HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NATIVE LAND BILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 15

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NATIVE LAND BILL.

The House went into committee on the Native Land Bill. Mr PRA.TT suggested an alteration iv the short title to the effect that the bill should only

apply to the North Island, and not to have ef: ect over any land in the South Island. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON asked whebher Mr Pratt desired that Native land in the South Island should remain in the hands of the public trustee. Mr PRATT said there was no power given in tte bill to take the management out of the public trustee's hands. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON thought Mr Pratt did not understand the bill, which was simply to allow the Natives to dispose of their lands in the same manner as Europeans. The clause passed on the voices. Clause 3. — Native Land Administration Act repealed. Mr TAIWHANGA spoke at great length in opposition to the clause, and proceeded to read a lengthy letter on the Treaty of Waitangi in Maori. The CHAIRMAN ruled him out of order on the ground that he was trifling with the committee in n t speakings to the clause before it. Mr TAIWHANGA then moved that the chairman leave the chair, and resumed reading the letter, with the assistance of an interpreter. Several points of order were raised while the letter was being read, but the CHAIRMAN ruled that Me Taiwhanga was in order, having moved that the chairman leave the chair. Mr TANNER asked whether Mr Taiwhanga's remarks required to be interpreted, seeing that the House was in committee. Mr HAMLIN said that if there was a desire on the part of the committee that his remarks should nob be inberpreted, ho should enforce it, as there was no reason why hon. • members should tire out the interpreter. Mr TAIWHANGA again went on to object to the bill, and said if clause 3 were withdrawn he should not object so strongly. He did not object to the bill dealing with Native lands, but he wished it postponed till the Native chiefs met the Native Minister. He then read a pamphlet by Mr Mackay on the subject of Native lands. Sir G. GREY said he believed the bill if passed in its present form would result in the destruction of the Native race, and would also prove very injurious to Europeans. He protested against certain individuals being allowed in this manner to acquire large tracts of land, and said that no person not acquainted with Native customs had any chance of purchasing land under this bill. He had prepared certain clauses, which he should move when the proper time case. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON asked whether the hon. gentleman would submit the clauses to the Government. Sir G. GREY said he would not be questioned iv that way. He was not quite sure where the clasues would best come in. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON replied that if the hon. gentleman refused to meet the Government in the matber, be would vote to get his clauses moved in his own way. Mr TAIWHANGA asked whether the Governmenb would withdraw the third clause of the bill. The Hon. E. MITCHELSON : No. Mr TAIWHANGA then said he should have to continue bis opposition, and proceeded to read the remainder of the pamphlet, which had been interrupted by the dinner adjournment. He continued reading extracts till 9.30 p.m.,' when Mr SCOBIE MACKENZIE rose to a point of order, and asked whether a member could be allowed to quote extracts in this wholesale fashion — such as he had never known previously. Mr TAIPUA said Mr Taiwhanga was .only acting in the same manner as other members had done, and he hoped the House would nob disapprove of his action. The CHAIRMAN ruled that Mr Taiwhanga was not out of order. Mr TAIWHANGA again rose and said he should at once withdraw his opposition if the Government consented to drop the third clause of the bill. He continued speaking and reading ! obher extracts. He resumed speaking in Maori and said, " If there is a God m Heaven I hope He will oppose this bill and sofben the hearts of the members who are supporting it. There are 30,000 natives in New Zealand who will be killed by this bill. I will talk against it as long as I have breath in my body. I shall hot cease talking, but will go on for hours, and if the House does not approve of my speaking in the Native language I will go back again and read that; pamphlet. If that is not right I will go on talking in Maori. Mr FISH, at 10 30, said as it was evident Mr Taiwhanga was speaking to the galleries, he moved — "That the galleries be cleared with the exception of the ladies' gallery." Carried by 29 to 26. THE WORKING RAILWAYS. This afternoon a return was laid on the table dealing with the report of the Railway Commission, issued on July 24, 1884. This report recommended that certain lines should be proceeded with without delay. The return shows the length of the lines made in accordance with this recommendation, the names of the contractors, whether the said lines pay working expenses, and the number of trains each way. Of the lines built by the Government on such recommendation the Opawa to Blenheim, the Tinwald and Mount Somers, the Oxford to Sheffield, the Windsor to Livingstone, and the Edendale to Fortrose do not pay working expenses. The trains on the lines mentioned run from one daily to ten -weekly. The Waimate branch extension and the Duntroon-Haka-teramea (built under the District Railways Act) have respectively two trains weekly and qne , daily. As regards these two lines the verdict also is that they do not pay working expenses. LABOUR SETTLEMENTS. At midnight last night hour after the House rose) a deputation of members waited on the Premier with a view of urging the Government to take steps to reduce the number of unemployed, and at the same time promote settlement. The deputation pointed out that there were at present numbers of men residing in the vicinity of towns who were unable to obtain work, and suggested that the Government should acquire land in districts where work was available and settle these men upon it. It was thought that the Government might buy land upon the tender system-j-t.e., by inviting offers from persons willing to sell, and then either let or sell it to labourers in small allotments of from five to ten acres. As to the tenure to be given there is some difficulty, but the perpetual lease seems to be most in favour, on the ground that under it there would bs no possibility of the labourers disposing of their land and thus probably playing into tho hands of large

