PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1726, 3 December 1887, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[FBOM OUR OWN COBBEBPONDENX.J

Wellington, Decambar 2. I OTAGO CENTRAL BILL. I A good deal of trouble i 3 beiDg experienced I by Messrs Pyke, Scobie MoKenzie, and others . m getting the Otago Central Eailway Bill up . again, einoe it was praotioally stonewalled by Mesßrs Seddon and others m going into Committee. Government, however, has undertaken to give facility for bringing the Bill up. LOCAL BODIES LOANS. At the instance of Mr Scobie McKenzie Government have embodied m the Government Loans to Local Bodies Amendment Bill • clause which will aid 3mall boroughs to combine if it is desired with counties for carrying out sanitary or water supply works. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. The Financial debate, which came m like ft Hod, and has gone out like a lamb, or something even more harmless, is still m the minds of some members, who had speeches bottled up for the occasion. Mr Seddon was generally supposed to be included m the category, and not wishing to be thwarted m his desire, he haß factitiously notified his intqntention of asking the Premier " If he will, before the prorogation of Parliament, fix a day upon which the debate on Financial proposals may be resumed. PUSHING THROUGH, Government have now thoroughly made up their minds to get through by Christmas, and the Premier is reported to have intimated privately that if peoessary they will pit morning, noon, and night to do so. Diok Seddon enquired when the Public Works Statement will be down, and a laugh was raised by the return of the Premier, " That will depend on the facilities given by hon gentlemen getting on with the business." This was " agin " the member for Eumara, who joined m the laugh at his own expense. ATJTOCBATIC BABBIT INBPKCTOB3. Ever since the Babbit Act came m force there have been many complaints as to the almost unlimited power given to Inspectors under the Act. With regard to this Mr Pyke haß a question tabled for Tuesday, viz., whether Government will take into consideration the advisability of amending the Babbit Act, co as to invest magistrates hearing oases laid under such Act for breaches of its provisions with discretionary powers when dealing therewith. Mr Pyke informs me that he knows of several cases where, notwithstanding that station holders bring witnesses to prove precautions had been taken to prevent the spread of the pest, the magistrates were obliged, under the Act, to accept the Inspector's unsupported opinion to the contrary, &nd convict thereon. SCAB PEST. The prosecution the other day of a station manager iv the Marlborough district, for having concealed the existence of an outbreak of soab, was the cause of the following question by Mr Lance*? Whetherthe attention , of Government has been directed to the caea ; tried at Blenheim m respect to the manager o! several stations said to have concealed for some months the existence of soab, and whether full enquiry will be made and information offered to the House thereon. BBIEF MENTION. The Waste Lands Committee have not completed their work m oonneotion the Lands Bill, It is not intended by Government to allow married women to take up a section m speoial settlements. So amount will be placed on the Public Works Estimates for roads north of Auckland. There was another debate on the Midland Railway question to-day. Mr Izard is endeavoring to have the delivery of oral evidence as to obscenity done away with m our courts.