POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3777, 23 August 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[by telegraph.J [FROM OUR OAVN CORRESPONDENT.] AVellington, This day. Tho House was in a good Avorking humor yesterday, and good progress Avas made, some tcii or tAvelvc bills being advanced a stage. As yet the secret as to what bills are going to be dropped has been well kept, and very little has leaked out Avith regard to Ministerial intentions, and the little that has been alloAved to leak out is not at all satisfactoiy. Thero is an airiness about which induces me to take it cum grano sails, and I candidly confess that lam in the dark as to what bills are to be included in the'slaughter Jof tho innocents. In fact this is' made all the more perplexing by iicav bills being introduced almost every day, which, if everything is to be carefully wound up by the last day of the month, must be considered, not only a very useless proceeding, but wasting time Avhich _ might be dcA-oted to better purposes in considering the bills that aro sure to be rushed through at the last. My oavii opinion is that the Ministry are utterly indifferent whether they pass another bill this session or not. They would be prepared in twenty-four hours' notice to put up the shutters for the season, and drop everything just as thoy stand. There was a lively encounter between Sir George Grey and the Treasurer last night. The former charged the Ministry Avith working native reserves _ for the agrandisement of favored individuals, to Avhich the Major "offered to give a committee to consider the point. Government by committee, caucus, Sec, seems to bo popular just now with Major Atkinson, though there was a time—well, no matter ; we'll say nothing about that time—Avhen we had something very different from him. The member for tbe'East Coast, Mr McDonald, was speaking against the Native Bill, last night, and got poetical. Referring to Mr Bryce's statement about defending himself from the attack made by Mr Rusden on him at the Bar of Heaven, Mr McDonald said "what a happy family it would be, Mr Bryce in the centre, Te Kooti, the murderer, on the right hand, Te AVhiti on his left, and I only wish "— Mr McDonald hero paused for a word, and he got it from a member—" that I Avon'the there." He described To Kooti as " tho biggest murderer that ever lived on the face of this earth or any other" amid roars of laughter from his felloAvmembers. Then he Avas pulled up by the Speaker, Avho considered the language he AA'as using—approaching to profanity. Forty-eight questions and eighty-two of tho orders is the modest programme that has to be faced to-day. The Order Paper, instead of being reduced, has been steadily adding to its bulk, members apparently being' resolved that the last number of Hansard shall contain their names. The Times this morning is a littlo rough on the " special " of the Auckland Star for saying that the Ministry have no control over their supporters. AVhatevor the Times may say people are apt to think it docs not mean much, because that paper can see no fault in the Ministry. The truth is that the Government party is Avithout cohesion, only a party in name, and the Ministry cannot control their supporters, but to a great extent aro ruled by them, and every man is his oavu leader. I think I expressed similar views to the above at a very early period of the session. The Dargaville Committee had a short sitting this morning. I believe the evidence has been all taken. If it comes before the House there will be a big debate on the committee's report.