PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2888, 28 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, June 27. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. NOTICE OF MOTION. The Hon Mr Oliver gave notice to move the appointment of a committee to consider the case of the Hon. Mr Pharazyn, and report whether he should be relieved of the disabilities he incurred through personation at the last election. “ THE LAND TRANSFER ACT.” * In reply to Mr Steven, the Hon Mr Whitaker said Government bad prepared a measure consolidating and amending the “ Land Transfer Laws,” and that during the recess it would be distributed among those interested, for suggestions, and be brought in next session. The question of land transfer assurance fees on Crown grants would be dealt with. ADJOURNMENT. The Council adjourned at 5.10 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. PETITIONS. The following petitions were presented : By Mr Fitzgerald, from brewers on the West Coast praying for the abolition of the beer duty. By Mr Bracken, from settlers in Otago, and the office bearers of the Dunedin Free Thought Association, against the reading of the Bible in schools. The member presenting the latter petition, explained that threefourths of the parties signing the petition were Scotchmen, and either were, or had been, Presbyterians. SECOND HEADINGS. The Aliens Act Amendment Bill and the Sheriffs Act Amendment Bill were read a second time. LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT. The Hon. Mr Dick moved the second reading. Mr Johnston and Mr Sutton spoke in favor of a return to the nominated system and supported the BillMr Fish also strongly condemned the existing law as. unfair and vexatious. He referred to the personal respecta* bility of the publicans of Otago and contended that the whole design of the Act was to worry them. Mr W. M. Green supported the present Act. He considered it only required time to recommend itself to public notice. The' elective system too, he thought would speedily right itself. Colonial Trimble deprecated hasty changes in the matter. Mr Steven moved that the Bill be referred to a Committee. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. Major Harris, introduced by Sir George Grey here took the oath and his seat. The debate on the “Licensing Act” was then resumed. Mr Connolly supported the motion. Ho denied that the legislation of last session was so universally condemned as had been alleged. The representative of one section of Dunedin had denounced the Act in no measured terms. It was significant, however, that two other members from that constituency appeared in support of the Act. Speaking for himself, he said he had it on good authority by those in the trade, that there was nothing in the Act that would prevent an • hotelkeeper carrying on his trade respectably. He had no doubt but that the enemies of sobriety, a noisy minority, would be unanimous in their condemnation of the Act. Sober and thoughtful men (and after all these were the persons whoso opinions should be taken) would speak of ,it in a very different tone. They had been told that this branch of trade was subjected to unequal restrictions. Ho said be it so. Was there any other branch of trade which wrought the evils consequent on the liquor traffic? It was responsible for throe-fourths of the crime, poverty, insanity, and other social maladies, and in that case was it not quite right that it should be strictly looked after? Ho thought it was a bad thing to employ women in bars at all. He admitted that they might bo virtuous, etc,, but the tendency of their employment was to destroy sobriety. They were not chosen for economical purposes. They were employed as attractions or draws to trade. He objected to elective committees, believing as he did, that the

most eligible men abstained from patting themselves forward at an election. Mr Bracken denied that disgusting language at hotel bars was used after 10 o’clock, as had been alleged. He could only conclude that the hotels ho frequented were of a different stamp from those frequented by his colleague, Mr Green, He had no reason to bo thankful so far as the publican’s vote was concerned. If the trade was an abnoxious one, why not sweep it , away altogether. Ho doubt the Hon Mr Dick meant well in this case, but he was greatly mistaken. If publicans were criminals, why not treat them as such. He would support the amendment by Mr Steven. Mr George would follow the same course, believing that in that way the Bill would he shelved altogether. They had two months’ debate last session, and he thought that was enough. His constituency was composed of ninetenths of Good Templars, and they found no reason to quarrel with the Act as it stood.

Mr Levestam believed it would be found that a majority of the House disapproved of the law as it stood. The elective Committees had not worked satisfactorily, and as a rule it was found they had to be guided by their clerks. He regretted to hear that Mr Green should have been in the habit of frequenting such a demoralising class of public-houses as his remarks would lead, them to believe,'* It was folly to attempt to make people sober by Act of Parliament. That was a reply to Mr Conolly’s remarks about taking the opinion of none but thoughtful men. It was the demand for liquor that regulated the supply, and it followed that if they did away with the traffic altogether, then some other vice would arise. The Mohammedans had a vice different altogether from that of drunkenness, but their vices were of a much more demoralising nature. The best way to grapple with the evil, was to provide a higher class of enjoyments than the mere satisfying of the animal indul. gencc. He thought the |better way to deal with tho evil was to sweep away restrictions altogether, and make it a free trade. The great attraction of the dram shops, was the comfort and good company which they provided. Do away with that attraction, and they would lessen the influence of the public houses. He would support the Bill in the hope that valuable amendments upon ‘the law as it stood would be made.

