AFTERNOON SITTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5689, 7 October 1896, Page 4

AFTERNOON SITTING.

The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. GOI/D-SAVINO PBOCESS. The Hon E. H. J. Reeves asked the -Government if its attention had been called to the new gold-saving process known as the ore atomic-reduction process, ■with which it is contended most refractory ores could be successfully treated at a ■•' mere nominal cost, and for which a wealthy company had secured patent rights in West Australia, would the Govern? ment make inquiries as to this process, and if satisfied of its efficiency, wonld it take immediate steps to procure the patent rights for New Zealand. The Minister of Education said that the Department had no such conclusive information on the subject, but the Department would make every endeavour to find out the Value of the process. HOROWHENTJA. In order to give the Commissioners a right of reply to the statements made by Sir Walter Bnller before the Public Petitions Committee in reference to the Horowhenua Block, the Council recently resolved to forward the report of Sir Walter Buller's speech to the Commissioners, and print their reply in some Parliamentary paper. . The Speaker read the reply of Mr J. C. Martin, Public Trustee, one of the Commissioners. Mr Martin wrote, briefly recapitulating the circumstances leading to the setting up of the Commission, and of ,v , the actions and finding of" that body; and • concluded by Btatdng that, after reading :•• -• the - speech, he saw no reason to alter the conclusions which the Commissioners had forwarded to the Governor. The Hon J. Macgregor moved that Meiha Keepa te Rangihiwinui (Major Kemp) should be allowed to appear at the Bar of the Council, and that ne should be heard at 3 p.m. that 'Say. Mr Macgregor wished to amend his motion by striking out the hoiir at which Major Kemp was to appear, and by allowing Kemp to be heard by his counsel. There was a dissentient voice, however, so Mr Macgregor put his motion unamended, not finishing his speech till after 3 p.m. The Minister op Education failed to see what effect Major Kemp appearing before the Council could have. It would in no way help to elucidate the merits of the case. The Hon C. C. Bowen considered that there was no more serious danger to the people than legislative interference with private titles. Although he thought it was a very serious precedent to make, yet when the initiative had been taken by such a Bill as tho Horowhenua Block Bill, he would vote for giving Major Kemp the same 'opportunity to be heard as he would have before the Supreme Court. After further discussion, the motion was put and carried by 18 to 13, and it was decided to hear Major Kemp at once. Major Kemp then appeared at the Bar ■with a roll of manuscript in his hands, and Mr Hartfield, interpreter of the Council, took his place at Major Kemp's side. Major Kemp thanked the Council for its f^rmissjon to him to appear at the Bar. He had written his statement of the matter, ■which he trusted he would be allowed to read. He fully realised that the privilege of being heard should not be allowed except under special circumstances, aaid he contended that the present circumstances were of an exceptional and a serious nature. In his address he would refer to himself in the third person. The interpreter then proceeded to read the address, which first referred to the Horowhenua Block Bill. The method of confiscation proposed allowed the Governnibnt to acquire his land summarily, and - without trial, and also Without compensation, at a price not fixed by arbitrators or any court. This Bill was a convenient precedent to any unscrupulous Government of the future to confiscate the lands of the Natives. He had been in attendance in Wellington nearly the whole session, but the Government had declined to allow him a hearing before the Native Affairs Committee. Hewasnotaskingforany exceptional favour. His land wa3 to be . confiscated summarily, while the title of others was merely suspended. Even if h.e became a trustee in 1886, his tribesmen had since admitted his right as absolute owner of Block 14. In support of his statement, he read from the printed report of the evidence given by Natives before the Royal Commission. He did not ask the Council to reverse the decision of the Commissioners, but to leave that to the Supreme Court. Every Native questionedadmittedhis (Kemp's) ownership of Block 14, and extracts from the printed evidence, he contended, proved this. Judge Wilson, who made the order, said that he distinctly recollected that Block 14 was to be allotted to Kemp. On this point the Commissioners were guilty of four misstatements, and it was very hard to refrain from imputing something worse than mistakes on their part. In respect to Block 11 he (Kemp) had more than acted up to his position as trustee. He asked "whether a Maori chief should be treated as a European trustee? He was rather an administrator at his discretion. As the Court of Appeal had said of him in his case against Hunia, a proposal to treat Kemp as a trustee was quite contrary to Maori ideas, and the tribe had given • him an absolute legal release for rents received by him up to 1892. This deed the Commissioners had declared invalid,\but of 'sixty Natives who signed the deed fifty-nine did not come forward to repudiate it, though invited by the Commissioners. Major Kemp, in his old age and sickness, did not need to recall, his services to the white man in the field of war in order to ask for special favours, but only that he should not be singled out for special injustice. The address occupied exactly an hour in reading. Major Kemp then addressed the Council himself. He was the Major Kemp, ho said, for whom a gallows had been built on which he was to be hanged. He then traversed the same ground which had been gone over in the address and repeated that he desired that these matters should be dealt with by the highest Court of the land. At 5 p.m. the Council adjourned till the evening and Major Kemp withdrew.