THE NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 81, 8 October 1879, Page 2

THE NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

i The debate on Friday was commenced by Mr. Bo wen, who paid a high tribnte to Mr. -Hall. It could be shown that there were more yeoman m Canterbury than m any other part of the colony, which was the result of the land laws. In the early days it was different and the fault of that lay with the hon. : the. Premier. In 1802 it was irue that the Canterbury settlers tried to get the block extended under the Canterbury 1 Association ; but that had nothing whatever to do with the constitution issued by the Premier m the following years. • There were not and there could not be permanent party lines m a new; country. To say thero was a Liberal and Conservative party m a new country where there was nothing to conserve, was absurd. Hitherto Liberalism had been action, now it was only languageY _ He' would .remind the House of the time, that Donald Reid brought down a most liberal land law, which the Premier most vehemently opposed. . He .would' ask them could the Hon. the Premier be said to understand constitutional government ? The Premier's/friends had told them that the charges against theGovernment wert, very light, yet the Premier, when serious charges were brought against him, had jtold' them that "he would do it again." .The (to--verntrient had on two or three occasions flagrantly defied the legislature ;. any one of which acts would liave vjinseated thbrh m another country. He would ask them if any Government "would be allowed to sit oh tlie' benches if they did such a thing as this Government did m reference to Mr, Itarnaeh., who was paid £2000 when.it was announced to this House that he was going hoßoe at his own expense ? Cquld ifcbe said that the Liberal views now brought forward were promulgated ipx the first time ? Why, Lil eralism had been growing year after year. There was nothing very ttew m the pronosed. Elec-

toral Bill, iu>ii would it give the people the great advantages claimed for it, though it was, no doubf, an improvement upon the present law. With regard to Triennial Bill, he was opposed to it on Liberal grounds. With regard to the land tax, he maintained that it had been a (O nplete failure, and propheseid that iniuy lawsuits would yet arise out of it. About two years ago the Premier insisted that every man should pay according to his means, but now that was all thrown overboard and arnew expression adopted— -that each was to; pay ac. cording to the sacrifices he had made Taxatioe to befair must be equal according to the property every man possessed,, and no other taxation would be fair to« anyone, be they rich or poor. As they would soon come to a division, he would not detain the House longer; and m f onclusion he hoped that true Tiibera-. lis'ai would; be the watchward of the House and of the country. ' ' ; Mr. Taintji did not believe m Miv Hall, who had come to the House to assist them, but by-and-by^-i? /he- saw afriend m the other House he would go- , back there to assist him. Mr. Tawhai said a groat deal ha 4 been said against Sir (Jeorge. Grey — that he was a bad;man//but ; if;hi9v3ifere fc -m his opinion > all white people were. Twd. '■''■^^■■y ,;" "-^::-:.-?-;y :[.]-., ,.?\ . • Mr. ToMoANii had a great deal to saybut the dnftofit.stll was he was not goring to support, any Ministry which would not do justice to the Maoris. He traced the origin of siu down, from Adanv and Eve, and vcound up' by promising tosupport Mr. Hall,* as he had made most ;' >: - Mr. Sheehajt was the next to ad^ :.dress the House, and upcra rising' wai received with prolonfg^dr.che'efsl He- , commenced, his remarks by saymg thafc. Mr. H^U was -the: man who 'in 1869t framed a law for shutting out the Maori* from the South Island.'' Thatlwasj whafe . Mr t Hall, had done. Because Mr. Hall was a view man that native would sup-. port' fiimv 'OQet' him there w.ere when a man would even pawn, his shirt, to get a vote. Np,_ doubt Mr. Hali would, have given-many promises with, jthe same view. It was not Sir "George 'Gtey who made the first war.^but who, brought it to a : clone ; and, -ifh^t was : more, had not taken., a single acre of land: