Tuesday, August 14. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 16

Tuesday, August 14. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

BILLS DEALT WITH. The following bills were committed, read a third time, and passed '. — Proclamation Validation, Sheep Act Amendment, Tobacco Act Amendment, Customs Duties Consolidation Act 1882 Amendment Bill. The Hon. E. C. J. STEVENS moved the committal of the Rating Act Amendment Bill. The Hon. Dr POLLEN considered there was no hurry for the measure this session. He would not move an amendment, but hoped the Government would withdraw it for the present. The Hons. Swanaon, Whitmore, and Shrimski held similar views. The Hon. E. C. J. STEVENS hoped the Council would agree to the committal of the bill and then discuss the clauses which were objectionable. This course was agreed to, and on the motion of the Hon. Dr POLLEN clauses from 2 to 9 inclusive were struck out, together with the schedule. The bill was then reported with amendments. The Hon. E. C. J. STEVENS moved that the amendments of the House of Representatives made in the Rivers Boards Act Amendment Bill be agreed to. The Hon. Dr POLLEN Spoke against the motion, and moved the adjournment of the debate till to-morrow. HOUSP OF REPRESENTATIVES. BEEACH OF PJRIVILBGE. " The House met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. W. J. M. LARNACH said he wished to refer to a personal matter. A newspaper called the New Zealand Herald, published in Auckland, had been placed in his hands containing a scurrilous and libellous attack on him in connection with his recent visit to the South. It might be recollected that he recentlj had suddenly to go to his home in the South in consequence of illness in hi 3 family, and this paper had taken up the circumstance which occurred while he was away in a most scurrilous manner, referring to him as though his absence was on business, and that bis statement about illness in his family was only an excuse to be away attending to bis own affairs. He was detained in the South until a very serious operation had been performed, and to his surprise when he returned he found thai this article had been published. He was leaving New Zealand shortly, and if this article was to be published in papers in Australia where be intended to reside it would do very great injury to his character. He had therefore brought the matter up in the House, and asked that tho article of which he complained should be read by the clerk. The Clerk then read the article. It was based on a question asked in the House by Mr Hobbs aa to whether Mr Larnach was to draw his honorarium while he was in Australia. The article assumed that Mr Larnach had really gone away on business, and saJd Mr Hobbs deserved the thanks of New Zealand for briug«»& the matter forward. The Hon. Mr LARNACH remarked that dnring the J2 years be had been in the House be

