that in the minds of hon members from Canterbury, some misundertanding may exist as to wbat tbe intention of tho Government may be in regard to the leases of land in their district. I can only say that although I am unable to pledge myself at this moment to any par* ticnlar course or to pledge those gentlemen sitting with me, perfect confidence may be placed in that we will carefully and calmy consider tbe whole question, and will endeavour to come to a solution that will be of advantage to the country, and satisfactory to all persons interested in those leases Wifch regard tothemode in which we propose to proceed with the business before the House. I will remind honorable gentlemen that already within a few days of three months has been passed in the present session our duty requires us to speedily as possible to bring this session to a close, and with a view to that being done we propose to take up a certain number of Bills we find on tho table, such for instance as the Land Bill, Mines Bill, Slaughter Houses Bill, Volunteer and otber lands Bills, New Zealand Consolidated Stocks Bill, and some other measures of that kind, the whole of which will state the House in a day or two. We propose afc the same time to drop a certain number of measures, an attempt to carry which would probably lengthen the session, sucli as tlio Native Laui Sales Suspension Bill, Chari-

' I table Institutions Bill, Harbors and Navii gation Bill, and Settlement Works • Advances Bill. By abandoning these i Bills we should greatly reduce the busi- ' ness before the House, but we also find 1 that there is a vast number of private 1 Bills, many of which are of great importance*' tance* and we have determined in refereuce to those Bills to afford every assistI ance in on power to those gentleman in getting Aa'!\. measures forward. We will place at the disposal of honorable mem bers tbe largest number of days in the , week that we can possibly afford, and i honorable members may rely upon it that every facility will be given to them to , get through all the measures to which tbe Government are not compelled by any i particular causa to object in that way. I r think the business of honorable members may be got through with very much more facility than ha-s been the case during the previous part of tbe session, and I hope tbat realiy a very few weeks more will quite suffice to dispose of all necessary business. In considering public business, I wish to say, and I say this with some slight degree of hesitation, because I am alluding to a' subject in which I am personally interested, that we propose to give a great deal of attention to questions connected with the gold fields districts, and I may perhaps be inclined to magnify my office, but I do believe that the fields are so important an element in the welfare of this colony that it is our duty to give much more attention to tbem hns hitherto been done. This industry in New Zealand is yet in its infancy, but it must increase in importance for many years. Were it not for the financial difficulties of the colony at the ptesent moment we should even at this late period of the session have attempted to induce the House to create a separate department for the management of gold fields with a Minister of MiDes at its head. At present I will not press that upon the House, but it is our intention at an early date to return to it, and to learn the pleasure o the House in reference to what we regard as a very important subject. With regard to measures that we ourselves shall devote our attention specially .to I have told the House that, first is tbe question of finance, second is the great question of change of administration *, then we intend to prepare a set ics of measures by which the representation of tbe colony may be placed om what we regard as a footing far superior to that on which it is at present stands, Our determination, if possible, in to place the representative sjstem in New Zealand on such a footing that the power of the popular will may be truly felt witbiu walls of this chamber so that wuen thoie great questions with which we propose to deal* arise we may then make certain thut iv currying tbem out we give effect to the true will fairly ascertained of tbu great majority of the public of L^ew Zealand ; this is a subject wbicb we ure determined to attain as essential to the right uud welfare of ali. It must be known to almost all honorable members that opinions I I myself hold ou yreat questious are what are called liberal opinions to an advanced degree, bu. I trust that houuraule gentlenieu will give me credit tor possessing at least so much wisdom that 1 would not attempt at any time to impose upon an unwilling country any views of my own, however necessary I might think they were for the welfare of toe people, \ I should feel it my duty only to advanoe iv each question so far as the popular will of the country might demand. I shall endeavour to the best of my ability ascertain what the public desire may be, and having ascertained that shall strive to give effect to that desire. We have re« solved to follow faithfully this rule, tbat in so far as the popular will may declare itself iv the direction of the great measures which we conceive to be necessary, we will give effect to it. wherever the mass of the population ot New Zealand desires certain things to be done, if in our con viction those things ought to be done we will carry them out to the vory utmost of our power and to the very utmost of the means this House may place at our disposal, but if ou tho other hand, popular will should demand from us measures which we believe to be adverse to the public welfare, and contrary to our own convictions we will then instantly stand out of the way, and allow other gentlemen to come for « ard who agreeing with that public desire are the popular and fitting instruments to give effect to the wishes of the people of the country holding theso views. We do not intend during this session to attempt to press forward any of the great measures which I am so desirous of seeing introduced into tbis country during the recess. Such of thoso as we think suited to the circumstances of the times sball be carefully prepared, and shall be submitted next session. It will then be for hon* members to judge whether we have faithfully fulfilled tho trust whiih they have been pleased to place in our hands ; it will be for them at the very commence* ment of next session to determine whether they bave found in us persons who ought to have been entrusted with the powers i given to us ; it will be for them to resolve whether they will any longer give us that support wbich tbey have led us to I anticipate wa shall during thia session ; receive from them j it will be for them to cay whether we are fit to be the repre* sentotires of what I Buy venture to call this really august assembly. I deliberately apply that term to it, for hon gentlemen must kuow tbac so many thousands of young people in New Zoaland who drew

