Parliamentary.

Colonist, Volume XIX, Issue 2281, 8 September 1877, Page 3

Parliamentary.

=' ; ■ Wellington, September 6. „' Tlbe Law Societies Act Amendment Billj arid City' of Wellington Loan Consolidation Act Amendment Bill, pfissecl .through Committee.1 There was a long discussion on an address to the Gtoveraor to carry out the recommendations of the 43-old fields Committee regarding rewards for new discoveries. The motion was carried with an ameri'*menti'that in estimating the!l population on goldfields^ Chinese are not to count, and that rewards be payable for a,now class of workings on old fields; :'' l: In Committee on the Local Option Bill, clauses 2, 6,^, 8 were struck out without, a division. The further consideration of the' Bill was postponed for a w.eek.' : -':- :■ ':: :' •■■ ■' ■'''■'"•' [ '" ''"■ ' A'''conference' with the Legislative Council was appointed regarding the disagreement on the Auckland Highway -Districts Validation BiU. The House rose at 12.20 a.m. The .House met at 2*30 this afternoon. Replying to questions, Ministers said—(l) That it wai intended Ito appoint a commission to inquire into the,pdnedin High School disputes; (2) That the Q-OTernmenibLwould make enquiries about establishing a post-offioe at Dellmainto.wri, near Kumara ; and (3). That endeavors would be made to improve the nayigatjon of Kaipara,l Harbor. ' The Native Land Salesi:Suspension Bill was introduced by Major Atkinson. '•■ ■ ', Mr, VS^akefield's motion^ that the naanusoript statement read, by Q-eorgei Jones at the bar of the House, and furnished ,by himto the; Clerk for tha convenience of the House, be returned to Air Jones, was agreed toi ■'.■■ i■■ i;-.' ■'.'■ •:■;■)■ '■ '■ ■'■^■'- ]- •-";■■'' i' :u'l !:;' !if Mr J'oxls motion for returns coiineotedi with; gambling and selling . liquors ):o th,e natives—the (debate ton which, jW^s : interrupted yesterday '-f-yt&aj, agreed;to.< . .'< ".,... ~. , .. v , r -.-.-i -n.'^ia'-l ':\ vurn'H a- > ,Mi';Eees briefl[y moved for a. Select Committee to, enquire'antq H^wl^e's.B^y land traniaptionß,'',W;li,en l i;j .Mr ;Ormond^ took 'the;opportunity of , Replying to charges previously madd by Mr; Sees and.Sir^eorgeij ..Grey against himself in connection with .the'ie transaotion?. He declarpd the; charges arid imputations to be utterly .false,' arid quoted , largely .from dhe reppif of.the Commission ; of . (^2. attaoked ;M ; r 2 Eees a» being from his own transaetbnsanjUnfi^man,, to; makei charges "againit,anyone,, .Heii'challengedi !Mnißeesito resignhis'g^t'ari^ cpnte^t tha ( t.fos Olj.ye ■; with ohim,- ; He^aldithatt^e^lratiy.ejan^ 'abtjoqjijiii, ; Hawke's Biy'^ad',,bepn''|ij;uinjpj9^ up^bjjjßttr.qp.e^na, and tfa^e. Ni'iTes had repudiated' pqn^eptio.n, ,wijtli•;, :ithenS r' lA ißill to BUppr^Bi, ( a|l ; .I^. de§i'ingßjfor ' itw felve?m6nlihs wqu)d.bg.B; gr^a'fcjb'lessing, 1 as it would 'starve out these'^akena-Maoris and low-class practi-. ';tioners. .liTlje 'ipomtiiitte'e 11 S?»>^' •Mr ißeei to get at evidence1 tb r use eliewhere:; JEEe J alluded to tha Msolutioni pa»wd by old Mttife^ at

