POLITICAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7863, 19 May 1886, Page 5

POLITICAL.

[Pee Peebs Association.] WELLINGTON, May 18. When the House met this afternoon there were 51 members in their seats, and three others afterwards put in an appearance. Among the papers laid on the table was a letter from Sir Penrose Julyan on Sir J. Yogel’s claim, with memo by Sir J. Yogel upon it. * Sir G. Grey, in the course of his speech on the New Hebrides, said he had reason to know that the Yictorian Government had received a cable from their Agent-General, which by no means here out the statement in the cable published yesterday that England was averse to giving them up. Leave was granted to Sir J. Yogel, as usual, to sit while addressing the House, and the usual Sessional Committees were appointed. Messrs Sutter, Fergus and Sir G. Grey made protests against the practice of voting to the Chairmen of certain Committees honorariums. Mr Sutter said such votes would meet with vigorous - opposition from himself and the other members. [from oub own cobeebpondent.] Wellington, May 18. SIR GEORGE GREY, Sir George Grey’s intention is not to attack the Government by way of a noconfidence motion, based on the New Hebrides question. That he would follow such a course appeared, for several reasons, as I mentioned in a former communication, unlikely. There is, however, this much truth in the matter, that Sir George intends to lead resistance to the cession of the New Hebrides to France. Given means in his favour, this afternoon he is to introduce the subject; and some very interesting matter may be looked for during the discussion sure to ensue. The vexed question of the cable messages will, I shall not be surprised to learn, be set at rest. From these messages it is not easy to learn precisely whether the British Government has or has not come to terms with France. This point will probably have some strong light thrown upon it. Talking of Sir George Grey, who, by the way, is looking brisker and fresher than ever, reminds me of his Land scheme. He has a Bill on the subject, and he tells me he is going to take the first opportunity of introducing it, not by the usual way of notice, at this afternoon’s sitting. It will be remembered pretty generally that last year a similar Bill was introduced by Sir George, which did not come to any practical result, owing to the pressure of business, which compelled the taking of the private members’ day towards the latter part of the session. There is this difficulty ahead, that the Bill cannot be introduced without the permission of the Governor. The point at present to be discussed is, whether, the Bill having simply been held over from last year, the permission of the Crown still holds good. To-morrow this will be decided. THE WAR MEDAL. There are, I hear, numerous claims coming in for the New Zealand medal, much to the dismay of all concerned. It is, of course, a difficult task, and not a little thankless, to go through these applications and pronounce upon the merits of the applicants, the more so as such a time since the performance of the services; but it is not a reason for postponement or refusal of enquiry ; neither is there the proverbial want of suaviter in modo, which is peculiar to old soldiers. When the Government instituted the war medal, the Government undertook a duty towards its best soldiers. That duty the Government is bound to perform at all hazards. MILITARY CLAIMS. Another example of the way in which military affairs were conducted here in the good old days, is to be found in a correspondence now going on in the local newspapers. On one side we have old soldiers (volunteers and militia) writing to ask how it is they cannot get the grants of land earned by their hard services. On the other, we have the reply that a proclamation was issued about the year one, in forming all claimants that unless they claimed by a certain day they would forfeit. Then we have the rejoinder that instead of having to claim, the men should have been told, by an organised department, that so much land was available in a certain situation, “ and there’s your Crown grant.” This is, as you know, an old story, but we shall have it over again in Parliament this year, I believe; and, let me add, I hope. SIGNIFICANT. Talking of Native matters, I was almost forgetting to mention that the Opposition organ this morning, in an unusually wellwritten, sensible article, compliments Mr Ballance very highly on the general success of his Native policy. Wonders will never cease! Perhaps this article is the foundation for the statement I have just heard—that the Ministerial party regard the session as “ theirs in a walk.” THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. A paper giving the correspondence with the Agent-General about the Midland Railway contains only one thing your readers have not seen already. It is said that the rate of interest during construction has not been defined. The last telegram is from the Colonial Treasurer to the Agent-General. It says:—“Thanks for your able exertions. Rate of interest on JEsooo—suggest 4 per cent.” ■ VOGEL’S PETITION. In the matter of the petition of Sir Julius Yogel, Sir P. Julyan writes to the Premier to remove what he considers certain misrepresentations. First, the issue of the loan in question took place ten days after his retirement from office life, simply because the market then took the favourable turn to await which the loan had been delayed. [from our special reporter.] When the House met, and Mr Taylor had been introduced and sworn in, we had the usual ruck of notices. Sir George Grey contrived to he first with a notice for hia Bill, providing for the appropriation of lands, and Mr M’Arthur followed with a

notice of a query about the Representation Act, which will make some talk presently. Mr O’Callaghan drew the attention of the Minister of Justice to the case of a gentleman who recently got four months imprisonment for killing a dog under circumstances of considerable brutality. I have not heard Mr O’Callagban on the subject, but I presume his object is to draw attention rather to the leniency of the sentence imposed than to anything else. I presume this, because I presume that the Member for Lincoln is a sensible man.

