PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Western Star, Issue 455, 22 June 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

(From our Exchanges). The Chinese Immigration Ell has passed, will come into operation when the assent of the Crown .to it is not.fied. The poll tax is made absolute, and is not returnable when the Chinaman leaves the country and has proved his .good behaviour as .was proLicensing Bill is endangered by the alterations made.. The Committee decided against the Government by a majority of fifteen fhat the, Licensing "Bench should be elected instead of nominated, The. .printed clause .was ordered to he withdrawn for recasting. Many consider this the first step towards , election, of Justices. Thefamily .hotel license . was plao struck out. This class of licence is applicable to jCanterhurv than .elsewhere. The best authoHE'es consider the Bill as fa,fed to he dropped, as.,although ! th.e i Government could influ. .ence . the Legislative Council ito re.introduce the principle of nomination, it is not thought a snbiect on which a disagreement between the two Houses .should he sought at the present time. The Committee reported progress at the clause relating to bottle licenses.. The political position of .parties is m.ost difficult to understand. Many think the Government are counting on a dissolution prior to a redistribution of peats, throwing the onus on .the Opposition of. making legislation impossible., I believe tbe true position to bp that the Government are undecided what course to follow, as it is evident they are surrounded by many who .love themselves, better .than Ministers, but wbo hate the Opposition. , These lukewarm followers are the nucleus, of the bliddle Party, who have decided on a line of action and are only awaiting a favprable opportunity to indicate it; The Opposition profess’to .prefer Mr Hall to Mr Ormond, Major Atkin .son. tc Mr JWped, an d Mr . Roll estop to Mr .ancl ~whilq r^ awaiting Bills and discouraging loss of tithed over colorless measures; are prepared,they say, to go to the’ cotintrv •on a defined Liberal" platform with .local government., as ,its-corner-stone. This position saves Ministers, while making every step forward, uncertain, ■and, causes dangerous" experiments.

The ;. Married * Wirttffin’s Property Protection ; intr6^ncffid £ ‘ iii thib Council by'Mr 'W'aterlionse, s j uet .circulated, a +lt proceed s' 1 oif >3t fferent lines from tile Act passed last session,' That provided mainly for. the case of women' who are. deserted or cruelly treated by tlieir husbands, or Mhose husbands' eithei’ 'op.enly.,utifaitbf.nl .or habitual .dppnhards. JThe new bill further provides ‘ that a married woman -may afcquife, : hold, and disppse-ofcj property; yithput The .vbntion 0f., : a tmstee y -may..sue and be sued;,and he subject to the.bankruptcy laws, if sbe : carry on-a tradecontracts being deemed, however, lo.be with respect to; her' separate property, unless the : .contrary be shown.' A yoman married after’ the passing of the Act ihay hold as : her eebarate pro'-: perty any /pwned by her marriage W Subsequently acquired ; and 'wiohieh hfamed before the : passing of the Act may hold.property acquired .after its passing,,, ..Ahusband is not-tq .be liable for his wife’s debts contracted before marriage, except to the. extent pf property acquired through. her. Disputes between hnsbahd apd wife as -.to property may. be summarily settled by a Judge of the Supreme'.Court. Nothing in'tbe Act is to affect existing, matrimonial settlements, or thq power of making future settlements. '