GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2888, 31 October 1895, Page 4

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. laßt Monday. LUNATICS BILL. The Lunatics Act Amendment Bill passed its final stages. LAND BILL. The Land Act Amendment Bill was further considered in Committee. Clause IG, providiug for a grant of laud to certain associations for the establishment of farm colonies. Mr Rigg moved to add the words " providiug that such home is for the exclusive use and benefit of persons who have been resident in New Zealand for a period of not less than twelve months previous to such application being made." He said that his amendment was intended to negative the wiles of that amiable old gentleman, General Booth, so far as this colony was concerned. The amendment was agreed to on the voices, and progress reported on the Bill. NATIVE LAND CLAIMS BILL. The Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill passed its final stages. BILLS PASSED. The Native Reserves Act Amendment Bill, and Horowheuua Block Bill passed their final stages. The Council rose at 9.40 p.m. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. THE SHOP BILL. It was decided to grauc the Houso a second Conference on the Shops and Shop Assistants Bill, and by 12 votes to 10 the Managers were instructed not to give way on the question of exempting small shops. RESERVES BILL. Iu Committee on the ReserveaDisposal and Exchange Bill strong objection was taken to the measure on the ground that it would mix np public, private, and local matters. In reply to a question, the Speaker said that the Bill waa contrary to the principles of the legislation of every country. Mr Montgomery Bgreed to report progress on the Bill, in order to consider the bust course to adopt. PUBLIC SECUIUTIKS BILL. The Public Securities Bill passed all its stages without amendment. LOCAL AUTHORITIES LOANS CONVERSION BILL. The Local AuthoritiesLoana Conversion Bill waß read a Becond time. LAND BILL. The Land Act Amendment Bill passed its final stages. CHINESE IMMIGRANTS BILL. MV Montgomery moved the second reading C f the Chinese Immigrants Act Amendment B.'U, to raise the poll lax on Chinese from £lO to £IOO. After diacussioti the Bill was thrown out by 12 to 9. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 11 a.m. on Monday. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. The Hon. Mr Mackenzie brought up a question of privilege, respecting a jotter which he had received from Sir Walter Buller regar ling the Horowheuua Block. He asked" the Speaker whether or not it was a breach of privilege. The Clerk of Parliaments read Sir Walter Buller's letter to the Minister of Lauds. The Speaker said that a breach of the privileges of the House was involved, but it was for the House to take any action which it thought proper in the matter. The Hon. Mr McKenzie moved that a breach of privilege had been committed. If this sort of thing wero allowed no member would be free from threats of the kind made by Sir Walter Buller. Ho asked the House why he should bo called on to defend out of his private means an action arising out of fiuything he might 3*y in the House in his public capacity? What he had siid iu the Houso he had aatd iu self-defence. The reference which he had made respecting Sir Walter Buller was a general one, aud he had made similar statements all over the colony. Since making these statements he had received letters from several gentlemen thanking him for having made them, and offering him their assistance in the matter. Be entered at length into the whole history of the Horowhanua Block, and commented severely on Sir Walter Buller's action with respect to it. He would now make Sir Walter Buller an offer. That was that if he (Sir Walter Buller) would agree to have a Royal Commission set up to inquire into nis action' representing a certain native bloek he (Mr McKenzie) would consent to make a mob* k™ bl ° to Sir Walter Buller for *»f elements which , , , . *mu him. If the he had made regan. ° J./ er House did not declare , ,« . Buller's letter a breach of pn. g< \"[, should have to rcsigu his seat iu u.. House.

The debate lasted the greater part of the day. < ! aptaiu Kussell, the Premier, Mr Bell, Sir Robert Stout, Mr Reeves, Major Steward, Mr Allen. Mr It. Thompson, Mr Thos. Mackenzie, aud Mr Wilson spoke.

Mr Fraser at the conclusion of his remarks, moved as an amendment " That the question as to whether or not the letter sent by Sir Walter Buller to the Minister of Lands was a breach of privilege be referred to a Select Committee of the House."

