IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 313, 28 November 1857, Page 6

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

NEW 2EALAND GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT BILL. Mr. Laboucbere, on the 20th July, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the act for granting a representative constitution to the colony of New Zealand. Its main <>bjt»ct was to carry into effect certain resolutions which had been passed by the Legislature of New Zealand, and to give to the central legislative authorities of that colony the power, with ihe consent of the Crown, of rendering (as we understood) the second chambers elective.

Sir J. Trelawny complained of the manner in which the natives were induced to part with land at low prices, and upon the faith of promises which were violated. He was informed, on the authority of a gentleman .who had been employed by the Government, that, within his knowledge, 1,900,000 acres of land, the greater portion of it worth 10s. an acre, had been obtained for 3d. an acre, the natives having been induced to sell the laud on pro. mises that schools and hospitals should be built, and that they should receive other advantages, while those promises had never been fulfilled. He maintained that it was the duty of the Government to protect the interests of the natives. Mr. Labouchere felt the importance of acting with strict honour and good faith towards the native tribes. V\ hatever opinions might be entertained with regard to the treaty of Waitangi, its provisions, whether wise or unwise, ought to be strictly and faithfully observed. After careful enquiry he wus satisfied, from the testimony of per. sons in New Zealand, ecclesiastical and lay, who had distinguished themselves by their scrupulous regard for the welfare of the native population, that the extinction of tribal rights was most desirable, not only for the interests of the community at large, but especially for those of the native tribes themselves. On the 7th August the Bill was read a third time and passed. NEW ZEALAND LOAN GUARANTEE BILL. Mr. Labouchere moved the second reading of this Bill. Sir J. Trelawney trusted that the House would be informed why this country was asked to guarantee a loan of £500,000 to New Zealand. Of that sum £120,000 vi as to be appropriated to purposes connected nith the colonial debt; £200,000 was to be paid to the New Zealand Company, and £180,000 to be applied towards the extinction of the rights of tlie natives in iheir lands. The colony of New Zealand could obtain the loan in the money market at 8 per ceut., and he did not see why the British Government should, under the circumstances, guarantee a loan with respect to which it was anything but certatn that tlie security was good. He moved that the sum be reduced to £300,000. Mr. W. Williams seconded the amendment. He could not conceive wliy, in the present pressure upon the finances of the country, the Government should give this guarantee. Mr. Laboucbere said the purpose of the Bill was to enable the Government to guarantee a loan of £500,000 for the colouy of New Zealand, and thereby to assist that colony in the financial difficulties in which it was involved, to effect certain important political objects. When he assumed the administration of the Colonial-office, he found that the noble lord the member for London, had written a despatch offering to recommend that Parliament should guarantee a loan to New Zealand to the amount of £200,000, in order to enable that colony to wind up the long and complicated affair which had arisen out of tlrt? relations between the New Zealand Company and the colony. The answer to that proposal came to him, and was to the effect that the colony had declared by its Legislature that it did not think itself justified in accepting it, if confined merely to the object mentioned ; that the settlement of that ariair would affect only a portion of New Zealand, and that the object of the loan should be enlarged and made more general. Consequently, the legislature of New Zealand passed an act authorising a loau of £500,000 instead of £200,000. A guarantee for the loan of £500,000 was therefore asked for by the colony. He felt it his duty to look most carefully into the subject, and he came to the conclusion that the reasons given liy the colony for the extension of tlie loan were good and valid. The committee looked into the question of security, and it was plain that unless the colony should be guilty of a gross breach of faith, it must have abundant means to pay the debt, the Customs' duties yielding £100,000 a-year, and the land fund £80,000. He believed the proposed guarantee was most essential to the interests of the colony of Nevr Zealand, and that the loan would enable it to place its financial and political affairs on a substantial footing. Sir J. Graham could not say that he was a great admirer of the Constitution of New Zealand. The Constitution was federal, including six Provinces, and the effect of a heavy debt might be to render it the interest of the Federal Government to repudiate such debt. The collection of the colonial Customs' duties was entirely in the hands of the Central Government; and consequently, if the Central Government should think it inexpedient to continue high Customs' duties — a measure which might diminish the secuiity for the debt — although they could not reduce those duties without the consent of the Home Government, they might, unless the reduction of the duties was assented to, be brought into collision with the Government of the j mother country. It appeared that the Representalive Chamber of New Zealand had not approved by a unanimous vote the course now proposed by her Majesty's Government. His objections to this measure were strong and deep-seated. The Chancellor of the Exchequer admitted that there were strong objections to imposing upon the consolidated fund a guarantee for a colonial loan of £500,000, but he asked the House to consider the position of this question. By an Act of the 10th and llthof Victoria, it was provided that if the New Zealand Company closed their proceedings within a limited period, their debt to the Crown should be remitted, and a sum of £268,000 should be charged upon the lands of the colony. The Compauy fulfilled the condiiion, and they were thereby relieved from the debt due to the Crown, while the colony became indebted to them in the sum of £268,000. Lord John Russell proposed that the Imperial Government should offer to guarantee loans to the extent of £200,000. Tbe Company, he believed, were willing to accede to the arrangement, and the proposition was submitted to the colonists, who rejected it on the ground that it would not effect a complete settlement of the difficulty, inasmuch as further embarrassment bad been caused by the treaty of Waitangi, which sanctioned the principle that the land of a portion of New Zealand did not belong to the British Crown, but was vested in the native tribes. The consequence was, that as population and industry increased, the colonists were unable to obtain land without a purchase by the Government. This state of things was attributable to the legislation of the mother country, and there could be no doubt that the progress of the colony would be materially promoted by the extinction of the native rights. With that object, in addition to the guarantee of £200,000, the colony asked for a further guarantee of