1(1 heir first breath in this colony, and who now occupy positions ranging from boyhood to comparatively mature age this is the most august assembly they have ever known to them ; it is au Assembly which they recognise as posss'sing power of the very highest kind, the power of dealing with the properties, nay, with the very lives of every inhabitant of these islands, and an Assembly" which they cannot but look upon with reverence, clothed as it is with powers of so sacred a nature, not only do we feel that to the people of New Zealand to the rising generation we owe a great duty, a duty we are desirous in every way to adequately perform, but we know that upon this Assembly rests the building of a new constitution, the greatest upon which the representative men of any nation can employ themselves •, we know that you have destroyed one constitution and that you have erected Ino other to take its place. We therefore ; desire that people of New Zealand under j the improved system of representation we propose to introduce should have the power to make their will felt in the building up of tbe constitution under which they and their descendants are to live. Not only will the present inhabit tants of Zealand therefore look upon this lssembly as an august body, and all tbe generations to come will took witb pride and veneration opon us, if we do our duty towards them in consolidating the basis upon wbich the future greatness of this country may be built up and may endure for many ages. These: are the duties which we have at the present time to peform, and they can only rightly be performed by taking the entire population of New Zealand into our confidence' aud this we shall do. Hon. gentlemen may rest assured of this that no single fact connected with the finance of the colony with its administration, with any questions which will interest the public afc large, and enable them to form opinions upon matters which may affect etheir future condition shall be withheld from this house by us. Sir, in the great task upon wbicb we are entering, I ask the Hou_>o to afford us a fair and generous assistance, if it does, I assure hon members tbat their assistance and their cooperation shall, to the best of our abiftty, be used oaly in furthering the interests of the colony, until we prove that we do not fulfil their expectations, I ask for that patience which all men should wish to see accorded to those who enter upon such a difficult task. If in any respect we fail, I ask tbe House to do justice to New Zealand, and be regardless of myself and af those that sit upon these Beuches with me,. , Wellington, October 18. ( Colonel Whitmore bas beeo sworn in as ( Colonial Secretary in the now Government, | i I vice Grey who resigns that office. Up to eight o'clock tbe Cabinet had not decided as to the petition .regarding the liberation of Maekay. They will consider the lnattey ( shortly, Dunejmn , October 1& At halfe-past twelve the jury on Proudfoot* case was sent for, and iv answer to the jadgi they Baid tbere was not the -lightest pre bability of the jury agreeing, iiis Houoi ordered _he : r discharge. Prisoner's counse applied fw another special jury, but thb wai opposed by counsel for the erowu ou th< ground there was no likelihood of a specia jury drawn from a Dunedin community ugreuing, us a panel wouU be- known a weel before the trial. He was willing that i change venue should take place, or that o prisoner should be tried by common jury in Dunedin. His Honor thought a change o\ venue would be desirable. He grauted a special jury for the trial wbioh wos set down for the 31.. mat. A fire broke out to«day in the building nt the rear of tbe Court Housi. Hotel, which was jointly occupied by Messrs M'Lauchlan and Co, Gun and Boss, and Brig, Harris, and Co. The latter firm estimate their loss at £300. Loss of property considerable, but no accurate estimate cau be formed. It is stated that eight or nine Jurors were for finding Proudfoot guilty, and tbe remainder for acquittal. Thomas Eoaths, groom, charged with set* ting fire to the Crown Hotel stables, Bala clutha, was committed for trial. The prisoner sought to make out be wos instigated by Dunn of Newmarket Hotel, to burn the stables, and was promised £5 to do it. This wa» deaied on behalf of Dunn. A morning Herald is to be published about the let November. . In addressing the jury for the prosecution yesterday in Proudfoot'a case, Denniston spoke of D. Murphy as au infamous go between, and he must be condemned by every respectable man and women. His Honor said to put the most charitable interpretation on Murphy's conduct ho had been guilty of extraordinary blundering for a pro* fessional man. The jary were locked up all night, and at ten this morning said there was no chance of their agreeing, they were sent back to their room to see if they could come to a unanimous decision. Timabtt, October 18. The South Canterbury Times states tbat proprietor has been threatened witb a libel action by Judge Ward on account of an article referring to certam evidence given in the Waka Maori case, as to Ward's advice regarding the Stamp Act. Judge Ward demands payment of £100 to the Timaru Hospital, and an apology in the papers. The Times refuses to apologise for the articles which appeared on the 12th September. i