POLITICAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 979, 21 November 1910, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

■ ,-■ PROGRAMME FOR TO-DAY. Neither the House' of Representatives nor l the Legislative Council will sit this afternoon. The morning and afternoon will •bo given over to tho committee which is inquiring into tho Inst of the charges made by Mr. Hine. 'Die House will meet at 7.30 p.m., when the most interesting item which is anticipated 'will be tho explanation by the Prime Minister of the' numerous amendments made by the Legislative" Council in the Gaming Amendment Bill. The Legislative Council will not meet again until to-morrow afternoon, when it will probably go '• on with tho committee stages of the JMucation Amendment Bill and the Education Reserves. Amendment. Bill; ■■

THE DYING SESSION. For several weeks now members have been "tipping" various dates as the day on which they would cease from their legislative labours.. Most of these dates have already been passed, and still the Statute Book is" being fattened. This week is now generally "tipped" as the last of the present session, !and some members have gone the length of booking their. steamer or train berths for Saturday, next. Not that there, is not enough work ahead to keep, members in Wellington considerably longer, but the real factor that will count is that members are anxious to.go home, and when they are homesick tho work has to adapt itself to their capabilities and wishes. A certain number of Bills will be rushed through, and the rest will be dropped. The disconcerting factor is the committee which is investigating Mr. Hine's charges. Ihe House cannot riso till this committee lias reported, and it has not yet finished taking evidence. But rnmour has it that it will hustlo. things along at. a. sufficient pace to enable tho House to rise on either Friday or Saturday. THE GAMING BILL. .' , One of the most thorny subjects the ■Government has:yet to.dispose of this ses:sion is the Gaming Bill. :A number of Amendments nave been made by the Legislative Council, and as there is a difference of opinion as to the effect of these, they will probably bo fiercely debated in tho-Hpuse early, this week. The Prime Minister is faced with this difficulty. There are.two members of the Executive who are, to say the least, of it, not antagonistic to the bookmaker. The House and the country may want. tlie bookmaker to go, but. it is rumoured that in order to restore harmony in the Cabinet the Government may make the differences between the House and the Council and tho Council an excuse for dropping the Bill. This, however, would kindle such a the country that it is considered hardly "likely. Cabinet would take the risk involved. . > . ■. •',- The Hon. Dr. Findloy, when asked Last evening by ;a representative ~ of the. Dominion if .lie could, say definitely whether the Bill as amended will make it il-. legal 'for .a bookmaker to bet on any racecourse whateVef/and whether',it. will prevent bookmakers from betting on any course, -repliedvithat the effect .of the amendments'made by the/ . Legislative ,'Cburicil'har!. yet to be explaihed.to the House by.STr;Joseph Ward. :-When giving ' this explanation, Sir. Joseph Ward would mako quite clear the full effect and meaning of what had been dope. ;

j THERMAL SPRINGS DISTRICT. The Thermal Springs District Bill, which: was circulated on Saturday, repeals the .Thermal Springs District Act of 1808, and provides that where any Nativo land in the North Island has situated 'thereon' or.- contiguous, thereto any thermal or mineral spring, river, stream, lake, pool, geyser, or other.thermal or mineral ; -water; 'ab alienation of; that land shall without the precedent .consent of the Goverhor-in-Council, be confirmed by a Maori Land. Board under Part XIII ot the Native ! Land Act, 1909, or .effected by a Maori Latid ! Board under section three hundred and .-.fifty-six of thntAct; and such consent may be granted: or refused bv, the Govcrnor-in-Coimcil as ho thinks ■fit* ' No alienation confirmed or.effected by a Maori Land Board 'shall-.be .invalidated by any breach of the provisions of this section, but any person: who wilfully commits,-aids, abets, instigates, procures, or, attempts to procure any breach, of this £ection;.or-is otherwise wilfully a consenting party to any such breach'or attempted breach shall be guilty of- an . indictable offence, punishable in any case in which-the defendant is a body corporate by a fine not exceeding JEIOOO, and m any other-dase by-a-fine not exceeding, ,£500,or by imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding ■ twoyears. The Bill declares Rotorua township and adjacent lands to be Crown lank instead'.of Native Lands and vests the lands in the King, subject to all valid leases at the commencement of the Act.