HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3410, 1 September 1885, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Tho House mef at 7.30 p.m. Tntt. WANT-OF-CONFIDBNCB RESOLUTION'S. Major Atkinson said before proceeding to the Orders of the Day ho would like to ask tho Government whether the Promier intended moving tho postponement of tho Goverumont business m order to proceed with liis remaining resolutions. Tho Hon. llr Stout said the Houso by affirming the amendment of tho Member for Port Chalmers affirmed the principle that the resolutions as a whole were negatived. Major Atkinson nskod whether tho Premier intended keeping tho promise ho had mndo that ho (Mnjor Atkinson) should have tho opportunity of moving his resolutions. Tho lion. Mr Stout said Micro was no breach of faith involved m his action. | Mnjor Atkinson asked tho Spoukor's ruling on the question. Tho Speaker said his impression was that Mr Mucandrow's amendment only nffected the particular resolution tlmt luul been before tho Houso. The Hon. Mr Stout said ho was not prepared to postpone tho Orders of tho Day. Major Atkinson said the Premier distinctly pledged himself to give him (Mujor Atkinson) an opportunity of moving his resolutions. He submitted that the Premior had not fulfilled his engagement. Ho also submitted that tho Premier had lost the conSdenco of tho Houso and of his fellow-colonists, for although ho had had a majority, he had boon told by several members that they did not like supporting him on the occasion m question as his majority was caused by tho four Maori votes. Mr O'Callaghan rose to a point of order. He did not think the Member for Egmont was justified m roferring to the Native members m such a manner. Tho Speaker said that he was not justified m doing so. All members of the Houso were on an equal footing. Major Atkinson snid the Premier met tho firet resolution by an extraordinary evasion, and now lie was using tho Forms of the Houso to prevent tho remaining resolutions coming on. Mr Macandrow said Major Atkinson should bo the last man to refer to thut matter. Did he not recollect that m 1879, he (Mr Mucandrow) had moved a resolution when Major Atkinson pursued exactly the same course ? He had kept tho resolution at the bottom of the Order Paper till ho had secured suflicient votes to defeat it. Colonel Trimble said tho position m 1879 was very different from the present. Tho Government at that time had not had an opportunity of declaring their policy, and a majority of the Houso was determined they should got that opportunity. The Hon. Mr Stout soid trie Member for Egmont had forgotten the division list tho other evening. He contended that the Government had done what no other Government would have done, namely, to meet the want-of-conGdence motion m one night. He would ask any member not biassed to say whether Mr Macandrew's amendment had not traversed the wholo of Major Atkinson's resolutions. Had this not been done, nearly the wholo of those resolutions would have had to be discussed by t^o House during the session. Mr Wakefield said the reason it was necesBury to uiovo threo want-of-confidence motions was because the Ministry shirked tho question and burked discussion by moving Mr Macandrew's amendment. The manner m which they escaped defeat was well known, and he would not refer to "it. He said that tho precedent of 1879 did not apply m the least to the present case. The Member for Port Chalmers knew perfectly well that he moved his no-confidenco motion m 1879 before the Hall Ministry were actually iv possession of the Benches. They all knew what an unsuccessful leader of the Opposition Mr Macandrew was ; neither did ho display any capacity for governing the country when he was a Minister. It had been well said by a member of that House that the Member for Port Chalmers had muddled away two millions of money when a Minister, without knowing where it went to. How, then, could that hon. member soy there were no other hon. members m the House who could govern the country m a capablo manner ? He defended the conduct of the four Auckland members m supporting the Hall Ministry m 1879, and suid no one could accuse those gentlemen of corrupt motives m doing so. He was surprised at tho action of the Premier m evading the present resolutions, as it was an honorable understanding by the House that the resolutions should be discussed separately. Tho Hon. Sir Julius Yogel said the attack mado by Mr Wakefield on the Member for Port Chalmers was utterly unprovoked. Ho thought it would bo a grand day for the Member for Selwyn when be earned the same respect felt m the House and tho country as was for tho Member for Port Chalmers. He contended that tho Member for Port Chalmers m 1879 was perfectly justified m moving a want-of-confidence motion on the then Government. Speaking of tho first resolution ho said if that had been carried it would have meant throwing 4000 railway men out of employment. He wondorcd how tho Member for Egmont could pose as tho leader of the Opposition when his resolution was thrown out by 12 votes. The Member for Oamaru wus tho most, successful leader of the Opposition they had yet had. He contended that evening if tho Government wished to allow tho other romaiuing resolutions to bo brought on they could not do so as thoro wiis so much other business beforo thorn. He also snid it was the wish of a large majority of the House that shey should not waato any more time, but get on with the business of the session. Mr Bryce said ho was gratified to find that tho Treasurer had such a high opinion of tho Member for Port Chalmers, because if he would refer to Hansard ho would bo able to show that he did not entertain such a favorable opinion m times past. He did not think much importance was to bo attached to tho present question, oxcept m so fur as it affected the good faith of tho Government. He concluded that the position m 1879 and the present were not at all analogous. Mr Pratt said Bomo meinbors wero annoyed at tho part taken by the Maori members m tho division. Ho thought it was tho rulo of tho Houso that when questions were discussed they should not be carried outside tho House, but bo found the Europonn