PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2692, 3 October 1871, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

(from our own correspondent.) ■Wellington, Oct. 3. Mr Haughton to-day presented a petition, signed by 2,400 Otago miners, against Chinese immigration. Mr Reader Wood gave nolice of his intention to move that the next session of the General Assembly be held at Dunedin. Considerable opposition is expected to the proposed duty on cereals and timber. PETITIONS. The private petitions committee of the House, on the 20th reported on the petition of. 642 cabinetmakers and others in the city of Dunedin, praying that the rate of duty on imported furniture be increased, so as to develop local manufactures and industries ; the committe report', d that as the matter involved a question of general policy, they could make no recommendation, and a similar report was made,in reference to the petition of 172 settlers and landowners, Palmerston, Waikouaiti, and Blueskin districts, complaining that injustice has been done to the above districts, in not placing the line of railway from Waikouaiti to Dunedin upon any of the schedules. TRIAL BY JURY. On the committal of this Bill an amendment that three-fourths should constitute the verdict of the jury instead of two-thirds was negatived. Another amendment, proposed by Mr Gillies, at the request of the legal profession, was agreed to, “That no such verdict shall be taken until the jury have retired, and informed the Judge that there is no probability of their being unanimous. ”