PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 187, 7 August 1872, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, August 7, The Licensing Bill was resisted in Committee last nigbt, in its successive stages. The first and second clauses, and the first of the prohibitory clauses were postponed on a division. '■ ftlr Creighton moved the re-committal of the Bill to-day. Mr Yogel moved an amendment thkt it be re-committed that day Bix months, which was negatived. Thedebate on Mr Gillies' resolution re definition of funciionsof provinces waß resumed. . Mr Sheehan said that the Ministry which had gone into office on the shoulders of the Provincialparty was now crippling the provinces. The general opinion was that the public worlcs and immigration policy could not be admiuistered from one centre. Mr Reader Wood said that the various motions on the subject showed that the House considered some change to be necessary. He condemned Mr Ormond being allowed to hold a seat in the Ministry while Superintendent, and referred to I)r JTeatherstone's resignation of the Superintendency of Wellington, under similar circumstances in /dgference to the.opinion expressed by the House. Superintendents iri the Ministry he thought, gave £be provinces so represented an unfair advantage. Mr Gillies replied at considerable length. He «aid that the Government were abrogating their function 8 by not bringing down a policy regarding provincial institutions, and adduced figures to prove that the General Government were denuding the provinces of their revenues. If the Ministry wonld not indicate a policy regarding the 7 provinces, the House would force a policy up* on the Ministry. As the Government had stated fUatthey had no intention of bringing down a policy, and other., motions on the same subject were on the Order he withdraw his.