PARLIAMENTARY

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 132, 15 July 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

[pee press agency.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, July 13. The House resumed at half-past seven last evening. _ Mr Stout moved the second reading of the Local Option Licensing Bill, but it being generally opposed, leave was given to withdraw it,” with a View to introduce another. The Auckland Waterworks Act 1872 Amendment Bill was passed. The Hawke’s Bay Rivers Bill was read a second time. The South Dunedin and St Hilda Municipalities Bill passed without amendment* and was ordered to be considered on Wednesday next. , The Coroner’s Act 1867 Amendment Bill was committed, after debating the several clauses up to clause 5, and numerous divisions being taken. The Minister of Justice, at 1.20. thin morning, moved that the Chairman report progress} and ask leave to sit again the next day, which was granted. No material alterations from the Bill as printed were agreed to. The House then adjourned. The House met this afternoon at halfpast two o’clock. Major Atkinson, in answer to Jrk Donald Reid, promised to make inquiries as to 1 whether Douglass’ patent boat-lowering apparatus, which is a New Zealand patent,has been removed from immigrant ships at home, to be replaced by Clifford’s patent. Mr G< McLean also promised to make inquiries as to the truth of the allegations that the City of San Francisco touched ground on entering and leaving Port Chalmers. He said he did not believe it. The County Councils Bill was read a first time, as also Was the Dill to constitute a Harbor Hoard for the Bluff Harbor. Several notices of motion were made and replied to, but they possessed no interest. The Regulation of Local Elections Bill was re-committed, and several amendments made ; the principal one being to the'effect 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 tneu passed. 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 had followed prohibitive legislation as regards the liquor traffic in America. A number of speakers’ followed, the majority beirtg opposed to the Bill. MessaS WoolCocfc, Delatour, Burns,Bottom and Sodgkinsoii, supported the - Bill. Messrs M/irray-Aynsley, Fisher, Russell,Wasonp Ballance, Lumsden, and Boweri opposed its , • . All the speakers agreed that the licensing laws'of the i colony required considerable amendment, but the opponents of the measure denied that the results which were expected to follow, Would be derived front the Bill. It was also condemned as being a tyranny of the majority over the minority and calculated to injure fh'C Wants of the general public , and the travelling community by destroying well appointed and Well conducted hotels throughout the colony, by shaking the confidence of those’ who invested in them. Oh the other hand,- it Was advocated that intoxication was the cause of ninetenths of our vice and crime. That there were too many public houses, and consequently too ntany inducements to weak brothers to drink. That if public houses were riot & good thing the people ought ter have the right to limit, or stop them! altogether if necessary and that if we had all the money the colortv had spent in drink since the Public Works Policy commenced, it Would go ft great why towards rubbing otft our national debt, or at any rate we would not have to go to the London money market to borrow a shilling. The debate was still going on vifftalf-pasC five’o’clock. !r ■