PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1872, 20 June 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(From our own Correspondent.) Wellington. Juno 19 Mr Bruco, ono of the members of the House who bslievcs m single blessedness, | is evidently proufl of hfu strength of will m beicg nble to eFcapo the wiles of the opposite sex, and (epe .king probably from expprience) he concludes that all bachnlorfi are more able to be^r the burdens of the country than their brother benoHictß He intends 1o ask the Premier on Tuesday whether the Government will, with « view to the more equnblo adjustment of taxation, consider the advisability of imposing an annual tax of, say £1 per head on all bachelors between the ages of twenty and fifty, and whether they will take into consideration the advisability of making all bachelora now paying property tax liable to an additional taxation of £d i'J the £. I learn that the Civil Service has been classified by a Board consisting of heads of departments j but no intimation to ?hat effect h»8 sb yet been made by the Ministry, th ugh it has more than once been hinted that each is the case. Some unpleasant revelatlono wore made fa the Bonia to day as to how rßoent retrenchment operations have been carried ont. The matter was brought up by Mr Moss m conneotlon with the report of the Pabllc Petitions Oommltee on the petition of Mr Eliott, who has boen removed from the charge of the Locomotive Department at Auckland to the West Oosst. In the discussion wbioh arose, It was stated that tha gentleman who had replaood Mr Biiott was Mr Jackson, a nephew of the Government whip, whloh fact was acknowledged by the Minister for Publlo Works, though that gentleman sild he did not know Mr Jackson, and had nothing to do with the appointment. This was followed up by an announcement from Mr Leveetam that m a similar ohsDga made at Nelson, tha former occupant of tha position was deposed, and was replaced by a nephew of the Hon George MoLemo, another staunch Government »appott«r.^ Other lean notioeable caces are mentioned, Mr Feldwlck is enquiring of the Government—(l) If they hive been engaged m negotiations with the Governments of the Australian oolonlea, re'at'veto the ereotion of a lighthouse on the Auckland Isles ; (2) If so, will tley state the nature of the negotiations, and (3) If they have oonnldered the desirability of pholng a lighthnme on the Snares. Mr Seddon Is anxious to have a change made In the present system cf boarding oat Industrial School ch'ldren. In oonscqaence of recent revelations m regard to sealing expeditions from the Sonth Island to the Auckland Isler, when the Macquarrie Islands are made a base of operations, the matter has been brought nnder the notice of the member for lover car gill by the local Chamber of Commerce, with a view to having the Mftcquarrle Islands brought nnder ths intiiiiotion of New Zealand. MMor Steward haa given notice of a aeries of amendments to the Fair Bent pill, which provide tbat any person, whose application for a lease from a publio body haa been refused, and if the rent as fixed is comldaredtoo btgb,mayappeal,and the Oommi iloner shall have power to fix a rent and give the applicant a lease upon bU psylng half a year's rent down. The Commiisloner »lio has power to subdivide land if a number of persons apply for it, and to fix rents and to settle questions of valuations for improvements, The debate on the Fair Bent Bill has been chief y notable so far for an able speech from Mr Walker from the tec ant farmer's point of view. Mr Walker ofcjaoted to high ealaries being regularly paid to University Professors from rents •• screwed out of the vitals of struggling tenants." Mr Ballance objected to the Bill for unsettling fixity of tenure. In ask Id g a question about barmaids' hoars In hotels, Mr Fish to-day said there was a botel m Danedln where gambling was carried on all night, and very frequently on Sundays. • Government will Introduce a Bill doping Ihe preaent session for a Commission to consider land claims m various parts of the oolony. Private members' buiineas which has now been bung up so long, will be gone on with to-morrow and on Thursday, Bydney Taiwhanga is In ftvor of Obioese immigration. He wants them, he asys to work his silver mine; Io the Council to-day Colonel Brett preiented a petition from 768 women of Gtfgo. p*»vlng for participation m the privileges of the franchise, Sit Pep>ge "talks of moving to reduce the number of members to flfty. Mr Walker has moved for leaye of •bsenpe for Sir J. Yogel for another nonth. ' Wellington, June 20. I understand that an interesting libel case is pending m reference to a matter affecting the tariff Mr U ill, secretary of the Pbcetix Foundry Company, m Dunedin, recently wrote a long letter to Ihe Wellington " Post," commenting on the various itema of the tariff, and he mentions inter alia, that he woe aware that ism manufactured by Iprkpatrick. of Nelson, was aompoßed mainly p! pumpkins, and; tfyat he bad beep informed by Mr Kirkpatrick to that effect. The letter was epnl to Mr Kirfcpatrick, who indignantly denies, the Imputation, and haa writtep to a member that hp intense to proceed againgt Mr gill for Ijbel. Ip reference to the report of the Stock Cpmrnittee, recently telegraphed by me, it appears that an important clause of the report had not been inserted ia the body of the report, but placed at the side on a separate slip, and was overlooked by me. It should read, " that the report of the Impfti+atjon of S.top.k ' Committee of the session, of 1887, so far as rega'rdg tha importation of stook, be enforced by this Committee." The Honse sat for some hoars last night considering the Fair Rsnts Bill, the second reading of which was finally agreed to on the voices. Mr Ballanoe and all the native members opposed the measure. Private telegrams state that Mr Pearson, the member for Ashley, is much better and apparently m a fair way to recovery itova p]s rpoant severe Illness. fijifrfßruee.lntenas asking t)ie premier— • (1) Whether Government, with' a view to » more pqnltable adjaßtncent of taxation, well consider the adrisableness of the imposition of an annual tax of say £1 per head on all bachelors between the ages of $1 and 50 ; (2)' Whether they will take ldtp consideration the advieableneaß of Vnaiilrig Ml fcaofrelora now paying property taVllabhs to ao*sddltlonal contribution of one bejf penny In Jibe ppqfad. Tbp appointment of the tjiree Bail way Cpmmißsipnerß is Ijkely to bo made from within the- colony. Messrs Maxwell, Bannay, C. Y. O'Connor and E. G Wiight are mentioned as likely men. n?h* choice will Drobablv be maH« aKArtiw The vacant judgship will not be filled up before the session closes The choice kupderatopd, tp lie between Hia Honor Judge vx ard and Mr B C. Haggitt, Crown Prosecutor at Duaedin. Mr '^oQregor, member for Akaroo, is acting ac senior Government Whip during Mr Pearson's illness. The Premier is much better and should foe iWt to icpuwe W* ie»t oo friaayi