ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 344, 8 October 1875, Page 3

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

" I am a rogue if I do not think I was designed for the helm of State ; I am so iull of nimble strategems, that I should have ordered affairs, and carried it against the stream of a faction, with as much ease as a skipper would laver against the wind.—" The Goblins." The Abolition Bill was to be read a second time in the Legislative Council on Tuesday last. After many exhaustive debates in the Assembly, the third reading was finally carried by a large majority. All amendments of any extent that were carried were the fruit of the determined opposition shewn by the Opposition, notably by Messrs. Macandrew and Stout. Mr. Macandrew lias determined that his dissent to the Bill in any shape shall be clearly recorded. On the third reading lie _ made a final and concise protest, which we find thus reported in the Dunedin 'Star':—"On behalf of his constituents, on behalf of one-third of the population of the Province of which he had the honor to be elected head, he desired in one word to solemnly protest against the passage of this Act —an Act being passed and without any warning, without the people's consent, an Act which, so far as the people of the Middle Island were concerned—so far as the people of Otago were concerned—was passed without any just.cause for it, an Act which deprived the people of that Province of institutions under which they had flourished and prospered—had flourished to an extent in a short time which he believed to be wholly unparalleled in ihe history of the world. He denounced the whole proceedings as utterly unreasonable, lyrannical, and unworthy of any representative assembly.—(Cheers.) Aproceeding which, unless he bad greatly mistaken the spirit of his fellow-colonists throughout JS T ew Zealand, the people would not countenance, and to which they would show a sense of resentment that would, he believed, result in the Assembly beiug crushed into the dust.—(Cheers.) He felt very strongly on the subject—so strongly that he could hardly trust himself to say what lie would like to say for fear of being tempted to use unparliamentary language; therefore, he should content himself with recording his solemn protest against the proceeding.—(cheers.)" —Sir George Grey also gave it to be clearly understood that he did not take the action of Parliament as binding upon him or his Province without a further resort. He " formally recorded his protest against the course tukvu, as being unlawful unconstitutional, and beyond the power of the AsseinbJj', and intimating that he reserved to himself, the Province he represented, those Colonists who were of his opinion, und posterity, the right to maintain by all lawful and justifiable means those rights and privileges assured to tlum, and the cuii'.iiu.i.htr ol uhuli was guaranteed to them by the Lord* aix.l

Commons of Great Britain."—The-de-bate on the abolition of the Gold Duty was a warm one, and will lij found in 'do tail in another column. The fallacy u'ii-: tier-lying the position taken by the Government wewitltak.- ani'ther occasion of further explaining. -Mr. Faveliich, of I Dauedin, is a useful .man, in conception at any rate. He has been endeavoring to draw the attention of legislators to- ocr- ■ tain practical questions. During the early part of the session he presented three petitions -one seeking encouragement under some Act that does net appear on the Statute Book for his-piggery; the. second calling for a change in the law relating to'-pawnbrokcring,; and .the third calling upon Parliament;-,tO:place.the "social evil under police and medical.surveillance. The Public Petitions Committee is reported td : havatreated' the wholcy .'of the petitions very suniamrilv. It is a pity that tho subject matt'ef T of : Mr. Pavel- • itch's last petition iias'hot been taken, into consideration.. The evil, complained of is unfortunately becoming of consequence.. The great cities, notably Dunedin, are becoming .dispersing centres' of an evil that cannot be cured by merely driving its victims, uncu ed into more thinly populated districts.—Considerable discussion ensued upon the Registration of Electors Act Amendment Bill, the ..second reading of which was moved by Mr. Steward. 'lt provides-that the clocks of Municipal Corporations, Highway Boards, &c, should prepare lists' of the ratepayers withiu their respective districts, and forward the same to the Registration Officer of the electoral district iu which they are situate, who shall treat them as lists of claimants to vote. To prevent a person being placed on the list against his will, the name is to be omitted on art application being received from ' such person.—Tho proceedings in the Legislative Council have been more interesting of late. Dr. Pollen has obtained leave to bring in a Bill entitled, "An Act to provide that apprentices may be bound, taught, and instructed in certain arts and trades connected with the service of the Government of the Colony." —lt -will be remembered that Mr. Reid carried through the Lower House an amendment of the Otago Waste Lands Act, the main object" of which was to extend the area of laud which could be opened on deferred payments annually from 30,000 to 100,000 acres. The Council last year threw out a similar measure, on the alleged ground that the 1 deferred payment system had not been proved. This could not be said again in 1875. Honorable Councillors accordingly condemned the Bill another way, so they determined to raise the price. In Committee Sir J. L. C. Richardson spoke with much feeling on behalf of the poor man. On the sth clause, which proposed to substitute 4s. for 2s. 6d. as the price of land obtainable on the deferred payment system, a division was taken, and resulted in the amendment being carried by a large majority. As Sir J. L. Richardson had been contending for a, cheaper rate as a vital principle, he declined to offer further opposition to the Bill, contenting himself with recording his opinion that, as the Bill now stood, settlement in Otago was effectually stopped. The principal speakers were Mr. Waterhouse, who thought raising the price to £2 per acre would check capitalists and not have a deterrent effect upon those of mhdera: e means; Mr. Holmes, who considered it would prevent dummyism ; and Mr. Ackland, who held that the deferred payment system was a mistake.—The long prom - ised Representation Bill has at last been produced. It is a prodigy. It does not purport to be a general representation Act, which is to be decided next session. It will be a curious farce to discuss a representation Act in the first session of a new Parliament, just in possession of a five years' lease of life. The truth is, the bill has just been brought in for the Colonial Treasurer (Taranaki); Mr. Stafford, (Timaru); and Mr. Stewart, (Waitaki). It is well known that Mr. John M'Lean intends to represent Oamaru, and Mr. Stewards vocation would be gone if the Waitaki were not created for him. The reasons for the.sops to Taranaki and Timaru, we do not know. The existing districts are to be let alone, and the number of representatives is to be increased to 82, exclusive of Maoris. Ono additional member is to be given to Dunedin, one to Christchurch, one to the Thames, and one to Hokitika.—The Electoral Qualification Act, which was to practically disfranchise the miners at the next election, was lost. The miners' right will as heretofore enable its holder to vote. Many members in the House would have liked to throw the voting power in February nest into the hands of the cockatoos. The fates decided differently, and the members aforesaid will be accordingly sold.