PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 19 October 1907, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PIIIDAY, OCTOBER 18. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. lYr Press A.vociation. Wellington, .Last .Night. The Council met a t2.30 p.m. On the motion to go into committee on the Animals Proteeiion .Bill, the ilon. Beelian road a letter lie bad received from C J'. Tapper, secretary of the Auckland Coursing Club, protesting against the remarks made by the Hon, Ueorge «ii the second' reading of the .Bill rel.itive to the alleged cruelty of L'lumptun coursing. Kei'erencc was made in the letter to the Hon. George's connection -with hunting, the contention put forward being that this was less humane than Plumpton coursing. The. lion. Beehan himself traversed the Hon. j George's statements, and said a hare • had only to run 000 yards to reach cs- ' capes, and there was no danger there of being brought out twice on the sanie day. The lion. George said the letter bore out everything he had said. A hare was chased for its life time after time. It was gong back to the old gladiatorial days cruel form of sport. I The Hon. Jenkinson objected to granting licenses for shooting game. G.nne was introduced into the colony, and it should be free to all, rich and poor. i Tlie motion to go into committee was jthen carried. j Sub-section 3, clause 3, limits the killj ing of game other than deer to hours [between 6 a.m and 7 p.m. I The Hon. Rigg objected to this prohibition. He moved to have the clause struck out.

The Attorney-General explained that the clause had heen put in at the inst'.inee of the acclimatisation societies.

The Hon. Trask suggested extending the hour to 5 a.m. This would give an additional hour.

The Attorney-General expressed his willingness to accept the amendment to this effect, and the. Hon. Rigg*s amendment was defeated by 23 votes to 5. j 'discussion ensued on the exclusion of deer from the operation of -the clause, and shortly before 5 o'clock the Attorney-General remarked that the debate had revealed a number of unholy alliances. He confessed that he did not know exactly where ho was, and" Tie would require to consider his position. Progress was accordingly reported, and the Council adjoritned at 4.50.