PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 401, 8 June 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

In the Legislative Council on Thursday, the business was not of an important character.

At tbe suggestion of the Hon F. A. Whitaker, Colohel Whitmore's motion for a searching investigation into the late Volunteer outrages, which the mover said had been grossly exaggerated, was deferred till Tuesday next. A number of Bills for consolidation of existing laws passed their second reading without division.

The Hon. W. Chamberiain moved the throwing out of the Fencing Bill, but the second reading was carried by 17 to 1. In the House of Representatives, in reply to questions, The'Hon W. Rolleston said at the close of last session instructions had been sent to the Agent-General that all immigration agents were to be discontinued, excepting Messrs Reid and Clayden, who were under two years' engagement which could not be broken. With the exception of females, all immigration operations on the part of Government had ceased in the meantime.

He said new regulations were in course of preparation relative to the Court fees under the Resident Magistrates' Courts Act, 1867, bo that a hearing tee would not be charged in actions settled out of Court.

Mr Oliver denied any knowledge of an order requiring railway bauds to work nine hours instead of eight without increase of pay. Government had no desire to extend the ordinary hours of labor. Replying to Mr Pyke as to whether Government will to bring down a Bill this session to prevent religious and party public processions, The Hon T. Dick stated Government did not Intend- to do so ; they relied upon the good feeling of the public in' matters of this kind. Tho House went into Committee on the Regulation of Elections Bill. Efforts were made to postpone consideration of the measure till the promised Redistribution of Seats Bill was before tbe House. Eventually, however the Bill was committed, and after a few clauses had been considered, progress was reported, and the Hou_e adjourned. On Friday the Council had a discussion on the conversion of the last loan. The Hon G. M. Waterhouse moved for all papers connected with it in a lengthy speech. In the course of.the debate Sir Julius Vogel was pTetty severely handled. In the House of Representatives The Hon W. Gisbome asked what course Government proposed to take with relation to the Natives committed for trial, and now in prison awaiting trial under aprovision of the " Confiscated Lands Inquiry and Maori Prisoners' Trials Act, 1879." The Hon W. Rolleston replied that the time authorised by Parliament for disposing of this matter had not yot expired. Before the expiry of that time it would be the duty of Government to come down to Parliament and state its intentions. At present it was not convenient for Government to make that statement. Replying to Mr Hutchison as to whether Government intended this session to bring in a Bill prohibiting Chinese immigration, The- Hon J. Hall said that their attention had been directed to the subject. He was afraid they would,not be able to deal with it this session, but'they would do so at all events the next one. The Hon J. Hall moved the next reading of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Bill." The effect, of Provincial legislation had been to create a variety of systems for tbe working of these institutions. Since ; abolition, their management had fallen on Government, and despite their endeavors to the a very great diversity of modes of working still prevailed. After detailing the various purposes of the Bill, he went on to say that 1 a measure of this kind must necessarily be open to.a great deal of difference of opinion, and that Government . would go i&jto Committee on the Bill quite prepared to consider every reasonable proposal. • A discussion followed, most of the speakers . approving generally of the measure, but suggesting improvements in detail. Sir W. Fox and Sir G. Grey, however, made the Bill an opportunity of airing their pet theories respectively. Sir W. Fox looked on this as one of the most important measures that, could be brought before tbe House. He, could not approve of the Bill to the extent that other members had done. The fault he found with it was' that it dealt with the symptoms not the root of the In doing so they only succeeded in driving the disease inwards. It was calculated to promote a taste for pauperism. The poor law. agitation in England years ago had this effect. The men were, so to speak, born in pauperism, and they lived and were content to live in pauperism. Afier having grappled forty years with the evil it was a common saying that every respectable person or ratepayer carried so many paupers on his back. The fact was that they had made a mistake in not striking at the root of the evil... How was it that the French peasant was enabled to board up his money. It was this : They did not indulge in the habit of the bar parlour; they did not indulge. in horseracing or sweep-stakes; they did nothing of that kind. The only amusement indulged in was a game of dominos in a little parlour on Sunday afternoon, and they practised the most rigid economy in their expenditure and persevering industry in their labors. If they could rescue the money that was at present paid for drink ; if the Licensing Act proposed by Government was amended in a certain direction then that would be striking at the root of the evil. Close at least some of the public houses, and remove the temptations at present'existing for drinking and '• shouting."

Sir G. Grey said that Providence had brought one essential aid to his side that night in the speech just delivered by tlie previous speaker. He had traced out the evils of pauperism as it existed in Britain, and then contrasted it with the state of population in France. It was true that pauperism of the meat dreadful kind existed in Britain. The llremier had admitted that this was a poor law. He maintained that a poor law ought not to be at present required in this country. The description of the French peasant, with his small holding of land, presented a striking contrast to the English paupers. The great difference was this, the latter had no little plot of ground he could call his own, and had no home—he was an outcast. Looking at a starved wife and family Was a sad picture, which made him resort to drink ; that was the secret of his sinking deep in the social scale. Now, what WeVe the facts of the case in New Zealand ? The Government and their friends had gridjroned the--country aud done other things to prevent the poor man acquiring homes here as in France. He looked • upon it that jche tendency of our legislation was to Create a pauper population, to make men drunkards and outcasts. He believed that if the previous speaker would only follow out his own arguments to their own reasonable conclusions he would most assuredly come round to his side of the House, and take care that not another acre of Native land was grasped for purposes of acquiring great landed estates to the detriment of population as a whole. In of the countries referred to by the Premier in support of his proposed poor law scheme the chief portion of taxation was drawn from land. For instance, in Belgium 20£ per cent of the taxation was taken from the land, but in New Zealand land was made to contribute next to nothing. He agreed with the previous speaker in thinking that the Bill was calculated to promote pauperism. If the Government would tear up their Native Lands Bill and bring forward Bills for the purpose of promoting bona fide settlement instead of promoting Piako Swamp jobs, they would do more to

prevent pauperism; more to prevent drunkenness than all charitable aid schemes couid possibly do. In reply to the objections stated by Sir W. Fox, the Hon J. Hall said that they _ had disease, and it was absolutely necessary that they should deal with it as j_t. at present existed. Had the evil been feyer, they would be bound not only to eradicate it, but take steps for the cure of the . afflicted. He denied the full necessity for encouraging habits of sobriety and thrift amongst the population. If there was one man in New Zealand who had done much to encourage the accumulation of large estates, that man was Sir G. Grey, and yet he took this opportunity of twisting the subject so as to make it a weapon of offence against the present Government. It was curious that he should condemn a Bill that the Government of which he was the head had prepared. Mr DeLautour not only sneered at the Bill, but sneered at those who had gone the length of giving Government credit for good intentions. He could not have read it, or he would not *» hnve spoken as he did. He spoke about the tendency of the Bill to induce tho W erection of extravagant buildings, as had " been done under the education system. In _ fact, however the two were widely diffsr-y ent. Under the education system, tho districts provided no part of the fund, while under the Charitable Aid Bill, as proposed, the districts would have to tax themselves to provide one-half of the money. Ec looked to local taxation to avoid any tendency ot the kind. , The motion was put and carried on the voices, and at 10.15 p.m. the House adjourned.