EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4637, 11 June 1880, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30. UCEHSIN& BIIL. Sir W. Fox resumed the debate on the Licensing Bill. He was glad to find the Government direct its attention to the moral and social improvement of the masses. It was undoubtedly the duty of the Government to use its influence to check the growth of gigantic social evils. This was a movement in that direction. A cry had been raised throughout the world of the great attendant evils on the drink traffic. It had been said truly that, if - all the evils of war, famine, &c., had been put together, they would be nothing compared with the evils entailed by drunkenness. This Bill went in the right direction. It gave the power of protection against the sale of intoxicating drink. A movement in that direction had his entire sympathy and the sympathy of those with whom he was leagued. It would therefore have his and their best efforts in getting it passed into law. What they demanded was not only power to divert threatened evils, but also power to cheok existing ones. They had the evil existing now, and they wanted to cure it. This Bill was not complete in that respect, and he trusted that the Government would see its way to remodel the Bill in that respect. In 1870 he brought in a Bill having this object, and at first he could not get it beyond a second reading. The principle of allowing the people to quash a license without paying compensation was there asserted. What they as temperance reformers desired was power of this kind. Without suoh. power' they would never be able to put down drinking habits. Assure ac drink shops were established co sure would gaols, lunatic asylums, and other kindred evils exist. Until that right was oonceded, they would continue year after year to demand it, and not rest content until it was obtained. They had had petitions demanding that right. These petitions were first signed by 5000, then 9000, and last of all 17,000, so that there was evidence of the desire on the part of the people to obtain suoh a right. Subsequently the Bill referred to above was paesed into law, and now stands on the statute books so that this Bill practically speaking aimed at withdrawing that power. What they wanted was the local option principle embodied in the Licensing Bill in the form in which it now stood on the statute books. He denounced the clubs as virtually sly-grog dens, and although it was proposed to charge them a license fee, they were not to be subjected to polioe supervision—a more monstrous proposal could not be imagined. What he proposed in reference to these establishments was that they should be subjected to the same police supervision as the ordinary public house. They were calculated to do more harm than the regular " shebeen." The latter had to carry on their practices under certain restraints but the so-called clubs were altogether free from suoh restraints. He next alluded to the proposed Native licensing system. Some of these districts were scenes of the utmost degradation. When New Zealand was first taken possession of by Europeans, the Natives numbered 114,000. Now they had dwindled down to 40,000, this diminution being in a great measure attributable to the introduction of strong drink. Not only had they given the Natives drink, but they had given them what was called Native rum. That was a specially vile decoction, one calculated to drive the consumer to madness and the grave. He was sorry to see by this Bill that an attempt was being made to lessen the power of the Native assessor in questions of granting license's. He counselled them not to attempt to weaken the Act passed two fears ago in connection with Native licenses, f they did the Maori, race would be stamped out. It was a matter for congratulation that liceneee could only be issued onoe a year. The system of quarterly licensing days had done a great deal to defeat the efforts of the temperance party to stem the evil. If a man did not get his license on one day it was sure to be granted at the next quarterly sitting. He considered the bottle licensing system as one of the most demoralising features of the trade. They had been told that under proper regulations this system was good, but there was no good regulation in a matter of this kind. The profits of the trade consisted of excessive drinking, and so long as that was the case there could be no good regulation. These were a few of the defects of the Bill, and when it got into committee he would nee his endeavours for their removal.

~ Dr. Waims agreed with the previous speaker in thinking that total prohibition was the right cure for this evil. The Government however could not afford to dispense with the revenue arising out of the traffic, and the vested interests which had grown out of it were very considerable. He would support a measure for the total prohibition of traffic in spirits. Turning to the Bill before the House, he noticed that it proposed local option in a modified form. What he contended was that the full measure of local option should be given. He knew why it had not been given. It was the question of compensation that frightened them. He did not contend for great compensation. If they gave the profits of the past year as compensation to any house that might be suppressed, that should be sufficient. He agreed, however, with the general principles of the Bill, and would give it his support, reserving to himself the privilege of making a few suggestions when it got into committee.

Mr Satocdbbs regretted that the subject was not felt to be one of more importance to the House. He disputed a theory put forward by the previous speaker that alcohol was beneficial under certain conditions.

The Hon. T. Dice replied. He was not surprised that exception was taken to parts of the Bill. His only surprise was that in a Bill so large these exceptions had not been more numerous. Some of the suggestions made were good, and he hoped to see them given effeot to; others he believed would not be an improvement. The two parties—the publican and the temperance party—had each their representatives in the House, and no doubt ample justice would be done to both causes. He only hoped that when it came out of committee it would be found a Bill calculated to promote the best interests of the community as a whole. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. SECOND BBADOraS. Mr Stewaet moved the second reading of the Lodgers Protection Bill. The Bill was substantially a transcript of the English law on the subject. Its object was to protect the goods and chattels of lodgers paying their own rent, against any olaim the landlord of the premises may have against the tenant. The Hon. J. Hul thought the BQI a desirable one.

The motion was put and carried.' Mr Stbwabt moved the second reading of the Female Bedress Bill. It was a measure which had the sanction of the judges at home. In 1867 a case was tried in the courts in England. A member of a Church had a charge preferred of unchastity. She appealed to the law courts, and it was found that the law could not give her redress. He quoted from the law books to show that such imputations were not actionable unless it could be shown that she had sustained special damages. The opinions of the judges were also read, to the effect that such a state of law was considered to be a great hardship. The subject had been legislated upon in NewYork, and the Bill before the House was an adaptation of the law. He knew cases in which persons were anxious to vindicate their character in this way, but the question could not be entertained at law. At present, a woman might be disgraced and her usefulness impaired all because the law afforded her no protection. The Hon. J. H>t,t. had heard no reason ior legislation at tiie present time. The subject had not been taken up in the home country, and he did not see the necessity for it yet. It was proposed that a married woman might sue without the consent of her husband. If she lost, her husband would be liable for the coats, and if she got damages these damages were to become her own personal estate. That created an anomaly which he did not approve of, and for that and other reasons he would oppose the motion. Mr Shbphabd said that] whea he read the iff iS-.

Bill it struck him that, properly speaking, it should be called a Bill for the Protection of Abandoned Women. A woman living a loos* life might bring an aotion against every one who said a word about her, and the result would be that she might ruin her husband with costs. If the BQI were amended in that respect he should like to see it passed. Mr Macandbew thought the second reading, at all events, should be granted. The Hon. G-. Maolbah thought that the Bill might lead to great hardship. Suppose a man saw hie friend in what he deemed questionable female society, and he cautioned him accordingly, how would he be able to prove the unchaatity of the female. It would be a diffioult as well as a delicate matter. He moved as an amendment—" That the Bill be read that day six months."

Mr Babboh supported the Bill.

Mr Soweh said it was a new matter, in which the mover should be content with having drawn attention to the subject, and should now withdraw it.

Mr Stbwaet replied. He would be willing to insert a clause about the costs, so as to meet the only real objection that had been stated. If the House allowed the motion to pass, he would not press the matter further this session.

The amendment being withdrawn, the motion was put and carried. Mr Shbimski moved the second reading of the Oamaru Harbor Board Act, 1876, Amendment Bill.

The Hon. W. Roubbtok would raise no opposition, as it would go to the Waste Lands Committee, but there were serious objections to the course proposed by the Bill. Mr Bhbimski, in reply, pointed out at some length the necessity for the Bill. The BUI was read a second time.