PEARLS FROM PARLIAMENT

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 61, 31 August 1901, Page 19

PEARLS FROM PARLIAMENT

W-iAT «o want to know is Aie out laws such that dishonest men cannot do dishonest things r' Is our law honest ? I say our law is honest and I say oui law is such that it is impossible for any Minister, no mattei how dishonest he may be, to do a dishonest thing under the Land for Settlements law — Hon. Mr. Jennings. * * * If the member for Bruce had his micro"cope about him he w ished the honourable membei would lend it to him, so that he might be able to see what the honourab'e gentleman was driving at Mr. Geo Fisher * * * It is \ciy cleai to my mind, at any rate, that the father of this Bill has nevei had anything to do with mortgages Mi Swnes An hon member. — Lucky man. * * * To demonstrate his strength of conviction, he had freely confessed that none of his childien vvere vaccinated, and he would go further, and say that li the Almighty blest him with otheis hereafter he would take good caie that they should not undergo an operation that was so questionable in its benefits. — Mr A. L. I). Fraser. * * * I think it about time we woke the House up, or we will soon all be dead It is clear the Government is not ready with the business of the session, otherwise tho honourable gentleman who introduced this Bill would not ask men of lobust mind to waste their time discussing such flapdoodle as this — Mr Geo Fishei , on Young Persons' Protection Bill.

So audacious were the charges made by the Valuation Department that the Government, for very shame's sake, woro compelled to make large reductions — Mi. Monk. My impression is that it would be better if w e were to start legislation on this subject bv having in. cities — cities that shouJd be proclaimed by the Governoi by older in council — the ringing of the cuifevv bell at rune o'clock at night —Mr G. W. Russell. * * * I venture to maintain that threequarters of a member's correspondence is occupied by billet-hunters, and every kind of pressure is brought to bear on members to use influence w ith Ministers to get people into the Government ser- \ ice — Mr T Mackenzie. No doubt the legal profession is a gieat burden on the community There are far too many lawyers, and their chaiges are very high, and, of course, anything which I might do in this House as a member of the House to reduce that burden I am in duty bound to do — Mr. Atkinson. * * * For myself I sincerely trust that the day when the nurse made her appearance in a plaad shawl, with a bottle of gin under her arm, has passed and gone for ever, and that we have come once for all to the days when nurses shall be thoroughly trained women, who shall hold diplomas, and be paid in proportion — Mr Bollard What a weapon this Bill would be 111 the hands of scheming women — bad, low women — if all they have to do would be to prance round the stieets till four or five in the morning and then say to some young girl, "I am a Protection Officer, what is your name? Where do you live?" et cetera — Mr Wilford, on Young Persons' Protection Bill * * * I have read in the papers time after time — and I have carefully noted what is going on — that many witnesses are heaid who simply repeat, parrot-like, what has been already said by others. I say, in such cases the Board has a duty to perform, the same as a Magistrate or <i Judge. In such cases I say the Boards have something to answer for.— Mr. Seddon

If parents axe neglecting their children, as is> apparent, then, if the State is to step m at all it must step in and say, "You parents must do something more than you have done in the past to see how your children are going on " Let the temperance people, let the people who wish to advocate moral puiity and the elevation of the people to the higher grades of intelligence, give effect to their views in any way they please , but I protest against them painting the people of this colony v\ith the taint of moral degradation. I detest this odious embodiment of phan&alsm and cant. — Mr. Geo. Fisher. * * # I do not believe in policemen in petticoats. Ido not think the power tho policeman has under this Bill shou'd be given to women, nor should it be proposed in any other measure to give such power to them. We admire and leverence women because they are women. When they put on the breeches we change our opinion. I feel that this particular clause will be viewed with a great deal of disfavour by women as wel as by men, and just fancy the idea of having women who had been created policemen by virtue of this Act parading the town up till four and five o'clock in the morning looking after children in the slums.— Mr. Wilford. # • • If the member considers the applicant for the position of J.P. a fairly suitable man he recommends him for the position. It then becomes my duty to make inquiries, and if I find that the applicants are not satisfactory it is not my duty to appoint them.— Mr. McGow an. Mr. Fisher. — Who do you inquire through ? Mr. G. W. Russell. — A policeman Mr. McGowan. — The honourable gentleman, who is prepared to give a reply unon every question under the sun," has replied to the honourable member for Wellington City that I make inquiries from a policeman. I may tell him that I make inquiries from the proper source.

It needb Lord Byron's brilliant pen, His clever, brainy head, To tell us how and whj and when Some people are not dead But since he's gone we'll tell the \\a\ , How goo 1 health to assure, And colds and hacking coughs allaj , Take Woods' Grf\t Pfppekmint C\ by