meetings, that Sir George Grey was unfit to represent the Crown because he could not speak the truth. He acouscd Sir George Grej of baring proitituted his position as Governor to go into partnership with Mr Russell and Colonel Wb it more to obtain 300,000 acres of land near Taupo. He quoted iletteri referring to the transaction written by Mr 'Ru'^ejl to the firm's agent, Mr Locke, of Napier, and said'that tho original lettres would be produoed A'iU asked for. He also recounted another land Jtjan;.a|otion of Sir G. Grey's. So opposed the appointment of a Committee, but would agree to the (tjojise appointing a Commission with judicial powers I^,o settle all land transactions once and for all, if ; those whs demanded the investigation gave security ; for costs. ;; [ Mr.j Sheehan defended himself from tho implied accusations of professional misconduct. He referred ; tq thelverdiot in WaJca Maori case as giving the absolute lie to Mr. Orraond, and flatly contradiated .many of Mr. Oruaond's statements. He accused him pf)iraproperly acquiring the .Keretanga block with others. It was Ormond's fault thafriifrr Gp;m«;: ■mission of 1873 bad not judicL»tr.DOiMrfc'-r lie/Warmly' .defended his own-conduct ii^rJftwi^Dii^ftaTiier; of the |nativ^^ajadj narrated vn\|^y of fiisltranikotion»< to show his disinterestedness. He denied the statements regarding the misappropriation of money obtained from Mr- Watts, and maintained that Mr. Ormond would not object to the appointment of a Committee if he waß not afraid of what it might reveal. The Government, to ,shield the private transactions of one of its members! was making the 'question a Ministerial one. He had himself been offered large bribes to betray or abandon his native olients.' " Mr Russell denied many of Mr Sheehan's statements, 'and defended Mr Ormond. He denied that Mr Ormondjtookinypartia'tho'Eei'eWnla'purbKai^V; JpLe didinot think ajJJpnimittee cotild'popauct/SUchflnj 'enquiry!. arK-ainendaiieirt'tnafc^*-BilFbo {introduced to appoint a Commission to settle • 1 tihei'lahd question once and for all. ■,n<Mt]Joyce felt ashamed of the debate, and thought that the Government would not object to a Committee unless they were afraid of what it would reveal. A (fiillienq'uiry was necessary. ... KftSir* R. Douglas moved the adjournment of the i debate, Jto allow men's passions to cool.—Mr Reader i Wood aiked that the letters quoted by Mr Ormond be produced.—Mr Whitaker said he had received from M* Cox, and could not produce them without j his'-consent. He would, tejegrap.h foßaiCp SijsaGy;' "Grey .urged the immedilte^^iMucjtjlto oythe leHera||: —^-A< wirra and leng&yij&isiii«jaion£iel^ed>*aßftaM*jot* Atkinson said the Government would produce them if • ordered to do •ao by the Hove. Ultiraately {a motion for, their production, if Messrs Lock and Rusaell consented was carried by 36 to 12. il —T/b# debate was then adjourned, and the Home .■Tbie'at 0.-853».in?f M V% '.. s >:»!o'J-j I!| $& # Kr September 7. : 'The Hodse met at 230 p.m to-day. Iv replying to questions Ministers said—(l) The lictsnM fees due to the Borough of Onebunga had been, by| a mistake af the Collector of Customs, paid to the County of Eden; this wouldj^rectiljed^, It was mot necessary. Jh'a€"lbttera Wgrelsea Goternmont on public s'emce to be^prepattf. tiews JBills introduced —Provincial Laws Evideace (Mr. Whitaker), Rifle Prize Amendment (Mr. Curtis), Sale of Food and Drugs (Mr. Wason). The debate on the Hawke's Bay land transactions was resumed by Mr Whitaker, who said that Mr. Cox hacTte'legrapheA allowing?:|he let(te?|"to bj|nßed,|if' (the others oons'ebted J J'M|r.'|^Jockel|iiia so J^V pri^J cipalfagreed, bjt Mri,Rii||eM lefus^l Mo~\ W f/om Mr^CS^e*e\esa?' -*• VThe Speaker thought the House would not be satisfied {till the letters were read. Mr, Whitaker laid the letters on the table. , A long discussion ensued as to whether the letters could be!read without Mr. Russell's consent. ry.The Speaker thought the letter* were properly in | the possession of the House, having been laid on the ! table by the Government. ! , Major Atkinson denied this. Mr. Whitaker said he laid them on the table, not as a member of the Government, but as a private member in whose custody the letters had been which ■the House wished to be obtained. The Speaker held that if not laid on the table by the Government, the letters were not in possession, of'the House, and ordered them to be returned to 'Mr. Whitaker. He read a letter from the Hon. H. R. Russell, objecting to the letters being read. Takamoana addressed the Houses briefly,.-.stating that none of Mr Ormood'a tranaaefcioios. vWith^tho Natives and their land in Hawke's Bay were right. •The House adjourned before the usual hour inoonseqtience of a smell of gas, and will probably adjourn, aiguin at 730 if not better th|pj|ill, JL u:>jL,\J i