PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1861, 7 June 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

1— ♦ (From our own Correspondent. ) Wellington, Jane 6 I understand that the Waste Landi 1 Committee have practically "dished 1 the Otago Cantral Railway, bh they yeaterday resolved by 7 votes to 5, to recon* mend to the? House that it was not desirable to proceed with the BIU. Me Seddon has announced his Intention of oppoalng the Custrms Tariff, bat lfc la not supposed that ha will be largely supported from the Opposition aid**, and that practically bis only followers will be Messrs Smith, Danoan and Grimmond, ■ Mr O.'tnond Is, I believe, very wroth at the Government for not having put his motions direct to the House by enabling them to come on separately, and Freetraders generally are said to be very dlagusted at the result of the divlaton. There 1b no doubt that the Government were originally disposed to accept the resolutions, thinking they were In a hole, but when they found they could reckon on the Protectionists they oame round and hardened up. Me J, O. Brown to very 111 eaff*ing from pleurisy, and the dootora aotiolpate hard work to get him round. Mr McGregor is better to-day, but he has been very unwell for a few chys. Mr O'Oallaghan Is bringing under . the notice of Government the advisability of reporting to the House on what Is known as the A. B.C. system of railway communication, so far as Publlo Works Department may be able. Very -little Is known of this system, but from what I can gather It Is something of the following nature. On the line fin the centre) ie fixed what may be called a substantial iron Udder (rather than ooge), and od the locomotive tnere is a nolld spoked wheel working perpendloalarly which enables the engine to climb the ateepeat inclines with light loads. The syatem has been m uae In Switzerland for 12 years, chiefly for tourlat trtffij, bat not apparently for heavy traffio, and it Is believed that aome great improvements have been made m the system of late years which lha Midland Railway Ocm- . pany appear to think jißtify them In proposing to lntroduo» it m scaling Arthur's Pass. It is palpable they would not Buggeat It If this were not the oase as the line will be to a great extent, of course, used for the conveyance of he ivy loads, principally minerals. A qoeßtion which considerably efl3ota the Volunteera la being brought under th 6 notice of Government by Mr Joyce, who will aak the Minioter of Dafenoe on Tuoaday, whether he will favorably consider a proposal for naval and garrison artillery corpa at the four centres of the colony, where fortifioationß ate established to he reoiuiiei up to ahe total of 250 men m each centre, and further, wheiher at aaoh. four ■ centres Government will grant authorised oapitatlon to the extent of 100 per rifle jjompanie3 Instead of 64 aa at preaent. The tariff return waa diatributed to-day. The auuuDt likeiy to be derived by the new duties as proposed la as follows : — Baer and spirits estimated to bring £12,OCO; tea, £34,000; wines, £300 j biaoalta, confectionery, preserve?, etc.. £24 550 ; opium, olgare and tobacco, £6750 ; Btaroh, matchea, palnta, varnish, etc, £13,850 ; furniture, bruabware and cabinet ware, £7350 ; boots, harness and leather, £12,660 j patent mcdiclcea, £29.500; stationery and paper, £26,000 ; ropea, ttlea. drain plpeß, etc., £2650; apparel, millinery, and dreaa goods, £44,600 ; machinery, £1900 ; iron ware, £22,160 ; carriages, bicyclep, and parta of carriages, £100 ; baga, £1000 ; greenstone, photographic goodß, etc., £1800; total, £212,000. From thla there la an eßtlmated lobb of £500 on eooda made free but with tha Bum of £68,000 primage duty the estimated receipts are £265,000. The debate to-night on the financial policy of tha Government waa a curious one to the onlooker, and would appear to glvo little iußlght into future events. By far the greater part of the apaakers were Freetraders and supporters of the Government, but the ourlous part of tbelr apeeoheß was that, not content with opposing the tariff as a main point of objeotlon, they generally slogged into 1 ' the Government polloy as a whole, and found fault with everythln ;, In hot the impreßilon, broadly, waa that they were prepared to make a total secession, out the painter as It were, and let the Government go where they pleased, A. fillip was given to them