THE STONEWALLING BY MAORIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6314, 11 August 1888, Page 4

THE STONEWALLING BY MAORIS.

Extraordinary Proceedings. ; A Continuous Sitting. j ("I'KOM OXTB SrECIAIi COB3ESPONDENT."] WELLINGTON, August 10. THE HE2IBEB FOB SYDEHHAM. At midnight there seemed some hope that Taiwhanga "would collapse, as ho appeared much exhausted. Ho received, however, unexpected assistance from Taipua, and Sir George Grey, and Messrs li. | Eeeves, and Taylor. With the help of these auxiliaries he has been able to keep ' the fight up, and is Btill unsubdued. Mr Taylor distinguished himself by suggesting that Mr Verrall "had a shingle short." The word 3 were taken down, and he was very properly called upon to apologise. After refusing to do so he succumbed to a threat that the Speaker would be sent for. ASLEEP IN HIS BATH. To show you the state of exhaustion to which stonewalling reduces the human frame, I may mention that one of the members who sat up all nighfc went upstairs this morning to enjoy the luxury of a warm bath in one of the bath-rooms attached to Bellamy's. Tho bath being, like Epps' cocoa, grateful and comforting to his wearied body, exercised so soothing I an effect as to send him to sleep as he sat in it. He did not wake for two hours, ! when, as you may imagine, the bath was j no longer warm. THE POLITICAL DUEL. J A smart passage of arms took place between Sir George Grey and the Premier this morning, m which Sir George talked the most utter nonsense in the moat polished style, while Sir Harry was as savagely incisive as a justly exasperated man could well be. The Government is now reaping the reward of its shameful surrender to the stonewallera over the Otago Central. That is what has encouraged th« present undignified and useless struggle. THE DEEARY DRIP of dilatory discussion, if you can call stonewalling discussion, has been accompanied to-day by the dreary drip of a steady I 'Wellington downponr of rain. Certainly ' there are occasions on which a legislators 1 '

lot ia not a happy one. Picture to yourself a large, dimly-lighted chamber, pervaded by draughts, which seem to have a miraculous faculty for creeping down backbones, however well defended by greatcoats ; sprinkle this large * chamber sparsely with tired, dejected, dismal-looking elderly men, trying to read book and papers, while Sydney Taiwhanga, in the hoarsest of cracked voices, appeals for the nine hundred and ninety-ninth time to the Treaty of Waitangi— such was the House this afternoon, except for some twenty minutes, during which Mr Dick Reeves, one of the veterans of the old guard of stonewallers in 1881, made hon members laugh in spite of themselves by liis good humoured and audacious irrelevancy to make up for the dreariuess of the preceding twenty-four hours." THE DEBATE THIS EVENING was full of interest. A compromise had been arrived at during tho dinner-hour, to the effect that the stonewalling should be abandoned on condition that two chiefs, representing the Native Committee, namely, Major Kemp and Piripi, or Philip of Wairarapa, should be heard at the bar of the House. The Government consented to thiß on condition that Clause 4, which had been stonewalled all day, should go to the vote before hearing- the chiefs, as a sign and pledge that the stonewalling was over. Sir George Grrey, however, who was ably supported by Mr Hutchison, Dp Fitchett, and Mr Seddon, declared that the chiefs ought to be heard \ before the clause was passed. It was pointed out that Clause 4 was only declaratory of Clause 3, already passed ; alßO,that I the amendments desired in the principle I which these two clauses affirmed (viz., that the Natives might be free to sell to whom they please) would be properly made in the companion Bill dealing with Native Land Courts. It was understood that Mr I3allance was going to move a restrictive clause in this last Bill. : This ought to have contented Sir George and his friends, but it did not, and they spoke hotly, and, to do them justice, right well, in favour of delay. The Colonial Secretary jeered afc Dr Fitchett's ignorance of Native law; Mr Eeeves (St Albans) appealed to members of all sections to rally round the Government and stop the stonewalling, which, if countenanced, would be certain to create a public opinion favourable to the iron hand. Mr Carroll accused Sir G. Grey of want of sincerity, and Sir George i roused all his oratorical forces in repu--1 diating the slander. Finally tho Govern- : ment won on the voices, after which the clause was easily carried, and the House adjourned for supper preparatory to hearing the chiefs. THE HOUSE "WAS CEOWDED when, at eleven o'clock. Major Kemp and his companion took their stand at the bar. The galleries, too, usually almost empty at that hour, remained well filled. Major Kemp spoke first, resting his hands lightly on the bar, but standing erect as a dart 4 and using appropriate action from time to time. He is a handsome, intelligent man, ! slightly over middle height, not so dark in i colour as a sun-burned E uropeau, and with a fine black beard, now more thsn half grey. His wide- opened dark eyes roved restlessly ; round the Chamber, forming the only \ exception to the dignified calm of his bearing. Piripi, his comrade, is shorter and much darker, but has much the finer ; voice of the two, and enunciated his worcta '■ with a distinctness apparent even to those utterly ignorant of the language. The manner of both chiefs ha 3 the perfection of quiet, respectful ease, and it was impossible to watch without interest two such typical representatives of a dying race ; pleading for their countrymen before ! the ruling assembly of the imperious pakeha. Outwardly the comparison could hardly be said to tell to the disadvantage of the inferior race. As ; for the arguments used, they consisted of appeals for more time to consider the Bills, and of protests against the authority of the tribal chief 3 being interfered with. : I should mention, by the way, that a ■ spirited allusion by Major Kemp to tho I day when he had fought in battle for the I white man, moved the House to a burst of applause.