THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3885, 6 August 1875, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[BV Telegraph ]

Wellington, August 6.

In the House this afternoon, on the motion of Mr Bradshaw, it w r as ordered that papers relative to the Ocean Beach Railway be printed; , In reply to Mr Rolleston, who asked what action the Covernmcnt had taken or proposed to take in inference to the resolution of th« .Senate of the University on the subject oC land rest I’Ve 1 Or promised to be reserved in tnfl Provinces of Auckland afld Taranaki under the University Endowment Act, as endowments for the Colonial University : proceeds of University Act, 1874, to be invested and dealt with fir piomotiug higher education in the respective Provinces iu which such teseiVes are situate, in such manner as the General Assembly may frmp time to time determine, Mr Bowen said, with regard to the reserves in Taranaki, the Native difficulty had provented the definition of these reserves. The Waikato Reserve Was considered the moat valu iblo one, they said, and it was deemed that it would be better to defflr dealing with it until the completion of the Auckland and Mercer line, when they could get belter revenue from it. On the reserve near Raglan and Waitara coal had been found, with indications of limestone and iron. He expected it would be of great value, and would as sooll as possible take steps to get the best revenue out of these reserves. Mr Steward move-1 for the fourth time the second reading of the Deceased Wife’s Sister Marriage Bill. Although all that could be said against it had been said, there was still a great deal to be said in its favor that had not been urged. When ho first introduced the Bill only one Legislature in Australia had passed such a measure, but now every Government in Australia, with the exception of New Zealand, had passed the Bill. The honorable member instanced the fact that twenty-six spiritual peers, besides several eminent Bishops, had supported the measure in the House of Lords, and quoted from several of them, including ihe Aicubishop of Canterbury, to show that the e maniages were not only not against the Church, but often prevented considerable immorality. Besides, the Catholic Church permitted those marriages,

aud that Olmrch did not sanction anything sinful or immoral, lie referred to the high opinion of Cardinal Wis man. In his (Mr {Steward’s) opinion, he thought that he might one day be the most authoritative opinion in the Catholic Church. The Methodists, Baptist", ami many other denominations in conference, decided in favor of removing the disability, and petitioned for its removal All this showed that a large majoiity of Christian denominations being in favor of marriage with a deceased wife’s sister, it could not be against what is said in the Bible. Then, as to its social aspect, amongst the many arguments used against the Bill there i«id been none of any weight on that score, aud if the onus probandi were thrown upon him, he was prepared to prove, with overwhelming evidence from all parts of the world, except Great Britain, to show that no ill effects had arisen from such marriages. The hon. member then quoted from speeches of Mr Gladstone and Mr Bright. He hoped the House would pass the BUI, which would be a great help to those who were endeavoring to pass a similar Bill at Hume. Mr Pyke said the Act was merely to enable one libidinous man to marry some libidinous woman. Such marriages were calculated to destroy all harmony between sisters living in one house, render each an object of jealousy and suspicion, and sow discord, and the Bill would prove generally disastrous to the social welfare of the people. Mr M'Gillivray moved that the Bill be read that day six months. He considered it an invasion of our social usages. A division was taken, and the result was t\vent> -nine in favor of the second reading, and twenty-five against the Bilk It was read's second time, aud ordered for Committee on Wednesday. The House went into Committee of Ways and Means, when Mr Bowen introduced a schedule of the Stamp Duties Act, The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.

August 6. In the House of Representatives, at 2.30 today, Mr Reid moved the second readiugjof the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company Bill. Mr Richardson hoped the Bill would be deferred for a few days, as the Government intended bringing down a general measure to facilitate this description of undertaking. The Bill was read a second time. Sir George Grey presented a petition from the inhabitants of the Thames, had been deprived of certain rights unjustly, and praying for an inquiry. A petition was a.so presented for a branch railway by the inhabitants of Maketu. A number of other petitions were presented for different public works.

{From our own Correspondent.)

„ Wellington, August 5. Fir George Grey moved for a return, giving the date ou which the Governor was supplied with a copy of the Chef Justice’s opinion as to the power of the Assembly to abolish the Provinces and the representative institutions therein; also that an address be presented to his Excellency, requesting that he will cause to be laid on the table copies of all despatches which the Governor may have addressed to the Secretary of State iu reference to that opinion. Mr Bowen replied that the Chief Justice gave no opinion whatever. No doubt the hon. member meant the late Attorney-General.— (Sir Grey ; '‘Hear”) The Government would at once say that no opinion of the late Attorney-General was laid before the Governor, and if there had been he would certainly have declined to lay on the table either the date or the occasion of communications between the Governor and his Excellency’s advisers. Fir George, from his own experience, would see the impropriety there would be in Ministers Hying ou the table a statement of the times, and occasions of each communication with the Governor. With regard to the second part of the motion, the Government had already laid on the table the despatches which were considered by his Excellency to be of interest and importance. If the member for Auckland West would name any particular despatch he wished for, Ministers would take his Excellency's commands on the matter. Mr Kolleston suggested the alteration of the second part of the motion, so as to read, “ for all despatches from the Governor relating to the abolition of the Provinces.” >Sir George Grey said his request was not unusual. With regard to the constitutional question which he wished to arrive at, his mind was entirely satisfied. He had elicited the information which he desired to get : that the Governor's attention was not directed to the late Attorney General’s opinion when asked to put his name to the message covering the Abolition ot Provinces Bill

