PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 86, 11 December 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

j WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. £Peb Peess, Association.] Wellington, December 10. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. | The Hon. ,F. H. D. Bell explained jthe provisions of the Native Land "Bill, on a motion that the Council go into Committee on the Bill His speech was on the lines of that of the Native. Minister in the Lower House., The Councils went into Committee on the Bill, jtnd pas'sed->it< without dis : cussion. "'l' ii ••■ ; ■" i ■■ i - ; - i the Bill was read a third time and passed. ;j ;i >''\ •> > '■ •na-'-KK The Council rose at 0.0 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House resunled at 7.30 p.m. After the! second reading of the' West Coast Settlement Reserves Bill : had been debated, the Hon. W. 'Eraser moved that the House go into commit-, tee on the Mines Amendment Bill. He ! explained 'tha't the Bill was considerably modiiied, at the request of the Mines Committee, in order to secure its passage this session. The House went into Committee on the Hill: i ■ « ■ '•••' ' ,: ■

W ESlj COAST LEASES. In the afternoon the 'Hon. W. H. 'Hemes moved the .second" reading of the West Coast .Settlement Reserves Bill, which, lie .explained,-provided for a compromise between the natives and the present tenants. The native's were getting; the,'fruition;, of their wants, but they had to wait ten years for it, and hecbntended thal;,;the arrahsement was satisfactovy to. the natives. After the expiry of that term the land passed from the eontrOlof the

Public Trustee and reverted to the natives. The European lessees shortened the teXln of their leases from twrity-one years to ten years, at the >nd of which time they surrendered their leases, receiving full compensation for improvements. The'Bill,'to'his blind, was the best solution of a very thorny subject. Sir James Carroll protested against bhe lack of 'information 'ijfr'oVded by bli" G over ninety t' concerning 'the Bill.

•! T)ie debateit was .continued), by Dr who protested that an in •iistice was, bsihg done to the natives ijhd by Mr|'L| M. tfsrtt'and Mr'C. A .Vilkinso'n. i \ '""'.'

The Hoiifeeij adjourned "ty 5.30| p.m. , ind resnm.ed fat 7so ; jp.in'.' 'The Hon. br. Pomare ■ "contended ■' Mit If';£lle ivfaori were unfit-qto care '.'. .Mvli'is Mvhjniserestsl.'as the Opposition f tM * e t!he members;bf the Opposition so "solicitous to .put mm on i Native Land Board, where he would. 'iave power to deal with his own and uth land?'.\l)r. Ppautw eviewed the 'legislation of past Governments. The Maoris had been told l ■»« ■tj.ie.-.past that their _ tears would he viiqwA ''avviyi iut an old <Maori fi(/ i Wsfai> Ytf foir \promises, had, to Jim: "The herriwgnis' a| Hniiill iish—birj-it is full of bones!»'' ' iS, MaeDoiiaik ttecl'aredj Hiat'ninny Of'ffio 1 statements which had.' P?' Pomare v'4fp, nb;oltr|f>ly'|ifld' i deliberately jun i tnis. t c,,.-He, Ja4;ifivbked.4he -Treaty of ; Waitangi,, ibut-.tlie ilisloyplty of the natives in : 'f\tra«iillv in-48p2 had put them out of > ,?{Vurt 'so ; far : a ! s ''that 'treaty-'•wta.sficonr., 'denied. jHe liad equally Represented ife caselw'ith jregard "W the" Com mission of 1910, which Sir Jaines "Carroll granted at the request of the Tara-> uiki 'pecjpje. But' it was significant |hflt there was not a line in the'Bill giving effect to the recommendations ; if the Commission. ■,, ' n The debate "'was continued by Mr W. A. D. Bell, Mr H. Atmore, and Air G. W. Kussell. " ' The Minister rcfte in reply at eleven >'clock. Mr;'Hemes, declared '{hat rfhoh of the:opposition'to'the'Bill \v'as : lue to a misconception of 'the itrue tature of theJlMabri. ■ '■>* I

On the question that the Bill be ead a second/ time, a division was •ailed for. The motion was carried by '56 votes'to 20.; ! . "'.■'■■• ' Later in thd night the House went ; into Committee on the West-Coast Settlement Reserve's Bill. ~'. -'At 1.30 a.m. an amendment, moved \ IV Or. Rangihiroa, to increase the rent i'rom'4 rier cent: to s'per ceiit. vas rejected by .'ll votes to 15. Wellington, December IV. After the Telegraph Office closed, 'he House continued in committee on. the West Coast '"Settlement"Reserves' Hill. All amendments mov hi by the Native members were del'entel L>n L 1i visions, and the Bill passed unamended. On the Mining Bill go'ng into •ommitee, Mr Veitch protested against L .he slaughter of important chaises, and called for a division on the question that the amendments made by ; the Mines Committee be agreed to. | The motion was carried by 30 to 1.5, and the Bill parsed wit.i minor amendments. _ . Both Bills 'were then read h ihiv-i "| time and passed. ;:, - .••:..-. .....•,! The House:rose ! at - resumes : it' 1 o'clock.