TELEGRAPHIC

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 56, 7 September 1872, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC

L A T E ST SO U T H E R N N E W S. (FRNSt TllE DAILY SOUTHKUN CUOSB.) / llokitika, Thursday. Barber, Wte ]>osliiuist r, was sentenced to nix •Months' hard labour for embezzlement. Strong evidence of his previous good diariictor was adduced. Chamberlain defend* hnmelf. The Crown lias I t witnesses against liiin, and the prisoner will call 15 for the defence. Dunedin, Thursday. The b-xly of a man named Kecle« hnt< Wen discovered near Hakonui. It is supposed that ho perished in a snowdrift . Anderonand Mouatt quote Hour at ,€l3; oatmeal, fj] 1 lOs. per ton. Oat* art* Is. Oil. per bushel. Driver, Slewnvt, and Co. sold fat bullocks from (i(> 10s. to £3. They quote prime quality beef ;C1 5 » per 100 I j. Napier, Thursday. A man named Gordon was lost in the bush on Friday hi*t. A search party is out. There is great excitement with respect to tlio w int of confidence debute going <)n *d' Wellington Arrived—' Star of the South.' I'A RI.IA \f E NT A R Y NEWS. Wellington, Thursday, 2 p.m. Messrs. John Williamson, Orinond, and StnHord speak to-day. •t. t5 p.m. Mr Williamson' made a brilliant speech, calm and well-delivered. In my judgment, he is the best orator in the House. Although finding fault, with the Government, for unsatisfactory management, he did not declare how he would vote: lie was in favour-of a reconstruction of the Ministry. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. "W EON USD AY NIOHT. WANT-OF-CONFIDKNCE DEBATE. Mr. Hunter resumed the debate after the dinner adjournment. He said it was unfair to judge t lieMinistry by part of their administration. They should be judged'as a- whole, and* if so,.peace being; the first considbration and paramount over all else,, judgment must be in their favour. The country now" presented a marked' contrast to when the Ministry took office. Mr. Ormond's public works statement had most thoroughly satisfied him. It. was clear, comprehensive, and unanswerable. lie regretted 1 that the Government, had not brought it and the Financial Statement down, at an earlier period of thesession. He reviewed Mr. Fitzherbort's speech- at length,.maintaining..that, its-arguments really told in favour of the Ministry. Ho supported the return of' compensation for confiscated lands, and thouglifc a Resident Minister for the M iddle Island a mistakeas a step towards divergence from colonial unity- He expressed, faith in the borrowing policy, so long asthe money was spent reproductively in- developing the resources of thc-eolony,,andso long as the colony was able to pay. the interest. lie believed if Mr.. Stafford was returned to office, he would be found a stiff uncompromising opponant of the provinces. Mr..Sheehan. expressed dissent from the policy of borrowing. It was with regret ho made up his mind to vote against the- Government, but could not dootherwise. He repl ; cd"at some length to vnrious previous speakers,, and strongly condemned the manner in which the Minis-try had tried to put Mr. McLean forward'. As a provineialist, he would prefer an open 1 enemy, in Mr. Stafford', tofalscfriends like the ' sent Ministry. Ho refused to believe any figures; showing that the cost, of the oivil service had been I decreased, as he knew that the number of the em- ■ ploves- had ; been increased, and that they did not - work for nothing. He. reviewed Mr. Fox's past, relations with Mr. McLean, showing-how greatly they liad differed in the past.' Hi - Government had despoiled the provinces of nearly all their revenuo, and yet Treasury bills were floated as usual. Auckland' had not been given as much as had been taken from it, or as it was entitled to. Thewhole administration ' of public works had been bad. Plans of the And;land and Drurv Railway had been completed two years ago, yet nothing was done. The Government in fact seemed incapable of getting beyond surveys. He contrasted this with what had been done by the province in its railway affairs. During seven months the province had" constructed a'line at £2,300 a mile. Unpardonable delays had occurred since the Kaipara 13ne had been taken over by the Government. A reasonable market price for the Fort Britomart earthwork would have been Isi 3d. per yard, but owing to the secret way in which the contract had been let Is. 9d. was being paid. The cost of the Waikato line was not fairly stated, as £20,000 had been paid for the land, and £30,000 worth of work had' already been done, which brought up the total Cost to> £263,000. He did not. believe that the New Zealand railways would average less then- £7vooo a mile,, owing to the monopoly given, to Messrs. Brogden and Son. As to- provincial assistance being availed of, upwards of £40,000 was spont in the province of Auckland before he,, as a- member of the Provincial Executive; was even aware that any expenditure was going on.. He condemned- the' delay regarding road— works to the- .North of Auckland, and the immigration management, especially the negleet of Ireland as a field.. He urged the necessity for a new Native* Lands Act, and spoke of the injustice done to Auckland by a portion of the trade being diverted to Napier through two of the Ilawke s Bay members being in the Cabinet, As to the Government promising better behaviour in the future, lie had no confidencein them after the way- they had broken their promises about the Education Aet and constitutional reform, and had violated the principles on which they got into office.. Even if Mr. Stafford abolished the provinces, it would be a great thing to have some honest finality. The Ministry had not even attempted todefend the charges of corruption made against thern. He regretted he had doubts as to what would coffie after, but the-present Government had forfeited his. supportMr.. J. Williamson moved'the adjournment.. THXRSBAY. Major Jackson withdrew his amendment.. Mr Jbhn "Williamson resumed the debate. He alluded to his own efforts as Superintendent of Aucfc land' to initiate-a colonisation policy. He -believed that if the scheme proposed by the Government had been prudently and cautiously carried out the House would not now have been called upon to decide such a question as the one- before it. He had' listened attentively to the debate, and had heard nothing to* convince him that Mr Stafford was justified in bringing the first resolution forward. He believed that no man more ardently desired to see the country prosper than Mr Stafford. He thought that many of the branch railways proposed were not necessary, and would not pay. He did not in any way blame Mr for the best-laid schemes often miscarried.. That great dissatisfaction at the administration existed in the country, was most nndeniable. For the first time in the history of the colony all the Superintendents had met, and passed resolutions which he read, declaring that the administration of public works and immigration was unsatisfactory., pie Government had also shown great neglect regarding the purchase- of native land, so much so that it waslikelv that the-whole policy would prove one for the benefit of the-Middle Island only. He- though! the

