PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1910, 4 August 1888, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(P3U PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Wellington. August 3

There la a general feeling that the vote of the House yesterday on Mr vVa ! kor's motion haa not set at rest the question of representation, and probably the aabjoot will come up again before the end of the session. Mr Macarthur will ask the Premier on Wednesday next whether he wil>, at aa early a dete bb possible Introduce and make an effjrt to pass this aaaslon, a BUI to adjust the dlfferenoe of quotas between town and country electorates.

The Committee appointed to enquire Into the alleged breaoh of privilege involved In tho presentation to the House of a letter written by Ohief Judge M.aodonald (of the Native Land Court) commenting on a speech of Major Hamlin was? presented to-day. The Committee find on investigation that tho letter referred to waa couched m respectful terms and waa ooufinod to facts m contradiction of those contained m the speech of Major Hamlin, and that after searching for precedents thoy can find none applicable to the olrcunißtat.ee, as there waa at the timo of the presentation of the report, no question before the House having reference to the subjeot of the letter, aud that what was done could not havj been done with a view to influence the decision of tbe House. The Committee recommend that no further action be taken m the matter. The report waa agreed to by five votes to four, but the Chairman (Sir Maurice O'Rorke), who was adverae to the motion, was not able to vote.

The question of raising tbe sohool sge to seven yeara .again oame before tho House to-day and was settled onoe and for all In a very deoided manner. When the Premier moved to go into Committee of Supply Mr Tanner rose and moved an amendment to the effeot that m the present finanolal condition of the colony lt waß neoßßßary to raise the age to seven years, In Bupport of this motion the member for Waipawa spread himself very considerably, but he waa wasting hia sweetness on desert air, for no one stopped to listen to him and at one time only twelve members were m tho Chamber, an evidence that ho had not muoh support, Dr Hodgklnson seconded the amendment and after a short debate the Premier requested Mr Tanner to withdraw his motion aa he had had hla say. The mover refused to do bo, however, and got a Bevere snubbing by the House m consequenoe, as on a division the amendment waß negatived by 64 votes to 10 The House then went Into Committee of Supply.

Under the 88th section of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act lt waa provided that Government should Bat aside an endowment of 250,000 aorea for the benefit of Hospitals and Charitable Aid Boards In the various parts of the colony, -and the section was made mandatory, the word " shall " being uaed. Nothing haa been done In the matter, "liowover, and Major Steward haa been bringing the matter forward In connection with the Walmate diatrlot, but lt appears that Government take up the position that aa the land should have been set apart witbin two years, and this waa not done by the late Government tbey will not do anything without the special instructions of the House.

The Houee went Into Committee again on the estimates tonight, but at the time of writing very slow progress Ib being made. Before the Hoaae proceeded to business the Premier made a preliminary Btatement, to the effect that Government had drawn up the estimates with a view to the least possible Injury to individuals. He did not deuy tbat Injustice had been done m some cases perhaps, but these would be act right as they were discovered when Government undertook the classification of officera. Later ou Sir Harry explained that many apparont anomalies were caused by the faot that all aorta of ohangea In the personnel of the officers had been made, but a general reduotion had been made all round.

Government are In communication with ihe various Acclimatisation Societies as ,o the regulations for fishing In rlvera,

Mr Ward threatens to make lt warm for the 'Frlsoo Servloe when the aubjeot ODmes up for diaoaaalon.

A novelty m the way of practical education ia being brought before the House by Mr Ballanoo, who ia directing the attention of the Minister for Lands to the advlsableness during the recess, of obtaining Information ln detail of the system of agricultural education introduoed Into the elementary sohoola of Ireland, where tbo children are taught the principles of agriculture on small farms and gardens. Mr Feldwlok objeotß very strongly to the present law by whioh Inmates of Old Men's Refuges or similar institutions, if fraotlous, may be expelled from tbe building. He gavo the Instance of the old man aged seventy-threo years, who was turned out of the Invercargill Old Men's Home for being drunk. Bo suggests that two or three days on bread and water might meet such cases.

WBpp^fON, August 4. The Opposition olaim that If nothing else, Mr Walker's amendment on Friday, has bad theeffeot of hardenlng;up the party aud Bhowiog just who are not on their side. It waa Buspootod, bo lain Informed, that one of those who went over to tbe Government on Thursday night was Inclined lo sover bis allegiance, and formed a leak from whioh Information as to their aotions was obtained, and that the motion brought on settled the point. Thlß It has effeotually done, and It Ib now claimed that, though numerically smaller, the party will be stronger ln ita organisation, and will have a powerful accession la the persons of Messrs MaoArthuc and Pyke. Aa haa already been shown, at the Instigation of the latter, a meeting of the Opposition was held yesterday, when the genial member for Dunßtan brought down a complete sohemo for the remodelling of the party, wbioh he proposed to oall the " Oonatltatlonal party," This, however, was not agreed to, but the following rosolutiong was adopted : — That a Committee consisting of seven members be appointed to watch over the proceedings of Parliament, and to call general meetings of the party wbonever It Ib doomed desirable so to do ; that Mr Lance be appointed convenor of such meetings ; that no motion affeoting the existence of Government shall be proposed unless it has been submitted to and upproved by the general meeting. The personnel of the Committee has not yet been agreed upon, bnt it will bo fixed at the meeting to be held on Tuesday. It is rumored that the party have more ln oonte^platkp, tyut tj}ls I am aispred is not

the oase, at anyrato, at present, aa it Ib generally agreed that exoept on a aide issne nothing oan be done to oust the Government.