PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1720, 20 December 1887, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

«. (From ourj Cokrespondent. ) "Wellington, December 19. THE COST OF EDUCATION^ An important statement as to the saving m the cost of education to the colony waa mado to-day during the debate on tbe Education vote by Me Fisher, who said that by raising the school age to six, Government expeoted a reduotion of 8 per cent off the cost of edecation on the total sum, or about £26,003. The saving by taking away the capitation allowance, 4s, would be abont £16,000, and that by substituting the actual average for working average, some £8000. A similar sum to the last would blbo be saved by abolishing the vote for normal schools. When considering these proposals separately, if the Committee reduced any vote by £5, Government would take that ea an advorßO expression of fueling to ouch propoßal, No country achool would be dosed beoausa of the reduction. Wellington, Deoember 20. LOAN BILL Mr Macarthur has given notice of an amendment on the Loan Bill, the effect of which will be to prevent any farther borrowing till 1893. Government, how, ever, will not accept the provision but will call on Ihe Houae to reject it. They deem it unwise and unsafe to pledge th'e colony for bo long a period as 5 years, and holding that three years is aa long a period as it ia justifiable to tie down the oolony for. Mr McArfchur'a proviso will be warmly eupportod be Beveral members of the non-borrowing party, but will almost certainly be negatived. - LiND BILL. A conference of managers of the two Houses is to be held at 10.30 to-day to oonalder the amendments made by the Council In the Land Bill, and though it is expeoted both Houses will atfck to their color?, a hope 1b expre-aod that the Council having made their protest will retire. In any oaee Government will not abandon the measure, but In the event of the Council proving obdurate it is probablo that the HoußH'fl*plan of elective boarda end the Council's idea of abollahlng boarda altogether will be relinquished and an agreement arrived at to revert to the old system. PROROGATION. It was hoped that the work of the seaslon oonld ba virtually completed tomorrow, but it ia now fearod that the ma9a of necesaary business stiil renvunlng to be dealt with eaonofc be dleposed of earlier than Friday next. EDUCATION CAPITATION. Tbo whole of last night's Bitting till about two this mcrning was occupied over the debate on the Education question and the members appeared to have made op their mind to spank ad lib, some of them Laving addressed the chair about a d( ssen times, The matter wbb eventually settled by Me Reeves' amendment being carried by 35 to 29, and the Houae thus expressed its opinion that the minimum (School age should not be raised to 6 years. The other proposals of the Governmont, however, were all adopted.