PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1304, 11 June 1880, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, June 10.

In the "Legislative Council to-dayj After tke formal business, Mr. Wilson gave notice to ask if the Commission of the Peace would be purged of insolvents and other unsuitable persons. A Bill for the suppression of gaming and betting houses, and for the more effectual abolition of lotteries was read a first time.

The Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill lapsed on the second reading. The Rabbit Nuisance Bill was read a second time, after a short debate, in which Mr. Waterhouse said the wool exports of Southland had fallen from three shiploads to one through the rabbits eating the pasture, and other parts of the Colony were likely to be soon in the same position.

In the House of Representatives toller. Murray gave notice that he would ask that a sum of money bp placed on the estimates to defray the costs of conferring the order of knighthood on the Speaker. Mr. Reeves gave notice • that he would move that an import duty be levied on all imports into the Colony. Mr. Hall said that it was almost an unseemly thing to a.sk a gentlemau on whom the honor of knighthood had been conferred to pay the costs thereof. The Government .proposed therefore to. place the amount of fees payable for the patent of the Order of Knighthood conferred on the Speaker on the estimates. ' In reply to Mr. Barron as to how long the sum of L 50,000 referred to in his Financial Statement as being due to the Bank of New Zealand for the balance of an overdraft of the late Provincial Government of Otago has remained a separate debt to the bank, arid what rate of interest had bgen and is now being paid for such overdraft. Major Atkinson said on the 14th March, 1877, the amount was L 78,000 ; in June, 1878, it was reduced to L 28,000 ; and on the 19th of April last the remainder was paid. Jhe interest had been paid since March, 1877. Mr. Shrimski asked why the privilege hitherto. extended during the "session of Parliament to press correspondents to dispatch telegrams up to 10 p.m. has this session been denied them. Mr. Hall, in reply, said it involved an outlay of L7O per annum, and in the present state of the Colony they were loath to continue that.cost, . The matter was, however, under the consideration of the Go* vernment, andif the press would guarantee the cost there would be no difficulty in getting the privilege restored. Mr. Lundon moved that the Select Committee on Native Affairs do consist of 19 members, and that Messrs. de Lautour, Thompson, M'Donald, White, sand the mover be added to the Committee.

Mr. Bryce opposed the motion, and cautioned the House that the adoption of this , motion would practically be a reopening of the whole question and a probable return to the objectionable state of matters connected with the .constitution of the Committee the Government had been at great trouble to rectify, Mr. Moss cautioned the Native Minister against proceedings of the kind in regard to this Committee. Every report that came from that Committee would belooked upon with grave suspicion. ■ After a lengthy debate, the motion was negatived on a division by 40 to 29. Sir George Grey and Mr. Hamlin then gave notice that they would move that their names be expunged from the Native Affairs Committee.

Mr. Hursthouse moved that In the opinion of this House all transportation of cattle from the North to the South Island should be suspended until the Government are satisfied that pleuro-pneu-monia, now known to exist in the provincial district of Auckland, is eradicated, and that all cattle arriving from Australia be quarantined for at least three months, and that Government should at once issue an Order in Council in accordance with the provisions of the Diseased Cattle Act, 1871, to give effect to the foregoing resolution.

Mr. Hall could not agree with the motion. The fact was the disease was confined to a very small district of Auckland.

Mr. Ballance said that he had been assured on good authority that many of the cattle slaughtered had not pleuropneumonia at all, and that the alarm was to a large extent groundless. The debate was interrupted by the 5.33 adjournment. On the House resuming, Sir W. Fox. resumed the debate on the Licensing Bill. He was glad to find the Government directing its attention to the moral and social improvement of the masses. It was undoubtedly the duty of the Government to use its influence to check the growth of gigantic social evils. It had been said truly that if all the evils —war, famine, &c.— had been put to? gether, they would be nothing compared with the evils entailed by drunkenness. Dr. "Wallis agreed with the previous speaker in thinking thai the total prohibition was the right cure for this evil. Government, however, could not afford to dispense with the revenue arising out of the traffic.

Mr. Saunders regretted that the subject was not felt to be.one of more importance to the House, He disputed a theory put forward by previous speaker, that alcohol was beneficial under certain conditions.

Mr. Dick replied, arid the Bill was then read a second time and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. Mr. Stewart moved the second reading of the Lodgers' Protection Bill, and the motion was put and oarried. Mr. Shrimski moved the second read--ing of the Oamaru Harbor Board Act, 1876, Amendment Bill. Mr. Holleston would raise no opposition, as it would go to the Waste Lands Committee, but : theire were: serious objections to the course proposed by the Bill. ■ ■

'Mr. Shrimski, in reply, pointed out at some length necessity for the Bill.

The Bill was then read a second time,