PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9293, 31 August 1893, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[BY telegraph, —special CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. A BIT OF HISTORY.

Mb. John Litndon, of Auckland, has petitioned the House for a refund of two sums of £100 and £50 respectively, oub of pocket expenses, etc., incurred by him—the first, in bringing Te Moananni, the loading chief of Huuraki, to Auckland, in 1803, to see the Colonial Treasurer, and so averting bloodshed ; and the second, in 1860, when ho again brought the same chiof to Auckland, to consent to the snagging of the Pinko River. The petitioner explains lie did nob make any claim against the Government for a refund of the outlay, for payment for his important and hazardous services, or for recompense for the groat risk, because ho was then in prosperous circumstances. He has since, however, sustained very heavy losses through retrospective legislation, his efforts to secure the annexation of Samoa to New Zealand, and his intimate connection with the late Premier's village settlement scheme. Mr. Lundon also prays for a grant of land for military services. These petitions were presented by Mr. F. La wry.

COMPANIES ACT. The Joint Statutes Revision Committee, having considered the Companies Act Amendment Bill, recommend it be allowed to proceed with sundry slight amendments. They, however, insert a new clause providing that when a company has cancelled any part of its capital which has been lost, or any capital unrepresented by available assets, the company may by special resolution, re-instate the whole or part of such capital, provided shareholders be not liable any further than they would have been if such re-instatement had not been made. NORTHERN FISHERIES. The Petitions Committee have had under consideration the petition from Bay of Islands fishermen, asking that a close season for mullet should be onforced from December 20 to March '20. The committee have resolved that, as the matter appears to bo one of very great importance to the petitioners, they recommend tho Government to take tho request into favourable consideration. n HOSTILITY OF NATIVE MEMBERS.

During the debate on the second reading on the Rating Acta Amendment Bill last evening, the Maori members, Taipua and Kapa, said some very plain things to mark their antagonism to tho whole policy of the Government on the native question. Kapa was glad of an opportunity to speak upon the Bill, that he might tell thorn that while the Europeans understood the paying of rates, tho Maoris knew nothing of it. He foresaw that it would cause a lot of trouble, and he was full of apprehension. He must oppose the Bill whatever form it might take. When the Local Bodies came to put the Bill in force there would be confusion which the Government would have to deal with, The Government wore doing'all they could tJ hinder the natives from dealing with their lands. He would like to treat the Bill as he would a fowl. He would like to wring its neck. He hoped it would be oast out utterly. If it could be shown that tho natives wanted the Bill it would bo well, but where the natives wero living altogether on one block of land they should not be required to pay rates. The industrious ratives would be required to pay the taxes and the rest would escape. He asked the Government nob to be hasty, bub to be reasonable. None of the late legislation for the natives had been reasonable. Ho considered this another measure for degrading the natives, and taking away their last shred of authority over their lands. I think, ho said, with passionate scorn, it would bo better to be born a Chinaman than be one of the lords of the soil of this country. I would sooner be a Chinaman if these things are io bo done. Mr. Taipua displayed even more hostility to the native legislation projected by the Government during his remarks. He had never teen such a Parliament as this. It seemed that every member wanted to have a Bill to deal with native lands. The Government wanted to take all the lands and possessions of the Maoris from them. There should be equal laws for both races, and it would then be time for equal burdens. It was proposed to take away their lands and hand them over to one man, making that man a perfect autocrat. Be thought the Bill should be postponed until the natives had time to consider their own scheme for native administration. Her Gracious Majesty had always said that the natives should bo treated with kindness, but he feared that the gracious wish had been forgotten. He had always heard that the laws of the white race were very severe, and that if a man stole a sheep he was hanged for it in times gone by, and ho thought it' it had not been for tho treaty of Wnitanai his people would have been treated as sheep-stealers. If a quarrel was brought about between the races it would be a great expense and a very disastrous thing to the country.

DEEP LEVELS. Mr. McGowan desires the Minister for Mines to place a sum on the Supplementary Estimates, for the purpose of subsidising the extension of the Moanataiari tunnel, at the Thames. The Premier says the whole question of prospecting at the Thames in a great measure depends on the fate of the Bill on the subject he has now before the House.

INJURIOUS AND OFFENSIVE SLANDERS.

