PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4186, 20 August 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wednesdat, August 19. The Hon. the Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. VOLUNTEER LAND ACT AMENDMENT ACT. On the motion of the' Hon. Captain Baiixie, the second reading of this Bill was made an order of the day for Friday. WHAKATAKI GRANTS BILL. On the motion of the Hon. Dr. Pollen this Bill was read a second time. IN COMMITTEE. The Burial Ground Closing Bill was considered in committee. A long discussion took place as to the advisability of allowing relatives of those previously interred therein to be buried in a burialground already closed. Eventually an amendment to clause 5 was carried, approving of certain relatives being, by right empowered by the Bill, buried in Buch grounds. The Hon. Mr. MANTELL moved the following new clause :—" It shall be lawful for any person by will or deed duly executed todirect that his or her body shall after death be disposed of by burning the same to ashes, instead of by burial in the earth ; and it shall be lawful for the executor or executors of such person to carry into effect such direction ; provided that such burning shall be conducted in a manner which shall not create any public or private nuisance." In doing so he observed that as the motion had been on the order paper for several days, hon. members had had ample opportunity of coming to a decision on the subject. His object in bringing forward the motion was to suggest a means whereby to educate persons minds to a more sensible method of disposing of the dead. He thought the mode indicated in thfe motion a much more desirable one than the present barbarous and beastly one. The Hon. Mr. STOKES was of opinion that the clause would prove wholly inoperative. To comply with the clause the furnace to be used must be of a peculiar construction little understood in the Colony. There was another objection to the system of cremation. When the body was burnt all traces of poisoningwould be destroyed. The Hon. Capt. ERASER was astonished to hear such a statement as that which had fallen from the Hon. Mr. Stokes. It was well understood that traces of mineral poisoning, would be much more easily discernible- in ashes than by post-mortem examination. The Hon. Mr. STOKES reminded the lastspeaker that cases of poisoning were not always of mineral poisoning. The Hon. the SPEAKER thought that if a person during his life had a right to dispose of his goods, he certainly had a right to dispose of his body after death, providing such disposal did not injmiously affect the public. The Hon. Colonel BRETT was of opinion that cremation would increase murders one hundred per cent. It was immaterivl whether poison could or could not be traced in ashes, as tiie murderer would be sure to throw the ashes to the winds. Besides they were commanded in Scripture to bury. "Let the dead bury their dead." The Hon. Mr. MANTELL would only remind the hon. gentleman who had last spoken that by the present system they did not comply with the Scriptural injunction, as it was not the dead, but the living, that buried their dead. The clause on a division was carried by 16 to 10. The Municipal Corporations Gasworks Bill was next considered. The following motion by the Hon. Dr. Pollen gave rise to prolonged discussion, —" For the purpose of securing the payment of the principal and interest of any loan which may be contracted by the Council as aforesaid, the Council may make a special rate upon all rateable property within tne city not exceeding in any one \ year such sum in the pound of the annual value of the rateable property as shall be fixed in the Act of the General Assembly authorising the loan, and such special rate shall, as near as practicable, be in the form contained in the seventeenth schedule to the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867." On a division the clause was rejected by 17 to 8. Progress was then ordered to be reported, i The Canterbury Water Supply Bill was next considered, when various amendments limiting the amount of diversion of the rivers, and the powers of entry on private property, and making payment in .cash instead of in land, were agreed to. After a prolonged discussion on various clauses of the measure, several amendments were agreed to, and the Bill was reported. GRASS AND FOREST FIRES PREVENTION BILL. The consideration of this Bill in Committee was arrested by a motion by the Hon. Mr. Gray, that progress be reported, which was carried. On resuming, the various Bills were reported. - PUBLIC REVENUES ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN explained the object and provisions of this measure, and moved its second ■ reading. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE drew attention, to the fact that the .reports of theauditors were not laid before them as provided by the Act, and also that the auditors did not seem to realise the full extent of theirfunctions. The motion was carried, and the Bill read a second time. SECOND HEADINGS. The following Bills were also read a second tune :—Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits Act, Orders in Council Validation Bill, Wellington Land Payments Bill. THIRD READINGS. The foUmying Bills were read a third time and passed :—Petty Sessions Act Amendment Bill, New Zealand Forests Bill, City of Christxhurch Drainage Debentures Bill. IN COMMITTEE, . ' < The following Bills were then passed through Committee Revenues Act Amendment Bill, Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits" Act, Orders in Council Validation Bill, and Auckland Harbor Bill. TARANAKI IRON SAND SMELTING WORKS LAND ' ' 'BILL.'' * The Mr. MENZLES moved the second reading of this measure. The Hon. Mr. SCOTLAND supported the motion. The Hon. Mr. STOKES moved as an amendment that that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. He thought they would be guilty of an inconsistency if such an amendment were not moved. The Hon. Mr. BONAR supported the motion, and thought they ought to give, effect, to the promise, made by the Provincial Council to the company. 1 The Hon. Dr. POLLEN replied. The Hon. Mr. PATERSON questioned the propriety of having a matter again submitted to them which had previously been disposed of ; but acquiesced in the ruling of the Hon. the Speaker. The Hon. Mr. WATERHOUSE did not see that they were bound by any agreement made by the Provincial Government evidently beyond their powers. ." After some observations from the Hon. Colonel Kenny, the Hon. Mr. Peacock, and the Hon. Mr. Menzies, on a division the amendment was lost by 15 to 8. The Bill was then read a second time, and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOLS BILL. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN, in the second reading of this Bill, briefly explained its objects. : The Hon. Colonel BRETT said it was preposterous to pay £l4 each for immigrants and then train and educate them for the purpose of sending them out of the country. The Hon. Mr. HOLMES expressed surprise at hearing such observations from the champion of benevolence. He thought that it was a most charitable act to take these street arabs in hand. The system had been found to work admirably at Greenhithe, Liverpool, and other places. The Hon. Mr. STOKES thought they woidd be committing a great mistake in passing such a.measure as the present. Ho,

would suggest that instead of establishing naval schools they should establish agricultural schools for the numerous immigrants that were coming into the Colony. He moved as an amendment that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. The Hon. Captain ERASER supported the amendment. H 3 thought the Bill was not only prematura but also unnecessary. The Ilea Mr. MENZIES spoke in support of the Bill. The Hon. Mr. AVATERHOUSE thought the Bill would act injuriously, not only to the community at large, but to the children themselves, and would not effect the objects contemplated by the measure. The Hon. Mr. MANTELL spoke in favor of the measure. The Hon. Mr. MILLER could not conceive any object more desirable than that which the measure had in view. This, no doubt, would be a great maritime country, and he could conceive no object more worthy of their consideration than that of training up young men to maritime pursuits. The Hon. Mr. BUCKLEY did not think there would be any necessity for such a school for many years. He thought it would be much better to encourage industrial schools. The Hon. Mr. BONAR supported the Bill. The training-vessel at Melbourne had proved a great success; and he did not see why similar success should not attend their efforts. The Hon. Dr. POLLEN said that there was a great opening in this direction in the Colony. There were upwards of 400 vessels employed in the coasting-trade. They were "oing to try an experiment; and, as their operations at first* would be on a very small scale, he hoped the Council would assent to the second reading. The amendment was then lost by 15 to 6, and the Bill read a second time. OAMAUU HARBOR BOARD LAND DILL. On the motion of the Hon. Dr. Pollen, this Bill was read a second time. The Council adjourned at a few minutes before midnight. ■