PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1863, 9 June 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(From otjr own Correspondent.) Wellington, Jane 8 Before the House rose last night Air Soobje McKerz'te made an ample ap' 1 gy to Mr Fish (or any personal remark* which he had made m the coarse of the debate outside of political mattern. The { announcement was well received, ps it was considered that he had gone too far. It appears that daring the supper adjourn- 1 ment that the flon Mr Hislop, Sir John I Hall, and other prominent members Interviewed Mr Soobie McKeDzle, expreisiog the opinion that he had over stepped the bounds m speaking, and they also Intimated that though the Standing Orden had not been infringed, Mr McKerzte had gone too far, and on their reoommend&tion he made an apology. In reference to the rumor of en intended amendment on the second reading of the Tariff Bill, I am informed though thii was originally intended, and Mr ftaddon waa expected to give It ; bat r . the Speaker, who has been privately 1 Interviewed, states that as the word " now " had been made to stand part of the Question no further amendment can be moved. A division will, however, be called for, and probably from 27 to 30 will vote for It. Probably an amendment may be moved on the motion for going lato Committee. Mr Taylor informs me he has had numerous letters on the subject of protecting the pottery industry, snd he Intends to ask the Government to imprse tome sort of differential dalles to deal with this subject. Now that Protection is virtually assured to New Zealand, Mr Joyce is anxious to pat the colony on the same footing as Viotoria, and is enquiring from the Premier if he Is aware that within the last fortnight two large steamers left the Bluff, bound to Melbourne laden with oats amounting to about 38,000 saoks, upon whioh a Viotorian import doty of marly £4000 would be Imposed. If this Is correct he wishes the Premier to Instruct the Hon Mr Olivet, who Is en route for Australia, on State affairs, to ato rtain if the Australian Governments will forthwith consider the question of an intercolonial tariff on the natural product* of the colonies. Mtjor Steward deserves well of the community for bis persistence m bringing m his Educational Franchise Bill, whloh provides for the abolition of the oumula tlve vote at school committee elections. Session after session he has brought down bis measure, and carried it only to have it religiously thrown unt by the Lordr, and again he has nut with disappointment, The Bill c»me before the Council again this afternoon for its second reading, and it met the time fate again, for it was thrown out by 13 votes to 7, and has onoe more been relegated to obscurity. Probably, with his usual persistency, the toenabor for Walmate will bting In the Bill again next session. The much vexed Midland Railway question was again brought before the Home this afternoon by Mr JVf 'Arthur, who, before the debate on the Customs Bill was resumed, moved the adjournment of the House to permit the question to be discussed. He omvassed the subject at some length, pointing out that though great concessions were to be made to the Company, no diminution m the land grant was to be made, and he believed that the idea was to ask the colony to grant one concession after another, and finally ask for compensation after getting the colony : In a fix. He was not satisfied with what Ministers stated on the subjaot. After Borne discussion the Premier said the ' Company alleged that late discoveries had 1 abewn them that they could take the Hoe < over • hill at a less rate tban that '. at which they could tunnel it, and be able to conduct heavy trsffio. They do not ask the colony to agree to i this, but merely tint Government should < be allowed to consider it and have plans prepared. This was only reasonable as ' experts were to be employed, end he thought that Government should be trusted to oarry the matter oat m the best Interests of the country. Eventually Mr MoArthur gave notice to move for the appointment of a Committee to look into the matter, bat the Premier rather took the wind oat of his sails this evening by moving for a Committee without notice, and In spite of some opposition from Mr Kerr this wbb agreed to. It is probable therefore that the whole question will again come before the House for deoision. After being delayed for two or three days, the Waste Lands Committee presented the report on Mr Pyka's Ofcag > Central Railway Bill, which was as follows i— " That this Committee, from the evidence before it, cannot recomme ad to the House that this Bill should be allowed to proceed," I understand that Mr Pyke, In spite of the reoommendatlon of the Committee, intends to try and push the Bill through. The Live Stock Committee have doolded to make the following recommendations to the House :— (1) That one, or at most two, ports be declared quarantine portß, and that the quarantine ground should, m all cases, be on an island (2) That the strict quarantine regulations recommended by the Australasian Stock Conference, held at Sydney m September and October, 1886, be adopted by New Zealand. (3) That the Government should add to Schedule No. lof the Diseaed Cattle Aot, 1881, the following diseases, viz, tuberou osia, cancer, ulcer, and all tumourous sores. (4) That it is ceoessary to provide by legislation that extended powers be given to the police for the examination of akina saspeoted to have belonged to stolen sheep, wheresoever they may be. From several members, I learn that of la<e some blight has- been observed m different parts of the colony, whloh atUcks frait trees at the roots and rapidly destroys them. A "rumor is current that the Gorge Railway, which will oonneot the two great railway systems of the Worth Island, is to be hang ap. The Pabllo Petitions Committee reported to-day as follows on the petitions of Police Inspectors Baokley (Invercirglll) and James (Wangsnul): — "In the opinion of this Committee, the allowance already granted to the petitioners is of the most . liberal character, Beeing that no provision appears t> hfrrtj been made by the aot for i retiring aUowes%js>to officers of the police, nor Is there any evidence to show that any promise of retiring allowance was made to the petitioners on their appointment to the police force of Canterbury.'* Wellington, Juno 9. The newly appointed Committee to conslder the advisability or otherwise of varying the concessions proposed to be granted to the Midland Railway Company held a meeting this morning. All the members were present, and Mr* Samuel was voted to the chair. After a short dlspuußion, I understand it was deoldei on the o*Bticg vote of the Chairman to uphold the concessions the Government pro nflsp and a recommendation to that effect will be made on Tuosday. The Tariff debate has now got into its wearisome stage and though ono or two good spceohes were delivered yesterday, Imeinbers and others whose duty it is to watch their actions generally are aniloua to getrlt over. This is not now anticipated to be the case till about tie end of nexl .wee)c, the Idea being an)onget them thai Low so many have golieyed their mlndo ol Heas there Is no taason why everyone e's< nould not do the same ; so it is antioinated there will be at least twenty raon Speakers, and some of them pretly bn; Rrinded gentlemen at that. Mr Carroll '1 believe, threatens as a retaliation foi the parsimony of Government m dispenS Ing with one of the interpreters (then being only an amount on the estimates fo poej that h e will dvllvtr. two or thw

) honra' speech m Maori, whloh is a matter I for regret as his En«;lUh is a greit imp ovoment on what we get from a good m«"y Europeans. It is not known how the Maori members will vole on the division on the Bill, 1 tit the Idea is that they will follow the load of Mr Carroll and support tho G iTernment, Of the speaker? yusterday the most notab'e were Manors Withy and Downle Stewart. Tho former tnedea long argui mentatlve, and thoroughly practical speech for Freetrade, he being undoubtedly the hept en that side. During the debate Mr Downie Stewart also made a very o'ever reply m which he oombatted the arguments raised, and was more vigorous than usual. Buth apeecb.es were loudly applauded. I am informed by Mr Robs that he is authorised by the Premier to state that of the machinery now on the way out to the colony, and whfoh was ordered before the paßelog of the resolutions, will be exempted from duty. This waa being raised as a strong point against the Tariff, and it is now expected to clear the way to I a considerable extent.