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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 176, 26 July 1881, Page 2

The following is from the Port's "Essence of Parliament" :—Mr Weston said the whole question was only this:, Whether the proposals of the Government in regard to Local Government were satisfactory. There was no doubt Mr Ormoad'a one aim was Provin cialisoj, while carefully abstainiog from propounding a policy. He utterly and entirely disagreed with the Government proposals; they were utterly unworkable, and he did not understand how a Government possessing so much ability could bring down such a miserable scheme; and, if they took the advics of others they would gracefully retire from the position and withdraw the bill. Criticising the scheme of local finance, he said if we "tidliwinked " with our funds as proposed, we should lose our credit abroad. As to the proposed board, it opened the door to all sorts of improprieties, and the whole scheme was a perfect illusion. He did .not think the proposal to rate native lands without the consent of the natives was a right one. The question raised by the amendment was an immaterial one, and, unless members were of opinion that it was a vital one, they should allow this Parliament to die out, and leave the country to settle things afterwards. Reviewing Sir G. Grey's proposal, he said it was even more visionary and wild than that of the Colonial Treasurer, and meant separation in disguise, and the country wa9 not prepared to receive his scheme. He warmly defended the Judges of the colony against the insinuations of Sir George Grey, and his remarks were loudly cheered. He thought the Hou3e was too cumbrous a ■machine for the work devolving upon.it, and that being so, he believed Mr Saunders' scheme was one which might be moulded into a workable form. He concluded by saying it was desirable to save expense, and he would, therefore, rote against the amendment and also against the Government .Sills if the Government persisted in pushing them on.He cared not for the Government or party, but would do his best for the good of the country ; and if a new Ministry was formed that he could respect, they would have bia sympathy. —Mr Sheebau asked if there was any rule in the Standing Orders whereby a man might speak on both sides and vote in the middle. (Loud laughter.) In the debate on Mr Ormond'a amendment Mr Hall said that its terms were so blunt and uncompromising that the Government could not take it as anything except a vote of censure. The tactics of the Opposition showed that the object was to unseat the Government. He had watched public opinion closely, and found no demand outside the House for a radical change in local government. The cry was a purely fictitious one. The demand that did exist was one for assistance, and not for a change in forms of local govercment. The reports from officers in the Native districts have been published and contain a good deal of interesting matter. Among other things we learn that TeKooti preaches a new gospel, and «ome of the Hauraki natives lave become converts to it. Te Kooti's creed appears to include teetotalism as one of its tenets. It is, however, remarkable in the case of the Hauraki natives, "that since the supply of money, formerly obtained through the sale of land has failed, they, through want of funds, have had to give up drinkiig to the extent they used to do." At Opotiki the sick are taken before Te Kooti to be healed, but he is not stated to have effected many cures. The Opotiki natives are much exercised in mind about Mukutu or witchcraft. One unhappy native is said to have thus bedevilled to death no less than seventeen of bis relatives. The House of Lords is endeavouring to give a singular privilege to the much-abused British soldier. He is to have the right to be flogged if he wishes. That is the short effect of Lord Denman's bill. When a soldier appears before a court-martial, and is convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, he may be put to hi^election, He may call on nia

judges to order a summary lashing, but the limit of the punishment is fixed at twenty five strokes. Referring to the No-confidence debate, the Olago Daily Times cays : — " We have no notion whatever that Mr Orinond desires office, or wishes to play the game of the Opposition. We are inclined to look upon . this move as an entirely selfish one. He is known to have an intense hatred of the Property Tax, which, as a man of large property, touches him closely ; and Mr Wbitaker twitted him severely with simply desiriog to : save bis own pocket by getting rid of" the tax. We fear, from the known characteristics of.the map, that there is truth in this accusation. But, however this may be, if hi 3 motion were carried by the aid of men with whom he has no sort of sympathy, he knows full well tbat he would not be asked to assume the respon»ibility of office, but that m all probability an immediate dissolution would feSi»l*. y ' After some further remarks, our contemporary adds s—" We have gome daubt whether Mr" Ormond will press his motion to a division, but if he does, the probabilities at present are in favour of the Ministry obtaining a small majority j and Mr. Ormond will obtain the due reward of treachery by being disowned and discredited by b&tti fatties. The utterly selfish line he has taken, his entire disregard of any consideration for the rea! welfare of the colony, will, before the debate is over, be duly laid bare to the House and the constituencies and we are much mistaken if Mr. Ormond doea not come 6tit of the contest a severely mauled and humbled mao." The great exodus from the Old World to the Few £says the Homn News) continues to flow on unchecked. Just now the largest quota is contributed by the Scandinavian nations, Sweden and Norway especially. So great is the movement tbat whole districts are nearly depopulated, and the Swedish Government is becoming alarmed. These Norsemen nearly all pass through England on their way westward. Numbers are landed at Hull and travel thence to Liverpool loembark; many more arfe despatched from Loodqn. The emigrants muSt suffer great discomfort, not to say hardship en routt. They niay be seen, in mournful, lispless bands, crowding the piers and railway stations', surrounded by their boxes and humble household goods. There is generally a captain or man in charge who speaks £ little English, and who is hard put to it to keep matters' straight; The condition of those who are lodged in tfie 1 East End of London, awaiting the departure of j the Atlantic steamers, is considerably worse. I The practice is to consign them to agents, who contract to supply them with bed and board for a small fixed sum, in some cases no more than fourpence per night. The accommodation is, in consequence, of the very worst, and the places used, mostly wretched deas in the purlieus of Whiteehapel, are terribly overcrowded. Official inspectors have visited the emigrants, and have found tlitm herded together with an insufficiency of air, the sexes scandalously intermixed, lying upon mouldy straw, and not another particle ' of furniture in the room.. The law happily provides a certain remedy under the rules and regulations for lodging houses, and these agents will probably find their nefarious trade interfered with. But when the horrors of the sea voyage and the trials of the long land journey westward are added to these early discomforts, it is not unlikely that these enterprising Swedish and Norwegian emigrants will wish they had stayed at home. A husband who lately went to execute a few littl* commissions for his wife gives it as hie experience tbat there are two dozen different brands of lilac Bewing ailk so exactly alike that no male eye can tell the difference, and a wrong choice means ruin to a new silk dress, and no peace in the house for a week. [For Continuation of News see First, Third, and Fourth Pages ]