THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9515, 7 September 1896, Page 5

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

The Postmaster, Mr Cook, a strenuous advocate of cold water for internal U3e without admixture, asked leave of the Assembly to introduce a Bill to make people sober by Act of Parliament. Iα his explaining the projected Bill, publicans found that they would be turned loose on a cold water world without compensation. The Assembly, however, by sixty-one to thirty-two, decided that the Bill must contain a compensation clause of some sort. Mr Cook's idea now is to insert a time clause making the Bill inoperative for say a couple of years, thus giving publicans due notice to quit their evil ways. FACTORIES BILL. The Factories Bill, after having undergone recommittal and slight amendment, passed the third reading. COAL MINES BILL. A bone of contention in the Assembly was the consideration of the amendments in the Coal Mines Bill made by the Council. That body increased the hours for adult labour from eight to ten, and the Labour members were wrathful. The Government, anxious not to jeopardise the Bill, which had been long needed, by too strong insistauco, suggested nine hours as a compromise. Our members have a pretty conceit of throwing about playful adjectives at one another with more or less display of ferocity, and before the compromise was adopted, the Government threatening to abandon the Bill if any other course were taken, certain hon. members were indicated by such epithets as " baboon," <J liar," " skunk," " blackguard," and sarcastic references to local preachers and intoxicated teetotallers. LIBEL ACTION. An injudicious extract from a San Francisco newspaper animadverting on the connection of certain people with a blackbirding trip of the steamer Montserrat a few years ago, led to an action for libel against the Evening New*. Kanakas were taken to Guatemala to work in a coffee plantation of the aggrieved parties, who happened to be in Sydnoy, and took exception to the cutting published in the News. The Chief Justice thought the case was one which botli parties might settle with credit to themselves. The defendants . consented to a £100 verdict. POISONOUS TIMBER. A large demand which has recently sprung up for furniture made of the New South Wales timbers, red and black beau, led to a peculiar discovery. At a meeting of the Furniture Trades Society it was stated that men, after working these timbers for a few days, contracted virulent influenza, accompanied by violent fits of vomiting and bleeding at the nose. If they cut themselves blood-poisoning was almost certain to follow. The more seasoned the wood is the more dangerous it is to handle. . The attention of the Colonial Secretary was called to the matter, who forwarded samples of the timber to the Board of Health to report upon. They are believed to contain an injurious acid. TREASURY BONDS. Melboukne, September 6. The opening of the Royal Agricultural Show gave legislators another excuse for short time this week and little progress was made with the Treasury Bond Bill in Committee. WINE BONUSES. The proposal to allot £15,000 as wine bonuses was strongly opposed by the temperance party on the grounds that a large section of the community objected to it, and' the wine industry was already well protected by the duty on wine. Eventually an amendment was carried prov'idiug for the expenditure of £7500 on wine businesses iv the country districts and viticiiltural education generally. LAW OF COMPANIES. The Council still fight 3 shy of the crucial clauses o£ the Companies Bill, and has only dealt with a few minor clauses. Mr Justice Holroyd, when delivering the judgment of the fall Court in the Morrison v the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company appeal case, said the Court was asked to say if the English Act imposed a new law on the colonies in derogation of the legislative powers possessed by the colonies enjoying self-Governmenfc. They dissented entirely from the assumption on which the appellant's argument was based, that because the Imperial Parliament had power to legislate for the colonies it must be presumed that that power was intended to be exercised whenever words were used which might be construed one way or the other. The law of Companies was not an exception to the rule that, as regarded local affaire in respect of which Victoria had power to legislate for itself, it stood relatively to the United Kingdom in the exact position of a foreign country. It could never have been supposed that Companies Acts passed by the Imperial Parliament for the United Kingdom were intended to govern colonial Courts, least of all the Courts of self governing colonies. There was but a fancied analogy in the Imperial law concerning bankruptcies in England. There was, however, a broad distinction between the Bankruptcy Acts which had been extended to the colonies for certain purposes by express legislation and by necessary intendment and the Companies Act, which was not extended either by the one or the other. QUEENSLAND NATIONAL BANK. Brisbane, September 6. As Parliamentary investigations into banking concerns are fashionable, this colony does not want to be thought old fashioned, and has appointed a Parliamentary Committee to enquire into the state of the Queensland National Bank. The personnel of the Commission did not please the Radical section of the House, who affected to see in the fact chat two members of the Commission were directly and indirectly interested in shares of the Bank, though not exceeding a hundred pounds liability, a blow at the independence of the enquiry. The labour parky are anxious for a more searching enquiry than the one which took place some time back, and which they characterise as a mere book enquiry. A desire was manifested that the Auditor-General

CABLE NEWS.

should be on the Commission. The Premier said that that gentleman declined, and the Government could not order him to act, but Parliament could meet the wishes of members, and he therefore tabled n motion thftft the Auditor be added. The Preaa unanimously fell foul of the Government about the composition of the Committee. One journal considers that while much would be gained by the addition of the Auditor, more would be gained if one or two financial experts from other colonies were obtained, and characteries Mr Nelson's defence of the choice of the Commissioners as mere trifling and fencing with the subject. Another paper says—Disguise it as you please, but tao consent of the Government to place the Auditor on the Commission is an admission that, as it now stauds, it is not trusted by the public. It is a fact that names have boon removed from the shareholders' list since July last, and it is true th-ifc ouo of these namo3 is placed on tuo Commission. The public will wish to know how the transaction of removing the names, was effected. One almost trembles to think what would be the consequence should it become known that the changes were made and possibly made with the full knowledge of the Govommont, who, thereupon proceeded to appoint the present Commission. DECEASED HUSBAND'S PROPERTY. Adelaide, September 5. Mr O'Malley movod the second reading of a Bill with the object of compelling a husband to leave at loasb a tbird of the property of which ha died possessed to his wife. He alleged that the law which allows a man to leave money to bis wife on condition that sho doss not marry again offered a State-sanctioned bonus to immorality. The Premier said the Bill mado it optional. He would oppose it by all the means in his power. No necessity for it had ever arisen to his knowledge. Mr Copley, Leader of the Opposition, agreed with the Premier, but the Treasurer spoke strongly in favour of the Bill. SLANDERS IN PARLIAMENT. The second reading of a Bill to permit outsiders a right of action against slauders and libels perpetrated within the precincts of Parliament was adjourned. Both the Premier and Mr John Downer strongly opposed it on the ground that it would paralyse debate, the latter arguing that what a legislator honestly felt he should be permitted to freely express.