PARLIAMENT.
(BY TELEGKAPH.) . Wemisgton, August 5. In .the Legislative Council to-day, I Mr. O-niphe!", ".n-j yiven 10 days' leave ■ , ' ; i ; i'iiH-1-; U'ii -.-.as read a third ; :..;0 an i a discussion. | Colonel Wiuimore moved for the printI ing of a return of the expenditure for the last year. In a speech in support of the motion, the mover showed that though the Government passed 11J millions through their hands in two years, it was nearly a.ll fired charges over which they had no control, Jess than three millions being for puUiic works against over four millions of Joan money spent by the Atkinson Government in their last two years of office, and over two millions to i>e sp'iiu. by the present Government this y.xr. Oolnno! Whitmore also said that r ore were over L3,000,00(1 of the L 5,000,000 loan still unexpended, and the uijy liability was, Li,GOO,OOO for native land pm'ohf.so, which the Government did not intend: to carry out. The return was ordered to be printed. The Native Reserves Bill was recommitted and amended after some debate, and was then reacs a third time and passed. Mr, moved the second reading of the Public. Health Amendment Bill. The Bill was read a second time. The Council rose at 5 p.m.
In the House of Representatives today, Mr. Dick laid on the table correspondence relative to the defective railway waggons, called |o,r by the member for' Cheviot Mr. Stewart presented a petition from the residents of Dunedin, protesting o gainst section 78 of the new Licensing Bill, On being read, it was found that the petition spoke of the measure before the House as tyrannical, unjust, and unconstitutional. Mr. Dick asked the Speaker to rule if the language was respectful. The Speaker s.ajd the course was to move that it be not received. On the question being put that the petition be received, the response was in the affirmative. Mr. Hall .moved that the House sit to-r morrow at 11 a.m., for the purpose of disposing of certain Bills. Mr. Macau draw suggested that they should meet on Mondays, Thursdays, and 'Fridays at 11 a.m., and adjourn not later than 10 p.m. on those days. Mr. Kelly objected, pointing out that it interfered with the sittings of Committees. The whole principle, he contended, was wrong. They were attempting to do the work of six months in three weeks. The work had never been carried through on any previous occasion as it had been this session. Mr. Hall said the suggestion about two mornings in the week was worthy o£ consideration. The suggestion of the member for Port Chalmers was impracticable, : inasmuch as it proposed to adjourn at 10.30 p. m. The motion for sitting to-morrow morning was put and carried. Mr. Brown moved that all Committees bn allowed to sit daring the sitting of the House.
Mr. Hall said there could be no abjection to the Committees sitting,, provided that when tho members at work on committee hoard the bell ring for a quorum they would come, running down to the House, so as to keep it together. Mr. Thoni'int: said that the suggestion just now made by the Premier was a most shameful one. It meant this, that they were to go through their work in a sort of haphazard way, without the opportunity for sufficient deliberation being provided. The motion was put and carried. In reply to Mr. Adams, Mr. Dick said he expected to proceed with the Licensing 13ill in a very few days. TheTaranaki Iron Smelting Works Land Act, 1874, AvQencimen,t Act was reported, read a third time, and passed. The interrupted debate on the Wellington Racing Club Bill was resumed. Mr. Hutcheson moved as an amendment that the Bill be read that day six months. Sir W. Fox supported the amendment. He made some very severe strictures on the patrons of the course. It was resorted to by very questionable characters for equally questionable purposes. He denied that it tended to improve the breed of horses, adding that if it did improve the horses it destroyed the men. But it did not improve the breed of horses. As a matter of fact the breed was every year Hvteriorating. They could not find anything but mere scrubbers now-a-days that c<>uld do no more than thirty miles a day. That snowed, despite all that had been s.iid to rhe contrary, that horse-racing was d< ing nothing towards improving their horses. It wag ?io,t horse-racing that attracted the crowd- Ift was not horseracing that attracted the masses. Criticising the Bill, he pointed out that the Club might appropriately pay its debts, in other wqrds discharge all the questionable ''::bili ! ies it might choose to contract with :hinxhle-riggers, black-legs, jockey boys, p.rd other questionable characters who fivquented these race-courses. Mr. Ireland supported the amendment, and in doing so described horse-raping as an immoral pursuit, Mr. Levin in looking over the files of the Wellington newspapers of 1857 he was astonished to find the name of Mr. William Fox as a prominent steward and member of a race club. That Mr. Fox was the Sir William Fox whom they had just heard denounce this sport in such graphic terms. He alluded to, the fact to show the value of the elegant denunciation. fhe motion for the second reading was carried on a vote by 22 to 16, and the Bill read a second time.
