PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1724, 24 August 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

DEBATES ON THE HOSPITAL SCANDAL WHO DISMISSED THE NURSES. MASTERTON AND WOODVILLE DAILY MAIL. GLOVE FIGHTS. MORE HOSPITAL DISCLOSURES. DR. CHILTON'S ALLEGED DRUNKENNESS. A COMMISSION TO BE APPOINTED. THE LAND BILL REPORTED. In the Legislative Council on Thursday, the Wellington Hospital Scandal formed the subject of a sbaip debate. The Hon Randall Johnson, who is chairman of the Hospital Committee, made a statement with respect to his own action in respect to the dismissal of the nurses, which showed that he himself was responsible for the girls being turned out of the Hospital into the streets at 7 o'clock at night. It seems that Mr Johnson wrote a letter to Dr Levinge stating that the nurses Hv-rfi to bo dismissed at once. Mr Johuson afterwards went to the Hospital at 6 p.m., and saw Dr Levinge, who asked •' if tbe nurses were to be dismissed that night," ;.ud Mr Johnson replied "yes, that night." Ultimately the subject dropped.

lu the lloust of Representatives on Thursday. iu answer to Mr Beetiiam, the Post Master-General said the Government would endeavour to make amugemeuLS ween tenders were for a daily mail service betweeu Masterton and Woodville. Mr Hess asked the Government Whether they would take steps to prohibit those public exhibitions known as " glove-fights,” which were becoming frequent iu the Colony, The Minister of Justice said there was no doubt these exhibitions were disgraceful and brutal, and the Government would consider the 'last means of putting them down. Then the Wellington Hospital Scandal was brought up again by Mr G. F. Richardson who asked the Government by whose authority the nurses had been dismissed. A long and acrimonion - uebatc followed and the old facts already known were reiterated aud the Government, the Colonial Secretary, the Hospital Committee, the Chairman of that body and Dr Leviuge were each in turn attacked by various Lon members aud subjected to the severest censure for their acts and deeds. The end of the business was that Mr Samuel gave notice to move on the following day, That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the circumstances attending the recant dismissal of the surgeon, steward, and nurses of the Wellington Hospital, such Committee to have power to call for persons and papers, aud to report within a week. The House theu further dealt with the Laud Bill iu Committee. Inthecaseof land held under perpetual lease the condition giving the lieht to purchase ihe freehold at the end of six years was struck out. Thcvo was a sharp delate on clause IG',l which provides ** that no holder of pastoral lands under license, carrying 20,000 sheep or more ; or 4000 head of cattle or more shall be entitled to take up any additional pastoral land under License." Ultimately, the clause was thrown out hy 21 to 19 votes Thu remain! ig clauses of the hill were then agreed to without amendment aud the House rose at 1.55. On Friday in the House of Representatives the Premier stated that a Commission would be appointed to investigate the Wellington Hospital Scandal, so the proposed to appoint a select committee for that purpose fell through. The oliioial correspondence laid before the House contains a statement by a number of tnc- women patients “ that Dr Chilton was drunk in a ward full of females, one of whom was dying.” The House next went into committee on the Land Bill and a whole let of amendments on several clauses were proposed. These were so numerous that it is impossible to explain the precise condition which the bill has now assumed. Ihe whole thing has got into a bewildering condition. Finally the bill was reported aud the House rose.