PARLIAMENTARY SCRAPS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 181, 31 July 1872, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY SCRAPS.

(From the. Evening Post.) v In the Legislative Council,' Mr Waterhouse has ( given notice of the following motion :— -"That in 7 the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the Constitution Act be amended j with a view to pro-, constituted upon the principle of Election j (2.) An effeotual guard against ©deadlock

in the legislation of the country, through any lengthened difference of opinion between the two branches of the Legislature.' „Mr Sheehan was to move to-day, That in the opinion of the House, the office of Attorney- General should bo held by a member of the Government, haying a seat in the House, and that the Government be requested to make arrangements in terms of this resolution without delay. Mr. O'Neill has given notice that he will move for the appointment of a Select Committee to enquire into the subject of connecting New Zealand by submarine electric cable with other colonies, and to report thereon. Mr Johnston moved, on Wednesday last for a return of the names of all persons for whom the Government had paid travelling expenses during thepast twelve months, the amounts and objects. He said last session the Colonial Treasurer had spoken of. increased expenditure rendering increased taxation necessary. During the recess there had been no political agitation, and his Excellency's speech shadowed forth no political measures. Under these circumstances, it might be expected that the Ministry had devoted their attention towards achieving administrative excellence. The taxpayers and the House should be placed in the position of seeing whether they get value for their money. These were his reasons for moving for the return. Mr Curtis moved the second reading of the Larceny Act. He commenced bis remarks hy stating that half the business of lawyers was caused by the present doubtful wording of the acts, and he expected opposition from those in the House. He quoted from several Actp, some amusing mistakes which have crept in, and he pointed out the exceeding length of many of the clauses. The bill he introduced would shorten the two Acts now in existence. He was contented that the bill should be referred to a select committee to decide as to its value. Tbe Colonial Secretary rend some criticisms by the Attorney-General on the bill, aud warned the House not to be in too great a hurry to condense aud consolidate existing Acts. If the evidence of the Judges would be taken by the.committee, he would not object to it. The Premier, after congratulating Mr Curtis on his first appearance as a law reformer, pointed out tbat the bill contained nearly as many curious errors as those pointed out iv the existing Acts. : Mr Sheehan defended the lawyers from the charges made by the mover of the proposed bill. He pointed out tho impossibility of drawing up a bill so as to prevent the possibility of two constructions being placed on it. He said if Mr. Curtis's law was bad, the Attorney-General's was worse. Mr. Gillies defended Mr. Curtis's bill, which he said was drawn as carefully and correclly as most bills introduced in the House. He said the Premier's sneer against a layman coming forward as a law reformer would fall harmless, if the House remembered that the author of the celebrated Land Transfer Act was a layman. He reminded the House that if, as the Premier suggested, one clause of the Act were altered so as to read "anyone who may steal or take away anything," it might be awkward for some members of the House who took and traded on the ideas of others. Mr Luckie considered the House should support Mr Curtis, and made a few remarks which were more applicable to a motion of his own on the Order Paper than to the one before the House. Mr Curtis, in a few words of reply, disposed of the technical objections, jocose remarks, and attempts at argument by the Premier. The Bill was then read the second time, and referred to a Select Committee.