PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 237, 25 October 1878, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

The House of Representatives was startled from its somnolent propriety on Friday last by a speech from Mr Barton, reiterating, and putting into somewhat plainer shape, his charges against the judicial Bench. Elsewhere will be found some remarks upon this subject. There has been a little flutter over the '* special wire " proposals. Briefly stated, the case stands thus :—The proprietors of three newspapers, the New Zealand Herald Auckland, Lyttelton Times, and Otago Daily Times, made a proposition to the Government to lease from the Telegraph Department the right to a "special wire" from Auckland to the Bluff, the Department supplying the necessary operators at all the principal stations. The.lessees to have the exclusive right to this wire from 7 p.m. to 2. a.m. On this proposal being referred to the General Manager, Dr Lemon, he estimates the cost to the Department of the service asked for at £4008 per annum. Thereupon, further correspondence ensued, which terminated in the Government finally offering the wire asked for, with some modifications in the terms, for £2000 a year. Hereupon a smart little debate ensued, Messrs M'Lean, Wakefield, and Fox characterising the transaction as one intended to favor three or four journals which are staunch supporters of the Government at the expense of the rest. Messrs Stout and Fisher both denied this, and stated that tli3 Press Agency could obtain the same facilities on the same terms. The Press Agency do not see the matter in this light, as they have presented a petition to the House, praying that they may be placed on an equal footing.

The following Bills have been discharged from the order paper : —Fencing Bill. Fine Arts Copyright Amendment Bill, Fisheries Preservation Bill, Publicans' Licenses Bill, Brands Registration Bill, Impounding Bill, Bribery Bill, Dog Registration Bill, Wanganui Harbour .Board and River Conservators Bill, Dunedin Botanical Gardens Bill. The Electoral Bill is still in Committee in the Council. On the motion of Mr Waterhouse, the Council amended clause 147 in such a manner as to vitally affect the whole machinery of election. The clause as amended, gives each elector only one vote, and entitles him to vote for only one candidate, no matter how many are to be elected. This would of course completely upset our present system. Wherever two members were to be elected, the minority of the electors could always return one of them, and thus neutralise the voice of the majority. This amendment was carried by 18 to 18. The Times correspondent says there is not the slightest chnncc of its being agreed to by the llo'ise, and that the whole Bill will probably be Abandoned. However, it is possible that honorable Councillors may not insist on so radical a change at the last moment. A former amendment they rescinded themselves. A new clause to close public-houses on election days was carried by 15 to 153. After the usual adjournment at l(i o'clock (N.B. —This adjournment is for a smoke and liquor-up), their Lordships re-committed the Bill, and struck out the clause by 15 to 14.