ia their determination, If euoh waa the oaeo, by the Minister for defence, who did uothing to smooth matters over with the maloontentß, but roughed them up all rouad, and made a speeoh more likely to effect alienation than almost anything that could be eaid, Then oame the speech of Mr Reovoa, who caused some surprise by hia attitude iv the matter. Instead of stating, aa had been Baid by Mr Hutohibod, that the Opposition simply took tbe tar.ff, and left the remainder of the Government polloy, he stated that he aocopted the financial proposals of the Premier almost m iotq, and would be prepared to adopt them ; the Impression from his remarks being that tho Oppoaltion, »a a whole; would do the Bame. In fact, this view seems rapidly gaining ground : That the Freetrade opponents of the Government will make common cause against them, and that a ooalltloo, with Sir H. Atkinson at tha head, will be the result. More unlikely things have happened, and this Idea is strongly being taken up. Sir H. Atkinson this afternoon, m moving the Beoond reading of the Ouatoma Tariff Bill, stated that Government will adhere to their proposals m the main; but will be ploasad to consider and snggesttun3 as to the m)de of levying duties or removing anomalies. His speech lasted one minute.. I believe Sir H. Atkinaon has intimated his intention of pushing the tariff through before any other matters are considered. , The only operative clause of Mr Guinness' Workman's Wages Bill la a~a follows; — The employer of any porson to whom wat^ea are ptyablg shall pay to Buoh person hia or her wages within threa days after termination of engagement, oc within a day after anon season's discharge, I whichever firßt happoua, and. every employer who nt^lects or refuses to make payment m the m inner aforesaid shall pay to such peraon W-igea at the aarao rare of wagos aa those payable to such person during tho time auoh person waa working for buoU employer till each wages are paid ; provided that no more than one month'n wageu shall ba reooverablt) under this section. Mr Tanner haii given notice to move that it la dcairablo m the preaont olrcaraBtances of the oolony that tho school age be raised to aavdn years " ]^c Maoarthyv will aak Government tomorrow if they will invite tho floaso to consider the concessions proposod to be given to tho Midland Railway Company, and, If not, If they will g\vo facilities to private members to brin^ on the subject. Mr Hutchison's State Sooarlty Land Bill, which has just been Issued, makea provisions for tho isano of debenture certificates guaranteeing the payment r>f certain principal and interest moneys on tho B?curlty of land theielu doaorlhed. piovidod that where Und'ia subject to lease or other outaUndlug interest whioh represents a'rotarn of less than 6 per Od>nt per annum on the last valuation nudirthe Property Asaoatment Aot, 1685, or ia aubjeot to any covenants on tho part of tho Edan-, or if the valuation of any land i&oiudcii buildlqga which may represent more tUn one-fifth of the whole val«« ( then It Ujjue of Bnch dobontnre oertlfioato ihtfll be optional. The principal «urn to ba iroorted iv the dobonlme qattj^wt ahtilTba one-half, tho yalno of the Uni^, oa 1 whloh Intorcat not exoeoding 6 por cent •hall be paid, the rate, to be fcod by •□

Order-In Council. These debentures may ba used as bills of exchange, and anyone receiving money on them illegally shall be liable to a penalty of £509, or.threa years' Imprisonment. The Commlaeioner granting the debentures shall be oodsldered the first mortgagee of the Jaud, but no Btamp duty shall be oharged on them, i Mr Sydney Talwhanga'a Maori Rolief Bill, whioh consists of four clauses, permits the appointment of a Committee to consist of eight Maoris or le3a and four members of the Houao. The object of the Committee Is rather Indefinite. A otauee states that the said Committee may seek suoh relief In promises as they m*y oonsider expedient Mr Th-mpeon, member foe Marsden, is evidently anxious for the Government to start at once m the direction of abolishing the Hfrn E. MitohVlaon's de p&rtments, and has given notice to move — " That m the opinion of this Houaa it is desirable that the Government give immediate effaot to the proposal, as lndloated m the Financial Statement, to abolish both the Publlo Worki and Native Lands Departments, with the view of effeotlng further and neoesaary retrenchment,