New Zealand Parliament

Colonist, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5896, 1 September 1890, Page 4

New Zealand Parliament

By Electric Telegraph— Per Press Association Wellington, August 29. Connoit. Mr Stevens moved the second reading of the Sheep Bill, which bad passed the Lower House. Mr Peter said tbere wa3 a great deal of feeling wilh regard to the branding clauses in the North Island, nnd he intended to move as an amendment in Committee that the branding of sheep be made permissive on application to local bodies. The motion was agreed to on the voices. The Volunteera Validation Bill, the Cattle Bill, and the Companies Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. Council adjourned till Monday Mouse. The Mining Companies Amendment Bill the Gold Duty Abolition, and the Mining Property Bating Bills were r<? ad a second time. Mr Gninness moved that the report of the Goldfields Committee on the petition of Geo. Mansfhld and others be allowed to lie on the table, and b 9 referred to the Government for consideration. An amendment to the effect that the petitioners have no claim against the Colony was lost by 32 to 23. Replying to Mr Seddon Mr Mitchelson said the Government had a'ready considered the general working of the Public Trustees Department, and they saw no reason for at present appointing a Eoyal Commission to investigate and report. Mr Seddon moved the adjournment of the House to enable the matter to be ventilated, and said the circumstances which bad come under his notice showed that the administration of this department was not conducted on business lines, and needed an enquiry. A lengthy debate followed, a large number of members expressing the opinion that some change waa necessary. Cardinal Manning, in his recent address to the Irish Parliamentary Party, spoke out well and to the point* "The land question," said be, "is the real question . . . the great problem wo all have now to solve. . . . In the providence of nature and of God the soil belongs to those who are born upon it and will be buried in it. That was my opinion twenty years ago, and I am of that mind etill ; and the attempt, contrary to Providence and the law of nature, to build upon the soil any civilisation or any social state which does not spring from the first governing law of God and nature, I believe to be doomed to failure." This squares splendidly with Bishop Nolty's outspoken declaration that li the land of every country is the property of the people of that country." Mb Blase, member for Avon, excuses his silence in the House by sayjng: "I seldom stand on my feat in this House, because I know that men make up their minds without listening to any arguments. I have always found that anyone who argues positively upon any particular question makes the opposite side more positive against it, and 1 think any few words I say are qnite useless. ... I know that what I say is useless, but I know I state a fact, and feel that if I have, any facts (o state this is the place to express them, I shall not take up the time of the House, because any one can think for himself just as Itjftn."

A THBiLLiNa tale was told the other day at an inqnest at Olayton-le-Moors on a miner named Btadahavt, who had, been buried' by a, fall of earth. Hhe rescue party Tories at the immense mass ot debris for three hours, encouraged by the epdnd oMhe buried manY voioe. Only one man could work at a time, and they were in constant apprehension of another fall of the roof; At last they saw Bradshaw, with his head just out of the earth. He implored them to do their utmost to save him, bat another fall occurred, and the deceased, crying '* Good-bye, I'm choking," was buried eight feet deep. .