A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 150, 18 July 1903, Page 3

A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

The House was treated last night to a Smart passage of arms "between the Premier and Mr A. L. i>. Fraser, member for IJapier, in the course of Ms speech in the Addtess-inrßeply debate. The Premier entered vehemently into a defence of the action of the Government towards MaMta, and gave a flat denial to Mr Eraser's assertion that Mahuta waa a landless native* quoting from reports of Departmental officers to show that MaKlrta held 2i,003 acres in his own right End name.besides having tribal rights in dther laricbsi. : When the Premier resumed his seat Mr jlraser rose to a personal cxi planatiou and stated that he did not say tli«j Mahuta was landless. What he did say was that 'Mahuta had been given land by the natives but of friendship, because Ihe waa: landless. He reiterated that statement arid declared that if he told the facts of what occurred at Auckland i between Mahuta and the Premier and the native Minister, fit would be compared with Ms previous utterances " like I a Mozart's symphony to a Mount Pelee | eruption." The Premier read from a re- j ! tin-nib? show that the land that Mahuta owns he holds in his own right, and not |as a gift from th& natives. As to what ! occurred at Auckland he said there was i no promise of emolument to Mahuta, but ! if he would like to come to Wellington to ielpto work out the destinies of his people Mr Fraser could say what he liked. He (the Premier) v knew of nothing wrong. A good deal of feeling was displayed on bdth sides of the House watched the encounter with great interest.