Sir George Grey occupied his customary ground with a notice for a Bill—a Bill to limit the number of votes, and another to (shall I say limit ?) the qualifications of lawyers. Mr Lamach let some light into the mining laws as understood by the Government, and Mr Ballance gave notice of the Native Land Bill the recess has prepared us for, and for an amendment of the general land laws. Last year we were told that the Native Land Bill would never be heard of more, hut here it is again. “ Comment,” as the triumphant but brief journalist says, “ is needless.” After the papers had followed the notices, and Mr Richardson had informed Dr Newman that the Petone workshops are very good, and that everything is made there that can possibly be made. Sir George Grey brought on the sensation of the afternoon. Having asked if the Government would allow discussion of the New Hebrides question on an early day, and having received from the Premier the assurance that the Government would. Sir George Grey read his long list of resolutions on the subject, which you will receive from the Press Association. In order to ventilate the subject adequately, he moved the adjourn® meat of the House, and made one of his happy speeches, of the characteristic brief order. The ostensible cause of the speech was the explanation of the Premier, in answer to the question of Major Atkinson, who was evidently very much on the alert, that certain papers could not be produced, as they were confidential. Thereupon, Sir George moved the adjournment. He argued that, as the British Government was in communication with the Government of New Zealand, acting entirely in the interest of the people of the New Hebrides and those of New Zealand, the Premier had no right to suppress any papers. The Pacific, he maintained, was rapidly becoming an inland lake among British possessions—a sea girdled by the Anglo-Saxon people. He pointed out that by and by the affairs of the rest of the world would sink in insignificance in comparison with the affairs of the Pacific, which would be the affairs of the Anglo-Saxon race. He insisted that, under such circumstances, the House had the right to the fullest information. The position of the Premier, he held, in this negotiation was as nothing compared to the interests involved. His mind was absolutely filled with alarm when he found confidential papers withheld. Prom recent events he saw, with something like dismay, that Lord Salisbury (a man whose talents and public career he greatly admired) regarded the Pacific Islands as the coin with which to pay for European forbearance in the Eastern question. He feared, moreover, that it was the intention of Mr Gladstone’s Government to pursue the same policy. He was in a position to assure the House that the Victorian Government had in the last few days received news not confirmatory of the statement that the Islands had been ceded to France. There was, therefore, he [urged, still a chance for New Zealand to make her voice beard. This was a most important matter, involving the interests of Canada, the United States, Australasia, Fiji, and all the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands; it was a moment for a great nation to show its strength ; it was a moment, therefore j for this Colony to assert its position. He called upon the Premier then if he had been misled by confidential despatches, to unite with the rest of the House in protesting against what was nothing but an act of piracy, involving the interests and rights of many people, and of the Anglo-Saxon races. Sir George having thus delivered himself, and no one caring to plunge into the question, the matter dropped for the time, and soon afterwards the House adjourned early till the evening sitting, according to the custom usual when the Address-in-Eeply is to be moved. THE ADDRESS IN REPLY. The House and galleries were pretty full to hear the debate on the Address. Mr Bevan opened the ball with his rounded periods and rounder voice, getting a great deal of matter into a small compass. Mr Bevan very fairly earned the applause he received as he sat down. Mr Taylor, of Sydenham, declared himself a Government supporter, and made the House laugh by a rather fervent expression of faith in a fair division of the Colony’s financial favours. He managed to avoid nervousness, and contrived to make, on the whole, a fairly good impression. The inevitable speeches being out of the way Major Atkinson made a good deal of good-humoured fun out of the Speech, and declared frankly that the practice of debating the Address was a waste of time, and after a few critical remarks, sat down with a smile on his face, and the applause of the House around him. The Premier met him in the same spirit, and warmly defended the Speech, and made the important declaration that the Government had a policy matured, that they were thoroughly agree(l upon it, and that its important features would as soon as possible be before the country. He ended a brisk, brief speech with a denunciation of the vice of over-legislation, which he seemed to imply we should not suffer from this year. The implication was cheered from both sides of the House.

Mr Wakefield was complimentary to both the last speakers, to the Government generally, to the Native Minister, and to the Premier especially. So complimentary was he that

Mr Moss, who got up some two speakers off, so to speak, felt tempted to act the part of “Uncle Billy” in Bret Harte’s pretty story, who, when a certain serious gathering had begun to enjoy life in a ridiculously pleasant manner, wanted to know “if this yer” was a “darned picnic.” Mr Moss wanted to know if the mutual politeness of the chiefs of the Government and the Opposition was due to a mutual arrangement, and being informed that it was not, said promptly that if there had been, things would not have been a bit different. Mr Moss, of course, rode out his financial hobby in a manner which showed he had made progress during the recess. He still holds that the financial condition of the Colony is absolutely rotten, but he has discovered that the depression, which once was local, has now become general. Sueh happiness was not complete, however, without a reference to the Maori question, which Mr Moss found to be in a most overwhelmingly gloomy condition. After this Mr Moss sat down with a full measure, but without any public demonstration of the approval of his fellow legislators. Mr Thomson raked up the members energetically, and . Mr J. C. Buckland (Waikouaiti) went all round the compass with great fluency and politeness, and finished up with a strong recommendation of economy. Mr Ballance replied to Mr Moss and Mr J. C. Buckland with quiet, business-like tact, and considerable force. Mr Levestam denied that there was any compact when the Representation Act was passed. ~ . Mr W. F. Buckland (Pranklyn) made some remarks carefully hostile to the Government, and announced that on future occasions he intended to give a full, true, and particular account and analysis Of the Colonial finance. This astonishing statement having brought the debate to an amicable conclusion, the House adjourned after the usual formalities.