Bouse of Representatives.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 839, 19 July 1879, Page 2

Bouse of Representatives.

The afternoon sitting was occupied in answering questions, and introduction of new Bills. .* EVENING SITTING.

At the evening sitting, Mr. Shanks, the newly-elected member for Matura, moved the Address in Reply, explaining that he was solely responsible for the

having moved it at an earlier time, but blamed the older members for not having put him right, and so prevented his hampering the administration of affairs. His speech, in other respects, was a feeble echo of the Governor's. Mr. Reeves, in seconding the Address, deprecated bringing down a want of confidence motion. ONSLAUGHT BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. Sir William Fox made a long and fierce attack on the administration of the Ministry. He said the circumstances of the colony were too grave for the legislature to enter upon the amelioration of our social condition until they had first decided who was to conduct the administration. For 150 miles of the West Coast the Natives were in a state of disaffection. On the authority even of the Premier they liad it that a Native war was imminent. He stood to arraign the Government on a variety of charges of incapacity aud unconstitutional proceedings, and no time was to be lost in placing other men on those benches. There was nothing now in the great liberal programme developed in the Governor's speech. It was the speech the Premier had delivered on stump a year and a half ago and what came of it ? They had two-thirds of the House with them last session, yet they did nothing. The Electoral Hill and other measures could have been passed but for the caprice of the Premier. It was the same bill of fare this session, and the result would again be nothing if the same men were left to administer the affairs of the colony. Whatever branch of administration was looked at, — publio works or anything else they showed utter incapacity. Their conduct throughout was characterised by unconstitutional proceedings. Sir William Fox then mentioned instances, such as the Premier's attempt at the close of last session to withdraw the Land Hill, from the Hills presented to the Governor, as a trickster at oards sometimes concealed a card in shuffling. Another instance, was entering into railway contracts without the sanction of Parliament, and yet another was the railway it the Thames, and with respect to which the Premier had attempted to change the purposes of the House. Then only the other day, an attempt was made to pass the address without allowing tho House time to discuss its contents. The emergency which was supposed to exist for raising money must have been known a long time previous, and what whs the duty of the Ministry tu suoh case but to call Parliament together. He then spoke of the conduct of bhe Premier, who, he said, was getting more autocratic every day, evincing it towards his colleagues as well as the House, and in one memorable instance to the Governor of the colony. No Oabinet meetings were held, and all Sir George Grey's proceedings tended in the direction of setting up a personal Government. Great pretences were made about the rights of the people ; but those rights were to be cared for by one individual will — that of Sir George Grey. He then spoke of the disorganised state of the Civil Service ; of men being dismissed to give place to those who had done political service to Ministers, mentioning also Luckie's appointment over the heads who were better entitled to it. He then reviewed the circumstances leading to Ballance's resignation, saying that if that sort of thing was tolerated, we should soon hear of Ministers having recourse to the pistol and bo wie knife, to settle their differences. He behevied that those of Sir George Grey's colleagues, who remained, had had hard times too, and had eaten humble pie. Sir William next alluded to Native affairs, condemned Ministers for making love to King Natives, instead of letting the King movement die out. He then taunted them with touting for an invitation to the Kopua meeting, and getting insulted by Tawhiao. , He concluded with moving the insertion of the following clause in the address : — " We would beg to submit to your Excelleuoy, that in order to secure satisfactory results in the deliberations of Parliamement, and to facilitate tlie proper discharge of the functioua of Government, His Excellency's advisers should possess the confidence of the House, and we deem it our duty to represent to His Excellency that in the opinion of this House his present advisers have so neglected and mismanaged the administrative business of the Government of the colony, that they not possess the confidence of this House. " THE PREMIER'S REPLY. Sir George Gray, in reply stigmatized the speech of Sir William Fox as a piece of great buffoonery altogether unworthy of the occasion. He then went on at a great length to explain why he had attempted to withdraw the Land Bill from those placed before the G -vernor, charging a few men, some of them members of the House, with monopolising millions of acres of land. Which would Bupport thousands of families if cut up into small sections. He contended that it was distinctly understood that the Thames- Waikato Railway should pass through Grahamstown. As to the Loan Bill, he said he did not know until last Wednesday, that the Governor would not assent to it until his speech was replied to. He denied that the had stood in the way of holding Cabinet meetings, and charged the Taranaki difficulty to the lute Ministry. He said he knew what he would have to meet when he brought down a Liberal policy, but people would yet say they would have it carried out. The privileged class had tried to keep the masses as the laborer w.is in England, — in a state of serfdom. The debate was continued by Mr. Rolleston and Mr. Moss, and then Mr. Seymour George moved its adjournment. The House rose at 12.35, till Tuesday. *