PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 234, 15 October 1878, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

The Deceased Wife's Sister Bill has been rejected by the Legislative Council '"Toy-18 to 9. The following Bills have passed their third reading in the House of Representatives :—Disqualification Bill No. 2, Repeals ;'Bill, Friendly Societies Amendment, Dangerous Goods Act Amendment. Dining the debate in Committee on the Friendly Societies Bill, Mr Stout, who has given the subject great attention, and who himself belongs to Qne or more societies, said some societies were in the habit of taking the expense of banquetH, &c, as loans out of the sick fund, which was never repaid. Therefore, it was necessary to keep the expenses of the management and the sick and benefit funds separately. He believed if it was not for the number of honorary members many societies would become insolvent. ... "The Literary Institutions Bill appears likely to be shelved. This measure originated in the Legislative Council, and Mr Gisborno has raised a question of privilege ihat, inasmuch .as, portions of the. Bill propose to appropriate public funds, 5 the Council have exceeded their powers in Originating the Bill. The Speaker has ruled with the,honorable member-that ; .certain sections of the Bill ought to : havo in the .Lower House. ; _ The Local Judicature. Executive Council,; and Licensing Bills have been discharged from the order paper. . , : T During the debate.in Committee on the Native Lawsuits Bill, a very acrimonious altercation took'pjace..between "Mr JRossell and Mr Sheehaii;, the Native Minister. To understand the full meaning "of- this, it is necessary to , remember the circumstances which have,led to the, introduction ,of this measure. 'Every one in the North'lsland has heard of the proceedings of: what is called the Hawke's Bay Land Ring, alias the "twelve;apostles." Among these geh- ■ tlemen Mr Russell holds a prominent poSH . tion. They have acquired landed dstate of enormous value from the native owneraat a mere nominal outlay. Their detractors allege that the means by which this estate has been acquired have not been always of a nature that would bear too close examination. On the other hand it is contended that certain European agitators have been stirring up the Natives to initiate what is called a repudiation policy, or an endeavor to get back their lands, after having sold them with their eyes open for valuable . consideration. The Bill in question proposes to mfeV-aill these disputed questions to an extraordinary tribunal, to appoint an able Judge outside New Zealand, and who therefore,Bhallhave no; previous knowledge •or bias in. the matter, and to confer upon the Court thus; constituted special powers k < to deal witlihthose cases outside mere legal technicalities and'ftb" decide according to ~ equity and good conscience. No wonder L those whose properties are thus jeopar- .. dized are furious, especially if thay have, any misgiving as to the which they were acquired. The point 'they seize > on is that the Bill gives, the Government j the power of appointing the judge, and it L is contended that the members of the present Government are not without bias in the matter, Sir G. Grey having expressed himself strongly on the /subject when in opposition, and the .present Native Minister having as counsel conducted several . casas for the !ate native owners against the present holders, in several of which cases , he has succeeded in compelling the latter to " disgorge " (the term is not oqrs, but quoted from the Parliamentary debates) heavy sums. If only a tribunal could be appointed, which should be above the suspicion of bias, we cannot conceive any method of dealing with, a pressing, though unpleasant subject, which would be more i satisfactory.

It appears that the Fencing Bill is another of those measures which are doomed to an untimely.end,. Colonel Whitmore stating on Friday in the Council that there was no chance of its passing the House of Representatives. . The Council has adopted the report of the Waste Lands Committee re the Akaroa Hail way. As the recommendations of this report are totally different to the Bill laid before them, we presume the only way o£ giving effect to them will be to withdraw the present measure, and pass a short Bill confirming the endo\vnientsand authorizing;; the Government to construct the line as far as Little Kiver. ; ■ The Land Tax Bill is, as might be expected, encountering considerable opposi-' tionin the "Lords." Their Lordships "do not see why they and their class "should be called upon for those conlributi6rfs to the revenue. which they have hitherto escaped. ' A certain DnGrace said that lie " totally disagreed with the principle of a land tax. It was, a concession to the ignorant public opinion of the day." Bravo, Doctor! To those who know the man, this utterance: is delicious.■> Ail ex army surgeon, of excellent repute in his profession, a courteous and benevolent gentleman, the Doctor is nevertheless, on all public matters, questions of political economy, &c, as absolutely ' l ignorant" as it is possible for a man with the full possession of his faculties to be.. J?or men of this stamp history appears to have been' written in vain. , , ' ' ,

A smart debate took place on Fridaj-. in the House of Kresentatives on the question of endowments for hospitals and other charitable institutions. The House had carried a motion that it was expedient that the Government should make reserves of waste lands of the Crown throughout the Colony for hospitals and other charitable purposes. Thereupon three members asked for , leave to introduce .Bills for the endowment of the Tuapeka and. Invercargill Hospitals, and the Southland Benevolent Institution respectively. Hereupon considerable discussion ensued, most of the speakers recommending the Government to come down with some general scheme which would obviate the necessity for a scramble , for the waste lands, the result of: which would, as the Native Minister put" it, necessarily be logrolling. The Premier spoke strongly against the Bills, stating that tfie Government was pledged to introduce a measure next session dealing with the question of hospitals and charitable aid. They'might not give satisfaction to a majority'of the House, but from that they would appeal to " posterity." This favorite appeal Sir George's is somewhat vague and unpractical. It is very safe, certainly, as no one now living will be able to .verify theprediction or otherwise. • .-Ultimately the.: proposed Bills were shelved bythe.-?'pre- ;- vious question." , . . , In Committee on the " Special Powers' and Contracts Bill," a curious scene occurred. Ai tew clause was proposed by

the Attorney-General to enable the Government to carry out an agreement with Mr Broomhall for the sale of land to him etTeAxoba (Thames). The insertion of this clause was strongly opposed by the „ Premier. This serious difference between two members of the Government upon an important question was comment© <i o severely by Major Atkinson, and not unnaturally so,..considering that the position *• taken by the Attorney-General was that the credit of the colony was involved, ■while Sir George Gray took the position that the sale of the block in question involved " injustice" to the people of the Thames. Mr Pyke mildly denounced the •schedule to the Bill as a " series of -swindles." Everything betokens a speedy end to the Session, and, considering the flourish of trumpets with which it commenced, we * are afraid that its conclusion will be somewhat lame and impotent.