£\ BO,OOO j and there were again other liabilities, amounting to about £120,000, which it was desirable that the colouj should have the means ot meeting. The total sum for which a guarantee was asked amounted, therefore, to £500,000. The colony of New Zealand was in its infancy ; it was in a temperate climate, where Englishmen could labour in the open air; its soil was fruitful; and there was a fair prospect that, if the colonial Government acted with good faith, they would be able to pay the interest of the loan, and to provide a small sinking fund annually for the extinction of the debt. Mr. Adderley thought that, as a fair opportunity was now afforded of getting rid of this debt by a composition upon very favourable terms, it was quite as much, the interest of this country as of the colony of New Zealand to close with the" offer. The debt had been created under the policy of , the Imperial Parliament, and the colonists might therefore justly claim the assistance of the mother country for its liquidation. With Regard to the question whether or not the security' was satisfactory, he might observe that the proposed loan amounted to £500,000, which was expected to be raised at 4 per cent., with 2 per cent, for a fund, and the colonial revenues upon which this debt would be secured amounted at present to £180,000 a-year. From the rapid progress made by the colony within the last tour years, he thought there could be no doubt as to the sufficiency of the security. It was quite absurd, in his opinion, to suppose that the colony would make any attempt to escape the burden of the loan and throw it upon the Imperial Parliament. Sir H. Wiixocghby thought that if there was any pecuniary claim on the part of the New Zealand Company it should be treated directly and separately, and that the Imperial Government should eater into a distinct arrangement with the colonial authorities. It appeared to him, however, that the measure before the House would only lay the foundation of a financial squall in the colony. Mr. C. Foetescue supported the Bill, observing that the proposed loan would enable the funds dorived from the sales of lands in New Zealand to be applied to the encouragement of emigration, to the formation of roads, and the construction of public works; and, considering the growing prosperity of the colony, there could be no doubt as to the sufficiency of the security. The Bill was committed after an ineffectual attempt on the part of Mr. Henley to reduce the loan from £500,000 to £320,000, and was afterwards read a third time and passed. SALES OP WASTE LANES (NEW ZEALAND). Mr. J. A. Smith obtained leave to bring in a Bill for discharging the claims of the New Zealand Company on the proceeds of sales of waste lands in New Zealand, the object of which was, he said, simply to enable the New Zealand Company to ac cept the sum of £200,000 (part of the £500,000 granted under the last Bill) in lieu of their claim of £208,000). The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that an advance of £260,000 made to the New Zealand Company had been remitted under the authority of the 10th and 11th of Victoria, chap. IJ2. The Bill was passed.

Edinburgh — Departure of the 34th Regiment for India. — On Tuesday, the military changes which have taken place in Edinburgh in consequence of the 34th ltegiraent being drafted for sen ice in the East Indies gave rise to considerable interest in the city, owing probably to the general favour and esteem which the regiment has gained by its quiet and orderly conduct while quartered here, joined to a kindly recollection of its recent gallant services in the Crimea. About noon the first detachment of the Ist battalion of the Rifle Brigade arrived by the Caledonian Railway from Aldershott, and marched by Princes Street and the Mound to the Castle, preceded by the band of the 34th Regiment. A second detachment, completing the battalion, arrived at the barracks about two o'clock ; and in less than an hour afterwards the 34th Regiment paraded inside the Castle, prior to their departure. Notwithstanding the active recruitment which has recently been carried on in order to augment the corps to the requisite strength for active service, the number of rank and file on parade was only about 700, and it is stated that numerous desertions have taken place since the destination of the regiment has become known. At a quarter past three o'clock the regiment, preceded by their own band and that of the Rifle Brigade, filed through the Castle gates — the former playing the appropriate air of " Home, Sweet Home'' — and were received with deafening cheers by the immense crowd which had assembled to witness their departure. The scene was almost a repetition of the 4th Regiment, three years since. There was the same relaxation of military discipline; the same train of wives and children, sweethearts and friends — many of whom were to be seen inarching arm-in-arm in the ranks with the soldiers ; and the same random shaking of hands betwixt soldiers and citizens, many of whom probably had never seen each other before, and never, it may be, will see each other again. At the foot of the Mound the band of the sth Dragoons joined their old brethren-in-arms, aud, amid the cheering of the spectators, the regiment proceeded along Princes Street, and, turning into Charlotte Square, by South, Charlotte Street, halted before the dwelling of their veteran commander, General Brisbane. Accompanied by a lady, the gallant General appeared at a window. He seemed much affected at the scene ; and his farewell to his favourite corps was answered by three hearty cheers from the entire body— the united bands striking up the lively air of "I'm Ninety-five." Leaving the General's house, the -regiment arrived at the railway station at four o'clock! .. Here the scene was at once animated and affecting— the hilarity of the young and untrammelled recruit, drowning care in a friendly parting-glass, contrasting strangely with the sadder farewells of the married men and their families. The arrangements, however, were excellent ; and precisely at 5 o'clock, the train, consisting Of thirty carriages, propelled by three locomotives, moved away amidst the farewell cheers of the large crowd of spectators.— August 1. The Electric Telegraph.— Mr. Edward Highlon, C.E., of Leicester, has just completed his patent for, firstly, sending telegraphic messages both ways through one and the same wire, at the same instant, without the messages interfering iv any way with each other; secondly, for preventing the destruction of a wire in the sea or under ground ; and, thirdly, for mending a decayed telegraphio wire in the (pecan without leaving the land. — Land, papdr, August 16.