PARLIAMENTARY.

Evening Star, Issue 3558, 18 July 1874, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

Our Parliamentary telegram reached us too late for publication in full. The substance of it is as follows

1. Colonel Brett’s condemnation of the volunteers, was because gigantic sums of money had been spent without adequate result; and the volunteers were not in a state of efficiency. Me suggested leaving the defence of the Colony to che Armed Constabulary.

2. Mr Vogel approved of Major Atkinson’s proposal to post telegrams back to the senders. His objection was merely to the cost, estimated at L 1,200 a year, which work, however, might be done by women. 3. The Government considered the charges in Ward’s telegrams so vague that no Committee was desirable to be appointed. It was only fair to presume that the 4 Daily Times obtained information through ‘‘leakage” from one out of half-a-dozen lianas through which messages passed. 4. Mr Waterhouse’s proposal respecting marriage with the sister of a deceased wife only applied to legalising marriages contracted in other countries. Dr Pollen explained there was no n< cessity for that, as the laws of the Colony recognised marriages entered into in countries waere the law differed frem New Zealand.

A discussion on the Ward-Chapman telegram question raised the question of journals being compelled to explain where their information was obtained. This was objected to, as no one could tell where liberty of the Press interfered with would end.

The second reading of the Telegraph Amendment Bill was carried without a division. Several members made severe comon th® Ward-(Jhapman messages. The remainder of the message contains answers to questions respecting the opening of the Clutha line, which was expected about Ist September, 1875.