MoxstKun Tame oy the Beauty of "English lapiks. The point which seems particularly to have i a pressed itself upon the rcind of this brilliant fr 1 ench writer, with respect to " English beauties." ! s ihe "d-zzling" purity of their complexions." Doubtless, nature has richly endowed our countrywomen in this respect, but art has do-ie no less, in .••ipijlving such an exquisite preparation as Rowr.vxus' Kaltdor, which so far aids nature as to remove freckles, tau, sunburn, prickly heat, redness md roughness of the skin, produces a pure and ielicate complexion, and has a most soothing and purifying effect on the skin during the heat and lust of summer or cotf and damp of winter. Ask :hemistß for 1 Rowlands' KaliYdob.

owners. It is clearly understood, however, that the conditions should not in any way be those of the village settlements, but simply that, the land should be disposed of on easy terms, and the idea is that the holders of it might live upon it in the winter whea work is scarce. The Premier gave the deputation a patient hearing, and promised to give the subject his earnest attention. LEGISLATIVE JUSTICE. The Minister of Justice has an idea that every member of the Legislature should be in the commission of the peace. I hear on good authority that he intends shortly to issue a circular to members of both Houses informing them th>vt he is willing to make those who desire the honour, justices of the peace. MARKET TICKETS. Mr Fulton informs me that he intends to bring under the notice of the Government the glaring anomaly which exists in the matter of market tickets on the railways. His attention has been directed to the subject by the case which recently occurred at Timaru, in which a passenger travelled to Washdyke on a market return ticket. He made use of the market ticket to proceed the greater portion of the journey and then paid the ordinary fare for the rest of the distance. He was sued by the railway authorities, and was forced to pay the full fare for the entire distance. Mr Fulton contends that it is simply absurd to adopt such an inquisitorial system, and asks how are the authorities to know, or why should they bother themselves, about the destination of travellers so long as they comply with the rules regarding the payment of the fares advertised. « THE MAIL SERVICE. A return showing the quautity of cargo carried to and from New Zealand by the San Francisco mail steamers, as well a3 by the direct mail steamers for the 12 months ended 31st December 1887 was laid on the table this, after-, noon. From this it a^ears thab the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers brought cargo inwards to the weight of 19,687 tons, and took cargo outwards to the weight of 16,854 tons. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's steamers brought cargo inwards weighing 23,101 tons, and took cargo outwards to the weight of 21,400 tons. The San Francisco service brought inwards 1335 tons, and took outwards 569 tons. From this it will be seen thab the San Francisco service is a long way behind the other services in the carriage of imports and exports. SCAB IN SHEEP. I learn that the Stock department have received a cablegram to the effecb that Western Australia is now free from scab. New Zealand is at the present time the only infected colony of the Australasian group. THE FENCING ACT. This forenoon a meeting of members interested in the Fencing Act Amendment Bill was held, when it was resolved that the following should be the definition of a legal fence : — One barb wire and six plain wires, or two barb ones and four plain ; distance between the posts, 9ft ; no barb wire fence to be erected on the side of a street or road line in any town, district, or borough. CUSTOMS REVENUE. It is satisfactory to note that the customs revenue for the quarter, which included one month of -the new tariff, was £24,000 larger thau that for the corresponding quarter of 1887. Small as were the June returns iv comparison with May, they nevertheless exceed by £2220 those of June 1887, although on that occasjon there hadbeen no previous speculative clearances, aud the customs revenue for the two months May and June 1888 (the new tariff being in the fore part of one month, and the whole of the other) was no less than £44,732, larger than that of May and June 1887. The month of July shows a recovery of £15,000 after the reaction of June, in which month the customs fell nearly one-half as compared with May, the receipts being only £79,402. FAIR RENT BILL. Mr Valentine has given notice of his intention to ask "Whether in view of the fate of the Fair Rent Bill the Government will this session introduce fresh legislation for the amelioration of the condition of Government settlers. In connectiou with this question I am in a position to state that the Minister for Lands is anxious to bring in a short bill of one clause to effect The object aimed at by Mr Valentine. It is intended to hold a Cabinet meeting to-morrow to consider the matter.