Mr Bowen askou for leave to read correspondence between himself and the Chief Justice in reference to a remark in a previous debate by Sir (J. Grey, who said that Mr I rmidergast’s opinion on the Act of 1808, and the powers of the Assembly under it to abolish the Provinces, was different from one previously given by him. iSir (J. Grey : I never said the Chief Jus • tice had given a different opinion ; another member said so. Mr Prendergast’s opinions were in perfect conformity one with the other. Mr Bowen said that, in c mseqm nce of the member for Auckland Wo-t’s remark, search w as ma le in the Goverumer.t offices for a different opinion by Mr I’reudergast to that brought down by the Government, but none was found rcci, ded. Ho then wi'ote on August 2 to Mr Preudergaet asking him to be good

enough to inform them whether he had ever given a different opinion to that dated December 1,3874; ami, if so, wb.cv.her or not it v/as given b t fore or after the pa, sing of Acts 31 and ,>2 Victoria. lo that letter the Chief Justice replied that he was not conscious of havin' either entertained or expressed while AttorneyCeneral any opinion on Acts 31 or 32 Victoiia other than that they gave the Assembly of Aew Zealand power to abolish any or all the Provinces, and ad led that he felt sure Hr 'eorge Grey must have been misinformed on the subject. Sir George Grey, rising to make a personal explanation, repeated Ids previous assertion, but Up still a limned, and felt sure the Chief Justice would nnhesitati >gly acmß, that prior to the passing of the Imperial Act of 1868, Mr 1 rendergasfc, in his then capacity of At'eruey General, explained that abolition of the Prothat a Province ceased to exist when its boundaries were altered. Mr Stafford said that while ‘ Hansard ’ corroborated what Sir George said, it was unfortunate that he had all *wed an impression to go throughout the Colony that he had distinctly said the previous opinion of the At-torney-General was quite different to the one Ministers laid on the table. He referred to Mr r T fc f«eaceto the Draft Pill of 1868 whmh the Imperial Government sent to the Colony as corroborating bis Excellency s statement that ho had never in any manner given an opinion other than that the Legislature had full power to abolish all A® I rov ]nco3 m the Colony. Air Stafford was about to answer Sii G. Grey’s observations n u- n™ 0 ? debate as to the burned m inner which He Bill of 1868 was pas-ed through the lupeinal Parliament, when the Speaker interred him, saying that the matter was not .ebateable now, and Mr Stafford promised to refer to it again. The motion was earned. . Mr Steward made a short speech, recapitulamg his old arguments, in moving the second eading of the marriage with a Deceased Wife’s ister Bill.

Mr Pykc made a violent speech against it. e said iu was attempting to legitimise incest ‘•uL r 1 ogrcc—(oh)—an attempt to inf to tticuiinoj ity as the law was repugto v 1 (; t eekl| PC of the majority. ® tl,u, "ion resulted as follows: Ayes 29, • -es 25, The noes were M ssrs Bluett, Bowen’ I3unny, Curtis, Dignan, Ingles. Johnston (teller), Katene, Macamlrew, M‘Giliivray, Mervyn, Munro, O’Neill, O’Rorke, Parker, G *• Pearce, Pyke. Peeves (teller), Reynolds, ■tafford, Taiaroa. Thomsen, Ward, White Yilliams. Ayes 29: Andrew, Atkinson, ■adanca, Brandon, Bryce, Carrington, Creighon, Cuthbertson, Gibbs, T. Kelly (teller), .uekis, May, MUlashan, M‘Lean, G. M‘Leau, Montgomery, Murray. 0. Parker, Reid, Richardson, shepherd, Steward (teller), Swanson, Takamana You der Hyde, Wales, Webb Nelson, Wood. ’ The second reading was therefore carried. Mr Polleston moved that a draft Bill should be circulated amongst the friendly societies inviting their suggestion and concurrence in framing next year a Bill to provide regulated tables of contributions, periodical valuation of liabilities, an efficient system of audit, and securing the proper responsibility of officers in respect to funds or property entrusted to them.

Mr M'Glashan presented a petition from the Roslyn Road Board, objecting to thepassa.-e of the Dunedin Waterworks Extension Kill, «iucl from the North-Enst Valley Board, objectmg to the passage of any bill the Corporal! m may introduce with a view of extending the City boundaries.