Mr Watt condemned the Act. It was a notorious fact that in Great Britain, where the restrictions on publichouses were a great deal more stringent, there was more drunkenness than in places where fewer restrictions were imposed. The election of Committees was a failure, and they ought to return to the nominated system. Mr J. W. Thompson concluded that the system had worked fairly well. It was a mistake for the whole of the Committee to go out at once. Bottle licenses should be abolished altogether, or elite they should be extended all over the colony. Mr Munro argued that the local bodies should be entrusted with the administration of the Act. Mr Joyce said that in Southland the Act had given great satisfaction. He would support the Bill, provided the Government gave them an assurance that in Committee they would admit of no radical amendments.

Mr Steward thought the Licensing Committees, whether elective or nominative, should have a longer term of office than one year. The expense was. too great to admit of annual elections. Then these Committees should have power to issue 11 o’clock licenses. He would oppose any proposal to extend the hour beyond 11 o’clock as that at which barmaids should cease work. He should rather prefer seeing the law on that point restricted, say to 10 o’clock. He believed licensing districts might in some cases be amalgamated, as some of them were at present too small. Mr Macandrew suggested that the Bill be read a second time, and be then referred to a Select Committee. Mr Hurst algo agreed in that view. Mr Steven intimated his willingness to follow the coarse proposed, and withdraw his amendment. He denied any purpose of shelving the Bill. The Hon. Mr Dick said he could not consent to the condition that the Bill should be referred to a Committee. Government would not be prepared to accept the dictation of any Committee. It would be merely a waste of time to send it to a Select Committee, and then have it dragged through a Committee of the whole House. He admitted thathe had had to bear the brunt of the Dunedin publicans, for the part he took iu passing the Bill, and he rejoiced to think so. Had he known before how nearly he was losing his election over the Bill, he nevertheless would have brought it forward. He argued that upon the whole the elective system had worked well, and ought to have a fair trial. There were cases in which the districts were too small, and the consequent expense of administering the Act too large. The liquor trade was oue which had always,been carried on under police supervision, and properly, so. Considering the evil results which arose from the undue use of liquor to the respectable portion of the trade, the Act was no hardship. The sooner they got rid'of barmaids in publichouses the better. The. Bill was brought down almost entirely in the interests of economy to the local bodies. There was also one clause in the interests of the publicans, in almost all countries the tendency was to destroy the trade altogether, so that the Act now in force in New Zealand was comparatively light and easy. The Bill was theu read a second time and ordered to be committed that day fortnight, INTERIM SUPPLY. A Bill of £250,000 was passed through all stages. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Mr Montgomery asked when the Statement would be brought down. The Hon Major Atkinson said the policy of Government was before the. House. If they meant to find fault with the schedule of the railways to be constructed, he would tell them they had not yet got it ready. They had declared their intentions as to local Government, borrowing, etc. The details were not ready, but that was not policy. They had not undertaken to bring in a new policy regarding local Government. The Government had provided all the information that could be reasonably asked. An Opposition without a policy or organisation was simply to cavil .at what was done. As a Government they must claim the right to bring forward details of their policy from time to time as occasion offered. He would undertake before Friday to explain the order they meant to follow, ana when the various details would bo brought donn. Mr Montgomery said there was a well-organised Opposition. It was a notorious fact that Local Government Bills liad been introduced and withdrawn. What guarantee had they that the Policy Bills of this session would not fare similarly ? They knew about the borrowing proposals, hut they did

not know bow tbe money was going to, be expended. That was what they wanted to know. Sir George Grey moved as an amendmeet that the pre-emptive right book of North and South Canterbury be printed and laid on the table.

Mr W. M. Green expressed astonishment at the statement that the policy of the Government was before them. Mr Sutter complained that not only the policy of the Government but also its policy Bills should have been before them. This appeared to be the course followed in times that were past, and he had hoped past for ever. Bills were brought down at the close of the session and either rushed through without due consideration or else shelved altogether. He was surprised and disappointed to find that proposals for hospitals and charitable a.d| had not been brought forward He expressed astonishment that while there was a proposal to increase the debt.of the colony at the rate of ±,150,000 per annum, there was also a proposal to reduce taxation. MrPyke believed in a progressive land tax and not in a property tax. Mr Sheehan argued that they ought to have some definite time stated for the Public Works Statement being discussed. He believed a change might be made in the Government. For himself he had tried the Government, but it was not successful neither as regards the public or private aspect of the question. He thought the financial discussion should be delayed until they had details of the proposals. The Hon. Major Atkinson hoped Sir G. Grey would withdraw his amendment. He had the work in progress, but in regard to further information it was a very large work. The Government had the courage tojput on direct taxation, so that the people might have an opportunity of seeing .its operation. He could not have reduced the Customs to an extent that would have reduced the tax on the consumer. It was that reason that induced him to reduce the property tax. One day he was told the property tax only bore on the poor, and another day he was told it was a tax on the rich. His own opinion was that it was a tax on the propertied classes. The business of the House was better conducted by not having too many Bills before it at once.

The motion for going into Committee of Supply was then put and carried.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. In Committee the Printing and Stationery rote, £22,298, was passed. The House rose at 1.30 p.m.