This afternoon Mr. Lawry presented a petition from Mr. J. Lundon respecting the purchase of the Kaitaia block. Mr. Mitchelson said he understood this petition reflected upon himself, and he wished it read. This was accordingly done or at least partly so. An inquiry had been sot up, said the petitioner as to his agency in regard to this block, which, owing to the absence and bitter hostility of Edwin Mitchelson, was unduly delayed and prolonged. Then through the interested action of Mr. Mitchelson and a section of the Opposition, tlio Government had been forced to accept a resolution authorising the Crown law officers to prosecute him for the purpose of obtaining from him a refund of his commission on the block named. In spite, however, of Government prestige, to say nothing of the expenditure of money from the plethoric and overflowing Government Treasury, the petitioner had been adjudged wholly free from blame in the matter. On the reflection upon Mr. Mitchelson and the Opposition, however, being read, the Speaker interposed,and drawing attention to the words stopped further reading. Mr. Rolleston said tho imputations should not permit its being laid on the table. Mr. Buckland said it was the duty of the House to reject such a petition. The Speaker said it was distinctly out) of order. Sir John Hall said members should make themsolvesacquainted with petitions they presented to see they did not contain such injurious and offensive slanders. Mr. Mitchelson explained that Mr. Lawry had consulted with him and the Speaker before bringing the petition forward. Mr. l.awry then withdrew the petition. STOCK COMMITTEE. The Joint Committee on Stock and Rabbits met this morning, but adjourned after some consideration of tho Fencing Act Amendment Bill. The Minister of Lands was present and requested the committee to remit certain clauses in the Bill to the Crown draughtsman. This request was acceded to, and the committee adjourned until Friday next, when it is expected that the Bill indicated and the Stock Bill will be finally disposed of so far as tho committee is concerned. BABY-FARMING. . "I have reason to believe the statements are nob exaggerated," said Mr. W. Hutchison referring to the Commissioner of Police report on the prevalence of baby-farming. He wanted the Government to introduce legislation this session to deal with this growing evil. Mr. Reeves says a Bill is being drafted to meet the case. If this is approved by the Cabinet, and the House will consent to make it a. mutter of urgency, tho Bill may become law this session.

ROADS VALIDATION. The Minister for Lands is introducing a short Bill of two operative clauses which may have so wide-reaching an effect in country districts that I give the two clauses in full :—" Every road, track or path in use by the public which has been formed or improved out of the public funds of any former province or outs of the district fund of any local authority is hereby declared to be a public highway, and upon tho deposit of a sufficient plan thereof with the chief

surveyor of any land district in which such may be, and upon the approval thereof by the said chief surveyor the same shall bo registered by the District Laud Registrar or Registrar of Deeds of the district against the properties which ic affects. From the date of registration the soil of every such highway . for a width of fifty links on either side of the middle line thereof shall become, and be vested absolutely in Her Majesty the Queen ;" " Every road taken, constructed, or used under the authority of any Provincial (iovernmonfc or local authority, may, notwithstanding any legal or technical informality in the taking or construction thereof, be registered in the manner provided in the last preceding section, and thereupon such road shall become and be a public highway, and the soil thereof be vested in Her Majesty,"

JOTTINGS. No persons were employed on relief works in the colony at tho beginning of the present month, There, however, was a grand total of 1812 employed on co-operabivo works, including Whangarei, 85; Ohinemuri, 43; Kawhia, 150 Stratford, 51; Patea, 86; llawora, 10; Cheviot, 114; Maniototo, 163 ; Clutlia, 42 ; Taiori. 12. Amongst the petitions presented to-day was the following :—By Mr. McGowan, from John Modder, military services. The Petitions Committee have reported that they have no recommendation to make on tho petitions against tho Austrian influx to the gumfields, seeing thero is a Bill before the House dealing with the matter. " Why, sir, wo were the first persons to borrow money in the colony. I, sir, had the honour to borrow the first English money for this country." Ib was tho Hon. Mr. Keynolds who spoke thus, and his brother Senators laughed as though doubting the public service that had been rendered by the Provincial Council of Otago of old days the praises of which the hon. gentleman had been softly sounding. The Otago Council of old, ho considered, a better Parliament than the existing one. There are now 80 Bills on the business paper of the Legislative Assembly according to the Hon. .Mr. Rolleston. The Premier says thero was no scrapiron used at some of tho larger experiments at Onehunga with Taranaki ironsand. The Native Reserves Administration Bill has been passed through committeo upon the lines already indicated. The only question nob yet settled is tho mode in which the reserves under the control of the natives themselves are to be disposed of. Mr. Shera intends asking the Government if they will put a sum on the Estimates to make a stock road through the Awakino Block, so as to enable stock to bo driven from Taranaki to the Waikato.

Mr. Wilson will ask tho PostmasterGeneral if he will make a concession to school libraries by allowing parcels of books for them to bo carried free by post. Tho Bating Acts Amendment Bill has been r oferred to a select committee consisting of Hon. Mr. Cadman, Mr. Fish, Hon. Sir J: Hall, Hon. Mr. Mitchelson, Captain Russell, Hon. Mr. Seddon, Mr. R. Thompson, Mr. T. Thompson, and Hon. Mr. Ward.

The Hon. J. McKenzie has promised to make enquiries into the special case of J. Lloyd, of Onehunga, whose claim for military service Mr. Buckland pointed out Mr. Mueller had said he would have favourably reported on had he been able. Mr. Carroll has again said that all relief is being given to native sufferers by the Waikato Hoods.

The state of the Otahuhu lock-up has been drawn attention to by Mr. Buckland. The Premier told him the Public Works Estimates were nob ready yet. Sir John Hall, in criticising the Rating Act Amendment Bill, pointed out that in one section of the Bill a clause in the original Acb was repealed, and in another section a little further on, ib was revived. This was a specimen, he said, of the slovenly way in which the Government brought down their measures.

Tho Taxation Department is to prepare a Bill next session dealing with the question of assessments.