ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXIII, Issue 145, 23 June 1882, Page 2

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

In tho Legislative Count il yesterday, Mr. Clumberlin moved that the Government should cause all coastal vessels to carry in readiness for immediate use a eufncie'nt Bupply of oil to caßt on the sea in orbo of danger. The mover enlarged on the useful protective resu ts which had acorued from using oil to emootho a rough sea, and contended that had this expedient been adopted the loss of life in connection with moat of tha Now Zealand wreoks would have been averted. Mr. Oliver approved the proposal, but donbtei whether the Government had legal power to enforce it. Th'S view was supported by Mr. M'Lean, who Baid tho Union Company's attention was being direoted to ttie matter. He advise! tho mover to withdraw the motion, to whioh Mr. Clumberlin agreed. Sir G. Whitmore moved for a return showing the amount of each contract signed by a Minister, and chargeable to loan, from 7th October, 1879, to 31st Maroh, 1882. His object was to prove the fin.noe of the Grey Government not so bluok a* painted. Mr. Oliv« pointed out that what the mover wanted wab supplied annually in the Public Works Statement. Mr. M'Lean questioned the possibility of the mover attuning his object, and remarked that it would have paid the colony to give tho Grey Government £2,000,000 to loavo the colony, and the Hinemoa as well to take them away. He strongly advised tho mover not to rake up these matters, as the people of Ne >v Zealand were willing to forgive and for* jyet. Dr. Pollen complimented Sir O. Whitmore on his courage in defending the Ministry of which he was a ruomber, but the fact remained that that Ministry left a defioit of a million, and Urge liabilities against an unraised loan. The information acked for would be of no practical value. Sir George Whitmore, in reply, defended tho finanoing of tho Grey Government, and declared that tho " Continuouß Ministry " were responsible for spending some .£20,000,000, mnoh of whioh had been soandatously spent. ' Ho did not wish the actions of the Grey Government to be forgiven and forgotten, but dbnred that all possible light should bo thrown on their financing. The present Colonial Treasurer had said tho Groy Government had left liabilities of £3 300,000 t> bo met before June, 1880, and he wanted to see how those alleged liabilities had been incurred and met. Tho motion waß then agreed to. The West Coast Peaoo Preservation Bill was committed and reported without amendment, various attempts to strike out the prcnmble or portions of it being negatived on the voice* The Bill was then read a third time and passed by 24 to 2, Messrs, Mantell and Fraser being the dissontients, and the latter intimating his intention to lodge a protest. The Indemnity liill was also committed, reported, re^d a third time, and passed. The Premier explained that tho IndcmnftyVßill had to be taken second in order so that there might be no unprotected interval. Tho t'ouncil then adjourned. In tho House of Representatives yesterday leave was g yen to introduce the following Bills, whioh wera duly advanced a stage :— The Importation, Examination, .and Adulteration of Tea Bill (Mr. Seddon) ; a Bill to remedy certain wrongs that have arisen from the operation of the Crown I ands Sales Act, 1877 (Mr. Vincent Pyke) ; a Bill to fnrthor amend the Patents Acts, 1870 and 1881 (Mr. Tole) ; a Bill to render pereona or ompames insuring property against fire liable for a contribution towards water eupply (Mr. Hutchison) ; and a Bill to regulate tho disposal of pastoral lands of tho Crowti (Sir George Grey). Mr Fish then moved th > c immittal of the Otago Harbour Board Further Empowering" BiH,« Twhioh 8' ti2ht to give the MoaTd power to borrow .£300,000 for the purpose of carrying ont certain works in the Otsgo harbour. Tho promoter entered into an exhaustivo history of the Board since its establishment, and endeavoured to show that tho Bum now sought to be borrowed was required toi complete a scheme which had been authorised by a previous Parliament Mr. J. M'Konaie seconded. Mr. Macandrew .expressed hia opinion that the operations of lTieT)tßgo Harbour Board had for the most part been an egregious blander from flrft to last, and if this • ill were framed it wonld bo the means of perpetual ing that blunder. The Board had put tho cart before the horse. He contend* d that unless the bar at the entrance of tho harbour was deepened, big ships wonld not be able to get to Port Chalmers, much less to Dunedin. He denied that the mercantile oommunity of that city were in favour of the bill, and wh n in emmifieo he wonld movo the amendment of which he had givei notice— to reduce the amount to JJISO 000. Mr. Bath^ate strongly supported Mr. Fish ; and the ( olonial TreabU-or tnouffhfc the promoter had made out a good case, and would support the measure if tho bon. mem* ber would accept a redaction of thbfemount to .£200,000 Aiter that Bttm had ifeen expended the Board oould apply fof more if they desired. Mr. Fish acoepted the Colonial Treasurer's suggestion. Mr. Ftrgus also supported the bill, rad did nob agree with the Colonial Treasurer's reoommendation for a reduction of the amount, believing tha House ought to face the thing at once, and give the Board a sum which tl-cy deemed sufficient to enable them to carry out their sohemo to a successful and legitimate conclusion. Mr. Hnrst opposed the bill, as also did Mr. Shrimski. Mr. Weston was following in a similar strain, when the debate was interrupted by the dinntr adjournment, to be resumed a week henoa. On tho House resuming at 7.30 p.m., the Speaker announced that a message had been received from tho Legislative Council, t> the effect that the W9st Coast Peace Pres°rvati.on Had Indemnity Bills had passed that braroh of the Legislature without amendment Mr. fc toward then tnovod the second reading of''rae Small Birds Nuisance Bill, which was sut-ported by Messrs. J. M'Kenzie. Stevens, Hursthouso, Dodson, and O'Call*gb»n; Mr. Shrimski intimated that when in, Domtnittee he would movo that the rating clause should be struck ont The motion. was then agreed to. The second reading of the Debtors and Credit )rB Act Amendment Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Holmes, postponed till the 20th July. The Eight if ours Bill was then further considered in committee. Tho bill was reported with amendments, upon which Mr. M. W. Green, its promoter, moved that it be recommitted to enable him to effc* other amendments. On the Bill being committed, Mr. Gr en movod that the wot., "and controlling" in see. 2, be struck oat, which was carried He next moved that in subsection 1 of clause 3 the whole of the words thonld be etrnck out. will* the exception of the fo.lowing : — " Kight hours shall constitute a legal duy's work, and 48 hours a legal week's work." Mr. Holmes suggested that the word " legal " should be left out, as ooca-ionilly there were certain days in the week that were not legal. Mr. fr nzGerald characterised the whole bill as the most monstrous h-j had ever seen introduced iuto the Houfo. No doubt, he said, the promoter thought he was do'sg something to benefit the working classes, but ha could assure the hos. member that the working classes were only laughing at him for his pains After further discaai-ion the whole of the third clause whb expunged, and it was decided that the various amendments that had been effected i-hould come up for consideration on Wednesday next. Mr. Weiton afterwards moved the second reading of the Offences against the Persons Act Amendment Bill. By way of amendment, Mr. HnrathouFe moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months, the amendment being seconded by Mr Moss. Mr. TurnbnU blamed the promoter for wasting the time of the House in introducing such a measure. Ihe Hon W. Holleston was of opinion that Borne drastic remeoies we c necessary to repress the crimes set forth in tha bill. He thought i: was a diegnce to the community that our wives and daughters could n-<t wait through tho streets without being liable to be insulted. Prevention was far better than cure, aud as to the alleged degradation in rf spect to fl he believed one or two capes of whipping would dispose (f the oV,j. ct;on, as this practice would 'deter persons from committing crimes of the kind alluded to in a way that no oth.r means would deter them. Mr. M. W. Green supported the second reading, and Mr. Leve&tam the amendment. Colonel Trimble remarked that the degradation was not in the punish..

