AN AMNESTY BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6484, 29 August 1882, Page 5

AN AMNESTY BILL

THE GOVERNMENT TO BE ENABLED TO ISSUE AN AMNESTY. r[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] ■Wellington, Monday. In the House of Reprerentatives this afternoon Mr. Bryce gave notice that he would ask leave to introduce an Amnesty Bill. The provisions o£ the Bill will give to the Governor power to proclaim an amnesty subject to conditions, and with or without exception. Before the amnesty is proclaimed there will be some clear understanding with the natives, especially in reference to sheltering murderers and other criminals from the policc. The main provisions of the Bill are to be as follows Whereas on several occasions the Maoris have been insurrection against Her Majesty's authority, and certain offences ! of various kinds, more or less of a political character, have during such insurrections, or consequent thereon, beau committed by Maoris-and whereas disturbances ot the public peace and breaches of the law of vanous kinds have recently taken place on the West Coast of the North Island, and whereas the state of the colony i 3 such as to justify an amnesty being proclaimed for such sffences it is expedient to do so. It shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council by proclamation in the Government Gazette, to declare an amnesty for such offences. The amnesty may be eatended to all offences, and to all Maoris, or certain offences and certain Maoris may be excepted from the operation of the amnesty. The effect of the proclamation will be to exempt the Maoris not excepted from the operation of the amnesty from all informations, indictments, prosecutions, and criminal proceedings whatsoever in relation to offences against the law committed during the continuance of any such insurrection, or on the WC3t Coast as referred to above. In order to prevent any doubts as to the effect of the proclamation in any particular case, the Governor may, by writing under his hand, declare that any Maori or any offence is excepted from or ir-cluded .within the operation of the proclamation. All Courts, Judges, and Justices are to take judicial notice of the proclamations, or any writing under tho hand of the Governor, or the production of the Government Gazette containing the same. The Act will not affect the West Coast Peace Preservation Act, ISB2. , . . . ~ Having given the chief provisions ot the Bill it may be well to state the following for the information of tho Maoris, for it is very important that they should clearly understand the effect of the Bill. . ■?' is not a pardon or amnesty in itself but enables the Government to issue a proclamation of pardon with exceptions or _ without exceptions. Before the proclamation is issued some guarantee as to future good conduct will be taken. There is a danger that the Maoris may regard the Bill as a general pardon in itself. It is not a pardon m itself, but the Bill makes it lawful for the Governor to proclaim a pardon. Mr. Whitaker, referring to the question of an amnesty, spoke as follows recently when the sudden departure of Wetere te Rerenga was discussed m the La"islative Council, viz. : The Nati%e Minister had no intention to proceed against i/etere, because it was felt to be utterly out of the question after what had taken place for so many years. The Government thought it was far better to take into conr.ideration how far those persons who were concerned in murders during the war should be relieved, but they saw it would be a wide question, which should be considered by the Legislature. The Bill, if approved of by the Legislature, will greatly facilitate the negotiations for the opening up of the " King country. To condone all past offences, on condition that in future criminals should be brought to justice seems reasonable. It will now probably rest with the Maoris to say whether bygones Bhall be bygones, and a new departure taken for the future. I I 3^ a y in conclusion, that the proviso m the Bill that the West Coast Peace Preservation Bill shall not be affected by the Amnesty Bill, 1 was inserted for the purpose of enabling the Government to detain Te Whiti and Tohu.