HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WELLINGTON. Monday, 8 p m

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 209, 11 September 1873, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WELLINGTON. Monday, 8 p m

lii the House to-day, the. Treasury Bills Extended Currency Bill was discharged. The tfronghton, Land Grant Bill, Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Bill, and Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill pawrt withou'v syjijendiflent through oimnittp.' In committee ou the Native Lands Bill, Mr Gillios said a cons'deruticu. of Judge Richmond's report forced him to believe that the nAtivrs had been robbed in th" purchase of their land iv, Hawke's Bay. The natives had evidently been competed to take the value of their land in. goods, and in some instances land had been given, to pay off old icores for spirits. This the Court had recognised, though the sale of spirits had been illegal. The Judge ndmitted that different decisions might have been given by the Court of Equity in England. There the law against the truck system was in force. The Judge •aid thnt it did not appear that there had been fraud, but in England the fact stated would have been accepted ns pr'nna facie evidence of fraud. He showed that the Judge's arguments regarding Here Taunga's case were merely polite admissions that gross dishonesty had been practised. The Native Minister said the colony recognised Judge Richmond as an able and impartial judge Tlie principle ho had laid down that bargains must bo adhered to, was sound and necessary. In Huwko's Bay the natives had received on an average, 13s per acre for land After some remarks by the Speaker, Mr Ghlhes said he behoved in Mr Richmond's impartiality, although he differed totally from bis views. Mr Sheehan regretted that the matter had been broached while the evidence wn? not before the Houbo. He had great respect for M.r McLean, hut if home transactions in which he was concerned had been enquired into, Mr Richmond's report might have borne a different complexion. Mr McLean said he had always courted enquiry into his land transactions. Mr Sheehsin explained that he did not mean that he had evidenco not already adduced, but that if the evidence already adduced had heeii before tho Commissioners, the report might have been different. After further discuiiion the bill was proceeded with. Several clauses were passed without amendment. Committal proceeding. There are two petitions presented to tho Upper House, signed by native chief mei^ajjanut tho passing of the Native Lands Bill and Native Reserves Bill. They ask that these bills shall be translated and enunciated among the Maori people before they heroine law. They consider them wrong in principle, and forming an attempt to mart to tho pr ictice of the old land purchase system, which gavo tho Crown the right of pre-empt ton over all Maori lands. They say that under pretence of protecting their interests, the Government proposes measures whioh deprive them of selling their hinds in an open market and of obtaining the best terms for their property. The natives are so dissatisfied with the manner in which their past transactions as to land have been conducted that the representatives in Wellington merely have formed themselves into a nucleus of a land league, which they purpose extending as much as possible, to prevent the further selling of native lands until these bills are cast out or put on a satisfactory basu. A circular embodying their vie.vt'3 will be sent round to all the principal men of the different tnbos, probably next week. Tho general feeling nmpngst the Maoris is that they have too many laws already — a great many mure than they enn understand, — and the laws affecting them want consolidating. This is the Maori fjitlc of the question. Tho Government will look favorably on Brogden's petition. On tho Native Lands Bill, considerable discussion has taken place in committee. Messrs QdUes, Sheehan, Taka^ moaua, and others., lm\e endenvoiuvd tq mVroduap. an amendment which would render Ihe bilj more workable, and lew respective in its operation ; but the Government, packed by a large and unflinching majority, decline to discu,suj aay question raited. The bill, m conjunction with tho Native Reserves, and Native Bounds Bill, will efieetually re-establish the old nntive protectorate in its worst form, and will revive a system by which tlm Government and their friends will have a monopoly of the native lnnd market. A most in decent hnste lo pass the bill has been munifested by the Government. The bill has now been printed in Maori. Tho native members lune protested ag.u ist the imm clause, and

hare asked that if may fee pirfiuh&i *BWBg tit* Hwn people, but all in v»in. fc&tf fijghi ttf HpfeMft K*tt*Hy ulud the IJouse to pass clauses w&wtfi fel4 MWt b*» pi**"* in the hands of moinberi, mi Ottjf kftW BAtfl? *B BOW'S discussion did they give way. It trungpiV^d IB fcJw OOUH# of (he discussion tbifc the amendments wen» m npiafc* but fcb* Native Minister had given instructions (&&& fcfts fiftdfftt claused should not be distributed, to ujombo^ tSpttt IhiS becoming known, Mr MpLean. gave w ay, afW tt*fcty eftdeatouring to explain how ik came to pass ibitb ft# h*4 ordered the clerjcs not to distribute the papers asftOng mftH' bora. To-davtlic clauses were distributed aiqong tWia^mb^J^* und it was at once apparent why it had been atletaptoti fca smuijgle tbenj through. It had been mott cunningly fr»nie4 to bolster up a number of ba.d titles, notably in Ifawke'a Bay, and including title* belonging to the NatWe Minister-, Mr Ormond,. and other well-knovvn settlers of Hawke'a BayMessrs Slieehan, Gillies, Williams, and others painted out the operations of the clauses, and endeavored to amend them, but it vraa a hopeless struggle, and, had to be given up. K»f*itiana and Takamoana made very good speeches, showing that nil the eTils nlneh the bill was proposed to deal with had beeu known far years to the Nutive Minister, yet he ,had never attended to them. He added, that if the clauses passed in their present shape, the natives of if awke's Bay would simply go back to the lands disputed, and remain there at all hazards Messrs McLean, Ormond, and others intended crowing largely Qvcr the report of Judge Richmond, but the question has not by any means been settled, »nd a long debate wfll certainly arise upon it, when thp wkole of report of tdvioe has been laid on the table. The native chiefs who are i.i Wellington are watching the proceedings of Parliament, and are very much excited, and proposa to hold a meeting to condemn the bill. Petitions against it have been received from various native districts. The Wangtpoa- oppositionists hare been thoroughly worsted in their opposition to the Timber yioatage Jfcill. The report is most unanimously in favor of the bill. Mr Fitjjherbert has introduced a bill to set aside certain la,nds in tha province of Wellington as special security under the Loan Act, 1872. Mr Tolime is strongly opposing the Provincial Borrowing Bill, and it is probable it will, to-night, meet with strenuous qpposition. Last night, the Native Lands Bill was considered in committee, and a lew amendments were made. A clause was added to bring the bill into operation on the Ist January ne*t. Progress was reported. On the motion to go into committee on the Insolvency Bill, Mr Sheehan opposed it, saying the bill would make bankruptcy practice lucrative. He moved that the bill be discharged- Messrs Brown, Shepherd, and Gillies opposed the bi)l. Mr Swanson thought that perhaps it was better that the existing law. Messrs Beynolds and Bathgate defended the bill. It was, however, discharged on ft division of 21 to 19. Civil Service Act Amendment Bill and Permanent Appropriation Repeal Bill read a second time. Committal of Native Lauds Bill continued. The bill wa* passed and reported to the House. The Broughton Land Grant Bill, Mei chant Shipping Act Amendment Bill, and Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill passed without amendment their third readings. The Goldfields Bill was discharged.