PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 407, 29 June 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

In tlif Council on Thursday, the Detwed Husbands IS.«>fht*r Marriage' Bill wan read a first tim •. ifrcr t \ short discussion, in which Coloiiol Uvctt termed the measure obscene. The Hon J. Menzieg moved for a call of the Council on July 16 to consider the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill. On this there was a long disorderly and irregular discussion, during which several members were called to order. Some emphatic expressions were used concerning members (of Whom there are now twelve) habitually absent. Ultimately, after two divisions, the call was rejected by 22 vote «> to 8. ■•.'■• , .. _ Several measures were read a (bird time and passed. In the House there was a debate on a motion to grant a week's leave of absence to Mr Hamlin. Mr Hamlin was Chairman of the Native Affairs Committee, and is looked upon as knowing- something about Native matters. Lately the Native Minister found it necessary to visit the West Coast, and almost simultaneously, Mr Hamlin took his departure for the same locality. Rumour had it that the object of his journey was that the Opposition might have reliable information as to the state.of matters, especially with regard to the alleged road " leading into a swamp." The consequence was a bit of a scene wliich the Times correspondent thus describes :—" Upon Major Harris applying for leave of absence for Mr Hamlin. Sir W. Fox immediately opposed it, on the ground that the object of asking for leave had not been divulged.. Frequent allusions were made to the. abandoned road, and Government were twitted with endeavoring to prevent independent observation by the Opposition. I am, however, informed that Government was in no way responsible for Sir W. Fox's action, and that privately they, have deprecated it."

The No-confidence debate was ie*umed by Mr Macandrew. During this and the succeeding evening this debate dragged its slow length along. Perhaps the most noticeable speech was that of Mr.Ormond, a pronounced supporter of the Ministry. He severely criticised their financial proposals however. He thought the Beer Tax too high, objected to the Properly Tax altogether, thought the retrenchment proposed utterly inadaquate, and concluded by annoucing his intention of voting against the amendment, that is of affirming that those proposals were satisfactory which he had just carefully demolished. Mr Ormond, however, unlike some other speakers, had a remedy to propose. In brief it was this —Let the country sell its property for what it will fetch, and apply the proceeds towards reducing its debts. He would ask was there no other means for meeting their difficulties than taxation ; no means of increasing the revenue and reducing liabilities? He believed there was. They were told they had thirteen millions of acres of Crown land. Were they lands it is to the interest of theColcny to conserve for settlement ? These large portions were purely pastoral, which would not be of use during our life time or that of our children, and they should be made to bear the burden of the present emergency. What was the advantage of holding that estate? It appeared to him that it was a mistake to hold these lands at a time like this. The land itself was not bearing its fair share of the burdens. Before many years,were over the increase of population would put the Colony into its proper position, and the estate was undoubtedly the direction to which they should look in thej existing emergencies. The next point referred to was the railways. As a Government hij did not think they were ever likely to make these railways pay. Being in that position, the question arose whether or not it was worth while keeping these lines. If the country came to the conclusion that they could be worked better by private companies, they could be sold under condition of settlement along the lines. A change in that direction would obviate much of the odium nt present cast upon them. The disposal of these lines, coupled with the disposal of the public estate to which he had referred, would relieve them of one-half of the public debt, and thereby enable them to carry on the work of settlement more efficiently.

On Friday, in the House of Representatives, says the Press correspondent, the Premier announced that the evidence taken by the Civil Service Commission would be laid on the table, adding that it would take some time to make another copy for tbe Legislative Council. Then there was a pause of expectation In a short time there entered a solemn procession of two messengers, each staggering under a gigantic heap of papers tied round with red tape. They approached the table and gravely deposited their load amid a sort of hush of consternation, followed by a general titter, which at last broke into a roar. The Premier pol'tely intimated that there was tho evidence. First one member and then another went to the table, and began to handle the bundles, each of which was about two feet thick, and to examine their outside with evident curiosity, but nobody ventured to open them, and though they have now been lying on the table for six hours, no one has had the hardihood to commence the perusal of that mighty mass of crude and , indigestible information.

The No-confideuee debate seems likely to last till every member of the House has bad his say, several members of the i.nk file having spoken already.