PARLIAMENTARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2043, 21 November 1907, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nor. 20. Tlio House resumed at iBU tasx evomng. mvE mLL . Mr. Ngata said * la^Voi? Ta«KU were opposed to the lea- in =_° for- a longer period, than M > J ■ Facilities nad been given l l ope aim to go on the land, and ho that similar facilities sheadd forded Maoris. This 811 tm too first tamo initiated, facilities in this direction for Moons. H© ' ~ of those optimists who thought Maoris were cap aWe of becoming fan ers, and instances of Maoris ad.ip lability for fanming were nuinemiis in the Bay of Plenty and other disMir. Massey avid that oat reading the Bill, which he had not “.d the oppovi'tumtv of doing im.tij that <K J» it sllvowed good wcTk liad been done by tlie NaUvo Affairs Committee. Mot 1 per cent, of tin population ,understood the Bill, and he was convinced that not 1 per cent, of the Natives would, accept the Bill. He urged that it should bo discussed during the recess and discussed by the newspapers, so that people who hucl no knowledge of the provisions of tlio Bill con id •wlmt it meamt. It was no us© tinkering with the Native land; laws. It was tinkering with an. old machine that sllionld bo thrown, on tiiie sc rap-heap and. replaced by a. now one. , . . c The P tend or said the provisions of tho Bill had been before tlio country for 12 months. There had been demands for the opening of lands mi the North which blocked settfemont, and yet in the Native Afla.itrs Committee Mr. Henries, bad opposed the principle of the Bill, and bad oven supported a suggestion that the Bill Should not be allowed to proceed this session, notwithstanding that the Native Minister had intimated that an area of over n .million acres could be unlocked under this 11 ill. . Mr. Kailiau, in a vigorous speech, said that by the Treaty of AYhatangi Maoris were to be allowed to. nmnflt>e their own. affairs, hut tins not was confiscation. He pressed the Government not to proceed with the m©astire tlnis session, n«iid wou“tl undertake to proride some means o. satisfying the cry of Europeans for Maori: lands. , . _■ ■Mr. Fraser said that tins Bill, turning the whole Native land laws topsy-turvy, was brought down at a late period, and only translated into ■the Maori language during the last 10 days, consequently the. Maori race w,as not acquainted with /the provisions of the Bill. Mr. Fraser went on- to quote from a speech delivered by Mr. Carroll in. 1887 ito show tbit lie then was in favor of the Maoris being allowed to manage their own affairs, and be placed on ■the same footing as pakefhas, yet he was now proposing to filch from the Native his Individuality. After a long debate the second reading wns carried by 42 to 7. The House adjourned at 2.20 a.m. The Bill was taken in Committee this afternoon. Oliause 3, as reported, from the Native Affairs Committee, provides that only land already reported, on by the Commission shall l be subject to the Act. Considerable discussion took place on the clfiuse. Tho Minister op,posed the clause as reported, and moved to bring the oliause back to the original form by proposing that land dealt with within one year after the passing of the Act should' be subject to the Act. Messrs. Massey and Obey opposed the Minister’s motion, and urge,cl that the operations of the Act should be limited to the land' already reported on by tho Commission.

The Minister’s amendment was carried by 29 to 14. Mr. Heke moved another amendment to the same clause to provide that laud coming under the Act should only be disposed of by way of lease, and not s'aie or lease as proposed in the Bill. ~ ■ . . ... . The amendment, was rejected by 37 to 11, and the clause as amended passed on the voices! Mir. Heke moved to strike out subclause 2 of clause 6, under which a Maori is given .Ml powers of testamentary disposition. -Lost on the voices. _ ■ . , On. the motion of tlie Minister a new clause, ' 7A, inserted by -the Native Affairs 'Committee, .viz., “The. Board is empowered to inquire inlto ' any equitable claims with respect to sivch land, and to deal with such- claims as it may '.think fit, subject to the consent of the Native Minister,” was struck out by 41 to

