PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 4065, 12 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

POLITICAL GOSSIP. [teleqbaphed by special correspondent.] LAW PRACTITIONERS' BILL. Saturday, June 10.— The debale on the Law Practitioners' Bill was continued after the dinner hour on Friday, and the legal view of the case was well put by Mr. Weston and Mr. Connolly. Mr. Thompson related the old, old joke of the oyster and the shells. Mr. Thompson said he " thought the members had heard of it before." Mr. Bathgate said he had been a member of the legal profession for some thirty years in New Zealand, and he had rever known any law reform initiated or urged on by the lawyers, and thought they had more regard for fees than for reform. Mr. Williams thought differently, as the Law Commission, composed chiefly of lawyers, proposed reforms this session. The debate flagged, and Sir G. Grey replied in his happiest style. He answered the arguments in a good-humored manner, by a bantering ridicule, and urged the passing of the bill in a forcible peroration, in which he asserted that he would have with him in one lobby all the hopeful, advanced, and youthful politicians, while on the other side would be the decrepid, the selfish, and the antiquated, and he was certain of a large majority. He sat down amidst cheers, having carried the sympathy of the House with him. A division was called for against the bill, but when the question was put again the voices were so very pronounced for the bill that no division was called for ; so the bill was carried. The opponents hope the Councillors will screw up courage to throw the bill out. AFFIRMATION BILL. Sir G. Grey's Affirmation Bill was also carried without opposition. The mover was emphatic in denouncing the nction of the Legislative Council for rejecting the bill last session, and yet the same Council sent down a similar bill this session. He said it was either meant as an insult to the House or a personal Blight to himself. GAMING AND LOTTERIES REPEAL BILL. The Bill to repeal the Gaming and Lotteries Act met with a different fate. It was strongly opposed in a thin House at midnight, and was rejected by a majority of 36 to 10, the feeling being in favour of amending rather than repealing. SIR GEORGE GREY'S POSITION IN THE HOUSE. There in no doubt that Sir George Grey is gaining ground in the House. He has about smashed up the Opposition, and his style of debate is not this session of a personal or aggressive character. He no doabt takes an advanced position as the leader of popular questions, and will thus secure strength in the country, if he cannot obtain a majority in the House. ALTERING THE CONSTITUTION. His Bill to provide for the procedure for altering the constitution, in case of n conflict between the two branches of the Legislature, came on for second reading last night, and judging from the thin House members did not take a great interest in a question which is at present an abstract one. The debate flagged, and at the request of the Government was adjourned till Thursday, as there were some doubts whether the House had power to pass such a Bill. Sir G. Grey said the AttorneyGeneral should be in the House to inform the House on such questions, when they could be debated instead of the opinion being sent down from another branch of the legislature. MACANDREW'S MISTAKE. Mr. Macandrew's foolish enthusiasm in giving expression to a hope that the Governor in his capacity of Imperial agent would take action to defeat the intention of the the House with respect to Te Whiti and Tohu has lowered him in public estimation. It is something new for his side of the House to urge the building up of a dictatorship in the colony. Two or three years ago the Governor was denounced for having exercised his authority, because it did not agree with the notions of the party. I fear the love expressed for a constitution which will give all power to the Governor of the Colony uncontrolled by an outside power, is only skin deep, or we should not hear opinion so widely vary in so short a time. [from a correspondent.]