ment, but in tha crime, and supported tho measure. Sir George Grey and Mr. Hutchison strongly opposed the Bill, and Mr. Fulton, in supporting it, expressed hfc belief that it would have the effect of rupresping crime. Mr. Fißh thought it conferred too great powers upon magistrates in regard to ordering whippings for assaults, a power whioh was liable to be abused. Mr Peacock, in supporting tho second read ; n-j, concurred that the measure would have a deterrent effect. Mr. Holmes agreed that there were a certain class of offences which might fairy be punished with the lash, but tho Bill did not include one of these. Mr. Weston having replied, the second rending was agreed to by 47 to 22. The second reading of the Contagious Diseases Act Repeal Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Hutchison, postponed for a fortnight, the Bill not having yet been printed and circulated. After the supper adjournment, on the motion for the committal of Sir George Grey's Affirmation in Lieu of Oaths Extension Bill, the Colonial Secretary said the Government agree! with the principle contained in the measure, and had brought one in themselves which bad already pasßed the Upper House. Under the circumstances, he asked whether it would be advisable to run the risk of losing both Bills through running them together P Probably the Government measure was the more elaborate of the two, and the Government were quite prepared to h)nd it over to Sir George Grey if he ohose to accept it. Mr. Barron was of opinion tho Government should have the good grace to allow the hon. gentleman to oarry his own Bill through that Chamber if possible, and if he succeeded they should abandon their own. The Colonial Treasurer urged that the consideration of the matter should be postponed for a fortlight, and Mr. Sheehan and Mr. Holmes expressed a hope that the hon. Knight wonld accept the Colonial Seoretary's offer. Mr. Beddon hoped the hon. knight wouldn't, and promised to follow him into the lobby if he pressed the matter to a division. Sir George said it was perfectly immaterial to him who carried the measure, but pointed j out that his Bill was actually read a first time for several days before the Government introduced their measure into the other Chamber. He could not consent to withdraw his Bill, nor would he agree to take up the Government Bill. He was content to let the matt er be decided on the voices. The question waa then put that the Speaker leave the chair for the House- to go into committee on the Bill, which waa agreed to. On going into committee, Mr. Mason expressed a hope that the House would see its way to affirm that all oaths were altogether unnecessary, and moved that the words "but who shall object bo to do " in the second clause be etrnok out. On a division thia waa carried by 43 to 21. Mr. M- W. Green then moved, and it was resolved that the words "and he shall be required " iv the third lino of the clause be also expunged. It was further agreed that the wordß "or subscribe-" should be inserted after the word ' take " at the end of the first line ; that the words "in lien thereof" should be inserted after "affirmation "in the third line of the clause ; and that " or declaration " should be inserted after " affirmation "in the same line. The third olause passed with a verbal amendment, after which the bill was reported, the amendments to be considered on the 12th prox. The House rose at 1 a.m.