PARLIAMENT.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1284, 15 August 1883, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

♦ The debate on Sir George Grey's motion relative. to_the Premier was continued in the House to-day. The motion that the Speaker leave the chair, in order that the House might go into Committee of Supply, was as follows :— " That this House is of opinion that the Premier of NewZealand should not be a director or manager of any Bank or company; trading in tiie Colony > nor should he receive any salary, pay, fees, or any remuneration whatever for any services rendered to any such Bank or company." , Sir George Grey commenced by remarking that he felt that he was about to address hithself to 6ii audience that was in a gteat measure hostile ; still, if he elected to bring this matter forward, it would probably be regarded as a want of courage in his duty to the country. He believed that two or three great monetary institutions, all under one directorate, exercised 'great influence on : the . Government of the country. He sincerely believed that the present Government were merely retained in their seats by the great monetary institutions of the Colony. The Premier was virtually the Governor of the Colony, because, put it as they might, the Governor was a mere machine, who signed the Premier's edicts. The .Premier appointed sheriffs, ar>d through them the grand juries 1 Who controlled tlie goldfields? Who caused the>Wardens? Who controlled all gaols and every gaoler? It was one great c£ti,ti, r al power which oppressed New Zealand from end to end. That central power. was moved by the Premier, and. the Premier was the solicitor to the Bank of New Zealand ? Was this justice 'and right? Did it give the people of- New Zealand a fair chance? What -vvDuld the people of England say if such a body were established there, and Mr Gladstone was the solicitor to that body, or if his name appeared as .a decoy duck for a monetary scheme' which was about to be started 1 So long as the present system was allowed to continue there was no hope for the people of the Colony. Let thg. House, therefore, agree to the resolution. (Cheers.) Mr Dargaville' seconded Sir George Grey's amendment. The Minister of Lands rose to oppose the amendment. - He thought the action of the House in the past had' been such as to show that there was little danger of the evils arising which Sir George Grey had hinted. Sir George Grey had described the "Premier as an autocrat in the Colony. His (Mr Rollestou's) experience had not led him to the conclusion that there was auy attempt on the part of the Premier to act as an autocrat. He did not think that it was right that it should be so insinuated that a majority of the House did not represent their constituencies at all, but that they represented monetary institutions.. Nor did he believe the last actions of , the Ministry would justify such an in sinuation. No Ministry would hold office under a Premier who dictated over the head of departments what appointments were to be made. The Cabinet was a corporate body, acting together, and advising the Crown, and it was a regulation that all appointments of i>2oo should be. made by the Cabinet ; and, moreover, there was a very vigilant eye kept by the House over every appointment. Again, anyone listening to Sir George Grey, who did not know the circumstances of the case, would imagine that the House was not aware of what was going on, and that the monetary arrangements under whicli the finances of the Colony were managed were made by the Premier, unknown to the House. He pointed out that the arrangement made with the Bank of New Zealand was not made by the Premier at all. Montgomery thought the amendment was of too personal a character. It ought to be put on broader ground. He intended to move to amend Sir George Grey's motion, sq as to make it apply, not alone to the,. Premier, but to every one Minister of.-the Crown of New Zealand. Mr DeLatour thought it was unfortunate that the Premier was not a representative of the people, and on the floor of the House to defend his own Government. Mr J. Buchanan spoke in support of the amendment, after which the question was put that the words

"That the Speaker, do now leave the chair " stand part of the question. On division, this was carried by 44 tov26, and jSir George amendI meiit. was .consequently set aside. \ The Ho^se; then/went into Cpmmittee- of S^lyr^henfthe iPablicf , Wprks Estimates vftgje siijtfriiitteidfj fore; .••consrderttibtLi;=^- r s/V'J/' \--;fy <os> \: & V X< V 7 -__-.■ V \