Ministers had acted wisely in travelling about, so ho did not agree with the second resolution, but cordially agreed with the third. He urged it as the fluty of ? Miding men on both sides to sink petty personal uifTerenecH, and at the present crisis unite to form such a Ministry as all would have confidence in. Mr McLean was the man to keep peace, and the colony could not adbrd to dispense with him. If Mr Fox retired from political life he could still do the country great service as a leader in social reform, and he then would have an influence which he did not now have, while drawing a salary from a revenue mainly derived from a duty on strong drink. The policy of colonisation could liot be satisfactorily carried out bv either side with a small Parliamentary majority, tlnity of purpose; was necessary to work out the destiny of the colony, and he trusted tho vote he should give would lead this result.

Mr Andrew said he was an A;ab, who?o hand was against both contending partien. In many things Government had transgressed, and fallen short of expectations ; but the Opposition was undeniably inharmonious and incongruous. He generally approved of Mr Stafford's conduct, but he had no confidence that ho would be able to form a strong and lasting Government from among his present followers. On the whole he preferred to entrust the carrying out of the present policy to those who stood in tho maternal relation to it rather than to others.

Mr Tolmic said that as far us he had been able to read what, had taken place during the debate, the vote of censure seemed to be aimed at some members of the Ministry, while others were generally pruned. A reconstruction seemed to be what was wanted, and as a business man he thought it very absurd to begin this by turning the whole Ministry out. The task of reconstruction should be left to the present Ministry, and when they had fulfilled it the House could say ■whether it was satisfied or not. He should vote with the Government. At four o'clock the House adjourned, upon the understanding that Mr Onnond woidd speak at halfpast seven, and then Mr Stafford would reply.