PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1885, 5 July 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(From ouk own Corbrspondent. ) Wbllinoxon, July 3 It having been decided this afternoon to take the amendments la the Customs Tariff Bill la the evening, there being still an hoar or so to spare, the Premier u.oved to go Into Committee of Supply. *n amendment on behalf of the " Skiufl nts 1 ' was then moved by Mr Withy In the following mild terms : "la the op'nlon of this House Government should, if poseible, during the recess, reduce the pnbllo expenditure by the Bum of £100,000 per annum." The modeaty of the request seemed rather to take some by surprise, after the threatening rumors whloh had been abroad, and there were some tokens of amusement on thefaoeof the Premier, who of course, cou'd not well refuse suoh a humble demand from the Honee. Sir H. expresaed no opinion on the BUbjeot, how ever, except thah the matter was a very Important one, and he would I!ke to have It fully disouaaed on Friday evening. Speeohea m favor of the motion were delivered by Messrs Withy, Hobbs, and <3nldie, and the reminder of the time till 5.30, was oooapied by Mr Fish, who chaffed the Oommirtae rather unmercifully over the absurdity of moving Baoh a resolution. He Buafgeßted that it be amended to rac?uo9 the amount and make the reduction oompu'sory. It Is anticipated that the Government c»ri have no objeotlon to the principle of the amendment. They will oppose it on the ground thab it Intercepts Supply and m that case It will probably be thrown out. It was recently rumored that the higher officers of the Public Works Department had decided to resign their appointments. This I have ascertained is inoorreot, but the officers of the department have been discussing their prospects, a great cauee of alarm being that they believed they would, before being dismissed, have their salaries considerably reduced, and that their compensation would be based on the reduced amounts. Thla waa generally considered to be a moat unjuat step aud was condemned on all hands, but fortun - ately I understand the cause of alarm is groundless as compensation will be oaloulated on.the rate of the salary now being received. The Oastotri and Excise Duties Bill was made the first Order of the Day this afternoon, but owing to a clause not being printed by which the Government Intended to propose to ex»raot material Imported by the Midland Railway {who will be required to give a bond guaranteeing that the material is for the r ill way only), the debate was adjourned until* the evening. In addition to the clause mentioned above, the following proviso waa also inserted : "Provided that where any rates of duty have baen imposed or altered since May 30, by resolution of the Honee, the new or In greased rates shall be deemed to have oome into operation oily from the dat 3of the resolution imposing or altering suoh rates." The Bill was then reported, and the Premier moved the third reading. The Freetraders debated the question at length, and some interesting speeches were delivered. Considerable amusement has been manifested by members at the war soare m Melbourne, and the pretext which has been put forward to account for it — that the rumor was started with a view to giving the military forces an opportunity of displaying their readiness for war. Following np the o'ue given, Mr Talentine wishes Government to make a similar test la New Zealand, and has given notice to enquire of the Defence Minister if, m view of a break m the cables, and the pos•lbl'ity of war being declared before communication is restored, he intends to teat the ability of the chief ports of the Colony to meet the sudden emergency of a for^n attack on these shores.' Also, whether he intends to arm the permanent and Volunteer foroea with arms of greater precision and usefulness than they have at present. To chow the position of the various looai bodies who have received subsidies from the Government, Mr Menteath is moving for a return showing the name of every public body In New Zealand to which subsidy, under the local Bodies Finance and Powers Act 1885, and the amendment thereof, was paid during the year 18.87 }888, and opposite to suoh names, <n p»ra'lel oolamns-»(l) Amounts of subsidy paid to each lpaal body for aald year ; (2)the proportion In the £of BQbßidy paid, under the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Aqfc, to the 1 rates raised by such local body ; (B)rates In the £ levied by eaoh local body ; (4) contribution of eaoh looal body to Hospital and Charitable Aid, during the year 1887-88 j (5) amount of subsidy undec Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, 1885, paid to each suoh looal body upon its contribution* \ (6) number of ratepayers within the jurisdiction cf suoh looal bodies, and (?) pppnlafcion according tp the laat cenau3. Questions are being asked of the Government aa follows j — (1) Jb It a faot that the Hon E, Oliver, Chinese Delegate tq Australia, had a speolal train from Dunedln to the Bluff only two hours before the ordinary train left Dunedln for lnvercarglll ? (2) Is it « faot that the ordinary train arrived m loveroarglllsomehonrß before the steamer left; for (3) If so, what was the object m granting a speolal train to Mr Oliver 1 (4) What }s thn ordinary oost of a special train from Dunecfin to Inveroapgill ] From correspondence whloh. kas been laid on the table as to the offering of inducements by the Government to Mr pQrkej| the famous metallurgist (who Is now m the North leland) to test ores. In the Thames district, it transpires that a bcnaa of £5000 wai required m caaa of Buocess, on condition that the Smelting Company save 90 per cent of gold and silver, an amouct not exceeding 6Qa per: ton. Government replied tjhat they oquld: offer no bonus, but m the event of the cost of treatment of low grade ore not exoeediog 16a par ton, and if a saving of; 90 per pont of th,e valua of the metal can ba effected, proposes ftp a bonus would bo considered, Thia proposal appears to have been laughed at, however, but negotiations are still pending, Wb&wngtos, July 5. Information has boon received by the Government from Sir Dillon Bell Intlmat. ing his willingness to aooept the offer made- to him by Government of the renewal of his engagement as AgentGeneral, for a further term of three yearß at the same salary as before, £1250 per annual The question of the AgentGeneral may now, therefore, be deemed to be 4efinUely settled. " ' ' : Mr Seymour Is going to bblc the Minister of Lands what coarse he proposes to take with referenoe to Waste Lands Boards, whose terms expire at the end of the present cession. ; Mr Bell, the New Zealand representstive at the Australian Rabbit Conference left Melbourne on his return to Now Zealand yesterday by the a, a. Mararoi. Information h^s been received from Mr Bell that Australian nolentlats are much pleased with the results so far'of the pre» iiminary exp ritaonto 'with tha Pa»touc system. The Speaker announoed In the House last night, that he "had received a oilblo message from the Legislative Assembly of Viotorla. lnvitpg members to bo pro^ont at the opening ceremony of £he Exhibition, The Premier aald he would make aßtatemmt to the House to-»d»y m ojnneollon with tho InvUifcafclbn.