PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 772, 2 October 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, October 1. In the Legislative Council to-day, The Electoral Bill was read a first time. In reply to Mr. Hall, Colonel Whitmore said that the Government did not propose lo'lnuroduce a~y Bill to deal with the subject of Charitable Institutione. The Government would be prepared toproyide onc-hatf the cogt of charitable aid and hospitals in eajdi disfcript, °ut the localities would haye to provide ths other half in some form or other, The Government desired to leive the management of hospiiaLi entirely in the hands »f local bodies. Tn replv "to Cornel Brett, Colonel Whitmore said that a return woukl De rrevHi'od showing the strength of Volunteer and Cadet ec:-p2. He did not favor the iutrod'iction of GatitiiK, guim or repeating rifles, as proposed by Colonel Brett. The Oamaru [Waterworks Act and the Public J?esevves Act passed through Commitiei. In the House of "Representatives last m*«ht after 10 o'clock, the debate on the Judicial Commission Bill was continued until the House rose at 12.40. Messrs. Bo wen, Gisbm-ne, and Whitaker, strongly opposed the Bill on very much the same grOunda ac those urged by Mr. Stout. Mr. Bo wen strongly condemned the demeanour of Mr. Barton 'iowardii the judges, saying th.at he was afijicted with monomania in thst rgspect. Mr- Moss reviewed the matter from the uftffle point of view as Mr. Rees. Mr. Tole wanted to see the power and independence of the maintained. Still he would vote for the. jt-iU, ?* the case demanded an in-

quiry. ' The House adjourned at 12.40. -■■■■=, I October 2

jfn tlie House yesterday, ■•■ Mr Bunny brought up the report fro:;the li'onije Committee, showing that the boys in Bellamy's are not employed more than seven and a half hours per day. iii reply to Mr Murray, Mr Fisher said the i-fcWsCih the ftood not telegraphed lower down the Clutha. iii'.-er, vlfeu it S'as known at Clyde, W;is that both So. 1 and So. 2 wires were carried away, and prevented the news being sent. The House then went into Committee on ih«j Lv.i.v" T?r Bill on the postponed clauses,' v/lVicY were py;ue.d with _ only r:;bal alterations.- Several' new clivuses

. i wmv. introduced, arid considerable discussion eiisite.n Ofi a fiew clause dealing with the pastoral tenants, Mr. Wakefield very strongly opposed the clause, saying it would mean equiva- ; lent to a tax of twopence a head on sheep, ! and practically ruin to the poor squatters 1 1 in Canterbury, and all men of limited : capital. The ranhoidens y/ho y/ere large capitalists had all bought their rails, and therefore would not •be in the same posi- ! tion as the poor and needy pastoral tenants, who were asked to pay as much ?.s if their land was freehold. Mr Wake- | field further maintained that the Attor-ney-General, when they were lost in Committee, promised. to ; re-consider the whole question. - ,: The Attorney-General and Colonial j Treasurer both denied that there had j been any such promise made, j Mr. BoWen and Mi'. R,olleston also I argued against the clahse. I i.fier further discussion and an attempt j by Mr-, 'iinvr'.y i,o irxtrqduce a new clause ■ with the object or getting all snpnies j raised under the Act to be de?otsd so repaying the Consolidated Fund, and deficiency between the interest of the cost of railways construciid in the Provincial Districf, the Bill was read as amended. Mr. Wakefield notice to move for a recommittal of the Bill when it cornea on for the".thifd reading. The debate on the Judicial Commissions Bill was resumed by Mr. Fox, who opposed it, whiia Messrs. Macandrew, Hodgkinson, and M'JTarlane, and Sir George Grey supported the Bill. After Mr. De L-intonr iiad replied the House divided, the second reading of the Bill beingfuejatived by 39 to 27. j Mr. Ballance then moved the second reading of the Customs Tariff Bill in a very brief speech, in which he explained a few alterations madejsince the Bill|jwas first introduced.

The Bill was read a second time on the voicts, and the House immediately went into Committee on the Bill. |