THE MAORI STONEWALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9130, 11 August 1888, Page 6

THE MAORI STONEWALL.

OPPOSING THE NATIVE BILLS. AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. apt pupils OF THE PAKEBAS. AN EIGHT-HOUR SPEECH. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. ] Wellington, Friday. Resuming the narrative of the stonewallfrom the point when the galleries were re-opened at half-past one this morning, I may state that at that hour Sydney Taiwhanga appeared completely pumped out, and in imminent danger of breaking down. His voice was "ailing him, and he had then spoken eight hours. At this juncture, clause three got slipped through by a sort of surprise tactic—Sydney, in his exhausted, half-dazed state, not realising the position,— on a motion to report progress on the Bill, which was carried. Mr. Beetham was also victimised, for he had an important amendment to make in that clause, and lost his chance. Sir George Grey then chipped in with an amendment, winch created a division, and gave Sydney a spell. Taipua took uu his parable about ten o'clock, and Sir G. Grey paired with Mr. Moat, and went home for the night. Some of the members brought their rugs- and made themselves as comfortable as they could, while others went home to get a sleep so as to be ready to keep a House and prevent a " count out. ' Throughout the jay, during Taipua's speech. Sydney got a short sleep, and then relieved Taipua. Paring the night an amusing incident took place. ** As the debate went on, Sydney was obliged to draw more largely from his theological repository, and exhorted Taipua to bo"strong, for the Lord would deliver them out or The hands of their enemies. He prayed that, the Supremo Being would -often the hearts of the hon. members and lead them to interpose to prevent the destruction of thirty thousand natives—men, women, and children —by these Bills. He rose to the height of his great argument on one occasion, and denounced the Native Land Bill as a thing of Satan —an accursed Bill, and got rather sulphurous in his remarks, using a native word which meant fire and brimstone. The interpreter, Captain Mair, toned it down in iiis interpretation ot the nassa tr ?, and Mr. Monk, who i;* a good native scholar, challenged the interpretation, and asked if such language was parliamentary. The Chairman, Mr. Hamlin, said he must accept the interpreters version. Shortly after this Sydney commenced emoting a work entitled '' The Groans of the Maori People.'' At four o'clock Mr. Taylor took up the cause of the Maoris in order to crive Sydney a rest, bringing out of his treasury things both new and old. He broke the monotony of the debate in the early morning by making a spirited reply to some remarks made at an earlier stage of the debate by Mr. errall, intimating his personal belief that the hon. member was " a shingle short. Mr. 'Conor moved, and Mr. C adman seconded, a motion that the words be taken down. end the Chairman, Mr. Seymour, demanded their withdrawal and an apology. The hon. member obeyed. Mr. Reeves followed Mr. Taylor, and between them they occupied three hours. When Sydney ; renewed the struggle he thanked his European allies. The Hon. E. Mit-chelson, who was in charge of the Bill throughout the j night, was agreeable to an adjournment for breakfast, as he did not wish to take anv advantage of the two members, but the committee decided otherwise. A large number of chiefs and resident natives were in the galleries of the House last night to hear Sydney's oration, and when the order was given to clear the galleries they were greatly disappointed, but early this morning they again crowded in, and appeared greatly interested in the proceedings. During the day the House presented a dismal appearance, about a score of mem- j bers lving about or reading, while a heavy fog, with rain, settled down on the city. In the forenoon a sharp interpellation took p'ace between Sir George Grey and the Premier, the former stating that these Native Policy Bills would degrade the native race, and ruin their whole future. He complained that members were on the Native Bills Committee who were interested in native lands to the extent of 50.000 acres a-piece ; and said the natives had not sufficient time to master the Bills, being only printed in their own language a few days ago. The Premier effectively replied, and showed that the provisions of the Bills 1 were known to the natives months ago : that they were personally explained to them by officers of the Native Department and by himself, and some of the clauses were almost in the identical words suggested by the native chiefs themselves. When luncht.ime arrived the motion to adjourn for an hour was met by a storm of noes. In the afternoon Mr. Carroll explained his attitude and that of Mr. Pratt in holding aloof from the stonewalling. At the supper adjournment an attempt was made to prevent it, on the ground that the Standing Orders referred to the adjournment of Thursday evening, and, as the sitting had been continuous, there could not be two adjournments at half-past five. The Chairman (Mr. Hamlin), who had relieved Mr. Seymour at half-past one, ruled adversely to this, and the House adjourned. . At the evening sitting the galleries were crowded, even the ladies turning out in the drenching rain to see the Maori stone wallers. The Lord l were also in force in their gallery. In the afternoon Taipua had thrown out hints of a compromise, and early in the evening sitting overtures were made to stop the stonewalling if the Government would allow Major Kemp, the Wanganui chief, to be heard at the bar of the against the Bill. This the Premier said he was willing to have allowed on the previous night, provided the two native members would confine their opposition to reasonable discussion, and then allow the Bills to pass. Sir G. Grey declined to be Bound by such an arrangement with the native members, and a long and desultory discussion ensued. A sharp skirmish occurred between Mr. Carroll and Sir G. Grey, the former taxing the latter with insincerity. Sir George made a feeling reply, and solemnly disavowed the imputations made. Colonel Eraser caused a mild sensation at a late hour by stating that unless the Premier gave a pledge to bring in a provision limiting the amount of native lands a speculator might purchase, he would in the interest of the European population feel it his duty to join in the stonewall.

