PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1918, 14 August 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(From our own Cokbespondbnt.) Wellington, August 13. There was a great deal of enthusiasm over the Protection banquet on Saturday night which assisted by articles -of New Zealand produce tended to give plenty of life to the affair, and every ono seemei thoroughly to enjoy themselves. Altogether there were about 100 different presents m the w&y of eatables and drinkables. The display was excellent, some good Bpeeobes were delivered, bat owing to tbe s'z9 of the hall and the nnrabsra present* 5 only vary few oT the speakers could be thoroughly heard. It was intended by the Government, if possible, to bring m a Bill thin session to imend the provisions of aeotion 28 of the L'oeneing Act, 1888, which prohibits Auctioneers from holding publicans Uoouses, m the direction of making it not to apply to owners of hotel property who have no licenses but Mr Hlslop informs me that nothing will "now ba done m the matter. • ; From Ist January, 1883 to 3 let March last, there were exactly 2000 committals to the various Industrial Schools of the colony, the numbers show log a deoided decrease of l*te. In 1883, there were 320, 1884 313, 1885 340, 1886 238, 1887 222, and for the three months of this year 67. -': - :: ; : : . -■- V..: :.,.. • Now that all uncertainty and doubt has been set at rait by the signing Of the eon* tract by tbe Midland Railway Company members are auzlous to have the works under way aa soon as possible and the other provisions of the 'kit given effect to; ■ "'••■ •'* ■•■■'". ""■■.•- : \ From correspondence whibh was presented to the House to-d»y as, to the representation of the mining Industry of the oolony at the Melbourne Inhibition, it appears that the question of dealing with the matter was by consent of the Department left to the Commissioners, Government undertaking to refer to the Mining ..Engineer, all the; descriptive manuscript to be issued by the Govern* mentfor distribntlon at the Exhibition, Replying to the Minister of Mines, Mr Lusk, aoting for the Executive Oommissloner, states thnt the Governor cabled to the .Executive. Commissioners, and was Informed that the mining exhibits were all that could be desired, tfrora subsequent correspondence it appears that all the minerals. shown at the. lndian and Colonial Exhibition; formed » : part of the exhibit?, which have been topplementedby 286 exhibits, making In all 732 exhibits separate from those sent by private exhibitors. Touching this snbj act, Mr Reeves is urging the Miniater of Mines to carry out his promise^ and send Mr Gordon, of the, Mines Department, with an expert from Roefton and another froax Auckland, to the Exhibition, for the purpose of Investigating the methods of gold mining as shown m Melbourne. ' In aodordanoe with the decision of the Goldfields Committee to-day, Mr Seddon, as Chairman, this evening aenta Qumber of telegrams to the local bodies In various gold mining districts asking them if they oan piovide any large specimens ofore tot the FxhlbiMon. - The anticipated resumption of stone* walling fell flit to-day and ended very inlldly, after all that had been threatened and expected. Shortly after the House got into Committee this afternoon on tbe Native Lands Courts Bill, Sydney Tatwhanga Intimated that his instructions from the Native Chiefs were to oppose this Bill as he had done tbe Native Land 8111, <if Government would not agree to postpone it. This having been repeated on a question from, the Premier, Sir H. Atkinson appealed to the Chairman as to whether, as Tat whanga had said he was aoting under instructions of the Native Ob Iff s, it was not a case of threatening Parliament. The Chairman agreed that there was a threat impliedi and; he ex* pressed a hope that it would not be re* peated. Then followed a desultory argument as to whether Talwhangr. had on B'tlday promised not to stonewall and further the astute Sydney stated that his promUe had only referred to oneßill. The Premier gave him to understand that if stone* walling were persisted la be should: have to take the sense of the House and' put a stop id It With a firm "hand: Talpuß appeared, to fee affeoted by the attitude of the Premier for he Intimated that he would noi resume his stonewalling, but the invincible Sydney did not take things so quietly and for some time proceeded to debate the BUI m a manner which had all the appearanoe of stonewalling.; He suddenly stopped, however, and expressed the belief that it was impossible for him to obstruct the Bill by himself, and he should give up the attempt, but be pro* tested strongly against the Introduction of the measure which would have the effect of killing the Maori race. Having thus delivered himself, he rose; to leave the Chamber. In spite of the remarks of Mr Carroll, that it was one right of the Maoris to see the disousßion out he abandoned the fight and retired. After* this fiasco the Bill was discussed' m a rational manner, but a strong. fight was made against it by the other Native members. Mr Hutchison Is Interesting himself m the frozen meat trade, and, for the purpose of putting a stop to the fraudulent system which at present prevails In London of selling all classes of mutton as best New Zealand, Is urging the Government to Introduce next session a Bill having for its object the enforcing of .uniformity m the marking of frczea beef and mutton exported from the oolony. As another means of making the trade more prodootlve, Mr Hutchison is bringing under the notice of the Minister for Pablio Works the advisability of nufcfcut an alteration In the carriage of dead meat on the New Zealand railways, m the direo* tlon of allowing it to be obarged for by the truok, instead of by weight as at present. If these innovations are given effaot to, the reunlt isiexpeoted to be very beneficial to the trade! Mr Mills Intends to move, If opportunity is given him, a motion to the effect that, with; a view Jo reducing ,!« Hansard," only a prom 'of members' ' speeohes should be given m future, excepting speeohes of Ministers and members when introducing Bills and In reply, and all speeches made on any: resolution which Is made a Government question. The Hon Dp Menjsles,: M.L.0., who returned to his home m Soqthlsnd ' last week, m first-rate health, Is now said to be so seriously til that his friends' ate exceedingly anxious about him. >:.<- There are twenty-fonr Sootohmen^elght Irishmen, four Maoris, and two gentlemen of foreign extraction m the House of Representatives. The residue are either English born, or Colonials of English descent. The members actually born m this colony do not number ■ score. Mr Monk Is the oldest Native, Me Rhodes the youngest. Mr Ward, however, runs Mr Rhodes very close j both are thirty - one years of age. WELLINGTON, August 14. Ministers are naturally very pleased at the collapse of the stonewalling over the Native Bills and the subsequent progress made, and It is thought that this will clear the air very considerably for a<a early prorogation- whioh is 'expected to take place at the end of next week. 1 If the debate on the' San Franolsoo mall service question is concluded In time Mr Mltohelsoa Intends to deliver his Public Works Statement to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. The statement has been quite ready for some time past, and Government have simply been waiting to have the Native Bills and 'FrUeo service first cleared out of the way; I understand tnavGoTernment hay« arranged for sending to tbe Melbourne Exhibition ten tons of representative New Zealand auriferous ores (five tons from each Island) to be ocusbed and tested by UMQhlntrJr at tb« ExhJbUtoUi swrx^