POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3161, 16 August 1881, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.]

(FHOM OI7K OWN CORRESPONDEKT.; Wellington, August 16. The following is the principal claiise in the Pensions Bill: —" In case any person enjoying any superannuation or retiring allowance, shall be appointed to fill any public department, or shall in other way become recipient of money paid out of colonial revenue, every such allowance shall cease to be paid for any period subsequenfc to such appointment, if the annual amount of profits of office, or other appointment, or emolument to which he has become entitled Shall be equal to those of the office formerly held by him, and in case they shall not be equal to those of his former office, then no more of Buch superannuation allowance shall be paid to him, than what with his •alary of his new appointment, or other emolument shall be equal to that of his former office." There was a very thin attendance in the House last night, and the members who spoke on the Representation Bill, did so in a half hearted manner, as they would fain know a little more of the probabilities of the bill passing before they unreservedly declared themselves. The Gaming and Lotteries Bill is yefc in the throes of disputation. The Council disagree with certain amendments made by the Lower House, and fche objections raised appear to be jasfc and reasonable. The bill as sent to fche Upper House was strictly and unwservingly coercive. A Committee has been appointed from among the members of the Lower House to consider the objections and amendments. Ifc is believed that the Government object to the hill being altered, bufc there is little chance of it becoming law without concessions are made. Another clever sketch by ' Ignotus' appears in this morning's New Zealand Times, relating to Captain Russell. William R. Russell, a wealthy run-holder, son of Colonel Russell, afc one time Colonial Defence Minister, is well educated, wifch good abilities, a diligent and extremely anxious Student;. He entered parliament under most favorable conditions. His own constituents and parliamentary veterans all believed that he would achieve high political fame, and some day would be a Minister, or perhaps, even a Premier. His early actions after entering the House seemed to justify this belief, because his very carefully prepared Bpeech gave -'promise of a brilliant success. Soon, however, the student life of * plain living and high thinking' was changed, and the quiet country run-holder found the winter duties of Wellington as fatal to him in their seductiveness as were the festivities of Capua to Hannibal's army when in their winter quarters before Rome. Unless he take heed defeat will attend the modern as well as the ancient soldier.

Ifc is now pretty well known thafc the writer of these sketches sits on fche opposition benches and is an ex-Minister.