POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3782, 29 August 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[by telegraph.]

TfROII OUR OAVN CORRESPONDENT.] AVellington, This day. The unexpected always turns up. Aestorday was to have been a day of work, unremitting work. AYe were going to shoiv what ive could do Aiitbin a given space of time. The country would stand aghast fit our cnersry. AYe would give a precedent for future generations to follow. Knr.h were our aspirations and hopes when yesterday claimed, but, alas for the realization a select joint committee brought up a report, I'he'subject was a dobatcable one, and the report more dobatcable, because it said nothing, and therefore anything under the sun could be cavilled at tor tho reason that the report said nothing about it. I suppose that is fair comment. AVell, this report on education was passed without comment in the Council, but a report on such a subject in the Assembly, which simply said there was no recommendation to make, could not be allowed _tn puss. I am afraid from the first tho committee ivas not a good one. There was too large a proportion of members avlio favored a par- [ ticular section of it, and thoy set to work in ii maimer that can only be described as unique. The evidence of laymen Avas not up to the mark for the committee, so only clerical Avitnesscs avctc called outside ot the rommittce. Clerical opinion on the subject is so well known that calling such witnesses might well be deemed superfluous. Noav, I don't think there are many individuals outside that committee who dnn'tknoAV that laymen's vicivs differ extremely from the clerical. AVell, of course the result ivas an impromptu debatoof an interesting character —result nil, and general condemnation of committee, many questions were postponed till to-day, so that the notice paper is cumbered Vith thirty-nine of those useless Avasters of time at this late period of the

session

To-day the Treasurer is to announce what lulls are to be dropped, so as I prefer to wait for the official information I willdo no guessing. The Times this morming putslnto the Treasurer's mouth tho ivords that ten bills Avould probably be dropped. Tho Treasurer ivould not uoav name them, but among the number ivould be—then follows a list of nine bills. Is it any wonder that Judge Richmond has such a high opinion of our metropolitan press. lam no great admirer of the Treasurer, but I confess to being too fair to think he would utter such nonsense.

As a sample of how money is wasted a return was presented yesterday of uU bankruptcies in the colony since the passing of the last bill in 1878. In each district they are neither numbered nor summarised, and the return must weigh about 20lbs. Just imagine that weight of paper written all over, full of figures, ivhich through want of additions and such like, are useless. I would like to know what the cost was, and what was tho object to be served. Last night I had to aild up the names in one district numbering nearly one thousand. For tho sake of that little information, after accomplishing that very serious task, I gave up the return. The .Ministry to-day will drop a lot of bills aud introduce seven new ones.