The stonewall has been endured by the Premier with considerable philosophy. It is somewhat rough, however, on some of his colleagues. The Hon. E. Mitchelson, who. as Native Minister, is in charge of the Bills, after sitting at the committee table throughout the night, was again at the Government Buildings in the forenoon to attend to his departmental business, getting to bed at one o'clock in the day, and was back again this evening at his old post at the committee table to go again through the night in charge of the Bill. Captain Mair, the interpreter, was permitted to sit while interpreting, owing to his long stretch of duty, and was relieved to-day for a spell by Mr. Grace. Members generally admit that if stonewalling is to degenerate into an institution, Parliamentary government will become impossible, and that a modified form of the cloture will become necessary in future. It is on the cards that there may yet. be another stonewall over the Harbour Acts Amendment Bill, if not over the Crown and Native Land Rating Act Amendment Bill. The Post, which was .at the onset of the session adverse to the new rules of procedure, appears to be coming converted to the belief that desperate diseases require desperate remedies. It says : — " The Government ought, we think, to appeal now to the good sense of the House to afford the required majority to enable the new rules of procedure to be taken into consideration. We believe the House would now, after the experience of the session, be willing to do whflt it was not at the beginning of the session. There would, of course, be strong opposition to the new rules, if proposed, and they would probably be found susceptible of modification and improvement; but the Government, ii they got them once before the House, would be justified in entering on a final stonewalling contest to enforce their passage. Things cannot be allowed to go on as they have been going lately in the House of Representatives. The public is becoming utterly disgusted with the proceedings, and the House, if it does tot reform, will soon be an object, nob of

respect, but of scorn and derision to all sensible people. However much the present session may be prolonged, it should not be permitted to close until effective provision lias been made to prevent the possibility of a recurrence in the future of the stonewalling tactics which have characterised the present one. Just before the supper adjournment the Speaker read the petition of '20 chiefs desirino- that Major Kemp be heard at the bar of the House respecting the Native Bills, and on the motion of the Premier it was unanimously resolved that he and riripi be heard after the supper adjournment. At the appointed time the two chiefs were in attendance, and the Sergeant-at-arms was instructed to inform them that the House was ready to hear what they had to say. Major Kemp came up to the bar and spoke first, Piripi being accommodated with a seat behind him. Captain Mair interpreted. Kemp was at first nervous and embarrassed, being received without the slightest demonstration, but as he proceeded with his address he warmed up and spoke with great force and earnestness, and got in touch with the House. His reference to his past services to the colony in times of trouble was received with cheers. He was rather severe on some of the Bills, saving, amid laughter, that he thought an amendment meant making things straight and clear, but ho found these amendment Bills only made tilings crooked. On concluding his address, which lasted some twenty-five minutes, and in which he expressed his views with great frankness, Major Kemp was heartily cheered. Piripi succeeded Kemp in addressing the House. Mr. Grace interpreting. He has not the martial bearing of Kemp, but is a grave, dignified-looking man, with a clerical appearance. The speeches of both chiefs were marked by temperance of language and dignity, and produced a very favourable impression on the House. _ A large number of chiefs were in the galleries during the proceedings. Before Kemp and Piripi retired the Speaker, in complimentary terms, expressed the pleasure of himself and his fellow members in listening to the address, and hoped they would lead to the native measures receiving calm and careful consideration.

The purely obstructive tactics seem now to have been abandoned by Sydney Taiwhanga and Taipua.