PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 72, 14 July 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

* [riV ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] * Wellington, Friday. 130 AT LOWERING APPARATUS. The House met at 2.30 yesterday. Major ATKINSON, in answer to. Mr. D. Ryid, promised to make inquiries as to whether the Douglas Patent Boat-Lower-ing Apparatus is a New Zealand Patent, and if had been removed from immigrant ships at Home to be replaced by Clifford's Patent. GROUNDING OF A MAIL BOAT. Mr. GEORGE M'LEAN also promised to make inquiries as to the truth of the allegations that the City of San Francisco touched ground on entering Port Chalmers. He did not believe it. BILLS. The County Councils Bill was read a first time, also a Bill to constitute a Harbour Board for Bluff harbour. NOTICES OF MOTION. Several notices of motion were made and replied to, but they possessed 110 general interest. LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL. The Regulation of Local Elections Bill was recommended, and several amendments made, the principal one being that the Bill need not be brought into operation in any district Unless at the written request of two-thirds of the members of the local body. The Bill was then passed. LOCAL OPTION LICENSING BILL. The second reading of the Local Option Licensing Bill was moved by Mr. STOUT, with tolerable brevity. He advocated the necessity of a question of such vital importance to the people being placed under their immediate control, and quoted several American authorities to show what beneficial effects followed prohibitive legislation as regarded liquor traffic in America. A munber of speakers followed, the majority being opposed to the Bill. Messrs. Woolcock, De Latour, Burns,' Button, and Hodgkinson, supported the Bill. Messrs. Murray-Aynsley, Fisher, Russell, Wason, Ballance, Lumsden, and Bowen opposed it. All agreed that the licensing laws of the Colony required considerable amendment; but the opponents of the measure denied that the results v expected to follow the Bill would be derived from it. It was condemned also as being a tyranny of a majority over "a minority, and calculated to injure the wants of the general public and travelling community by destroying well-appointed and well-conducted hotels throughout the Colony, by asking the confidence of those who invested in them. On the other hand, it was advocated that intoxication was the cause of nine - tenths of our vice and crime ; that there were too many public houses and consequently too many inducements to weak brothers to drink. That if public houses were not a good thing, the people ought to have the right to limit or stop them altogether, if necessary ; and that it' we had all the money the Colony spent in drink since the public works policy commenced, we could go a great way towards rubbing out our national debt, and at any rate that we need not go to the London money market to borrow a shilling. The debate was still going on at 5.30.

LAST NSGHT'S SITTifSS.

The House resumed at 7.30 last night, talcing up the debate on Mr. Stout's Local Option Licensing Bill. Mr. SWA-SOiT announced he would vote for the second reading, though he had no sympathy with the Bill. Mr. J. E. BROWN said he would support the second reading, so as to be able to propose an amendment in committee, in clause 13, to make the Bill apply only to new replicants for licenses. Mr. MURRAY strongly supported the Bill, saying the people of England drank enough in rive years to pay off the National Debt, and if there was prohibition to some extent in the Colony it would effect a large improvement in the condition of the people and the revenue of the Colony.

Mr. MAC ANDREW moved the adjournment of the debate, so that they might learn what publicans had to say against the Bill in the petitions. Mr. WAKEFIELD opposed the postponement. They had better decide up~.ii the principle of the Bill at once. Mr. EUInTER seconded the adjournment.

A division was taken, and the amendment lost by 49 against 24. Mr. Murray-Aynsley's amendment that the Bill be considered that day six months, was then put. Sir. LUSK then made a strong appeal in defence of the Bill, urging that it was only carrying out the principle sanctioned by the House in 1873, but which, through not having been given the machinery to

carry that principle into effect was notW but a fraud upon the public at large. Mr. "WOOD opposed-the Bill. DEATH OF DR. FEATHERSTON, The PREMIER then read a given him by Captain Holt, informing 14, of the death of Dr. Featherston, and said' he was sure he would only be consult®:, the feelings of the House in moving adjournment. Mr. STOUT not objecting, the House adjourned accordingly.