PARLIAMENTARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 173, 4 August 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, August 1. On the House resuming last night the debate on the New Zealand Forests BUI was proceeded with. Sir Cracroit Wilton and Mr McGlashan supported tbe second reading. Mr Stafford thea delivered a most eloquent speech urging upon the Premier to state whether he was io earnest with the Bill, And saying that ii he really wished to press it he might easily do so. He urgel upon the House to adopt the Bill. Even supposing that every clause required amending he would rather accept it with all its imperfection* than not see it placed on tbe Statute books. It was imperatively necessary that they should - make a beginning, even though they should knock the bark off their knuckles iu the attempt. He was confident that if they spent £lO,utiG a year for even ten years without any return, the result would, as a whole, be still . satisfactory. Mr J. L. Gillies opposed the second reading sts an attempt oi the General Government to get control ot the forest lands ofthe colony. Mr Wakefield supported the Bid, alsoMessrs Richardson, McGlashan, T. B. Uilliea, and Fitzherbeit. Mr Reader Woad condemned the scheme in a vigorous speech as an insidious attempt to obtain the control ot the most valuable lands of the colony. Mr Murray moved the adjournment ol the debate at 12. 30 a.m. Mr ONeill will ask the Premier on Tuesday when arrangements will be commenced by New Zealand, New South Wales, and Queensland, for the construction cf the electric cable between New Zealand and fcew bouth Wales, and from Normantown in Queens'and to Singapore in the terms of the agretmeut now ratified by the Parliaments of the three colonies.