Parliamentary.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2056, 6 August 1875, Page 2

Parliamentary.

HOUSE OP BEPSESENTAfIVES.

WELLINGTON.

Thursday 2.30 p.m< Sir George Grey moved for a return giying tj.e date on which the Governor was supplied with a copy of the Chief Justice's opinion as to the power of the Assembly to abolish the provinces. ; Mr Bowen said the Chief Justice gave no opinion whatever, and the Government were prepared to admit that they had not submitted any opiaion of the AttorneyGeneral to the Governor, but if they Ead done so, they would most decidedly decline to furnish the date of every or any occasion upon which they submitted documents to His Excellency. Sir George Grey then moved, that an address be presented to his Excepency requesting that he -will cause to-be laid en the table any despatch which;, as Governor ho may haye addressed to the Secretary of State in reference to the abolition of provinces. • Mr Bowen sf.id-th.ey had no objection. Some discussion ensued as to the misapprehension regarding a remark by Sir George Grey in a previous debate to the effect that the Attorney-General had given no opinion regarding the power of the Assembly to abolish provinces. Mr Stafford availed himself of the opportunity to explain the circumstances which induced him to send home the memorandum which led to the passing of 31 and 32 Victoria, in 1868, and which was drawn up in exact conformity with the suggestions of the then AttorneyGeneral, now the Chief Justice.

The motion was put and agreed to. On the motion of Mr Thomson it was made an instruction to the Public Works Commiotee to inquire into and report upon the merits of the proposed railway deviation at Waitepeka. , Motion agreed to. Oh the motion of Mr Bradshaw it was ordered that the papers "relative to the Ocean Beach Railway be printed. In reply to Mr Rolleston, who asked what action the Government had taken or proposed to take in reference to resolutions of the Senate of the University on the subject of lands reserved or promised to be reserved in the provinces "of Auckland and Taranaki, undsr the University Endowment Act, as endowments for* QolonialVUniversity, the proceeds of which endowments should now, in terms of the 30fch section of the " New Zealand University Act, 1874," be invested, and " dealt with for promoting higher education in the respective provinces in which such reserves were situate in such manner as the General Assembly may from time to time determine, Mr Bo wen said that, with regard to reserves/in Taranaki, the native difficulties had prevented the definition of these reserves. The Waikato reserve was considered the most valuable one they had, and it was deemed advisable that it would be better to defer dealing with it until the completion of the Auckland and Mercer line, when they would get a better revenue from it. On the reserves near Raglan and Waitara coal had been found, with indications of limestone and iron. It was expected that it would be of fjreat value, and they would as soon as possible take steps to get the ibest revenue out of these reserves. Mr Steward, moyed, fpr the fourth time, the second reading of the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Bill. Although all that could be said against it had been said, there was still a great deal to be said in its favor. That had not yet been all urged. When he first introduced the bill, only one legislature in Australasia had passed such a measure, but now every Government in Australasia, with the exception of New Zealand, had passed the bill. The hon. member in* stanced the fact that twenty-six spiritual peers, ..besides several eminent bishops, had supported the measure in tfie House of Lords, and quoted from several o2 them, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, to show that these marriages were not only noi against the Chu:chj but often prevented considerable immorality. Besides, the Catholic Church permitted these marriages, and that Church did not sanction anything sinful or immoral; and he referred to the high opinion of Cardinal Wiseman, an

opinion that might one day be the most authoritative opinion in the Catholic Church. The Methodist, Baptist, and many other denominations in conference decided in favour of removing the disability, and petitioned for its removal. All this showed that a large majority of Christian denominations being in favor of marriage with a deceased win s sister, it could not be against what is said in the Bible. Then, a*-* to its social aspect, amongst many arguments used against the fail], there have been none of any weight on that score. And if the.onus probandi were thrown upon him,' he was prepared to prove with overwhelming evidence from all parts of. the world, except Great Britain, to ahow that no ill effects had arisen from such marriages. The hon. member then quoted from the speeches of Mr Gladstone and Mr Bright in favor of the bill. He hoped the House would pass the bill, which would be a great help to those who were endeavouring to pass a similar bill at home. Mr Pyke said the bill ought really to beentitled a bill: to legalise incest in the second degree; (Oh, on.) The true basis of all legislation was. to legislate for the majority, but ia this case they were asked to legislate for a minority. The Act was merely to.eiiable;one libidinous man to marry some libidinous woman. Such ■ marriages were calculated to destroy all harmony between sisters living in one house, and render - each; an object of jealousy and suspicion, and to sow discord, and prove generally disastrous to the social welfare of the people. Mr McGillivray moved that the bill be read that day six months. He considered it an invasion of our social usages. A division was then taken, and the result was 29 in favor of the second reading, and 25 against. . The bill was read a second, time, and ordered for committal on Wednesday. The House went into Committee of Ways and Means, when Mr ,Boweii introduced the schedule of the Stamp Duties Act.

The House adjourned at 5.20.