Parliamentary Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 17, 17 August 1888, Page 15

Parliamentary Notes.

Btll.— The Council threw out the Fair Rent Bill —In the House, Mr.Taiwhanga declared his intention of stone-walline the Native Bills. Mr. Fish condemned the Maori legislation as nauseating, and objected to the proposed appearance of Native chiefs before the bar of the House.— l he San Francisco mail service ia to be considered after the Native questions have been settled, and it is to be hoped the result will be favourable. As to the desirableness of maintaining regular and rapid communication with the United States there can be no doubt, and anything done to bring about a contrary condition of things must prove retrogressive and injurious to the colony. Nothing can be more worthy of condemnation than will be any attempt to make the occasion one for a display of any revenge or other ill-feeling of the South against the North. In ibis matter the interests of the whole colony are concerned.— A movement ia on foot to induce Government to undertake the settlement of industrious labouring families on small blocks of land. This is a step in the right direction, and if it be adopted we may hope that the traditional policy of all Governments of the Colony has been departed from, that is the design of maintaining a monopoly of the lands, so tbat by means of cheap labour, great fortunes, to be spent in Europe, might be realised by favoured individuals. It is by .keeping this steadily in view, that statesmen have reduced the country to th« depressed place in which it now Btands, and electors have enabled them to do so, by returning incapable or interested men on party cries or flimsy pretexts, or on anything rather than an assurance of their fitness, or devotion to the public good. The electors of the colony have hitherto betrayed their own cause, and proved themselves to" be either completely indifferent, or most eaßily hood-winked and befooled. They have, as a whole, been represented by men devoted to their own interests only, and each making a catspaw of the constituency for the promotion of his own private ends. But until the traditional Government policy of land monopoly, cheap labour, and absentee millionaires, has been finally and once for all exploded, by means of an honest and capable legislature, returned by sensible and clearsighted electors, there is no chance of the country's being placed in a progressive position. This proposal to settle the labouring population on the soil, however, seems something like a more hopeful departure, and its success is much to be wished for. .. Thursday, 9th.— ln reply to a question the Premier said that Government dad received official intimation that the Midland railway contract had been signed.— The Premier also said that a cablegram had been received from th« Mayor of Christchurch, who V^t la * elbourne « contradicting the report as to the deficient display of New Zealand minerals in the exhibition.— Tne Native Land Bill was strongly opposed in committee by Mr. Taiwhanga,— who spoke for the most part in Maori, Friday, XOtll.— The Native Land Bill was vigoronnly stonewalled by Mr. Taiwhanga assisted by Mr. Taipua, The Native chiefs Kemp and Hiawera were heard at the bar of the House, pleading for the postponement of the matter until it had been considered by the great Native meeting to be held next year at Waitangi. Tuesday X4tll.— The House decided that a libel oa the Hon. Mr. Larnach, published by the Auckland Herald, was a breach of privilege, and passed a motion sympathising with the bon. member. —In reply to a question, the Premier stated that Government hoped to be able to make Borne proposals as a substitute forihe Fair Rent Bill rejected by the Council. The rejection of the Bill in question, it may be added, was one of the most flagrant pieces of injustice ever per petrated in the Parliament of this colony, and has, at least, prolonged a most unfair and harrassing condition of things. It has prevented the relief of men, who have deserved well of the colony, and whose position is much worse than tbat of settlers of nothing like.their standing in the country. If the Government be sincere in desiring to help them, and the manner in which the Bill was rejected in the Council makes this; in some degree doubtful , they will not delay in bestirring themselves.