ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 30, 4 August 1881, Page 2

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

In the Legislative Council yesterday tho Licensing Bill got through committee, with the exception of certain postponed clauses. No important alterations were made, except in clause 189, t'<c words " to the knowledge of such person " were struck out on division ot 14 to 13. The effect is to render sellers of adulterated liquors liable to a penalty of .£2O whether they know tlio liquor to bo adulterated or not. It is rarely the afternoon sitting of the "Commons" is not>d for brilliancy of speeches or ideap, but yesterday the proceedings wore of an exceptionally drowsy character. Tho number of members in the Senate Chamber varied from 19 to 29 and there was an air of languour over everything. There was no life or energy among the few present, and one or two steeped their senses in forgetful sleep. Evou Dr. Wallis' weighty motion for an elective Upper House didn't succeed in ''drawing out" tho slumbering oloquenco of men who, on previous occasions, have been bnrningly o'oquent upon the iniquity of having a nominated Uppor House in Democratic New Zealand. '1 ho peoples' representatives seemed thoroughly enervated with tho not over-profitable Btruggles of tho past eight weeks, and appeared to have no "go" loft in them. It was probably with a view of imparting now vigour into hon. members that the Premi j r announced his intention to ask the House to sit in future on Mondaya, and to t ike from them one of tho days allotted to the work of private members, in order to get through with the public business of the colony. The Colonial Secretary, in answer to Mr. Beeves, siid l>o was aware that Mr. C. R. Tylden, of Auckland, who hud been appointed a Jrutico of the Peace, had been bound over to keep the peace for twelve months, and that at tha time of his appointment ooly two lnontns of that poriod had elapsed ; but tbo mattor was of very little significance, and did not affoct Mr. Tylden'e character in tho least, and thoi^foro thero was no intention on the part of the Government to lake any steps in the matter. This statement wa,s received with ironical exclamations from Mr. Hamlin. Mr. Rolleaton gave an emphatic denial to the insinuations contained in a question put by Mr. Hutchison that Honi Pihama and Major Parris have a joint interest or partnership in certain land awarded to Honi Pihama. In answer to Sir George Grey, the Colonial Treasurer was understood to say that the 10 per cent, reduction iv the payments to Civil Servants was made for the month of July last, in accordance with a reso'ution of the House during the previous session, and that if the House agreed to the present Estimates tho amount deducted during thit month would be returned. Until they did so agree the reduction would be continued. Mr. Bryce was informed that no report of the commutaiion of the seutenoo of Wharepa (tho Chatham Islind nmrderer) had been reported by the Governor to the Secretary ot State. Among the new measures introduced was the Railway Construction Bill. A motion by Mr. Macandrew for a committee to consider and report as to the best means of establishing a direct steam service between New Zealand and the Mother Country met with the eupport of the Government, and was carried. As stated before, I r. Wallia moved a resolution to affirm the desirableness of having an elective Upper House. He urged the importance of reform in the "other place" iv the direction indicated in his resolution. There was in the existing state of things a necessity for two Hou-.G3, but he thought the second branch of the Legislature should bo elective. Mr. Do Lautour, in a brief speech, looked forward to a time when our legislative machinery would be les3 cumbersome, and thought the time would come when one Chamber only would be required. Mr. Reid announced his intention to vote for the motion, but he believed the best system wonld be to partly elect and partly nominate members of the Legislative Council, a certain number to retire every five or seven years. Mr. Hall, while averse to a nomicat /> d Chamber, thought it had done good service, as it had helped to check and revise hasty legislation, and he believed it would be ill tor New Zealand if at the present timo tho second Chamber was abolished. His opinion was that the most practicable solution of the question would be for tho House to elect the members of the other branch by ba'lot. Sir George Grey instanced tho Provincial Council is a legislative body, which did good service without a second chamber, and said tho tendency of many great thinkers was in tho direction of one branch of legislature only. He wanted to know what was the uso of an Upper House, in which a gentleman who had beon rejected by a constituency, could readiy obtain a seat and great influence, or from which a member could retire to seek a seat in the Kepresentative Chamber. Colonel Trimblo, who also objected to a nominated Upper House, pointed out that an elective body would absorb the power now concent ated in the House of Representatives, but said he was quite prepared for such a contingency. One or two other members having spoken the debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. In the evening nearly three hour 3 were spent in considering the Timaru Harbor Board Endowment Bill in Committee. The Government objected to the endowment clause, but it was ultimately carried on a division by 35 to 19. Ihe bill was reported with Hmendments. Mr. Weston moved the second reading of the Offences against the Person Act Amendment Bill — a measure for the wipping of wife-beaters, and amending the law in th° direction of punishing persons for assaults upon iemales under 13 years even though consent were given Mr. De Lautour thought the tendency of tho las a would be rather to brutau'se t>ers3n-it >ers3n-i than cure the evil. Thj man who deae:ted hi 3 wife and family was far more cruel than he who thrathod a wife. He would see such a bill pa 33 with very considerable regret. Mr. Fulton agreed with the whipping clause. Mr. Stewart did not agree with is. He knew a ca?e in which the husband suffered great cruelty at the hands of his wife. 'Ihe law was sufficiently potent to protect ill-treated wives. Sir tJeorge Grey said the Hous ) would do we'll in considering this bill, to borrow knowledge from tha experience of the past. In hid young days, the death penalty was attached to Bo mroy offences that people got u«ed to it. The farr.i thing applied to flogging. But the peopl9 revolted at last, and both were abolished to a great extant ; and ho implored the House not to introduces fligsnng as proposed by the bill. He thought it would be wise to reject the bill. Mr. Bolleatoa supported the second reading of the bill, and thought Sir Weston deserved great credit for bringing it forward. Mr. Speight thought the House were likely to defeat their own ends by such ontragujad punishment. The bill wa3 a-hiJeou-j one, containing ail the remnants of barbarism without the redeeming features oi barbarism. Mr. Se vens was convinced that the present law was not sufficient to deal with the evil 3of wife-beating. Mr. J. B. Fisher Btrongly opposed the whipping clause, as tending to increase the evil Bought to be remedied.

It would be the m-^ans, he believod, of creating uncoa ing a-trifo in families, for a man once hiving tho la«h applied to his back would ever remember it, and there would nev p r again bo ppace between him and his wife. Mr. v oddon thought good wives rarely received ill-treatment. There was a considerable amount of further discussion for and against the bill, which waa eventually thrown out by 23 to 19. The House rose at 1.-0 a in. This Pat. Mr. Stevens moved tho adoption of tho report of the committee on the Church of England in New Zealand Trustee Bill. Mr. Sheohan said he would oppose this and all similar bills, on the grounl he objected to tho colony giving grants of land to religion* denominations. Sir ¦ W. Fox and Mr Ballanoo also announced their intjntion to vote against the bill, and Sir Georsre Grov expressed a hope that th b:ll would be withdrawn until aftar tho next sitting of the Goneral Synod. Tt was not. properly epeakinp,'a' private bill, but was of a public character, as dealing with tin churoh property throughout tho colony. It proposed to altor, in part, tfie Church Constitution, nnd h<J therefore trusted Mr. Stevens wou'd delay tho passage of tho bill at present. Mr. Downie Stewart, on the other hand, thought tho bi I a very right and proper ono. It did not impose any power boyond those necessary to administor tho trusts. [Mr. Stewart was still speaking when our aiessenger left tho building J