Mr. Wright moved for a return showing the nature of existing arrangements for purchase of materials in Great Britain or on account of the Bnblio Works Department \ also the amounts paid during the last, two years under such arrangements by way of salary, fees, or commission, and the names of the recipients. —Carried. Mr. Wright moved for a return of the correspondence between tl\s Stores Department, Christchureii, and Mr, Oonyers, •Mr. A. B, Smith, and Messrs. Guthrie and Larnaoh, relative to the supply of galvanised iron.—Carried. On the motion for going into Committee on the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill, Mr. Bowen, in objecting to the Bill, said that it would dissolve very much social relations which existed at present, and would import a great deal of unpleasantness into domestic relations. Mr. Toraoana 3aid that before missionaries camM here this was the law. Now, however, marriage was carried on 01; a different basis. • Maoris who married their deceased wife's sister were those who ignored the Qhurch. It earae to this, that European members were reverting to Maori customs. Therefore he would not support the Bill. Mr. Finn moved, and Mr. Lundon seconded, that the Bill be committed that day six months. « Mr. Hall could not find that there was any solid argument against the measure. Great Britain was now almost the only portion of the British Empire where the restriction was maintained. Dr. Wallis said this proposal gave him the idea that their civilisation was pretty much like a tide; it rose to a, certain height, and then it reverted back to the : state from which it emerged. Major Te Wheoro would support the Bill, because it reminded him of the Maori customs of old days. Nothing gave
him greater pleasure than to sfee Europeans come round to their customs. Mi\ Tawhia also testified to the fact that this Bill coincided with old Maori customs. Having brought forward a Bill of this sort, he thought the members supporting it should call themselve Maoris. Still he-would vote against the Bill. The Bill said to him as a Maori, " Return, go back to your old customs." The House divided on the motion for going into Committee—ayes 26, noes 14. The House then went into Committee. In clause 2 Major Harris moved that the word " deceased" be struck out. The motion was negatived. Major Harris moved that the word " sister" be struck out, and the word " grandmother" substituted. Mr. Moorhouse, who was in charge of the Bill, remonstrated with the mover of these amendments. Mr. Murray hoped the minority who were opposed to the Bill would show a proper respect for the opinions of tho majority, and not throw frivolous obstacles in the way. The amendment was negatived on the voices. Dr. Wallis said he had done more marrying than any other man in New Zealand, and he was an expert on the point. He thought it was very necessary provision should be made for a man marrying his niece. He moved the words " or niece" be inserted after " sister."
The amendment was put, and lost on the voices. Dr. Wallis moved that progress be reported. The motion was lost on a division of 12 to 41. Mr. Thomson moved an amendment to the effect that the Bill should not be retrospective. Mr. Pitt said that he would support the amendment, inasmuch as the Bill would make persons legitimate who were at present illegitimate. The result of that ; would be to dispossess persons of property to which the law had hitherto considered them entitled. Mr. Seddon said that he believed the provision referred to had been made to meet a particular case. He would therefore support the amendment. Major Te Wheoro stated that as this iwas evidently the adoption of a Maori ! custom, it was necessary to have children : legitimatised, tatooed, in order that they might be made Maoris according to strict Maori custom. Mr. Dick said there were a great many who had honestly espoused their deceased wife's sister. Then, again, there, were many who came from the colonies where the law was in force, and it was very hard that the offspring of such persons should be regarded as illegitimate. On a division, the amendment was lost by 40 to 11. Mr. Speight moved that progress be rei ported. ! Mr, Pitt supported the proposition, stating that it was necessary that the olause should be further considered, otherwise it would not receive the Royal assent.
