EVENING SITTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5989, 30 September 1897, Page 4

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr "Wason continued his remarks. Eeferring to the proposed reform in the Legislative Council, he thought it was time that Councillors Tvere elected by the people, and that the Premier should not be allowed to appoint his creatures to the Council. He did not think it right that the Premier of the colony should hold positions on the Assets Board or other Companies. He referred at some length to the position of the Midland Railway, which he had opposed from the beginning, but now that the railway had been commenced he wished it to be continued, and justice done to the debenture-holders. Mr Hutcheson (Wellington) thought that Mr Wason, in lommon with other Opposition gentlemen, had failed to make any serious attack on the Speech from the Throne. He joined in the chorus of congratulation offered to the Premier on the" honours received by him in England, but hoped that our young people would not be encouraged to look for such titles as Knight of the Bath or Knight of the Garter, which titles "were only fit for couitiers or flunkeys. He condemned the present volunteer regulations as being most one-sided and useless. He approved of the labour legislation and such measures as the Eight Hours Bill, but they should be made to apply to women as well as men. He regretted that the Workmen's Compensation Bill was not found in the Governor's Speech, and he hoped it was not too late yet to bring m an Act to abolish that obnoxious clause behind which employers have so frequently taken shelter. After referring to the unemployed, he said that he was altogether opposed to importune Ministers for employment for anyone, and he would not be a party to give any one colonist an unfair advantage over another. He hated patronage, and he would hail with delight any tribunal which would show a proper avenue for employment without patronage. He bad no policy to offer to anyone, but claimed to be a loyal supporter of the present Government. Mr Scobik Mackenzie, after referring to the charges against the Government of providing billets i'oi supporters, of interfering with elections and of seizing sinking funds, said that they found the Governor's Speech echoing the hope that the Conference of Premiers would be a lasting good to the colony. Now this conference was more like a Maori tangi thcin anything else, and did nothing at all except expend the taxpayers' money. He thought also that the only visible and tangible result of the Premier's visit to England was the importation of three detectives from Scotland Yard. The services of these gentlemen would, however, not be lost to the colony; they could be set to work to discover the political crimes and enormities of the present Government. Eeferring to the Banking Committee of last session, he characterised it as a canspiracy on the part of the Premier not to reveal the truth but to suppress it. His opinion was that some reference should be made in the Governor's Speech to Horowhenuaandto thewayin which the Minister of Lands had attacked Sir Walter Buller. The Minister had offered in the House to apologise to Sir Walter Buller if he were wrong, but although he had lately been proved to be wrong in every particular that apology was not yet forthcoming. He also regretted that some reference was not made to Pomahaka, which was taken up by unfortunate settlers who were paying 3s an acre for land that was not worth Is 6d an acre. Mr Fisher described Mr Mackenzie as the most successful light comedian in the House. The honourable gentleman had referred to Ministers interfering at elections, but he (Mr Fisher) found that every Government which he remembered had done the same thing, and those whom Mr Mackenzie himself supported had also done it. He instanced his own election, and said that he had to fight an election petition in which all the money and influence in Wellington were arrayed against him, yet in the recount of votes his majority was increased to such an extent that the count was stopped in case it would be found he should be at the head of the poll. He next ref erred to Captain Russell's speech which, he said, was of such a gentlemanly and considerate character as to make politics palatable, and he wounded nobody. Sir Robert Stout's speech, on the other hand,.was of such a character as to wound every member of the Ministry and consisted of charges of jobbery, corruption, and maladministration against every member of the Government, as well as offensive to every member who supported the Government. He defended the Government from several charges brought against it by previous speakers. He defended the advances to settlers scheme, which had done so much good to settlers, although Sir R. Stout attacked it so xiujustifiably. Sir R. Stout had also asked last night what the Legislative Councillors had done, men who had borne the burden and heat of the day long before the present Ministers knew anything about the colony, thata Council Reform Billshould be brought in. He (Mr Fisher) quoted from a speech made by Sir R. Stout in Auckland in ISB7 in which, replying to a question, he said that the Legislative Council should be abolished altogether, and shortly afterwards he appointed eleven new members to the Council. If they took the political history of Sir Robert Stout, he asked was there anything more scandalous than the Meiggs contract or the Starkpurchase in Auckland. The honorable gentleman preached democracy, but his public actions were altogether opposed to it. Sir R. Stout asked the House to throw off the corruption of the Government, but he (Mr Fisher) asserted that the corruption of the present Government did not come within 75 per cent of the corruption of the Government of which Sir R. Stout himself was a member. Mr Brown deprecated the practice of the Government in going round the colony on electioneering trips, and he also strongly disapproved of the manner in which he said Ministers rewarded their supporters by giving them positions in the public service. He referred at considerable length to land legislation, and criticised it adversely. He opposed the Master and Apprentice Bill and the administration of the Advances to Settlers department. Mr Gilpeddee traversed the speech of Mr Scobie Mackenzie. It was pleasing indeed to see the successful state of this colony, which showed the prudent administration of the Ministry, and the people generally had received great benefit from their legislation. They were told that the unemployed difficulty, prevailed in Wellington, but speaking for the South Island, he never remembered things being better there than at the present time. He spoke in favour of light railways in certain parts of the colony. The resources of a young country like this required to be opened up, and they must have recourse to borrowed capital to do so. Mr Masset moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion was agreed to. The House rose at 12.45 a.m.