GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 216, 18 August 1862, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS.

In the House of Representatives on Thursday, 7th August, the COLONIAL SECRETARY, in answer to a question from Mr. DICK, said that the Government had not yet had time to give the subject of further provision for the Government of the Middle Island, sufficient consideration. The Marine Boards Bill was read the first time. * The debate on Mr. FITZGERALD'S resolution was resumed, and on a division on the third resolution, was defeated by ,20 to 17. Mr. Fitzgerald then withdrew the remainder of his resolutions. On Friday, Bth August, the COLONIAL! SECRETARY, in reply to a question by MAJOR RICHARDSON, said that he was not aware of: theexistence of any memorandum by Ministers on the Duke of Newcastle Despatch on the subject of a Responsible Ministry.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY made an ex- ™ planation of the views of the Ministry on Re- f r sponsibility in Native Matters. In commenting a , upon the celebrated despatch of the Duke of New- n( castle, he (the Colonial Secretary) was opposed oi to a system of defence entirely by militia. It was tc the most expensive force that could be provided, di from the high rate of pay the men required, and from the fact that it drew the industrial classes °, from their ordinary occupations, and farming m pursuits were neglected to the impoverish- tb ment of the colony. He considered in that the attempt to enforce the establish- *a ment of a force of that kind would result in driving away the population. It appeared to him *J -that in the event of war, there would remain at no alternative but defence by regular troops, or si the ruin of the North Island. He was surprised w |at the evident intention of the Imperial Govern- "! | ment to force such a measure upon the colony, . I and considered that the Home Government tr seemed ready to abandon all its long cherished g< philanthropical ideas, and to disregard all it had t<j I hitherto considered necessary for the preservation lof the Native race. He could not pretend to say f l f I whether this colony would bear more taxation for w | the purposes of defence ; however if the present ty \ Ministry continued in office, they would before in | another session give their consideration to the T | subject, keeping in mind that, to stop public w I worts, upon which depended so much the pros- re j perity of the colony, a proceeding recommended tli Iby the Duke of Newcastle would be to retard lin the progress of the colony, and to destroy its! p' I future means of contributing to those expenses, jla |He thought that the House would agree with m Ministers.that they could not accept the full powers w | offered to them by the Duke of Newcastle, and he T 1 (the Colonial Secretary) thought that there was *" | great doubt whether the Imperial Government 1 S ! could really transfer the Natives to the Colonial j I 1( Government. It' the treaty of Waitangi was of jp; ; any value, it certainly ceded the government ofjh: ■ the Natives to the Queen, and not to the Coloay. j ** Ministers, therefore, proposed to leave the decision I lr ;of Native policy to the Governor. Ministers I ; would, if requested by the Governor, undertake ii r J the administration of Native affairs ; for it was Ig: \ obviously necessary that there should be some j ° kind of departmental establishment under the j** ; command of the Governor, to carry his policy j into execution. With Tespect to expenditure on n ; Native affairs, the proposition of the Ministry | f j amounted to this : that Ministers, by any advice j ° ; they might give, should not be held to bind the j 9 i Colony to any liability for any expenditure not j]l ■ authorised by the House. He was of opinion I v j that it would have been better if the Natives St! 1 had been first taught the power of the j British arms, and then the present policy might ! have been introduced with greater probability of : success. He agreed with the lion, member for c Ellesmcre that institutions, of a superior d ; character to those at present proposed to the Na- I n j tives, were necessary to drive any adherents from j P ! the King movement. He considered that the j ■ present system had been pressed too rapidly and j f ( ; urgently upon the Natives. He should propose i c ; that much more attention should be given, and S P | reliance placed on the establishment of strong j M ; European fe-ettlements on the outskirts of all the • f j old settled districts ; and he should propose to a S give the Governor power to raise a loan of at least v ! a million to carry out the scheme effectually. P I With resj>ect to Taranaki, the matter must be ]j | left entirely to the Governor, and His Excellency " | fully recognised the desirability of putting an end i g as speedily as possible to the lamentable state of 1 v things at that settlement. i The debute on the' Ministerial resolutions was J postponed till Tuesday week. a j The Trustees Relief Bill, and the Steam Navii gat ion Bill were passed. ) | The House then went into Committee of supply j on the report of the Select Committee of Com- ] i munication. The full discussion of the Panama j \ Route scheme was postponed until after the Go- j vernment had brought forward their financial statement. On Tuesday, August 12th, the COLONIAL . SECRETARY, in answer to Mr. DICK, stated ; that it was not the intention of the present Mm- 1 istry to propose tlio removal of the seat of Government, nor did he think that such a proposi- ' tion would be of any practical advantage. The Colonial Secretary further said, in reply to a | . J question from Mr. ; O'NEILL, that Provincial i • j Councils had power to pass Municipal Bills. ! | In reply to Mr. O'NEILL, the ATTORNEY- [ j GENERAL informed the House that a Hand- \ , book for the use of Justices was in course of com- i ; pilation by Judge Joluiston. J In reply to Mr. FOX, the COLONIAL SECRETARY said that the Ministry did not think it , desirable to take any steps this session towards i making any further provision for the ad- > ministration of the Government in the Middle Island. At a meeting between the | Government and the Middle Island members , the previous evening, the conclusion arrived at he understood to be a general opinion that there - should be a centralization of the whole executive. I The COLONIAL SECRETARY announced I that on the following Monday, the Government - would introduce some resolutions on the subject of b the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch. The Finan- £ cial statement would be made on the following Thursday, and a Native Land Bill would be in. . troduced on the following day. 1 A number of new bills were brought in by the '» ATTORNEY GENERAL, the honorable Mr, I RUSSELL, and the honorable Mr. BELL. d The'second reading of the Marine Board Bill c Tvas read by the lion. Mr. MANTELL, and its further consideration was postponed until the following Wednesday. The Naturalization Bill was read a second and third time, and passed. On a division as to the Native Land Bill introduced by the late Ministry, it was withdrawn by 15 to 10. The second reading of the Superintendents Nomination Bill was postponed until Thursday.