PARLIAMENTARY.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 68, 10 August 1878, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Tuesday, August 6.

The Hon Colonel Whitmore moved f.pr leave to introdu.ee a bill to regulate the incorporation of members .of literary institutions, and to provide for the establishment and maintenance of public libraries. A Bill relating to the sale of food and drugs, and the Imprest Supply Fill, were passed. Wednesday, August -7.

The Hon .Colonel Brett was informed that Government will assist local efforts for the relief and education of the deaf, dumb, and blind, to .the extent of pound for pound. - The Hon Colonel Whitmore promised to produce returns of the debts and liabilities of Jhe several provincial districts on the 31st December, 1877, and also to state the value of provincial railways taken over by the Government.

The Cruelty to Animals Bill was read a third time.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

' Tuesday, August 6. Notices were given by different members of motions respecting the political status, of women, ,the refprming of the Legislative Council, the redistribution of representation, and the prohibition of Chinese immigration. Mr Sheehan'said the Government were taking steps to secure the land about the hot springs at Eotomahana and ItQtQj-.ua for the benefit of the public. gS- Mr Macandrew - informed. Mr ■Wakefield (1) That the Government were faking f steps to have uniform rates of freight on grain on the whole of the : Canterbury lines; and (2) That Sir John Coode had not in any way reported ,on Milford Harbour. An Imprest Supply Bill for L 250,00 was passed. Mr Stout moved the second reading of the Reprinting of the Statutes Bill, the of which is to thrpw out all statutes.

Mr Fox thought it were better to uinke the present statutes comprehensible hy th<- ge' oral pub'ic. Mr B vton c-M ici led. He had grown grey, even h.-ikllm; dcd. in trying to understand t'ic laws of the colony- More lawyers were needed in the House to guide members iji law-making. Mr .3 oyee did' not think lawyers could draw up laws simply and satisfactorily. Mr Whittaker said the unsatisfactory state of the laws was due to the hurried way in which they were ccnipiled and rushed C irough the House. Major Atkinson would prefer first consolidation, and then codification. 'Mr Stevens would support the Bilk Thought it would be better to make new laws than try to mend the old ones. My Stout laughed at the icjea that lawyers were not the best fitted to frame laws. Did not believe in sweeping reforms All reforms must grow. The Bill was read a second time. the 'next business was the delivery of the Financial Statement, an outline of which appears elsewhere. At the conclusion of the delivery, there was cons applause from both sides of the House. A resolution giving effect to the pi’oposed changes in the tariff was then submitted to the House and agreed to, Mr Ballance explaining that should the bills not afterwards become law, any moneys collected would be refunded.

Wedneseay. August 7. Mr Seymour was informed that the Government would call tor tenders for seeds of Californian pines and other valuable sorts. Mr Bar top moved that the-large powers which the police possess for protection of the lives and properties of the community should be watched by those in authority, and instanced a number of cases in which the police, appear to have acted with gratuitous cruelty to persons in their charge. Mr Barton also chaiged the police with corruption in dealing with licenses, and thought they should have nothing - to do with licensing. He hoped, a stop would be put to the practice of extorting confessions from prisoners. He could prove that this was sometimes done cruelly. Mr Sheehan acknowledged the importance of the complaints, hut the police must be heard on their side. Accusations against a public officer should be well supported. He would move an adjournment that he might make some inquiry into.the matter. Mr Montgomery moved the second reading of the Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and the Akaroa Railway Bill. ‘ ?

The Bid yvas read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow.

Mr Wakefield moved the second reading of the Milford Harbour Board Bill. Sir Robert Douglas failed to see the n/ecessitv for expending a very large sum of money on Milford Harbour, and thought it could be spent to far greater advantage in many ofch r directions. 80-ides' uo good <>r sufiHent fo son bad Hen adduced in favor of a harbour al Mi ford. " 1

*Mr .ShvekvU said jinx could either anpiv-vs or reject the Bill, when the schedule of the endowments was laid before th“ House.

Mr Wool ok hope I the Go - eminent would nuflertakc the task of dealing with the whole questiuq of harbour ' - mb wuic.nts ft wan unreasonable to suppose they required a harbour on cvi-ry river, or rivinei in tin-*- colony. Mr Wakefield explained tb.pt gryat pains iiad been taken in fraiigipg'lhe Bril, so as t.) obviate rfi objections. In fact, nothing cou-i i bn done m the m ir.-ter till after Sir John. Goode’s report was received.

The Bill was read a second time. Dr-Wallis moved that in the opinion of this House, fine electoral disabilities of women should -be entirely removed, and that the game political .rights and privileges should be granted to women as to m-n. The hon member spoke at considerable •length in support of his motion, and quoted passages from th ' writings of John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer in support of the granting .of .equal rights to 'women. .ffhepeMvas jao single argument could be produced in favour of granting the franchise to men that could not be urged with still greater force on behalf of Avomen. By depriving women of the franchise they deprived .themselves of one half of the social force in existence. It was dangerous to any society to have an outcast or pariah class, as -women practically were. W-henever women had been after dud tin opportunity of testing th'eir abilities ;n thp art of jidmiastration, they had Invariably phggra a singiday aptitude for administration and organisation. It was quite “impossible to expect that any unrepresented Hasp .could obtain justice. Women should be allowed a fair field and no favour, and they would gradually settle down into those occupations for which their natures best fitted them. In every position in life a woman was wronged, from the labour market up to thp marriage contract itself, which, from tlie time a woman'entered it, she lost her liberty individually, and as regarded property, in short,'she became the bondservant of lipr husband. It appeared to him if the franchise was given to women, it ’.would have an enormous effect in improving the morality of young men. Women would then be independent, and, in order to win them, men would have to deserve them.

Mr Fox seconded the motion, bi\t said he would avail hinise-l/'.of the opportunity, of speaking on this jpibject when the Electoral Bill came on, in which no provision was made for (die franchise of women. Mr Stout considered the motion an unheard of one when two Bills dealing with the franchise question were before .the House. He hoped the hon member would postpone bis motion till such time as the Electoral Bill came before the House. Dr Wallis agreed to this, and the debate was adjourned. In reply to Mr Stevens, Mr Stout said it .was impossible {fiat Road Boards and Municipalities cculd be endowed more than they were at present Mr J, E. Brown asked if Government would provide licensed weighers of agricultural produce at railway stations, and if railway tickets are to be sold at other places than stations. In .reply to the first question Mr"Macandrew* said he had no idea that licensed weighers were wanted, but if it was thought otherwise, Government would consider the matter. With respect to the sale of tickets, the plan proposed would probably be tried before the end of the session.