Mr. Macandrew also supported the proposal, on the ground that important rights of property were affected. Mr. Pitt moved the striking out of the words of olause "Lawfully inherited," and substituting the words " Would have inherited, or have become entitled to inherit, but for the passing of this Act." Mr. Hall said that the large majority in favor of the Bill was a guarantee that it was the wish of the country. Mr. Speight said that he wished it to be distinctly understood that he would kill the Bill if he got an opportunity. Mr. Macandrew believed if the country were called on to-morraw, it would be found that it was either indifferent to it or else against it, Mr. £*ick complained of the opposition shown to the Bill. Mr, Speight said the Bill had been brought in, not in compliance with the wishes of the country, but in compliance with the demands of the few. Dr. Wallis said the 46 of a majority no doubt represented a majority of the male population, but the remaining 14 who voted on the other side represented the female population. Mr, Seddon spoke for nearly an hour against the Bill generally, and demanding that the Government should promise that before the third reading was oarried the Attorney-General's opinion should be taken as to whether the Bill was constitutional.
Mr. Hall said the Government could not consent to make any terms on the matter. They would act as they usually did. The discussion then went on, the minority insisting that the third reading Should be postponed, but refusing to pledge themselves that if it was postponed there should simply be a vote and no more discussion on it. Mr. Speight avowed his readiness to remain there till 2.30 p.m. next day if the minority would agree to continue to oppose the Bill till then. Dr. Wallis spoke at some length, against the measure, and the talk; went on till 2.40 a.m., when, op, the suggestion of Ma,jor AtJaUson v it was agreed that the third should be taken on Thursday next, at 7.30, The Bill was then reported without amendment.
On the motion to fix the date of the third reading as arranged, Mr. Bro.wn moved an amendment that it be now read a third time. On the House dividing, the amendment was by 23 to 2, and the motion was agreed to. The third report of the West Coast Commission was laid on the table by Major Atkinson at 2.45, and the. House rose. TO-RAY'S SITTING. The House met at 11 o'clock this morning, The House went into Committee on the Crown Grants Amendment Bill, whjvh was passed without amendment. The Counties Act was considered in Committee.
The follo.w;isg, on the motion of Mr. Murray- was added as a new clause :—" It shall be.lawful for the Councils of two or more counties to unite for the construction, repair, use and maintenance of bridges, roads, tramways, and ferriqa* in any of such counties." The following additional clause, by Mr. Reeves, wa& added on a division of 24 to addition to the powers contained in section 30 of the Counties Act, 1876, the Governor in Council may, by proclamation, alter the boundaries of any County, and from and after a day to be named in such proclamation th® new boundaries set forth in such proclamation shall be the boundaries, of such County ; subject, to. the condition that a petition shall have been presented to the Government, signed by three-fourths or the ratepayers of a riding, praying that such riding may be severed from th§ county in which it is situated, aftd, made a.part of some other contjgiao.ua, oounty. The provisions of stations 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 shall be read with, and be deemed to be part of this Act." The Bill as amended was. reported,. The House then went in.to Committee on the Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill, which was passed with amendments. The amendments were agreed to. "The District Roads Bill was a second time, passed through Committee, and reported with amendments. It was then read a third time, and passed. The Otago Road Rates Subsidy JSill was read a" second time, passed through Committee without amendments, read a third time, and passed.* The House adjourned at 1.20 p.m, '
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Bibliographic details
Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 6 August 1880, Page 2
Word Count
2,364PARLIAMENT. Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 6 August 1880, Page 2
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