OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 3566, 28 July 1874, Page 2

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

n July 22. Un r Reward has again passed his Bill of Buis Marriage with a Deceased Wife’s Bister —over its second reading in the Lower . f US3 'j B P eec^l was very short. He referred to the absence of any petitions against his Bill as proof that the feeling of the country was with him, and expressed his determination, so long as he had the sense of the House to back him up, to continue hi* action until he succeeded in removing an obstruction neither justified by scripture nor expediency. Mr M'Gillivray, thoroughly funereal in appearance and speech, moved that the Bill be read that day six months, which was seconded by Mr O’Rorke, and supported by Mr Walter Johnsou, who viewed with abhorrence the legalisation of this “accursed thing,” as the lastmentioned gentleman termed it. The second reading waff moved in a very thin house, but Mr steward carried it by a large majority.

It will be recollected that during the heauug of the case of Harris v. Macfarlaue at Auckland recently, Mr Bees, the prose* cuting counsel, raised the objection—which was not entertained—that the two presiding Justices were not qualified to sit on the bench, because they had failed to attend the local Court of Petty Sessions a stated number of times. When the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill was before the Mouse the other evening, Mr Header Wood called attention to the point, and Mr O’Korke then stated there was much force iu the objection. His own opinion agrees with that of Mr Kees, so that if it is upheld by the Attorney-General, whose opinion will be taken, half the Justices in the Colony ought to be removed from the roll, for the Act allows the Governor no discretion. According to Mr O’Horke, one of two things must be done: either the Act must be enforced, or the Government will have to introduce a Bill to amend the exiting aw—and of course the lesser of the two eviis will be chosen.

Loud and deep has been the grumbling of hon. members during the past few uayi of the discomfort they are compelled to put up with One day they are almost frozen to death, and the next day they stand a chance of being suffocated. Aow they have permanently taken to wearing top-coats and wrappers when the House sits. The other afternoon members were sitting on the safety valve, as Sir J. C. Wilson put it Influenza is the prevailing epidemic; and with tie Knight of Cashmere, who is seated on top of a grating through which the air rushes

with great fprce,_ik has become chronic. He and others similarly situated have given over complaining, and are heroically enduring nnmistakeable suffering in their praiseworthy endeavors to assist the experiment of the Colonial Architect in wanning the Chamber, And then the acoustic qualities of the hall get so much better ! At the commencement of the session some members could make themselves heard, without much difficulty • they have to exert themselves greatly or their iiticiaucc-') are lost to those ri.*ht op posite to them Such at are the com plaints continually made to the Speaker. If newspaper correapondeats are going to occasion Parliament so much trouble, I shouhi not he surprised to learn that Sir Francis, new that he has the joy of his heart—the control of the galleries—;e tored to him, issues an order forbidding them to return to their accustomed places. Almost •very day now gome poor scribe is patronised by an hen. member, and glorified or the reverse, as nay be the disposition of the latter, in the pages of ‘Hansard.’ First, Mr Shepherd, then Mr T, B. Gillies, and now Mr J. Kelly. The • Cross’ of July 8 contamed a telegram to the effect that “very severe despatches to Dr Featherston have been sent by the last mail, which will he laid on the table to-morrow (the 9th).” The correspondent of another Auckland journal at once comes to the conclusion that State secrets have been improperly divulged, and button-holing a member who is only too glad of any opportunity of teasing the Government, gets through the House information that would or should bo ordinarily obtained from the heads of departments. Of course despatches are sent to the Agent-General by every mail ; hut that they were “ very severe,” or severe beyond any that have been already published, was purely imaginary ©n the part of the person telegranhing Such in effect was the Premier’s reply on Tuesday. Although I suppose the intimation is old, that the ‘ Daily Times’ was finely hoaxed last week by a sensational newsmonger, and that yonr contemporary should have been so easily taken in—for the telegram, which was thought worthy of being issued as an “extra,” was not from its “own correspondent,” who usually is well informed on political matters—ii occasioned much astonishment here. £t present any such political revolution as the substitution of Mr Stafford for Mr Vogel is purely fanciful; but it would be hard to say what the whirligig of time will produce. This affair has revived the rumor, which now crops up sessioaally, that Mr Vogel will go Heme before long ; and some people “in the know, you know,” have ventured to assert that when the Premier receives his expected and well-earned knighthood, he will shape a course for England, and, with the assistance of bis friends, who have considerable political and financial influence, endeavor to fulfil Mr Macandrew’s prediction. Whether this mere gossip had any connection with the ‘Daily Times ’ “ I cannot say ; but some people say it had. 'Che third occasion on which the Press was honored by the notice of Parliament was yesterday, when Mr Kelly, qf Taranaki, brought up a question of privilege. Some new local paper, evidently wishing to gain itself notoriety*, charged Mr Kelly with conduct which, if true, would have necessitated his immediate resignation of his stat. But the charges were neither true nor old ; they had been made in another form last session, and Mr Kelly had then proved how fouudationless they were. That being so, it is not easy to understand why such prominence should have been given to the matter. Certainly, Mr Kelly did not meet with much sympathy from the House. Two or three private memcers said, in effect, thae so long as there was the law open to persons in such matters, the House should not be troubled with them; and Mr Vogel spoke in much the same way’ Mr Bradshaw wanted the member for New Plymouth to adopt a plan he had carried out last session when he was attacked by a “scribbler.” Some one had written in some Otago or Dunedin paper (I can’t say which) some uncomplimentary things of Mount Benger’smember. who, on returning home and finding out the writer’s name (I wonder how it is that such things leak out so easily ; I think, Mr Editor, for your correspondents’ prote tioH, you will have to appoint a select committee to inquire into the matter) wrote to him giving him his opinion of him, which he asked him to publish This request, it further appears, was net complied with, and as Mr Bradshaw chose to apply the terms “ coward ” and “ blackguard ” to the person he referred to, there is every likelihood of more being heard of this affair.