members allowed their feelings to go outside Ho had voted for the Government because ho had boen returned to do so. Mr Fergus said the member who had just spoken understood English as well as any member m the Houso. He thought tho days of special Maori representatives — m tho South Inland at ony rate— wero nearly at an end, as it was an absolute farce. Ho oaid tho Premier had broken faith altogether with the Member for Egmont, as it provontcd him (Mr Fergus) and several othor members from expressing their opinions, fortlioy understood, tho resolutions would be moved seriatim. Dr Newman disclaimed having spoken slightingly of tho Maoris, as represented by Mr Pratt. He contended that tho Maori members had a perfect right to vote as they pleased. Mr Levestam dofondod the action of the Government. Mr W. J. Buckland defended hiimolf from the romarks made by Mr To Ao with reforenco to hU having endeavored to secure his vote for the Opposition. Mr Hislop eaid tho position of (ho Houso wag that a numbor of hon. members simply because of a plodge to thoir constituents, had determined to keop the Government on tho Benches, although they had forfeited all right to tho confidsneo of tho Houso by the manner m which thoy had abandoned all their professions. Ho thought that was not a propor position for thoso gentlemen to take up. The position m 1879 was altogether different to the present one. The Premier had promised to givo tho Hon. Member for Egmont every facility for moving his resolutions, but no sooner did the motions come bofore tho Houso than tho Promier got tho Membor for Port Chalmers to rise for tho purposo of burking tho wholo discussion. Mr O'Conor thought tho Opposition should take their beating and bo satisfied. Ho deprecated tho allusions mado to tho Maori members by several sponkcrs. Ho denied that any broach of fitith had been committed by tho Promior with regard to tho resolutions. Mr Hunt Baid whatever the opinion of the Houso might bo, tho opinion of tho colony would be that tho Premier had not acted propel ly m the course ho had taken on the

resolutions. Ho thought a distinct breach of faith had been made by the Premier, and that it would not redound to the credit of the Government. I Mr Beetham said tho reason the natives had voted m a block for the Government, was that the latter had givon them promises which thoy were not authorised to give. He thought the Government had taken the very worst course possible m avoiding tho resolutions. Mr Fisher said the course adopted by tho Government was unfair, not only to the House, but to the colony. He did not find any particular fault with tho four Maori members for having voted as they had dono, but he found that Mr Ballance m his meetings with tho natives had mado the remarkable statement that their lands wore to bo exempt from rating, and that such a promise was to be binding on future Governments. It had been asked by a native member why the want-ofcoufidence motion should havo been kept so late m tho session. He ought to reply that tho Government had been treated to a- succession of no-confidenco motions, nnd been defeated on them all. He said it wus ridiculous for tho Premier to taunt tho Member for Egmont about not being able to carry a no-confidence motion when tbo Government had early m tho session been defeated on a cardinal point of their fiscal policy by no less than 37 voles. Mr Wi Pero eaid the reason why tho Maori members had given a block vote was, because the European members voted ngainet matters affecting the native race. Ho referred to the Native Lands Disposition Bill. Major Atkinson said it was a great mistake to suppose thut the natives wero being better (rented now thun formerly. Ho might tell them they were being deluded by promises from tbo Government which would never bo fulfilled. Ho considered tho Governmont were to blfimo for wasting tho timo of the House by not having given a straightforward answer to his question early m the ovening. Ho said he had been entirely misled by the action of the Government. They wero afraid to face the resolutions separately, and had shirked Iho whole question. Ho contended that it was impossible m discussing the Estimates to consider whether the East and West Coast Railway should be constructed, as they would be confined to tho discussion of tho items. As to tho Treasurer's statement that 4000 men would bo thrown out of employment if tho resolution limiting tho expenditure to a million wns carried, ho said that not a single man need be discharged m consequence of it. Ho again wished to stato the Government had given him a distinct pledge thut ho should have an opportunity of moving his resolutions and had altogether failed to fulfil that promise. The motion for tho adjournment of the House was then put and lost. BILLS DISCIIAEGKB. The Hon. Stout moved that the Municipal Corporation Bill and the Representation Act Amendment Bill be discharged from the Order Paper. Mr Wiikefield asked tho reason why tho Representation Bill was withdrawn. iho Hon. Mr Shout said it was found impossible thut year to get the four principal cities to agree to the Bill. Dunediu and Wellington were already m favor of it, but the other two cities were not as yet inclined to support tho measure. He hoped by next session to be m a position to puss the Bill. The motion for discharging the two Bills was carried. IS COHMZTTEE. The House went into Committoo on the Rabbit Nuisance Act Continuance Bill, which was passed without amendment. The House went into Committee for the further consideration of the Mortgage Debentures Bill. Clause 50, providing that a Company may for tho purpose of issuing debentures m Great Britain, obtain a certificate from tho Registrar, was carried by 46 to 27. In the clauso providing that the AgentGeneral shall be tho Registrar, tho Hon. Sir Julius Vogol moved to strike out "AgentGeneral," and to insert " English agont." — Agreed to. The remaining clauses wero passed aud tho schedules postponed. The House went into Committeo for the further consideration of the Land Transfer Bill, which waa passed with formal amendments. The Gold Mining Districts Act Amendment Bill was further considered m Committee. [Left sitting.]