had never drawn his honorarium when he wa away from the country, and he thought when there was sickness in his family such a question should not have been raised. , He moved therefore that a breach of the privileges.of the House had been committed. Mr HOBBS said that when he had found what was the cause of Mr Larnach's absence he at once telegraphed expressing regret that he had brought the matter up, and received from Mr Larnach a telegram accepting his apology. He regretted very much he had mentioned Mr Larnach's name with respect to a general question. He should make further inquiries with a view to finding out whether other members had not done the same thing. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON said there was no doubt that a gross libel had been committed by the publication of the article in question. Mr Larnach had done well to bring the matter before the House. He was unable however to see how the House could deal satisfactorily with it, and he thought Mr Larnach's character was too, widely known to require justification of this kind. At the same time he should be glad to assist the hon. gentleman in any way that he thought was necessary to clear I his character. It was rather unfortunate that Mr Hobbs should have brought the matter forward in the manner he had done, and he regretted to see there was a desire in some quarters to hold the public men of the colony up to reprobation. They could not complain, however, if this were done when their own members took an action of this kind. He was not aware what action the hon. gentleman proposed to take, but he was prepared to assist him in whatever course he pursued. He would 3uggest, however, that the article in question should be declared a breach of privilege, and that Mr Larnach should then bring an action againsbthe newspaper. After further discussion, in which several members censured Mr Hobbs for the action he had taken and bore testimony to Mr Larnach's high personal character, the question was put that a breach of privilege had been committed, which was carried on the voices. The Hon. Mr LARNACH then moved that the proprietor and publisher of the paper (Horton and Wilson) be brought to the bar of the House at half-past 2 o'clock on Tuesday next. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON said he saw no good to be gained by this proceeding. His experience (and it had been a lengthy one) had been that they had always failed in punishing persons who had offended in this manner. He hoped Mr Larnach would see his way to withdraw his resolution and allow the matter to stand as at present with the opinion of the House as given by the first resolution. Sir JOHN HALL took a similar view, but feltthat Mr Larnach had only done his duty in calling attention to such a gross breach of the House's privileges. He hoped, however, that he would now allow the matter to drop; but he should feel bound to vote for his resolution if he persevered in it. He agreed with the Premier that they could not satisfactorily deal with an offence of this kind, and he had never known a satisfactory issue io come from it. Mr FULTON hoped Mr Larnach would content himself with the unanimous expression of the House that a breach of privilege had been committed, and wou'd not pursue the matter any further. Mr R. J. REEVES attacked Mr Hobbs in very trenchant style, alluding to that gentleman's assumption of sanctity. Mr Reeves read the telegram sent by Mr Larnach to Mr Hobbs after receiving that gentleman's message. The telegram was as follows : — " Dunedin, 20th July, Mr Hobbs, M.H.R.,— Whether on public or other grounds your reference to my slight absence was unfriendly, unmanly, and contemptible, but as a fleeting shadow of delicacy has passed over you I accept your apology. — W. J. M. Labnach." Several other speakers having spoken, The Hon. Mr LARNACH said he was entirely in the hands of the House, and if the House wished him to withdraw his resolution he was quite willing to do so. Mr FITZHERBERT suggested that if the proprietor and publisher or' the paper did not apologise before Tuesday next, they should he called to the bar on that day. Mr MOSS, as an Auckland member, defended the proprietors of the paper in question, and said he felt sure they would not wilfully offend in this manner ; but he pointed out that the charge was originally made by Mr Hobbs, and a statnment coming from such a source would naturally be accepted by the proprietors in preference to information received in any ordinary way. Mr W. P. REEVES (St. Albans) felt no doubt that the paper in question, which they all knew to be a respectable journal, had been misled in the matter, as their correspondent had obtained information which no doubt they thought we 5 correct. He was well acquainted with the proprietors and publishers ef the paper, and he was certain if their attention was drawn to the resolution of the House an ample apology would be forwarded. He would suggest as a motion that the article in the New Zealand Herald was untruthful and improper, and that the attention of the proprietors be called to it. Mr LANCE said he felt convinced that Mr Larnach should allow this matter to drop, and he for his part should treat everything connected with it with contempt. Mr HOBBS denied that he had furnished any information to the press on this matter. Mr BEETHAM hoped the member for the Peninsula would accept expression of opinion of the House and withdraw his motion, but if he pressed it to a division he should be compelled to vote for it. He considered r ewspapers were but the reflex of the opinions of mttrubers, and he agreed with the Premier that members should be very careful in the statements they made in reference to other members. Mr LARNACH then withdrew his motion. Mr SEDDQN said that they should do more than this, and he moved — "That 'the House express its sympathy with the member for Peninsula, and regret 'that such unwarranted, untruthful, and libellous assertions respecting him, which reflected on every member of the I House, should have been made by the newspaper in question." Messrs FRASER and LAWRY expressed regret that the article had appeared, but they exonerated the proprietors from blame in the matter. Mr Seddon's motion was agreed to on the voices, and the matter dropped. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Mr VALENTINE asked the Premier whether in view of the fate of the Fair Rent Bill, the Government will introduce this session fresh legislation for ameliorating the condition of Government settlers throughout the colony. The Hon. Sir H. A. ATKINSON said the Government hoped to be able to make some proposals on the subject. Mr VERRALL asked the Minister for Public Works whether he will call for tenders for black pine sleepers at the present time instead of four months later. The Hon. E. MITCHELSON said the Government had already a very large stock of sleepers on hand, and until that stock was exhausted no fresh tenders would be asked for. NATIVE LAND COURT BILL. The Native Lands Court Bill was then pon-

sidered in committee and passed before the House rose. THE NATIVE BILLS. I have been " sounding " several of " the lords " in order to ascertain their views on the Native Policy Bills of the Government. From all I can learn, I believe that it is very probable the measures will be thrown out by the Council.' In the event of the bills being passed by the Council the Native chiefs, now assembled in Wellington, intend to wait in a body as a deputation on his Excellency the Governor requesting him not to assent to the measures. Should the Governor prove deaf to their prayer the chiefs will immediately petition the Queen, and it is on the tapis that three leading chiefs will proceed to England for the purpose of presenting the petition to her Majesty in person. Wednesday, August 15. In the House of Representatives to-day it was decided to disagree with the Council's amendments in the Mining Act Amendment Bill. The Native Lands Bill was again considered, and finally passed. The Ocean Mail Service resolutions were postponed until next day, and the District Railways Purchasing Act Amendment Bill was considered in committee, the House beiug engaged on it when the telegraph office closed. . LABOUR SETTLEMENTS. The pertinacity of Major Steward in the matter of the labour settlement has had the effect desired. The Premier this afternoon aunouueed hia intention of placing £10,000 on the Supplementary Estimates tor the purpose of establishing labour settlement in the Middle Island. The Premier's announcement is not likely to be received with much favour by the Northern members, who think that such a concession to the Southern representatives 13 a onesided arrangement. Sir G. Grey is opposed to it, and argues that it is playing into the hands of the wealthy to plant numbers of labourers on patches of land adjacent to the large estates, so that cheap labour may be always at hand. Sir George thinks that the system is likely to prodace a race of serfs. Major Steward informs me that he decires to get £25,000 for the project, but he is glad to take £10,003 as an instalment. He predicts that the labour settlements scheme will turn out a great success. THE SEACLIFF ASYLUM. It is considered in well-informed circles here that the subsidence which has taken place in the Seacliff Asylum building bears out the architects contention that the subsidence from the first has been due to the gradual movement of the top strata down the inclined face of the sublying rock foundation, and not to any defect in the foundations of tho building itself. The remedy proposed is that an isolated drain be put in to drain the water from above, or an interposed wall of rubble which would check the downward pressure of the superincumbent soil. The north wing has subiided from 2iin to 3in.