PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 22 July 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, July 21. In the Legislative Council to-day, The Council to-day sat only threequarters of an hour, and their only business, besides routine matters, was the first reading of the District Courts Bill, the Maori Prisoners Bill, and the Oamaru Waterworks Act Amendment Act, and the third reading of the Election Petitions Bill. ' •• \ The Council adjourned at 3.45 p.m. In the House of Representatives today, ; Mr. Hall gave notice to move that Wednesday, during the remainder of the session, be devoted to Government business, and that members speaking to a motion be not allowed to speak to the same again on a motion for adjournment. Mr. Dick gave notice that he would ask leave to introduce the Public Entertainments Prohibition Bill. Replipirig r to Mr. Andrews, Mr. Hall said the Government would not lose sight ; of the importance of the telephone in connecting passenger and other important stations on the railway, but w*6re still aware that .there was a serious difficulty in the way of making use of that instrument for public business. The ; debate on the second reading of. the-Native Land Sales Bill was resumed. , Mr. Tole said the Bill as it stood would ' enable large blocks of native lands to get into the hands of private speculators. He objected to this kind of legislation. They had a number of other measures affecting native policy, and should have all these before | them when asked to deal with a part; of the subject, so that they might consider the policy as a whole. It had been alleged; that the~ Bill was only brought down for the purpose of making a show to. carry it beyond its second reading. He hoped it would not be done ; but subject to certain Committee amendments it would be passed into law. Mr. : Montgomery thought it would be right to have two or three persons appointed by the natives to assist the Waste Lands Boards in deciding in'what manner lands should be dealt" with, whether under the deferred payment system or otherwise. He would support the motion, reserving to himself the right of suggesting amendment while in Committee. Mr. Bryce replied. Regarding the remarks made by the member for Mount Ida, he could tell them when he took office he had quite made up his mind for attacks of that sort. When he took office he was. determined to let daylight into the workings of the Native Department. • What he intended was to show that the system was bad, and had been abused; and in doing so he fully expected to be attacked, but he complained of the mode of attack resorted to by the member for Mount Ida. He had charged him with blandness, and although he did not look upon that as an offence he was of opinion that if the member for Mount Ida would enforce a little more blandness into his remarks it would be well for both him and the party to whom he has belonged. He believed the member knew a great deal more of the Auckland business than he pretended. The statement that he (Mr. Bryce)had stopped the survey at the instigation of European speculators was false, and he defied him to point out anything leading to that conclusion in the papers before the House. The deputation that waited upon him was a deputation of Maoris —not Europeans. It was at their instigation alone that the survey was stopped. The circumstances under which the Government got mixed up with the block were detailed, the speaker stating that an advance had been made on it in the loosest possible manner. There was a very slight prospect indeed of the land being secured. Was it wonderful that the Government should desire to get clear of it ? He said there was no hope of getting this block, and if he could get them repaid he thought that was the best course. Nearly the whole of the land had been got through the Court, the title ascertained, and Government was in a fair way of getting the repaid. Surely the House would agree with him in thinking that was a satisfactory conclusion after a very unsatisfactory piece of business. He had considered as to the best steps to be taken to get the Government advances repaid; and the course he pursued was the only one which appeared tenable to him. It was the course he directed the Maoris to follow to get, the ownership of the land ascertained, and at the same time to keep the proclamation on until the advances had been, repaid. That was no double ffame, He scouted the idea, adding that he had never told a lie, or made a false representation in all his life. Referring to the statement made by the member for Mount Ida, he said that that gentleman had been guilty of .making wilful and deliberate mis-statements, having done his best to damage his (Mr. Br.yce's) reputation.; He next attempted to damage the reputation of the Chief.. Judge of the Native Land Court. He was charged with leaving given a false answer to Sir George Grey, whom he inquired of, and at whoge instance the block was brought before the oourt, In making the statement, Mr. de Lautour must have known he was saying what was wholly destitute of truth. They were told time after time about the illegal transfer. They found the proclamation had not been removed, so that the land had yet to be dealt with according to law. To talk of a double game in the face of facts, like these was utterly an,d if he had made statements in the way alleged by the member, for Mount Ida, he. would never lift his head in that House again. Referring to the Bill itself, he said it was proposed to force the natives to place lands in the : hands of the Waste Lands Board. It would be a voluntary act on the part of the Maoris, and in no respect could it be said to be compulsory. One chief object he sought to attain was to deliver the Maoris' from the solicitations of agents sent out to get them to sell land- That had been a great Qvil, and one which he would not wish to see perpetnated in any form whatever. The suggestion about special! settlements in connection with these lands was a, valuable one which would be kept in view. Another proposal he favored was that.the Maoris themselves should 1 he represented on these Boards, It was an. idea, he thought, that would work out fairly. They shut out from the free trade system and the present system, so that: some other would have to be adopted," and he contended the one proposed was the most judicious. The motion was put and carried on the voices. .. . Sir (*. Grey said he 'hoped' in Committee they--would devise means by which the natives would, have control of their own estates: This was necessary. On going into Committee ofSup.ply, he would move the-appointment of a Select Committee of Inquiry into the circumstances of the Patere [Block, expressing the opinion that it/ : '%0u14-'-b&..foufld,,..thst the version giYen by the member fo? Mount Ida was [cbrrec.tj ■ - ~|ir.j (Macandrew reiterated his opinion that; tl|e Bill should .be sent to a committee to be reported; on. .He looked on with suspicion. "iiThe Bill wa,s ordered, to be committed oh Mr.' Wallis moved, that the House is of opinion that the Qualification of Ejleotors Act bf 1879 should amended as to extend thje Parliamentary .franchise to female '|fe§sol{lers. *" "Mr." j3edd6.n" .moved that" the motion be amended so not extjended to female freeholders, , Tfte debate was interruptedby theusual iadjourAmerifc' ll / t .u. 4-t tlie evening sittingj" J The pentiatf jpt§ r ?e.ad a third . and paqaecT, Ji ~ ' v ■ •.

In Committee, the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was further considered, and the folio wing_ addition made, to clause 21" Sub-section B, for regulating and making provision for the construction of chimneys to icarry away smoke from engines, for protection from sparks therefrom, and for prevention of nuisances from smoke." Clause 24 was struck out. Clause 29, burgesses to havo only one vote, was struck out, on a division,, by 37 to 8. Clause 30, gasworks, was struck out. Mr. Moss proposed as a new clause, that instead of printing proposed by-laws in cxtcnso in a newspaper, it be sufficient that an abstract be published, together with published notice that by-laws oy laws in cxtcnso are posted in a conspicuous place within the borough. The House divided : Ayes 14, noes 19. July 22. A number of new clauses were added to the Municipal Corporations Bill,' which was then reported with amendments, and the report was ordered to be considered a month hence, so as to give the Municipalities time to consider the measure as amended. The House adjourned ai 1.45 a.m.