TO-DAY'S PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1888, Page 3

TO-DAY'S PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. G. M. Waterhouse brought up the report of tho Waste Lands Committee upon tho Naval and Military Claims Bill. The Committee reported that in their opinion volunteers enrolled between 1873 and 1876 were entitled to relief, but that the Commission of 1882 gave full relief to naval and military settlers and to the Forest Bangers and Colonel Nixon's old corps. On the motion of the Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, it was decided that the report should be printed. The Hon. Sir G. Whitmore gave notice of his intention to ask, on Tuesday next, whether the Attorney-General will lay on the table the report of the Auditor-General upon the accounts of the Girls' High School, Wellington, for the past year. The Hon. Dr. Menzies moved that in the opinion of this Council, the reading of tho Bible in the publio schools should no longer be prohibited. [Left sitting.!

The Marlborough Press of a recent date records with regret the sudden death of Mr. Samuel H&rris, a very old resident. He retired to bed in his usual health on the previous evening, but dangerous symptoms were shown during early morning, and before Dr. Scott had time to arrive, Mr. Harris had breathed his last. He and Mrs. Harris had arrived in WeMni.ston as passengers in the good ship Akna, one of the celebrated Blackball Tine of ships, in tho year 1856, and oame to Ficton in the Tasmanian Maid three years later, having resided there ever since. Mr. Harris served some time in the Imperial Army, thongh not on aotual servioe, being stationed with the Engineers in various parts of the Mediterranean and at Home. He was one of the first to be enrolled as a member of the first volunteer corpß in Pioton', it being then the second volunteer company formed in New Zealand, Auokland coming first. Mr. Harris leaves a wife, five sons, and five daughters to mourn his loss, who have the heartfelt sympathies of many friends in their sad bereavement. Mr. Harris was 60 years of acre. " Did you see tho Panama Canal P" asked an interviewer of Mr. Melton Prior, the celebrated artist of the Illustrated London News while in San Francisco recently. " See it! Why, my dear air, I spent two weeks in it, making sketches." What do you think of its prospects?' 1 "I feel confident De Lesseps will complete it, and that without allowing tho work to fall into the hands of his Government. lam willing to bet a ohampagne lunch that De Lesseps' company will have tho canal completed before 1890 —that is, if a. European war does not interrupt. .ThQy have done fay more work than they aro credited with, notwithstanding that millions of money have been wasted in extravagance and in .lavish expenditures for maohinery, whioh (lie rusting and going to ruin in great quantities. In my opinion all your American alleged scepticism of De Lesseps' ability to finish the canal, and even yonr Nioarajrua projeot is simply a method of bearing the De Lesseps stock, as you Bay in your speculative dealings, in order that the Panama canal may eventually fall into American control." Mr. Prior is now in Melbourne to " do " the Exhibition. The following is one of the many stories told of Mr. W. S. Gilbert. He was oondoling with a friend, who had beoomo the father of triplets (daughters). " Yea," said the friend, "it's awkward every way you look at it. Why, I sha'l even be in difficulty as to finding names for so many at once. ' "Oh, no difficulty about "that," replied Gilbert; " call the first Kate, the second Dnplioate, and the third Triplicate."

For continuation oi reading matter see fourth ¦page.