Mr Green seconded this, but after Mr Earnshaw, Mr Heke, Mr G. W. Russell, Mr Collins, Mr Graham, Dr Newman, and Mr Stevens had spoken, the amendment was put and lost by 40 to 19. Mr McKenzie replied. In the course of his remarks, he denied that he had attacked the Supreme Court Bench, but he had had occasion to admonish Judge Conolly on one occasion for an attack he had made on him, aud what he had said was that the present caso might come before that Judge. He had stated that he could not get justice from a special jnry in Wellington, and he knew that he was not a favorite at the clubs ; but he did not want to associate with those people, and he would prefer to enter the house of the poorest iu the land rather than some of their halls. He also would be sorry to trust his name to some of those gentlemen. He contended that Sir Waltor Bu ler's letter was a challenge to him, and ho would rather accept a challonge to fight a duel than one which would involvo a lingering lawsuit lasting thrro or four years, and costing probably £3OOO, which ho would prefer to lo?ivo to his family. If he wero not to have frpo liberty of ppeoch ho had better leave the House and go back to his constituents. Mr McKenzie's motion, that Sir Waltor Buller's lettor to the Minister of Lands was a breach of tho privileges of the House, was put and carried by 45 to 7.

On the motion of the Promier it was decided that Sir Walter Buller be asked to appear at the bar of the House at halfpast 7 o'clock that evening so that ho might hear the decision of the Houso on the matter. 'HIE LIQUOR BILL. A Message was received from the Governor, enclosing an amendment in

the Alcoholic Liquor Bill, providing for the provisional licensing of Addington Saleyards The motion was agreed to by 24 to 23. CHINESE IMMIGRANTS BILL. Mr Reeves moved for leave to introduce the Chinese Immigrants Act Amendment Bill, to increase the Chinese poll tax from £lO to £IOO. The motion was carried by 40 t;> 10.

The Bill was read a second time on the voices after a short discussion, pas?ed through Committee without amendment, and put through its final Btages. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. SIR WAITER BULLER BEFORE THE HOUSE. The Premier moved that Sir Walter Buller be called in to the bar of the House. The motion was agreed to. Sir Walter Buller, accompanied by the Sergeant-at-Arms, appeared at the bar. In answer to the Speake-, Sir Walter Buller admitted that he was the writer of the letter on which the motion of breach of privilege was passed. The resolution of the House having been read by the Speaker, Sir Walter Buller proceeded to address the House. He said that he submitted to the decision of the House, but he had had no intention or idea of committing a breach of privilege. His only object had been to secure an enquiry into the charge made against him by the Minister of Lands. He was at a disadvantage in not having heard the speech of the Minister of Lands that morning, when he understood that other serious charges had been made against him. He had been actuated in writing to the Miuister of Lands by a hope that he would repeat his charges outside the House so that he Walter Buller) might be able I to meet Mr McKeuzie's charges in the Supreme Court. He did not fear the appointment of a Royal Commission, and ho challenged the strictest and closest investigations into every public and private act of his life. He expressed the pain it had given him to find members of the Government, with whom he waß on terms of friendship, holding him np to public reprobation as the Minister of Lauds had done. He challenged the closest scrutiny iuto all his native land transactions during the fifteen years iu which he had been in practico. Ho was never aware of ever having done a thing of which he as a gentleman should be ashamod. He specifically, emphatically, and wholly denied every one of the allegations made against him by the Minister of Lauds. Evidently Mr McKenzie himself knew nothing of the transactions in connection with the Horowheuua Block, and he had beeu uuwittingly misled by others. Sir Walter Buller proceeded at great length to explain his transactions in connection with the block. He had acted for Major Kemp with the full permission of Mr Ballance, who waa then Premier if the colony. The only part of the block iu which he was concerned was Block 11, and the whole of the money expended iu the, case had come out of his own pocket. He absolutely contradicted the Minister of Lauds' statement that he was concerned in tha salo of the block for the purpose of raising money for himself. He read the judgmewt of the Appeal Court in connection with the block, under which the 143 owners weie reinstated on their ancestral possessions. This, he cout ended, was entirely due to his efforts on behalf of the natives.

After speaking for an hour Sir Walter Buller was askod and answeed a series of questions relating to his transactions in connection with the block, which were submitted to him through the Speaker by Mr McKenzie and other members. When all these had beeu answered, the Speaker asked Sir Walter Buller to withdraw, while the House deliberated on the matter.

