Saturday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 17, 21 August 1885, Page 9

Saturday.

In the House of Bepresentatives yesterday, Mr. Seddon said that the member for Gladstone had a certain matter to bring up against himself respecting tbe Eumara Sludge Channel No. 2, which he hoped the hon. member would now state openly before tbe House. Captain Sutter said be desired it to be understood that be was not actuated by any personal feeling in the action he was about to take against the member for Eumara. He had a communication to make which affected the hon. member very seriously, and which, he thought, would astonish the House. He found tbat the member for Kumara had been for a number of years urging that tbe Kumara Sludge Channel No. 2 should Deconstructed by the Government. He read a number of telegrams from Mr. Seddon to the members of the Government in reference to tbe construction of the work, and also iwad a contract for the construction of the work, which was signed by B. J. Seddon and five others. The contract was for £2433 18s Id. He also said there were several petitions from miners praying against the cutting of the channel. He pointed out that the Minister for Mines had said that the work was private property, and the Government had no responsibility whatever in connection with it. He had brought his motion in under the Disqualification Act, and he hoped the Government -would allow him a committee to inquire into the whole matter, as be considered the member for Eumara had come rnder the penal clause of tbat Act by holding a Government contract whilst being a member of tbe House. He then moved that all correspondence and a copy of the contract in connection with the Eumara Sludge Channel No. 2be laid before the House. The Hon. R. Stout said the Government had constructed the sludge channel in question. As it became necessary to widen this channel for the convenience of miners, the late Minister for Mines had recommended that a new channel should be created, and the present Government bad set a Bum on the Estimates for the purpose last year. Owing to the estimated cost, however, being about £10,000, he (Mr. Stout) recommended that the local bodies should construct the work themselves. He said it was alter decided that the member for Eumara and otbers should enter into a bond to the extent of £750, so as to provide that no damage should result from the construction of the channel, and to remove the Government from any responsibility that might be incurred in the construction of the work. He pointed out that the member for Eumara had no contract with the Government at all in the matter, and if onus were to be attached to anyone it should be to himself CMr. Stout), as he had advised Mr. Seddon to adopt the course he bad taken. As far as ha knew, the member for Eumara had no interest whatever in the sludge channel. The reason why the bond was entered into between Mr. Seddon and the Government was to relieve the Government of any liability, and also to provide that no harm would result to other miners from the construction of the work. He would not oppose the motion for the production of the papers asked for. Mr. Seddon said the origin of the matter was that in 1878 tbe then Minister for Mines was visiting Eamara, and the miners repretonted to him that a large exodus of miners would take place unless something was done to construct a channel to carry away the tailings. On the strength of that lecomnr*Ration the channel was constructed. He then gave a detailed aC#unt of the progress of the two channels, and defended his own action in tbe matter at some length. He contended that the whole transaction was a fair and straightforward one, and if any advantage had been gained by anyone in connection with the matter it was the Government of the Colony. He feared no committee to inquire into the matter. The Hon. W. J. M. Larnacb said the member for Eumara had given an intelligible and truthful account of the whole matter, at any late, as far as he knows, since his con— nection with the Mines Department. Ha thought the whole thing arose out of the anxiety of the member for Gladstone to show that too much money had been spent on the goldfields. He contended that a committee was not necessary, but thought the House should now decide the matter. The Hod. B. Stout moved that a committee be appointed, to consist of Messrs. Bruce, J. O. Buckland, Conolly, Fraser, Hislop, Hursthouse, Moss, Sutter, and the mover, to consider the matter, and report in. 10 Jays... .Agreed to. A cnriouß petition is being circulated by the Wellington Working Men's Club for presentation to Sir George Grey. One of the promoters has sent a copy to Christchurch, from which it appears that the petitioners pray Sir George to elaborate some scheme where-

by those who wishrtor avail themselves of-it may be enabled to - emigrate to South Africa, because (tbe petition sets out inter tilto) " all tbe best of the land in New Zealand has gone into the hands oi' a few people, or into those of mercantile corporations. The majority of those of us who came here to seek homesteads hare been disap*pointed, and taxation yearly becomes heavier." The Prince of Wales urges that an exhibition of Australian v living fish, which would be suitable for acclimatisation, should bey made at the forthcoming Colonial Exhibition. Despatches are to hand from Admiral Paschin, commandingtheS German squadron at Zanzibar, which state that on the 11th inst. he* presented an ultimatum to the Sultan. The Sultan has replied to the ultimatum recognising the supremacy of Germany, and withdrawing bis troops from the disputed territory.