POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 627, 30 June 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

A number of female compositors, belonging to Auckland have petitioned Parliament for an amendment o! the Factory Act, so as to permit them to continue their earning their livelihood by type-setting, The merit of making the longest speech in the financial debate up to the present attaches to Mr Duthie, member for Wellington, who spoke for over an hour and a half. Mir Oarroll urged upon the House that many natives who fought hard for the Colonists in the Maori war, and are incapacitated from physical labor, have hud no recompense from the colony, whereas some of tha rebels they fought against have be*n muuifloently pensioned. , It is evident that there is a sirflHg feeling in the House in favor st a liberal recognition of the claims of old soldiers and volunteers who hitherto have been overlooked, Quite a large number of cases were spacially urged upon the House from various constituenoes, and Sgt a word of dissent was heard. Tha abolition of capital punishment was strongly urged by Me-are Jackson Palmer and W. F. Buckland, both legal gentlemen,, at a meeting of tha Statutes Revision Committee, who had under consideration the Criminal Code Bill. After an animated discussion it was decided, with a view to facilitate the passage of the Bill, not to introduce such a debateable matter at present, but to deal with the matter next session. A good deal of dissatisfacton is being ex* perienged with Mr Fisher’s Eight Hours Bill, which simply has for jt object the recognition of eight hours as a legal day's work, and doos not prevent employer and emp'Oysd from contracting themselves Out of its provisions,