PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1881, 30 June 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

1 * — V(£ (FBOM OUB OWN COSBEBrONPBNT ) Wbimngton, Juno 29 • The result of the " Skli flints," deliberations and invfatlgatlona intc the financial poßltlon, was that a deputation of memoes, who have beon R'lbl' through th« Estimates with a vLw to having them reduced, waited on the Premier this evening. Tho deputation composed Dr Fitchett, Messrs R Thomson, Taylor, Monk, Hobba, Peacock, Guinness, Wllhy, Liwry, and Hold'e, of whom Mr Goodie wns the chief spokofiman. The member for Auckland* City went very folly Into «ho question of the Estimates, aDdthe Premier desired the deputation to confine theinaelvesto do6nlte faoti, and not to Introduce mere abstract opinions which had found currency ontalde. Mr Goldle represented that those present bad e^ne through the Estimates up to Class 10, aDd thefrosult of their Investigations satlrfied them that a saving of £40,000 could be efleoted by retrenchment even as far as they had gone. Other members of the deputation also expressed the opinion that still farther retrenchment could be effected, Although they thought this should not apply to men obtaining low salaries. The Premier expressed . great pleasure and satisfaction at the temperate expressions of opinions by , members, and promised to give them the t consideration they merited. He stated Ljhat be would not pledge hlmeelf to any jjtdefioite line of action, although GovernPment were willing to effeot further re- £ trenchment when it could be made apB^rent that each ooald be made withBbut Injustice or impairing efficiency. BThe general Idea seems to bo that Bfee deputation have wasted their svreetEBesi on desert air, ant! that their efforts Brill have very little effeot. At any rate Krhen the Premier moved to go into Hbommlttee of Snpply m the evening, he whiffed them quietly and gave them to he did not agree with them In &j>ne iota. ■_Mr Ormond is said to be very ill at ntapler. r Government have no k tention of giving L any farther encouragement for the culti■rratlon of wattle. W AH the afiernoon was wasted to-day I over " Mobau " Jonas' ease. Thlriy-eight miles of rabbit fence havo been erected In South Canterbury nt a L ooi t of £466. ft — Tito Pablio Petitions Oommlttee re- ■ commend adversely to the petition of I Jamea Farqnhar, of Ohristchurch, who I prays for enquiry fnto charges be makes I against the B.M/b at Chris! ohuroh and P Ljtt«ltoD, **' When Mokiif Jones' case was under L dlsousslon, Mr Monk moved an amendteaent to the effect that the House might flfcave an opportunity of reducing the .salaries of the officers of the Hcune and i the Auditor-General. After a speech ■from Sir John Hall, Mr Seddon rose and Lnaoved the adjournment of the debate, ■giving as bis reasons tbat they wished to Fhave a further opportunity of considering Llhe Estimates, and be objeoted to have Mhe Customs Bill shelved m the meanly time. An almost immediate division was Bfcaken, and the first real reverse of the Beijlon wii given to Government, who mooted the adjournment, bat were deLfeated by 43 to 84 Immediately on itbe result being known, the Premier £ moved to adjourn the House, and for Ehalf. an hour members proceeded to ex— Bplaln the votes they had jast given, from I which it appeared tbat the division was aa I undoubted eurprise, and that the Opposlt tlon and Government supporters had. all r voted without any fixed Idea of what they parere doing, and tbat oonfuslon had rationed m both camps. The Premier Hfcade a very bonnoiDg speech, m which he Knformed the House that Government were going to be told what they were to do, Bhat Intended to do their business In their ■fern way, and if the Hoasa did not like It BLv would have to consider their position. BPr Monday the Estimates wou'd be first order of the day, and If the H^^Buld uot agree to their being taken IH^^^Ksent must consider their position piece of bravado had its effect H^n^fe motion for adjournment was the vofcer, but there Is a unH^^BRe feeling that Government got a BKrTnasty jar over the first division and go so far aa to call it their ■fl^Bflaril. At any rate the Opposition ■^Hffyjubllant, and left the Chamber bands with themselves metaH^HP^h the Chinese Immigrants BUI I^^Ecl by the reoent Conference at [^^^■SK&as been laid before the House, HHHffiiect have not yet decided whether Pthey will bring [\n a Bill this session on Uhe same Hnes. They are at present Halting for the return of Mr Oliver from Beydpey at the Premier considers that ■although tbat gentleman was not present Pat sittings of the Conference, he has conI ferred with the varlons delegates and I obtained the impressions of heads of the BM|M oolonies on the matter, and can HhPb** Government on the subject. HHtfajor Steward has given notice to move HKji return showing the manner ie which rated for, or to be rated for, m MRfection with the Waimate Distrlot HBmray, Is made up, specifying the oost WBff the line, the amount of interest, Pramonnt charged — (a) for working exLpenies, and (b) for maintenance, and the MBaLuice to be rated for, a novel proposal has been made fe by Mr Guinness, who wishes the Government to ret apart a block of, nay lOOOacres, on the West Coast of the Sou,tb Island, as yan endowment for the maintenance of a HJkome fos aged and infirm miners. He r stated tbat the late Minister of Mines had promised to $ot In this direction r It r transplrei, however, from what trie (Minister of bflnes states, that In Jaly last • block of &COO acres was reserved, and it Is not proposed to set apart a further area for that purpose. WBirHHaxoH, June 80, B lim Informed that the abolition «» " HBobIJQ Works r»»— - • „ „. v ue ff^^^ ■ — .^.uctment will be com- , mecccd (mn?edlately the House rises. The Railway construction will be taken over by tbe Working Railways Department, and the Boads and Bridges Conit struotion will be tacked on to the Depart* h ment of Lands, the Minister of which will L be henceforth styled minister for Lands L andWcrks. A new portfolio of Minister of W will take tbe place of Minister | of Pablio Works, Of course tho roF organlsaticn will cause a large number of m, dismissals from the present Pablio Works L branch of the service. The working railFways will only need at most two moro m engineers— for the added duties of the • Lands Department and one engineer In the »- Pablio Works. Estimates yet to ba brought f down showlargereduotionshave been made L In many of the higher salaries. Among L these it is said the salary of the Engineer-K-ln-Ohief will be reduced by £200, and mt tbat of tbe Assistant Ecgineerla-Ohlef by B 150, X- Toe Premier is very dissatisfied with Kcthe manner In which the Fair Rent Bill been mutilated by the Waste Lands As a matter of faot, hewKe?er, the oiauses m the Bill struck out by Mr^hat Committee relating to Publlo Lands r other thin Crown Lands are preotically w embodied m the Public Bodies Powers ■ Act Amendment Bill, whioh provides t tbat trustees of anqh lands may without P referecce, as required by original Act, to t Governor, make reductions m leases, also f- tbtt Land Boards, to whom these lands I have been handed for scrvey and eale, shdll be thengeforwtrd trustees of same. t =====