The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-22 00:00:00

HOUSES.

Sir J. ACTON gave notice that early next session he
would call the attention of the house to the condition of
Roman Catholic inmates of prisons and workhouses in
England.

NE W ZEALAND BILL.
On the order for the second reading of this bill,
Lord PALMERSTON said it was not the intention 01
her Majesty's Government to press this bill any further at
this late period of the session. (Hear.) It was not that
they were doubtful, if there was time for a fair and full
discussion of the measure, that they should succeed in re-
moN:ng the objections which many hon. gentlemen felt
to the proposed bill, but the present state of the session
prevented that ; and therefore the object of the bill having
been to protect the interests of the aborig;nes of New Zea-
land, her Majesty's Government were of opinion that the
powers which the constitution of New Zealand gave to
the Crown of making regulations bearing upon those
interests, would, if properly used, be sufficient
for the accomplishment of the objects which
her Majesty's Government had in view; but if it should
appear that those powers were inadequate it would then re-
main for the Government at some future period to have re-
course to further legislation on the subject. He begged
therefore to move that the order for the second reading of
the bill should be discharged.
Sir J. PAKINGTON regretted that he could not say of
this bill, "De mortuis nil nisi bonum." He thought that
both personally and politically he had very great reason to

complain of the conduct of the Government in respect to it.
He had come up from Worcestershire that morning, having
received a letter from the Secretary to the Treasury on the
subject, stating that the noble lord at the head of the Go-
vernment was quite determined to proceed with the bill.
Under these circumstances he felt he had some reason to
complain of the conduct of the Goveinment in this matter,
and that they could not have made up their minds a little

sooner on the subject. He had reason to believe that even
in the present state of the House of Commons the Govern-
ment found they could not pass this bill, and he believed
that was the reason why the noble lord had taken the un-

expected course which he had taken that evening. He was
the more surprised at the conduct of the noble lord after
having received a despatch within the last few days from the
Governor of New Zealand, in which his excellency referred
to three memoranda, from the bishop of the colony, the late
Chief Justice, and Mr. Swainson, on the policy which ought
to be pursued in the future management of the Maori race.
The opinions of those gentlemen were adverse to the bill.
The despatch referred to was received on the 10th August,
and ordered to be printed on the 15th. Tho letter of the
Secretary of the Treasury which summoned him (Sir J.
Pakingten) to town was dated the 17th, so that the
Government ought by that time to have made up their
minds as to what course they intended to pursue in
regard to the bill. He could hardly conceive any great
department of the country venturing to proceed with the
bill after having received such a despatch. He was con-
vinced that if the noble duke the Secretary for the Colonies
were now in England he would net, after having seen that
despatch, have ventured to press this measure forward. It
would not, however, now be becoming in him (Sir J. Pak-
ington), after the bill had been withdrawn, to enter at any
length into it ; but h 9 would observe that it would be im-
possible for the legislative council which the bill propbsed
to work with the present legislative body. The bill would
create a bad feeling between the colonists and the colonial
Government, and the colonists and the Imperial Govern-
ment, and the Europeans and natives.
Mr. HADFIELD wanted to know why the right hon.
baronet was absent when this bill was under discussion be-
fore the house, considering the very small borough which
he represented. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) He (Mr.
Hadfield) had been there day by day, and he could not see
that the right hon. baronet had any right to complain.
(Hear.) He had read this bill, and he honoured the noble
lord for introducing it. (Hear, hear.) It was a good bill,
and was calculated to confer great benefit. He only hoped
the noble lord would not listen to the bishops and clergy—
(a laugh)—but that in all parts of her Majesty's dominions
he would restrain that political ecclesiastical dominion
which was calculated to endanger the safety of the colo-
nies. We had enough to do with ecclesiastical quarrels in
this country; let us not transplant them to New Zealand
or India.

Mr. C. FORTESCV was sorry that the right hon. gen-
tleman (Sir J. Faking should have any reason to com-
plain on this subject on the ground of personal inconve-
nience ; but if he had been in the position of the Govern•
ment he would have better understood the difficulty which
the Government found in making up their minds upon this
subject. He denied that the bill violated in the slightest
degree the spirit of the New Zealand constitution. The
only question was whether the colonists should govern
themselves or should govern others. The only object
of introducing the present measure was to enable
the Crown, without the violation of existing
rights, to deal with very dangerous and delicate
questions, but it had been found that the poWers now
existing were ample for that purpose without any further
legislation, and therefore the Government had come to the
determination of withdrawing the bill.
Sir G. C. LEWIS said he was sorry the right hon.
bayonet the member for Droitwich should have been put to
Y penonal inconvenience in cpsciponce of aft celirBe