10. The House "midi a,t 2.30 to-day. QUESTIONS. j,n, reply to . questions, Ministers • stated: —That when the Alanawatai railway is acquired’ a reorganisation of the system l of stations will be necessary, and in connection therewith it is intended to, if possible, make provision for trains going to the, side of ferry steamers; endeavor wik also be .made to iim-ugunate the checking. of passengers’ luggage who travel by train -and ferry boatt between the two Islands. Tfalat holidays granted to the. railway staff on Dominion Day, Labor Day, and King’s Birtpictey are being paid for os full dray .in eii.cih case. That so far as is known none of the stamipc- , issued some-years ago on which the •word '““Wflkitf.pu” was wrongty ’spelled Tiqye been sold by the High Coniaiissionoi - since .1898. , END OF SESSION. The Premier, in' reply to Mr. Gray, said Inc thotigbit that by sitting each mpriaing at 11. they ought to he able to get .the business of _thb session dene by .. Saturday evening. The Bills he proposed to go on with -were: —'Native -• Land Settlemeailt, Gaming and Lotteries Bill, Government Railways Department Classification, Christchnureh Drainage Act Amendment Bill’, Water Supply Aidt , Amemdiment, Railways Authorisation Bill, Shops anld Offices Act Amendment Bill, Eire Brigades Bill, and Animals Protection ’ Bill. . Corot wn- . -bious clauses iu the Hitter Bill would bo dropped.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council wet at 2.30. MILK SUPPLY. Mr. Marshall asked whether lit was itfoo inteantidn of the.. Govermowant during "recess to take into consideration the question of a State milk supply, throughout the Donumon ■The Attorney-General said that it was tio be regretted that- the supply,, of milk in some of our cities was not •nearly so clean 'or so good _ as it ou°ih(b to be. Tire Government was appointing a number of nispeotois to see that cows were healthy anti tilna.t byres were kept properly ci'eain. Wide powers were given under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, and it nmnicip alii.tics would dd what seenred to be their plain duty, and. rtlhe. provisions'of the Act referred ito were judiciously used, a .great deal o. good would be aocoinpllisbbtl. • UNPRODUCTIVE NATIVE LAiND. • Mr. Ormlond moved for a revisitm of tiro returm presented to the Council last year giving particulars relating to the area, of unproductive •Native land in t'lie North Island, with the object of ascertaining the areas occupied, unoccupied, and productive, as well' as a statement of blocks that have been alienated since the return, was made. Air. McDonald seconded the motion. TUio Attorney-General road a letter from the Under-Secretary for Lands showing that the return asked for would necessitate the employment of SO or 60 surveyors and' rangers (who would be required to visit each block) until next session. _ The exp on so alone would be prohibitive. Dr. Findlay, however, undertook to bavo the existing return brought up to date. , . Tlio motion was- withdrawn.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACT.. . Tilio Council agreed not to insist oil ono of its amendments to -the Public Health Act Amendment Bill, which tho House luul disagreed with. UNDUE HASTE. . Several members protested against •tho haste . with which local Bills were rushed through yesterday. The AUo-rney-Geivoml admitted ■that Mr. Wigrain-, who made a protest-, was right, but the complaiiiit was an annual ono, and in tho present condition of things seemed to be unavoidable. Tlio same tiling laid occurred under successive Goverin-mon-ts for 40 years. AVUinlt wns tho remedy? ’Was* it not a Bill for tho reform of tho House of Represen bn-t-Lves, wiietro delay took place? BILLS passed.

Tlio folfowing Bills were reported from Committee and passed:—tManioboto Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill, IVaipawa County Bill, Winipa•wa Borouglh Bill, Au.cklan d Harbor Board and Birkeoiheud Borougili Empowering Bill, Hutt Park Bill, Dnnedim District Drainage and Sewerage Bill, Alakara County Bill, Gre.vmiontii Harbor Board Doan BWil, Gisborne Harbor Loan Bill. SUPEBANNUATION BILL.

Tho Atitornoy-Goinorral moved tlie second reading of the Public Service Superannuation Ball.