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New Zealand Mail, Issue 245, 29 July 1876, Page 12

A debate which took place in the House of Representatives on Wednesday was not creditable to a good many members. Mr. Murray brought down a motion for preventing in effect the erection of a central penal establishment at Taranaki. Seeing that this matter was settled last session, and that since then a good deal of expense has been incurred, and everything made ready for commencing the work, it would seem to many that Mr. Murray s action was scarcely covrteous or fair. But as Mr. Murray had a perfect parliamentary right to do as he did, and as he treated the matter with seriousness, though not with sense, we are not inclined to do more than point out that he is by his conduct interfering with the carrying out of a much needed work, and that though he is quite sincere in what he does, he displays little wisdom in doing it. As, however, it would be useless to try and convince Mr Murray that he does not comprehend in himself the whole senatorial wisdom of the colony, we shall say no more on this subject. It is to certain gentlemen who supported Mr. Murray from most questionable motives that Ave desire to address ourselves. Some of these, simply because the carrying out of proper penal discipline has been made a conscientious study by the Hon. Mr. Bowen, and because the Hon. Mr. Bowen is a member of the Ministry, ranged themselves on Mr Murray's side, content so long as they could defeat a Minister, to treat the subject under notice with a lofty disregard of whether it was important or not. Some other members, whose vast political knowledge will not permit them to stoop to the consideration of mere social questions which require to be legislated for, and who have a high-souled contempt for a Ministry that trouble themselves about such things, were content to turn the whole debate on Mr. Murray's motion into a mere means of extracting fun, considering, doubtless, that such was the proper treatment of any question that did not involve vast constitutional rights and the ultimate fate of mankind As a result, the debate on a motion, which should never have been brought down, has been adjourned, and the really good and useful work which the Minister for Justice is endeavoring to do for our prison system, or rather the manner in which he is endeavoring to provide for our want of a prison system, is likely to furnish another afternoon of useless and senseless debate. Would it be impertinent to direct the atbention of the gentlemen who supported Mr. Murray on Wednesday afternoon to the fact that the question at issue is one to which the Imperial Government has not hesitated to give the gravest consideration for years past 1 The necessity for a central penal

establishment and for an organised system of prison discipline in New Zealand may be unworthy the notice of gentlemen who, because they have been sent into our Parliament, think that nothing less than the differences of cliques, which have hitherto supplied the place of party politics here, should engross their attention. But similar questions have not been thought unworthy the attention of the great English political leaders. Young New Zealand, as represented by Mr. John Sheehan, may think the matter only interesting in so far as it will enable him, vulgarly speaking, "to take a rise" out of Mr. Carrinoton. It would be almost useless to endeavor to teach senatorial modesty to this gentleman, but we may direct his attention to the fact that older and better men than he is consider the subject, that is by him made a vehicle for jest, one that demands the best attention of those anxious for the social welfare of the people. The very excellent code of prison regulations drawn up by the Hon. Mr. Bowen, and put into force some time ago, as well as the interest in prison discipline which that gentleman has practically shown, are proofs that he has not considered the administration of his department a mere sinecure, but that he has determined upon doing the work set before him in an earnest and thorough manner. It is not his fault if there are a few members who are unable to see the importance of that work. The parliament of the lower animals, which JEsop informs us once assembled, included amongst its members those animals remarkable for perversity of disposition, and a liking for thistles, and human parliaments cannot expect to be without representatives of a similar type. In his efforts to provide a proper prison discipline for New Zealand, to prevent the absolute training up of a criminal class in our common gaols, and to render hardened offenders as httla hurtful as possible to society Mr. Bowen has the sympathy of all who have the real interests of the colony and society at heart, and he need only expect opposition from those whose patriotism is of a frothy and empirical character.