PARLIAMENT.

Waka Maori, Volume I, Issue 34, 26 July 1879, Page 464

PARLIAMENT.

On Friday evening, the 18th instant, the address in reply to the Governor's Speech was moved by Mr. Shanks, the member for Mataura. Judging by the speech which this gentleman inflicted upon the Souse, we should take him to be a firm believer in the Ministry—one of Sir George Grey's most obedient and obsequious followers. He spoke in most unqualified terms of approval of the present Government's administration of the affairs of the colony, and congratulated them on the happy results of their policy—increased revenue, development of railways, ".interests of humanity," &c, Coming to Native affairs, he waxed eloquent in; his, admiration of .Sir George frrey and Mr. Sheehan, and bespattered them with praise for their great wisdom, sagacity, and skill, in the management of the Natives. Our Native readers will* be immensely amused, we have no doubt, at this honorable gentleman's simple and child-like faith in Grey and Sheehan's w wisdom and sagacity" in Native matters. Sir William Fox, the leader of the Opposition,, rose amidst cheers and in a most damaging and effective speech proposed, the following amendment";- '* We would beg to submit to His Excellency that in order to secure satisfactory results ,in the deliberation of Parliament, and to facilitate the proper discharge of the functions of Government, his Excellency's advisers should possess the confidence of this House, and we deem it our duty to represent to his Excellency that in the opinion of this House his present advisers have so neglected and mismanaged the administrative business of the Government of the colony that they do not possess the confidence of this House." He arraigned the Government on various charges of incapacity and other serious matters calculated to imperil the safety and good government of the colony. They had carried outnonejof their promises made when on the stumping tour. They had an utter failure on the Native question,. and the same with every other question of importance—nothing but error upon error. They had seen' a Bill kept back on its passage for the Governor's assent, just as an„expert sharper would keep back a card in shufflmg. Such an act was a fraud, and but for the expertness of his Excellency in detecting this, it would have been accomplished. Sir "William then referred to a variety of other masters affecting, more particularly, the European inhabitants of the country. H. 6 said that old uxid v&lutjd officers in the service had been swept away, and mere boys and followers of the Government put in their places. The Ministry was demoralised and quarrelling among themselves. One Minister had sent for a messenger and ordered him take his colleague by the scruff of the neck and pitch him out of the room. Such conduct was a disgrace to any Government. He next referred to the management of Nalive affairs. There was no symptom of dissatisfaction in the minds of the Native race up to the time when the present Ministry took office. The King party proper, after defeat in the Waikato, settled quietly down, lived peaceably, and did not even lift a little finger against the Europeans, and the policy of the

Government should have been to leave them alone. The present Government began to make political capital out of the Natives at once, and offered them all manner of things, so that the Premier might be thought the great saviour of the race. They had the March meeting, with its preliminary meeting at Orakei, and "those efforts of which they had heard so much to procure an invitation which did not come, and the Minister crawled in on all fours. Then they had the speech which followed in which Tawhiao said he would have nothing to do with the man Grey. Those men who were entitled to the "Waimate lands canje to him and assured him that they did not intend to fight, but wanted their reserves marked off, that they might have lands to reside upon and cultivate. The Government did nothing, although told that was all the Maoris wanted, and they knew the result. They had shown more ignorance in Native affairs and management than any new comer. They had caused the settlers, as well .as the Government to be dragged through the mire, and disgraced them in the eyes of Europe. They could not travel in the Native country without hearing tales that would make them blush as to the want of moral courage, and the humiliation of the Europeans who held such positions of trust and responsibility. If they wished "to preserve the dignity and integrity of the Ministerial benches, they should ask his Excellency to rid the Ministerial benches of those who now occupied them, and in order to secure this he had the pleasure to move the resolution placed in his hands to the effect that the Government does not possess the confidence of that House. (Loud and prolonged cheering). Sir George Grey then rose and made a speech containing many words but no reason or argument. He failed to answer any one of the charges brought against him by Sir William, and made a whining appeal to the House to have faith in him. He spoke of cliques of land monopolists defrauding the people of their rights and robbing them of millions; he was determined that the working men of New 1 Zealand should have their rights; he would give the land monopolists no quarter; it was his duty to stop the proceedings of these men &c., &c., All this is unmitigated bosh. "What has the poor working man, Pakeha or Maori, received from Sir George Grey — nothing but promises never to be fulfilled and a prospect of increased taxation. And now again he seeks to gull them by repeating the same old promises over again. But they have tried his quack medicines and are not cured, and he will find it a difficult matter to induce them to swallow his nauseous doses any longer. "Mr Eolleston spoke for about half an hour, making a vigorous attack on the Government policy, but especially on the administration, and commented very severely on the actions of the Native Minister and Premier in regard to the management of Native affairs, and the administration of public affairs generally. Mr Moss spoke for about an hour in defence of Sir George Grey, his policy and administration, and the House then adjourned.