PBLitiCALNOTES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11647, 26 August 1905, Page 6

PBLitiCAL NOTES.

(From our Parliamentary Special) • : (By Telegraph). WELLINGTON; August 25. A MATTER OF LOYALTY.

"If we take the native • and the European population," said Mr Heke in rebuttal of the pakeha charge that the Maori was an unenthusiastic and useless brake on the wheels of political -progress, "you will find that the. natives are far more loyal than the Europeans. I say that we, the Maoris, taker a greater interest in, and have a greater respect for, the welfare of the Empire than the Eurppeans in the colony. The Maoris are possessed of opinions just as good as, and far more loyal than, many Burope'ans."

AVORK OF PARLIAMENT,

The present session lias already lasted eight weeks, and 'the Premier apparently is not satisfied with the amount of work tliat has been done. Dealing with tie subject oil Thursday", he siig-gesfced bhab members were too prone to "talk, to Hansard," and his. object was to get the wort through. He was satisfied that either they would have to go in for late sittings or members would have to refrain from speaking. There was certain work to be done, and if .members would not restrain themselves they.<wo.uld have, to sit late. Thesp Bills .must" go through. -That was what, members wej^e there for, and. he added: that the question of the reform of the .Legislative Council was. a matter that ought lo b,o brought forward by .the Government. Seeing that the" House has frequently .sat till 2, 3, and A o'clock in the morning, members are wondering what the Premier meant .by "late sittings."

FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.

Mr Major is urging the Minister _of Public Health to give effect to. a system that has lately, been, .adopted., in Sweden for the purpose of fighting and stamping out tuberculosis. Mr Major explains that the Swedish Government issue an adhesive stamp which is sold by all the usual vendors of, postage stamps, and all the proceeds from the .sale of the stamps are devoted to disseminating knowledge of the disease and the. erection and maintenance of homes for consumptive patients. The scheme practically- costs nothing, and it has proved itself a good revenue-producing one. The stamp does not interfere with the ordinary postage stamps, but is just placed on the letter by the side of the usual postage gtamp. The stamp on each letter serves to. remind people of the duty they- owe to their fellow beings.

ALCOHOLIC SWEETS.

Mr- Ell is asking the Minister of Public Health whether he is aware that alcoholic

sweets are' being imported into New Zealand .and sold to children, and if so will he take steps to prohibit the importation and sale of such articles. _'. , UNPARLAMENTARY. Not the least interesting feature .of the afternoon was the debate on the Colonial Sank. Mr Herdinan's desire to speak was very apparent, but the Minister for PubHe Works, felt it incumbent on him to take his full half?hour.

"You are quibbling," said Mr Herdman to the Minister in the course of the latter's. speech. - "That's only- what obtains in the legal profession" was the Ministerial retort. ' "

Mr Herdman : You would not have made a' living at it.

The Minister: No,; arid I thank God for it. . Mr Baume complained of the Minister's casting a reflection on an honourable profession to which some members of the House belonged, and the Speaker called on the Minister to withdraw the remark. To the surprise of members, Mr HallJones, who appeared to .be decidedly heated, said he did not know that he would withdraw. At this stage the Premier entered, and though his ignorance of the position was manifest, he took a hand at once and suggested what "the Minister had said had not been said offensively. . Mr Speaker, of course, pointed out that he had already ruled, and the Minister had replied that he M& not know whether he would witlidraw or . not. He called upon the, Mjni&ter to. say whether he would withdraw, otherwise (and Mr Speaker made". the .remark with emphasis) it.^would be his duty to take the necessary course. . The Minister, stilly evidently somewhat perturbed, -.said that in 1 * deference to . Mr Speaker's wishes he would withdraw anything -fhat might have been considered .offensive in his remarks, but he submitted that he was subject to 'great provocation, because Mr Herdman. ]\ad -said that he was quibbling. He found that the expression . was unparliamentary, however, and he withdrew hia remark unreservedly, but he submitted that Mr Herdman ought to withdraw the remark he had made. Mr Speaker' pointed out that the word "quibbling" had on .-previous occasions been ruled to be out of order, but the Minister did not take exception to it when it was made. . He must, however, call upp.n Mr Herdman to "withdraw. Mr Herdman, Certainly,^ Mi- Speaker, I will do so without the time of the House in the way the Minister for Public Works is doing. I take no exception.to the remarks he made. I think he knows no better. (Laughter.) The Premier again came to the defence of his colleague,, and urged that Mr Herdman ought to withdraw the remark. Mr Speaker, The expression is certainly unparliamentary. Mr Herdman: If it is unparliamentary I will withdraw. I .did not know. Then the episode ended, and by a series of personal' .explanations' 1 , arid by putting up Mr R. McKenzfe to .s^eak, the Government "succeeded in having t|ie question "talked outi" "