The Premier said that he thought the motion itself was sufficient punishment, and he did not propose to ask the House to go further iu the matter. ttir Robert Stout, Mr Bell, Mr G. W. Russell, Mr Hone Heke, Mr Eatnshaw, Mr G. J. Smith, and Mr Pirani thought thit Sir Walter Buller hart completely cleared his character, aud that the Minister Bhould take back his words. Mr McKenzie maintained that every word he had uttered had been proved iu Sir Walter Buller's statement, aud he had nothing therefore to apologise for. The Premier's motion was put and agreed to on the voices. Sir Walter Buller having been again brought to the bar, the motion was communicated to him by the Speaker, who concluded thus :—" You are therefore discharged from any further attendance on this House." TH« tPEAKER. The Speaker, Sir Maurice O'Rorke, was granted leave of absence for the remaiuder of the session, to enable him to visit the Old Country, after an abseuco, he said, of 40 years. The Premier in moving that leave of absence be granted, wished Sir Maurice "God Speed" and a pleasant yjsit to the Old Country. BILLS PASSED. _, Securities Bill aud the The * ,l 'a« Loans Conversion Bill Local Authors ' - <W »fc»go«. were put through their " BILLS DISCHARGED. « The Bills which the Premier mentioned hut week were finally struck off the Order Paper. THE RECIPROCAL TREATIES. Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Customs Duties Reciprocity Bill to ratify the reciprocity treaties with Canada and South Australia He askod the Houso to accept the Bill in a broad spirit, and briefly reviewed its provisions. No dot ate took place on the Bill, which was thrown out by 28 to 26. The House rose at 1.15 a.m. The Houso mot at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. STAMPS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Mr Reeves moved the second leading of the Stamps Act Amendment Bill, which he explained waa entirely one of departmental detail.—Carried by 31 to 23. MINISTERS' SALARIES BILL. The Premier moved the second reading of the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Act Amendment Bill. He said tho increased work which was now thrown upon Ministers made it imperative tint there I should be an additional Minister if the i work of the colony wa.-j to be properly carried out. The railway administration required the exclusive attention of one Miuister, and that was the principal reason why the Bill was brought in. j With the largo interests at ntakeit was' absolutely necessary that ono Minister should give his whole time to the administration of the Railway Department, and tho extra cost entailed was merely a fraction. Other Ministers wero overworked, particularly the Minister for Lands, and ho should be relieved of f-ome of his duties. Tho work of Ministers was growing, and tha tirenrnstauces indisputably called for an additional Minister. As matters were at present it wan perfect slavery. Suroly tho country did not expect that Ministers in carrying out tho administration of its affairs should be worked to death.

Captain Russell expressed the highest admiration for tho power of work possessed by tho Promier, but thought Ministers neod not be overworked if they arranged their work properly. He qnes-

tioned whether it was wise, in a House of 74 members, to increase the number of Ministers. He feared that to do ao would tend to increase their autocratic power. Mr "Ward defended the amountß incurred by Ministers in travelling expenses, and said a correct return of all these had been laid on the table during , the session. j The debate was adjourned till the afternoon. SHOPS AND SHOP-ASSISTANTS BILL. Mr Reeves brought up the report of the Conference on the Shop and Shop Assistants Bill, which was to the effect that a compromise could not be arrived at. The Minister explained that the Council's managers would not give way on any single fraction of a point, but he thought there was a possibility of a compromise if auother conference was held. He therefore moved that another conference be asked for, and that Messrs Reeves, Tanner, Pirani, and Thomas McKenzie, be appointed managers f> represent the House. This was agreed to, and the House rose at 1.10 p.m. The House resumed at 2.30 p m. MINISTERS' SALARIES BILL. After further debate, in which Dr Newman, Messrs Willis, Saunders, G. Hutchison, Reeves, Duthie, J. McKenzie, and G. W. Russell took part, the second reading of the Ministers' Salaries and Allowances Bill was lost by 29 to 19. SIR WALTER BULLER. The Hon. Mr McKenzie laid on the table a letter from the Solicitor-General, to the effect that Sir Walter Buller's statement respecting a bill of costs was entirely wrong. At 4.45 p.m. the House adjourned till 7.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. STAMP ACTS AMENDMENT BILL. The Stamp Acts Amendment Bill waß committed. In clause 5 the annual fee payable by companies under the Act was reduced from £2OO to £SO. The Bill was reported, read a third time, and passed. MINING ACT. A conference wa3 (appointed with the Legislative Council on the amendments in the Mining Act Amendment Bill. THE SUPPLEMENTARY KSTIMATIW. The House went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Supplementary Estimates. In the Colouial Treasurer's Department exception was taken to the items of £IOO as Financial Adviser to the Government and £SOO for the expenses of the Colonial Treasurer in London. In reply to a question the Premier said the latter was a final payment. Both items passed. On the vote of £SOOO for the Vancouver mail service, Mr Ward explained the terms of the agreement, which h»d been laid on the table during the day. Ho thought that this Bervice would be a very valuable one for the colony. Eventually the item was withdrawn, on the understanding that resolutions wou'd be brought down next day. The Defence Department Estimates were uuder discussion when the Telegraph Office closed at 2 a.m.