PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 626, 14 July 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

NATION A L IN _ U RANGE. The following is Major Atkinson's motion on this subject:—" That in tho opinion of this house provision should he made against sickness and pauperism by compulsory National Insurance to secure the following benefits : —(1.) Sick pay for every single person, male or female between the ages of 18 and G5 years, of not less than 15s per week during sickness. {2 ) A sick pay for eve r y married man of not less than 22s Gd, aud for every married woman 7s Gd during sickness. (3.) A superannuation allowance of 10s for every person, male or female, from G5 years of age to death. (4.) An allowance of 15s per week for every widow with one child, increasing according to scale with size of family to 30_ per week, until the children are 15 years of age. Speaking of Wednesday's debate, the 'Times special says :—" From what Mr Dodson says, it is evident that the run holders of Wairau aud Aw.ttere, instead of thinking the ferret a pest, hold him like the '• Pickwick,the Owl and the Waverly Pena boon and a blessing to men." People who imagine that the introduction of the ferret is a novelty will perhaps i.c surprised to learn that thousands of ferrets exist in the district referred to, and that 200 or more are bred every year. Mr Buller, who first introduced them after nine years' experience, says that they do no harm, and that nothing would induce the ruuholders to give them up. They have kept the rabbits down and have been most successful. Mr I vugs' motion with regard to repayment of Election Petition expenses, brought on a lengthened discussion, much abuse of the Corrupt Practices Act, and some curious pronunciations of the word laches, which some hon members appeared to think had to do with a cat o' nine tails. Mr Sheehan was very hot in his denunciation of the bills of costs which had mounted up to I hundreds of pounds in some instances, and said they were something infamous. It was finally resolved, after much debate to,'appolnt a Committee to make inquiry into the whole question of election petitions and costs in connection therewith. The rest of the afternoon till the adjournment was taken up by the discussion on Mr J. E. Brown's jnotion for a Committee to inquire into and report upon the management of railways throughout the Colony. Much difference of opinion appeared to exist Jas to the propriety ot such an enquiry being held at all."