POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3139, 20 July 1881, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.]

(>KOM OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, July 20.

Mr Ormond's notice of amendment on the Crown and Native Lands Rating Bill has been accepted by the Government in the light of a direct want of confidence motion. It is understood that, if carried, Ministers will a3k for a dissolution, and if granted will appeal to the country. It is rumored that an attempt will be made, in view of the possibility of a premature dissolution, to bring about the repeal of the Triennial Parliaments Bill. The withdrawal of Mr Sheehan's motion for the repeal of the Abolition of Provinces Act, without his having made any attempt to make a stand on it as anticipated, is causing much comment, some going so far as to say that it was merely done at the instigation of the Government to divert attention from Sir George Grey's local government measure. Mr Sheehan, however, both publicly and privately, strongly denies that he is acting in collusion with any one, and asserts that he will yet divide the House on the question in another form. Much unfavorable comment is being made on the fact that the estimates are not ready yet. An attempt was made last night to elicit from the Government when the Redistribution of Seats Bill will be ready, but they made no sign. The business of the House generally is getting into a disorganised and unsatisfactory condition. Mr Shrimski's Pension Bill provides that from and after the passing of this Act no pension, superannuation, or other annual allowance, be granted or paid to any person retiring from the public service of New Zealand, except under its provisions—that no pension or allowance be paid without the knowledge of the General Assembly ; that no pension or allowance be paid until the proposal shall have been notified to the Assembly in Parliament assembled, and a report on the proposed pension or allowance be placed before the General Assembly ■no action shall be taken to grant such pension or allowance until the end of the session on which such report is presented forbid the granting of any such pension or allowance ; persons in receipt of pensions re-entering the public service shall receive a salary less the amount of their pension ; that from the date of the passing of the Act no persons who shall become entitled to any pension, superannuation, or retiring allowance payable out of colonial revenue shall be eligible to sit in the General Assembly of New Zealand. Later. The majority on Mr Ormond's want of confidence motion is variously estimated at from five to twelve. Both sides will manoeuvre for an early division, and if beaten, as seems inevitable, Ministers will resign, throwing on Mr Ormond the responsibility of forming a Ministry, in the belief that he will be unable to do so. Mr Ormond, however, holds a very strong hand.