NATIVE PETITIONS. ! , Mr Kaihau has presented several largely signed^ petitions from the natives, asking \\) that all the West Coast Settlement Reserves Acts be repealed, (2) that the administration of the reserves .may return to the provisions of the Crown grants, (3) that the Native Land Court may shortly be appointed to partition the reserves so that each person may 'have his separate price, (4) that the reserves may be. taken out of the hands of the Public Trustee and placed in the hands' of a trust for the natives ' alone, (5) that on no account will the House agree to the prayer of the European' lessees that the reserv.es be" sold, outright' to them, and (6) that schools of manual labour be opened in the native villages for tuition in tho crafts of the European. MB. TAYLOR'S TROUBLES. "In this country you ca,n!t sec a voucher without a Royal Commission, and even then you can't get it sometimes," said Mr Taylor this afternoon with a half-smile, evidently reminiscent of a certain inquiry which has caused some trouble already. "There seems to be growing up in this colony," he continued, "an attitude on the part .of the Ministry by which they assume the position that is equivalent to 'saying they are the owners in fee simple of . the piiblic N records."' Mr Taylor s was pulled up by Mr Speaker : at tliis stage as wandering from the point, ! but he calmly replied that he had said quite enougli to indicate Tiis mind on the subject, and went on with his speech on ■another subject. WHAT IS FAME.. : Whatever may be thought of the New 'Liberal Party in their own country, their fame has evidently reached "the other side,' and their performances are regarded with a considerable' amount of interest. Last night a cablegram was received asking Messrs. Taylor and Latirenson to go over to Sydney and address ;a. meeting there, and in addition the request was made that photographs of "the four" .should be sent over for reproduction in a Sydney weekly paper. . CROWN LAND LEASES. A return prepared for the Legislative Council at the request of the Hon. T. K. Macdonald and presented on Thursday showed that there are eight leases of Crown land in' Wellington city^ The capital value of the. laud is .£78,560, and the total unimproved value is .£65,970. The total rent received by the Crown is £639. Messrs W. Chalmers, McKerrow and Wilson, W.^afole, Ne.yr Zealand Bairj • Farmers' Union, Harbour Board (2), and Wellington Meat Export Company (2) ajre the original lessees.

WOMEN MEMBEES.

During, the progress of - the Electoral Bill in Committee on Thursday nigtt, Mr Taylor moved an amendment in order to remove tne' disabilities from women becoming candidates for seats in Parliament. There was no Ministerial reply to the proposal, and- practically no discussion. The amendment was lost by* 48 votes to 23-

Sir Joseph Ward set a laugh going by stating that for the purposes pf the electoral laV "male embraces female."

OFFENSIVE PUBLICATIONS.

In the light of recent prosecutions in Wellington, the following provision in the Offensive Publications Amendment Bill, introduced by the Minister "df Justice, is interesting: — "In any proceedings against any person under the Offensive Publications Act, 1592, it shall not be a defence that he did not know that the picture pr printed or written matter complained of was of an indecent, immoral, or obscene nature, unless he satisfies the Court not only that he did not in fact know it, but also that he had -no reasonable opportunity of knowing it, and, further, that in the circumstances of the case his ignorance w.as- excusable." ,