General Assembly.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 68, 1 August 1868, Page 2

General Assembly.

Thuhhday, July .'JO. MR .FOX'S ,111380 LimON, [M MMiOTttliO U'J-JMMHAMt.] WiSLMNaxoK, July 01, 12.14 p.m. Mr Fox Bpoko for ono hour and ton minutes; Mr Stafford for ono hour aud liwonfcy minutoa ; and Mr Travcra for ono hour and forty.flvo minutoa. Mr Brown movod tho adjournment, whioh w«a ngrcod to, Mr Fox said bin reason • for tabling tho motion was, bocauso tho country vvhh drifting no ono know whithor, t/horo being no policy beyond that of tho hour ; tho only deflnito itom of policy propounded vraa in tho Nolaon anooch, and it roforrcd to nn Income 'lax, which was apparently abandoned j but if legislation could bo regarded ah tho embodiment of a policy, thon local Holf.govornmonl; was f tlioir lodoHtar—tho only ono point on whioh thoro roally was any policy, Ministers had adopted tho common trick of seizing tho namo of fchoir opponents' policy, and carrying out, undor it, a totally different ono, Truo local Govornmont wan tho oxtoneion of Provincial poworu, adapted to moot all wants arming within thorn, uot the creation of mum inulitutiona aa Wowtland; nn well might tho British ttarliainonfc liavo anwvvorod tho colony V demand for n Governor by send, ing out i\ nominoo with no power to anpropriuto rovonuo or \nm m\ Act, \Ve«tlaud and Timaru wore now ro« quiring amendod Acts making them roally now pi'ovinooa. Lot Miuin* tore extend tho Now Province** Act iw much a» thoy ploasod, but noti prolond that thoy woro granting somo gi'Oftt boon, JJo udmittect that tho provinces had not carried coloniuing oporationn to a gront oxtont lately ; tlio foar of Hoparation, induced by tho New J?rovincoß Act, had takon from them their backbono, and paralysed them with wcukncitft lie called upon Ministora to lay on tho table tho ConHtilution thoy proposed as a uubstitute for tho present ono, that an appeal might bo mado to tho country intelligently. Tho Houso had ho long boon u«od to " diacuas only quciHtiojM of policomon'a button»," that it wiw becoming merely a pariah vestry, «))d would noon bo incapable of diHcuefling a policy at all. Ho complained of tho meagre information on Native all'airtf j but tho past was unimportant aw compared to tho future What wuh their policy for tho future P It wan not for him to onunciato a policy ; it waw tho duty of tho Government to enunciate ft policy, and tho Houho wantod to know what that policy was. Tho fipooch throughout was greatly cheered, Mr Stafford regretted that Mr Pox

had not onunciatod tho policy of the Opposition, but admitted that ho was legitimately entitled to shield himself umlor tho pica of being under no obligation to do so. Ho regrottod tho country was not yet ripo tor an ineomo tax. Ho know tho country was against him, but tho day was approaching when pooplo would bo oducated to thnt point, and wondor at having so loug delayed it. Ho denied attempting to sap the provinces. Thoy were now as giants in powor compared to tho babies under tho original Constitution. He had largely assisted in graudng that power by Acts, control of territorial revenue, <&o, With tho excoption of ono question in Olngo, ho nppealod to tho Suporiutondonts present if ho woro not always desirous of facilitating their action. He was nufltcicntly coiwcrvativo not to attomptto rovolutioniso, but, by dealing with tho altered requirements of the colony gradually, to put a pillow under tho dying provinces. A meaauro would bo introduced this sosaion giving powor to tako over tho gaols, harbours, etc. of any province* which should collapse during a recess, Tho war d^bt was crushing tho provinces; it was no fault of Mr Jb'ox's, but of tho preceding Ministry, and could not bo roptidiatod. Ministers considered some provinces absolute cxorcaconces, boeausothe systom was too uniform. They would introduco no uniform system, but deal with every ditto an it predated itsolf, Ho was a Unionist, and his policy was to provout Separation. Thoy did not intend to lay their Native policy before tho I [ouho, because in a few days it would bo known to tho Maoris, who either now were, or might ahortly bo, in arms against us • tho present position was most dillioult. They could scarcely hold the coniiscatod lancfs, and yet could scarcoly lot thorn go, They had feared that tho Waikato settlements would have been attacked, but hopod tho Alarm would prove fulso. Ou the East Coast, if every armed man wero withdrawn, no advantage would be gained, as tho robola would bo tho more strengthened to follow. A l'rontior must be somowhoro, but wlicro was a more question of strategy not of policy, oxcopt tho policy of compensation ' to those who had settled undor the eanction of Acts of the Logislaturo. Ho bolioved a bold front and prompt action would Btamp out the present dilUeulty. Ho did not believo thoro was any' concert among tho Natives. Thoro was not now tho olomont for a formidable rebellion ; disasters thoy might havo, but ho did not believe that British law and authority would again bo confronted by 2GO rebels. "Was tho colony, becauso of a potty outbreak, heralded by two or tnrco murders, to lie down before a low of thoso whoso whole strength had not been üblo to deter us? Ho did not bolievo that tho Southorn Inland begrudged a few hundred pounds ; ho did not believo there- was so much pusillanimity in hia followcolonists. (Cheors). Mr TravorV Bpeoch was almost wholly occupied with censuring M'Donnoll, and tho West Coaat opera' tions. Ifniiur, July 31. Wellington, 7 p,n\ In roply to Mr 8011, Colonol Haultain mxul novva had just boon received that Wcatrupp went out with 20 whites and 10 voluntoor natives, and met tho prisoners. After aoven hours fighting his natives lied, whereon he retired wilh bovoii wounded, leaving two dead on the Held, Kichardaon ia going up to Wairoa to intercept them at .lfork liivor, whilo Whitmoro follows Woatrupp's track, hoping to take tho escaped prisoners in tno rear, Frazor hud arrivod at Poverty Bay with sixty constabulary from Opotiki. Tho dobato was resumed, Messrs Brown, Heaphy, Harrison, C'argill and ilollio spoke. Dr l<*oathorston has returned from llangitikoi, having induced tho Ngati* nvukuNYAH to givo up p<)«t)ea«iou of the uhoep and roturn to Otaki. This Day, 12.31; p.m. In tho Houho of lioproaontativea, last night, Messrs Collins, Atkinson, llaultuin, Ludlam, Tancred, llollcston, Curtis, and Stovcna apoko on Mr Fox'a resolution. Tho dobato was adjourned till Tuoaday, on tho motion of Mr liichmond, and will not cloao before Wednesday or Thursday. In tho Logifllativo Council, tbe Hon.

Colonol Xouny brought forward a motiou iv favour of retaining one regimont of Imperial troops in tho colony. Tho motion was negatived by 9 to 8.