Parliamentary Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4780, 23 July 1894, Page 3

Parliamentary Notes.

The vexed question of the age of consent engaged the attention of the Legislative Council on Friday for Bomo time, and ultimately it wns fixed, in two Bills referring to the : matter, at 15 years. At present the age is 14. Proposals have been made for raising it to 16 and to 18, but these lYcre rejected, and reasonable age of la decided upon. • In the Houso, no doubt, an effort will lie niado to still further raise it. A number of applications from married station bauds on the East Coast have reached Mr Hogg. The men, who are of a class to make excellent settlers, state that they are only ablo to get from three to four * months'• work in the year on the -•runs, and they are very desirous that tlioy should be given. facilities for taking up land upon which to make homes for thornselves. Mr Hogg has applied to the : Lands Department to grant land to Mich settlers in the Pungaron town- • ship," in tho Puketoi country, on the Alfredton-Weber road. The township is described as being situated i in a partial natural clearing of about , 3000 acies in one of the most pro- : jnising of the districts now being settled, and in an excellent position for the purpose.—Post. , The first of a series of Saturday night entertainments given by mem-

bora and tlioir friorida took placo in tho Joint Cominittoo room on Saliu'. lift)' evoniiig, Soveral songs and l'ocitntions wore contributed by momhers of both Houses arid others. Tho Premier sang two songs. ' Tho new Fencing Bill, which is a consolidating measure, applies to all lands owned by Natives except that which is held by tlicm under their customs or usages, and tho title to which has not been determined by tho Native Land Court.

Mr E, At. Smith expresses amazement that any of the members of tho National Association could, have the audacity to go to church after tho methods they'adopted in his district before tho last election. :

The Good Tomplar lodges of tho Colony arc asking Parliament to place grealer control of the liquor traffic in tho hands of tho pcoplo. They demand that tho law shall bo repealed requiring moro than onohalf of those 011 the roll to rote; that tho voting paper shall bo siin-piiiiciTpilKrt-no license shall be granted contniry"to~tllii~fft!hM\epeople, or without the consent of the committee, and that tho salo of liquor in clubs or railway stations shall lie subject to the popular vote. Tho Hon. Jlr Kerr would punish the wife-beater by long terms of incarceration, with tho lash at frequent intervals. That, he thinks, would be a much moro fitting punishment than giving his wife the chance to get a divorco.

According to Mr Meredith, some of the most prosperous men in Canterbury were brought up as tailors and shoemakers in the City of London.