ECCENTRICITIES FROM "HANSARD."

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1032, 16 October 1877, Page 3

ECCENTRICITIES FROM "HANSARD."

CAPTAIN ERASER INDIGNANT. The Hon. Captain Fraser (speaking of the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill) —This decpased wife's sister is an impudent hussy, audi hope that we shall never see her face again in the Council. MR CHAMBERLTN INSINUATING. The Hon. Mr Chamberlin (speaking to the second reading of the same Bill) —It was evident that hon. members were afraid of their wiveß, and of what was called " Mrs Grundy." COMPLIMENTARY TO THE SEX. The Hon. Mr Chamberlin —Every man, as a matter of course, if he had the opportunity of finding a fit and proper woman for a second wife, or even for a third wife if he were so unfortunate as to lose his second, would marry again. UNCOMPLIMENTARY The Hon. Mr Mantell—As to the objection raised that if this Bill were passed ladies married here Avould no longer be looked upon as honorable when they went elsewhere, he would point out that that would put the ladies in exactly the same position as Legistive Councillors. When the latter left New Zealand they lost their title of " honorable." MR TRAVERS'S ODIC FORCE. Mr Swanson —One would think from 'the tone of the hon. gentleman's oration that he had nothing to do but to hold up his finger or throw his handkerchief at a deceased wife's sister, or any other woman, and she would be glad to avail herself of the offer. All he could say was that, if this was so, the hon. member's experience was very different from that of other people. MR MANTELL METAPHORICAL. The Hon Mr Mantell—His hon. friend the Colonial Secretary objected to the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill from a patriotic point of view, as he thought it would not be welcomed in the " green Isle." He (Mr Mantell) rather thought that in the green Isle it would be found to add another leaf to the shamrock, and would be like the four-leaved shamrock that leaves not a tear nor an aching heart in the world. COLONEL V. CAI'TAIN —ON MOTHERS. The Hon. Colonel Whitmore —I am afraid this cheap education which it is proposed to give will not be very much valued ; and as to the religious education which was originally proposed in this Bill, the reading of a chapter from the Bible and the Lord's Prayer, that is perfect mockery. The elements of religion in us all are implanted there by our mothers. The Hon. Colonel Brett—Hear, hear. The Hon. Captain Fraser—No, no. MR ISONAR ON STEPMOTHERS. The Hon. Mr Bonar —While the deceased wife's sister might be the natural guardian as long as she simply remained the deceased wife's sister, yet if she got married to her brother-in-law, and had a family of her own, she then ceased to be the guardian of her sister's children, and simply took the position of step-mother ; and honourable gentlemen knew what that was. A CLEVER BOY. Dr. Wallis —The justification of the Government (regarding the printing of the " Waka Maori'') has as much relevancy to the charges as an answer a school-boy once gave to me had to a question I put to him. I was examining a school-boy in reading and spelling. He said his lessons, and, glancing at the book, I asked him a question in spelling. I said "My good hoy, spell Thursday." He spelt it in every possible way that was wrong —Thirsday, Thorsday, and in every way but the right. Well, I spelt it over to the little boy. and told him it was "Thursday." He looked up, and said " Oh, I beg your pardon, I thought it was Friday you meant all the time." AN UNCOMMONLY CLEVER FELLOW. The Hon. Mr Miller was about to repeat a story which showed the value of agricultural and pastoral shows ; and there was no reason why he should not repeat it even now. The first year the Royal Agricultural Society's Show was held in the County Carlow, a small farmer, a countryman of the Colonial Secretary's, came a considerable distance to see the show,'which was held in a field enclosed by a very high fence, so that it was not possible for persons outside to see what was going on. The entrance fee was too high for the farmer, but, being a smart fellow, he got on to the top of the wall. The show was the first in that part of Ireland where the reaper was exhibited —it was twenty years ago. The farmer saw the reaper at work, and, being an uncommonly clever fellow, he went home, made a reaper of his own, and cut his corn with it. That was a little story in point. NOT FRIENDS OF THE SEX. The Hon. Mr Chamberlin —He was sorry to find that, for various reasons best known to lion, gentlemen themselves, this measure had few friends in the Council. What did they think one hon. gentleman said that morning about the Bill ? Why, lie said, _" Kick her out. Kick the deceased wife's sister out." Another gentleman, a member of this Parliament —he would not say of this Council —the other day actually said a great deal worse than that, a great denl worse. He said, " Damn the deceased wife's sister." An Hon. Member —He meant the Bill. Mr Chamberlin—No; he said the deceased wife's sister. If he meant the Bill, it was much the same thing. He showed that lie was not a friend to the femalo sex, or lie would never damn a woman as he did when he damned the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill. He presumed the word meant consigning to perdition. Did any hon. member wish to do that ? WORSHIPPING THE "BOBRY." The Hon. Dr. Grace (speaking of secular education)—There is no doubt that tto

