PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1720, 26 November 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

- » (From our Cowrespondeni:.) Wellington, November 25. THE CONFiDENOE RESOLUTIONS. At its rising to-day the House will adjourn till 2.30 p.m. on Monday, when the disoussion ] on the resolution to be moved by Major Atkinson, m reference to the revision of the Customs tariff will be taken. It is not yet known what attitude the Opposition will take up m respect to those resolutions, but it is rumored that the Opposition will not debate them. Whether this is true or false I cannot say, and upon asking Sir J. Yogel a direot question on the point, he declined to give me any satisfaotion, remarking that he oould not disolose the policy of the Opposition too prematurely. It is further rumored that when Major Atkinson moves the resolutions Sir J. Yogel will state what is the position of the Opposition thereto, and the party as a body will thereupon walk out of the House. DIBOHARGED BAILWAY SERVANTS. A dieoussion arose this afternoon upon the presentation of the report of the Committee on the petition of disoharged railway employees, who asked for compensation foe the loss of employment. The general opinion is expressed that railway servants discharged from the publio service through no fault of their own, but owing to the exigencies of the colony and the necessity for retrenchment, should reoeive something m the way of compensation, it being urged that under similar circumstances officers of higher grade m the service reoeived a retiring allowanoe upon their servioes being dispensed with. Sir G. Grey suggested setting aside a block of land which might be taken up by suoh people and homes provided for them. This view was heartily oheered by Mr Ballanoe, whose Village Settlement soheme successfully met a Bimilar difficulty m Auokland. The Premier did not seem to fall m with the suggestion that a speoial concession should be made railway servants dismissed under retrenchment, arguing that retiring allowances paid to oflioers of high position m the servioe were quite another thiog, as they joined the service under conditions imposed by an Act of Parliament, whilst railway servants were engaged by the week or month. The matter then dropped, but the discussion was important as ahowiog an evident desire on the part of many members- to deal justly with the number of men who are suddenly deprived of the means of living through no fault of their own, by making speoial provision for placing them on land where they oould make a home for themselves and famines. BIIiLS. Another dreary afternoon was passed m the consideration of a number of local Bills. Questions have been postponed to enable private members to get their looal Bills through. It is understood that to-day ib the last opportunity private members will have to legislate for looal requirements. An effort is to be made to get through with looal Bills before half-past five, and devote the evening to publio Bills m oharge of private members. The most important of these are the iiibie Reading m Schools Bill; Freehold Tenure Acquisition Bill; Law Practitioners' Bill; Fair Bent Bill ; Roman Oatholio Schools Bill ; Gold Duty Seduction Bill ; and Otago Central Railway Extension. NXW BILLS. The Minister for Lands has kindly favored me with an advance copy of the new Land Bill, whioh is to be circulated m the course of a day or two. The following are the main provisions of tho new Bill :— His Exoellenoy the Governor, by notification m the " Gazette," may declare all rural land now, or hereafter, to be open for selection, shall be open for sale or selection for cash. The price of land to be so thrown open for selection Bhall be given m the " Gazette " notification, the minimum price being 20s per acre for ordinary land, and 103 per acre for secondclass land, The price named m the notifica tion may afterwards be increased or reduced m price as circumstances warrant ; the land to be open for selection not less than 30 days after the lirst publication of the notification m the " Gazette," when it may be purohased for cash at the price stated, or for selection either on deferred payment or perpetual lease at the respective equivalent m prices. This gets over the difficulty now experienced whore an intending selector, if desiring certain property, oan only take it up under one system which may be distasteful to him. The conditions are meant to apply to all rural land now on deferred payment or perpetual lease, as well as to suoh lands hereafter to be proclaimed. Cash purchases m any one survey district are limited to 640 aores of ordinary land, and 2000 aores of second-class land. The applicants to purohaße rural lands for cash Bhall lodge a written application tp go with quarter of the estimated price to the Commissioner for the district, and shall pay the whole of the remainder of the purchase money immediately upon the granting of the application ; if not paid within 30 days the deposit to be forfeited, and the lands to be again open for sale or occupation forthwith. Conditions are provided for the occupation of second-class lands on deferred payment, and tho manner of dealing with simultaneous application. Deferred payment or perpetual leases may be acquired as soon as the presoribed improvements be effected. Holders of land m a mining distriot on perpetual leaeo may apply for tho purchase on certain conditions. Provisions are made for the adjustment between looal authorities of the price of land. Holders of pastoral deferred paymentlioenees may surrender the lioense and obtain m exchange a loase of Bame land as a small grazing run under part 7 of the present Lan.d Act provided all applications under this section aro made before Ist January, 1890. The limit of the aroa of small grazing runs is extended from 5000 abres as at present to 20,000 aores. No education reserve lease is to be renewed without the consent of tho Minister. Land Boards are tp be abolished from 31st December noxt, and the funotions thereof to be exeroised by the Commissioner' of Crown Lands. ' *