PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10417, 20 July 1895, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY UNION.

The weakly meeting of the Dunedin Parliamentary Union was held last evening. Mr Mark Cohen acted as Speaker, and,there was a fair attendance. ': ;. '-..'/

~.- Mr.B. Meli,and. moved—" That any further legislation with regard to local government in New Zealand should be in the direction of..increasing the powers and resoufces* ofj: local bpdis?, and of decentralising;iU;: administration as far as practicible." ■ ■■■. -.".: ' ,V: •,-.:-.',

■_ The motion was seconded.jand, after a brief discussion, carried unanimously; ■■ ; ,1..'. .-.''.'■ Mr>C. Mouat moved^1' Thatcapifcal punish-; ment should be abolished id Nen:'.Zealahd," and in doing so stated ',th^t;-:..the'f matter of Bentiment alone would,, perhaps,/afford very considerable argument.) ia fav6ur of the proposition, but apart from that, viewed in a practical light the reform should bs inaugurated. . Mr Burton seconded the';iabciuii^Vo forma. Mr Sim, who led off ohth'o'oiher side, said that a tendency exists.d at the present time to mike a change not so much for the benefit bfthe State as for simply the desire of ::mukib'g a chaage.' He contended that public senliment was not in favour of the proposed^ ehaiige.; 'Therß Jwa>>no agitation in;the diieetioii/and'thß" puDlic were quita BatMßd->witUthe i pyeVaWtot'e"bf■'affairs; Ue,'admitted that if it;; was' generally "desired tiiat snch a change should take plane the Legislature should give effect to; that, desire, because it was undesirable that thelstw should not ba in agreement with public ■feeling-.; but, "as he before held, there was no feeling in that direction. . . ' . ;'. -. ''■" :/ '■■'.■ ■'-,

.Messrs A. Mathesori, W. B-,Reynolds, W MAdam, W.'G Moore, D.W.'M. Burn, A H Bnrcon, E. Melland, J. Gr Moody,' and Miss Christie also spoke on the question. . The motion v,as Joat by 9 votes to 8. Some socialistic pamphlets from the Dunedin Assembly of the Knights of Labour, were laid' on.the table, and on the motion of vMr A. H. Burton it was decided to thank the: donors'. '