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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 221, 30 August 1878, Page 2

An incident took place in the Council on the 6th August, which, though unimportant in itself, is yet rather a striking exemplification of what writers on constitutional law call the " Omnipotence of Parliament." An Imprest Supply Bill was received from the Lower House. It was considered desirable to pass it through all its stages at once. To do this it was necessary to suspend the standing orders. On counting heads, it appeared that the requisite number of members to do this were not present. There, was one short. Under the circumstances, the Speaker said that he would take upon himself the responsibility of advising that the necessary quorum be considered as present. Whereupon the Council agreed to a formal motion that there were sufficient members present. This is an example of what, perhaps, some of our readers are not aware of, viz., that Parliament is bound by no rules, or at least that, being the supreme lawmaker, it can make any act legal, although in direct contravention of its own rules.

We are glad to find Mr Bowen moving in the mattei of gaols. These institutions in their present state are simply a disgrace to the colony. What is required is some central penal establishment, where long sentenced prisoners and hardened offenders can be detained, thus leaving some attempt at classification possible in the ordinary gaols. Mr Barton, in introducing a motion asking for enquiry into the conduct of the Wellington Police, made some statements which certainly demand the strictest investigation. We are surprised the Press have not taken this matter up with more interest. Mr Barton accuses the police of having established among the poorer classes what he calls a " reign of terror." He quotes a number of cases, in which he says that prisoners have been handcuffed in the cells, and then beaten, kicked, and otherwise maltreated by constables. One unfortunate is alleged to have been handcuffed and tied down to a ring in the floor of a cell from two o'clock on Sunday afternoon till ten o'clock on Monday morning. This torture was applied to extract some information from him as to where he got his drink. Altogether a searching inquiry will be a necessity now, and Mr Barton deserves the thanks of the community for having brought it about. We do not conclude, of course, that his allegations

are true, but it is not sufficient answer to theitito say—" Oh, the character of officials must not be taken away on the word of people who got into the lock-up." Even officials are mortal, and men who commit offences which necessitate their being locked up are still entitled to protection from violence and outrage. We hope that a real, not a sham, investigation will take place, and if the police force be shown to possess ruffians such as described, that it may be purged of them forthwith. Debate on the Electoral Bills before the House has been dragging its slow length along. Mr Whi taker's Parliamentary Representation Bill, which proposed to conduct elections on what is known as " Hare's system," has been thrown out on its second reading. The discussion which took place on the measure has, however, no doubt done good, in opening up the whole question of our electoral system and its admitted defects. The Government Bill, in charge of Mr Stout, has passed this ordeal, but has evoked a considerable amount of hostile criticism from all sides of the House. The fact is, it is one of those attempts at compromise which generally fail to be acceptable to any shade of opinion. Whatever he may have said, the country certainly understood the Premier to intimate his intention of giving a vote to every man who had resided a certain time in an electoral dis trict, and that no one should have more than one. What then could have been more simple than to sweep away all existing qualifications, and substitute the simple condition of residence ? Instead of doing so, the Bill continues all the cumbrous variety of qualifications at present in existence, and adds one more—tho residential. In the debate on Government advertisements, Mr Bo wen, in referring to Mr Barton's outspoken advice to the Government to subsidize in point of fact those newspapers which supported them, thought the Government must have mentally exclaimed—" Save me from my friends." That the Government appearonly too ready to follow such advice, we had a noteworthy example a few days ago. A notification re the extension of the boundaries of the Borough of Akaroa appeared last week as an advertisement in the Lyttelton Times. Now, this could have possessed no possible interest for anyone two miles outside the town boundaries, and yet it is inserted in a newspaper published sixty miles away, instead of the local journal which is read by every person who could possibly be interested in the proposed transaction. In itself this is a small affair, but there could not be a more flagrant instance of using advertisements, not as a means of affording information to the public interested, but for the purpose of rewarding political services.