WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3596, 1 September 1874, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[By Electric Telegraph.] (From our own Correspondent.) _ . August 31. During the past week, with the exception of the debate on Mr Fitzherbert’s motion, the business done by both Houses was not of very great importance, and what was transacted was marked by that hasty consider*tion which denotes the rapid close of the session. Tan debate does not call for muck notice. Mr Fitzherbert was bound down by his party to say little, and to be moderate, and he fulfilled both conditions admirably. Mr Vogel s speech of two hours was excellent, and showed he had given more attention to the subject since the first debate. Mr Stafford followed Mr Fitzgerald’s example in brevity, but what ho said was wholly to the purpose. There was no beating about the bush with him. He to’d the House and the country frankly that this step was but the beginning of the end. and a short time would •see the abolition of Provincialism in the South as well as in the .North, Mr Fox was in a good humor and delivered himself of a capital speech worthy of the man and the o« cxsion. There'was a valedictory ring about it, and if it was the case that it was the last time of his speaking from the floor of the House nothing could, better become the man than his last act and candid explanation of rhe reasoua that have induced kim to forsake the Provincial party with which he has been allied for years and which he has so often led. Ihe only other feature of tbe debate worthy of remark was Mr W. Johnson’s voting with the ayes—the member for Mauawatu in favor of Centralism—which accounts for his absence at the previous division, Mr Vogel had given an explanation of the proposed mode of appropriating the revenue under the altered plan, which Mr Johnson said was perfectly satisfactory, and it immediately led him to vote with the Government. The division you know.

.I* been customary to slaughter the innocents, but, thanks to Mr Banny, one measure was rescued in passing, which will be hailed with satisfaction by everyone. Only those practically acquainted with the ordinary life amongst settlers in the country tan to.'ra a correct idea of the misery which falls upon a family when a husband and father dies intestate, t/f course, owners of property, largo or small, should make wills, and judicious people from time to time advise them to do so They always intend to do it during the first leisure time they have; but the result of good intentions has passed into a proverb. A day comes when there is a hush over the household j the head of the family has gone, has left no will, and the real estate passes to the eldest son, while existing liabilities must be paid out of any money in hand before it can be appropriated for use by the members of the family. The father never meant it should, be so, aad the injustice, not to speak of the hardship and family disruption thus brought about is self* evident. The ill effects of the existing law were forcibly brought by Messrs Piaree, Bunny, and Wilson under the notice of the Premier, who, after consideration, was induced to withdraw opposition, and the Beal Estate Descent Bill is now the law of the land. If the Legislative Council have been obstructive this session in throwing out the Otago Waste Lands Bill, Wellington Keclamatiou Bill, Highway Boards Empowering Act, and other necessary measures, ic nnmistakeably proves they must be credited with exercising watchful care over the finances of the Colony. No opportunity of so'unding an ® l . ar “ . at the P ace we are going at is lost by Mr Waterhouse, according to whom the Colony is going to destruction as fast as it can His speech on the indebtedness of the Colony is excellent, from ■ a croaker’s point of view. On the same occasion Dr Grace made a speech which was noticeable for plainspeaking. The Parliament has decided that the Goyernment shall have access to the evidence taken by the Ward-Chapman Committee. It is the intention of the Government to take further action in respect to Holdsworth and Clay ton, the two telegraphists whose irregularities were mentioned in the report, and it is generally believed that the Government will during the recess, act upon the committee s recommendation.

The Licensing Bill is now much in the same stste as introduced by the Premier. Ihe Council, though strongly backed up by the local temperance peop'e, had to give wav. it will be remembered the Upper House has had to amend the Act in respect to Mr k. teward s barmaid clause, which restricted the hours of labor to ten, and they inserted a new clause,-taking away the license on conviction for selling adulterated liquor. To loth these alterations the Lower House demurred. Messrs Steward, Swanson, and Sheehan, as managers, drew up a petition ot dissent from the alteration in the barmaid clausa They objected; because the effect would be to defeat the intention of the House, which was to prevent females so employed from being overworked without involvmg reducing their emoluments, because it might cause a reduction of pay without shortening the hours of actual employment; because the class proposed to be benefited would prefer some extra hours off duty in them an opportunity exe rcise, to being released from dutj an hour earlier at night. To the adulte! ation clause the managers objected, because it was making the offence to consist of selling liquors without any proof that the offence was committed knowingly, and would lead to many innocent persons being subjected to penalties, and to confiscation of property

and would “forever debar” Biicb persons from carrying on the. trade.as authorised by JaW. Because it wm, well known that large quantities of adulterated wines and spiriis were imported into the Colony, ami *old by retailers as genuine and unadulttr.it> <l, and the clause would lenvo the realiy guilty parties untouched, while the retailers, already imposed up >n by sale to them of adulterated articles, would be punished for vending Hum without knowledge of the fact. Btc use r.< present, even in the largest towns iu the Colony, analysis cannot be cheaply or ex. peditiously obtained, and because an inspection of wines and spirits for the purpose of 'detecting adulteration should be made while in bond, or in the bands of importers. There was an amusing discussion in the Upper House on the Barmaid clause. Mr Richardson, at whose instance the hours were shortened, stated that a member of the Legislature bad interviewed ail the barmaids in Wellington, and bad ascertained that the advertised change from ten to ten was approved of by a majority of one. The hours as originally proposed were allowed to stand, and the other amendment fell through without debate.