Parliament Day by Day.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7322, 24 September 1898, Page 4

Parliament Day by Day.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY. (BT tbleobaph.) (feom our own correspondent. ) Wellington, September 23. Questions that had been left on the Order Paper since yesterday were answered by Ministers this afternoon. Mr Graham asked whether the Government would follow the lead of the Imperial Government by endeavoring to have compulsory vaccination, abolished in New Zealand. In reply Mr Oarroll said that the Government were considering the matter, and there was a general feeling that vaccination should be optional. An opportunity would be given to-lhe House for consideration of the question. He could not promise that It wonld be this session, but it would certainly be early next session. With regard to Mr Pirani's question re totalisator licenses to racing clubs which license bookmakers, the Colonial Secretary said that matters were being watched carefully by the Government. In reply to other questions Ministers B'ated that a small quantity . of seeds of the Florida velvet bean were being produced by the Agricultural Department and would be tested, at the Government experimental farms; that if members have changed their minds as to compensa? tion to publicans whose licenses have been taken from them they would have an opportunity of altering the existing law when Mr Millar's Licensing Act Amendment Bill was before the House; ihat the Government would give every assistance In connection with the establishment of a Royal Humane Society in the colony; that the work entailed by the free tele graphing of weather and shipping telegrams bad grown so considerable that operators had had to be increased and the wires at; present were practically unable to do the work. Afrer questions had been disposed of, Mr Buchanan moved the adjournment of the House in order to express dissatisfaction with the manner in which one of his questions had been answered. O her Opposition members took the opportunity to ventilate sundry grievance?, and return to the subject matter of questions. . / . : - Captain Russell speaking on' the question of vaccination objected to what Mr

Carroll had said on tho suVijec'v He believed that vaccination should be compulsory. The Premier said that Captain Rnssel had, without jast cause, found fault with the reply of the Colonial Secretary in the matter of compulsory vaccination. He added that he was at one with the Leader of the Opposition. He bad seen so many persons ia the' Old Country mined by small pox through neglect of vaccination and. knew that persons often suffered through vaccination, but thought that it was better that a few shou'd suffer than that the practice should be done away with. Before ' the 5.30 adjournment the Premier announced that he had received a cable from the Agent-General saying that the funeral of Sir George Grev was to take place on Monday next at St. Paul's Cathedral.