AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 124, 10 September 1875, Page 13

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

In the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Mr. Buckland, in wishing to test the opinion of the House as to whether Superintendents were entitled to seats, said:-— He recollected that Dr. Peatherston, in Auckland, maintaining that Superintendents were executive officers of the Colony. But according to the fifth clause of the Disqualification Act no person nominated' by an executive officer of the Colony could hold a seat in the House. He wished a committee appointed to decide upon the matter. Mr. Macandrew moved that the motion "be made general, and apply to everyone taking public money. Mr. May said that the motion would apply to all in the House. Mr. Buckland thought he had good ground for his motion, and did not want to be snuffed out in that manner. Mr. Reid said the proper solution of the question was that the House.should dissolve, and all of them go before their constituents again. Mr. Creighton hoped" the Govern mont would give some expression of their own opinion upon the matter. Major Atkinson did not believe there Aras anything in the objections raised by Mr. Buckland, but they did not feel called upon to interfere. If tha hon. member felt there was good ground for his motion, a specific charge against some particular person should be made out in order to go into the question. Mr. Sheehan, considered the question a mere quibbl*, aud he hoped the hon. gentleman's own case rested upon a better ground thau that. He thought, as the Speaker's duty was to keep order in Horse, it was the duty of the Q-overnment to keep up the status of members. Mr. Stafford denied the correctness of the later view, and said | the House would be acting derogatory to itself, and parting with | their rights, in allowing the Government to become the arbiter' in such cases. Sir George Grey said the honorable and manly course for the Government would be to Bay Vr nether there was, or was not, any ground for the motion. The duty of the Government was to lead the House upon the matter, aud if there was anything in it, they should postpone all other business until this question was disposed of. Mr. Richardson said- the Government had already said they did not think there was anything in the objection raised, but they did not deem it their duty to take any action regarding the motion. Mr. Joseph Shephard raised the question of whether those persons referred to by the motion were entitled to vote upon the question. Mr. Stout said, if the objection was held good, the members of all corporations, road boards, education boards, &c., would become disqualified. Mr. Luckie thought tie point was strictly a legal one, and a committee was not the best body to decide upon the question. He thought the Government had acted very discreetly in taking a neutral position in the case. Otherwise they woxild lay themselves open to a charge of making this move for party purposes. Mr. Wood thought the course of the Government was not creditable to them. The question was not one that could be decided by the House, or by a committee. The Supreme Court was the proper tribunal to settle such doubts as those raised. Mr. Cuthbertson thought to discuss such a motion was a waste of time. If there had been any good grounds for the doubts raised, it would have been decided long ago in the Supreme Court. He hoped the motion would bo withdrawn. Mr.- Buckland asked leave to withdraw the motion, and said he would tost the point in another way. Mr. Macandrew objected, and pressed his amendment. A division was taken, and the amendment was lost by 40 to 23. The motion was then withdrawn. — Guardian.