youth of the colony of Victoria are growing up very wild, untameable, and vicious. As to the youth of San Francisco, I will tell you what I know myself; but I trust the reporters will be good enough not to record these observations. . . . An Hon. Member —Bad police. The Hon. Dr. Grace—My hon. friend says it was a case of bad police ; but does he not know that no police in the world can control 1 trge masses of pe pie bent on evil ? It is a most foolish idea for people who have been accustomed to submit to law and order, and to bow down before the "bobby," to expect that he can as easily control folk who have no respect whatever for law and order. It is unreasonable, and no police can do it. THE GREY COAT. Dr. Wallis—l will not say the members of the Government turn their coats, for they have turned them so often that they have become rags and tatters, and there are no coats to turn. Instead of turning their coats, they beg, borrow, or steal the coats of others. At the beginning of the session they begged the Native Land Court Bill coat of the hon. member for Rangitikei, and put it on. Then they borrowed the Incidence of Taxation coat belonging to the hon. member for Grey Valley; and again and again they have been borrowing patches of the coat of the hon. member for the Thames. They have borrowed so much from the latter hon. gentleman that, as he is not present, I may be allowed to say that I sometimes suspect he has not got a coat left. I myself borrowed a coat from him Borne seven or eight months ago. It was the Separation coat. I have it still. It is too large a coat for so small a man as I am, and I shall be very happy to restore it to the hon. member for the Thames, who, 1 have no doubt, will be wearing it before the end of the session arrives. " GOLD FIELDS INFIDELS." Dr. Wallis—The whole country is in favor of unsectarian education; the only people who are not are a few newspaper men, and a few infidels and inebriates, especially from the goldfields. I speak of people outside Mr Barff—l do not know whether the hon. gentleman is entitled to use the term "infidels from goldfields" towards members of this House who oppose the Bill on proper grounds. I must say I think the freedom of debate is somewhat exceeded when the hon. gentleman says that the only persons opposed to the measure are a few infidels on the goldfields. Dr. Wallis —I spoke of people outside the House. Mr Speaker—-I understood the hon. member to speak of persons outside the House. Mr Barff —I have no hesitation in saying that this Bill will inflict a great injustice upon a large and very important community, although an hon. member representing a constituency in Auckland refers to my constituents, in common with other goldfields constituencies, as " goldfields infidels." I would rather be the representative of what the hon. member called "goldfields infidels" than of—l do not know whether I should be in order if I said it—bigots. My constituents are as much men, and have as much political vitality in them, as the inhabitants of any district in the colony.

MR STAFFORD EDUCATING- MR "WAKEFIELD

Mr Stafford —The Government took up the proper constitutional position. They said that if the question (of the " Waka Maori ") was to be discussed upon its merits they would go on with the other business of the country, but the motion acquired a very different significance indeed when it was stated, in telegrams inserted in many newspapers throughout the country, that the hon. member for Dunedin City intended to bring it forward as a want-of-confidence motion. Mr Wakefield—No. Mr Stafford— That is not a worthy interruption. It is a flat denial of a statement I saw in the papers myself. The hon. gentleman has no right to interrupt me with an emphatic "No" when I say that I read in several papers the statement that it was the intention of the hon. member for Dunedin City to bring this motion forward as a want-of-confidence motion. Mr Wakefield —By way of explanation I may perhaps be permitted to say that, in answer to loud " Hear, hears," on one side of the House, I ventured to say " No." That was all. Mr Stafford —Sir, I cannot accept that as an apology for the direct denial of the statement I made. When I say that I have read a certain announcement in the newspapers, I contend that any hon. gentleman who says " No " is at once questioning my truthfulness in making that statement. MR HALL EDUCATING MR ROBINSON. The Hon. Mr Hobinson (after an interruption by the Hon. Mr Hall) said there was no hon. gentleman in the House who had so much experience who was so irritable on being interrupted as the Hon. Mr Hall. He could not help observing the other day that, when his hon. and gallant friend Captain Fraser made a slight remark, the Hon. Mr Hall turned round and read a long and severe lecture to the hon. and gallant gentleman. As a young member, he must say ho thought the Hon. Mr Hall had just taken a very mean advantage of him. The Hon. Mr Hall rose to a point of order. He would ask the Hon. the Speaker whether it was not a well-understood Parliamentary privilege, if one member misrepresented another, for the member so misrepresented to point that out at the time, as he had done on the present occasion. The Hon. the Speaker, if ho might be allowed to do so, would point out to the Hon. Mr Robinson that the expressions he made use of were not strictly in accordance with Parliiimentary usage. He thought such expressions were not desirable, and he was sure the hon. gentleman would regret having used them. The Hon. Mr Robinson would very much regret having made use of any words that the Hon. the Speaker might rulo to be not in accordance with the usages of the Council. In using the word "mean," he did not intend to apply it in the literal acceptation. Perhaps ho should have said that the hon. gentleman was scarcely giving him fair-play.