NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 851, 9 August 1878, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

(Continued from our last.) July 30th, 1878.

Mr Seymour George, member for a West Coast constituency, moved tho Address in reply ; and Mr Mo'As seconding. Dr. Wallis, the Hon. Mr Fox, and Mr Wakefield spoke in reply. From the “Evening Star.”

The intention of the Opposition is not to discuss the speech. So far as any organised Opposition exists, the tactics of the leaders arc not to show any front or give battle at present. They will probably allow the Ministerial measures to slide through, in the hope that they will he loosely framed and productive of public discontent ; thus undermining the stability of the Government and giving an organised Opposition a better chauce next session. The Opposition also hope to widen the differences existing between certain Ministers. The Government will endeavour to force the Opposition to a division, in order to show the latter’* weakness.

To-day Mr Hunter asks the Government whether they intend to amend the bankruptcy law ; and Mr Walter Johnston will ask whether the Government will make a grant in aid of Homan Catholic schools, also what county Kawau Island is in, and if anv highway rates have been paid in respect of t.

Mr Gisborne moves for a retnm of lh« Colonial expenditure on immigration during the last eight yearn. It is intended to ask tlie Government their reasons for inviting tenders for the Tapanui railway in the form they did.

It 13 said that Mr Ballanco makes a treasurer of Spartan-type reverity, and that he refused to put down items to fulfil some of thopromisesmade by the Minister of Works. A nice little, scandal is going about the lobbies re Bellamy's. It is said that the Civil servants managed during the recess to become indebted to Bellamy’s to the tune of LSOO. This fact was brought to light by the House Committee, who, it is said, intend to issue a dunning circular to the debtors, accompanied with a threat to lay a return of the names of the delinquents on the table of the. House, The consequence is that there is immense consternat'on in most of the recesses of “ the largest wooden buildings of the world.”

. Permanent members of the Opposition My that no more loans are to he authorised this session, not even for the grand trunk railways, while Ministers retort they don’t want any.

The Civil servants are ponring nnt jeremiads because the Economic Ministry, as it is now termed, keep them working till two or three in the morning. They are urging members to introduce a Civic Servants Early Closing Bill ; but, mtrabi/e. diclu, the wives of members of the Civil Service say that. Miniaters are not always responsible (or these late hours,

I have it t on good authority that Mr Reader Wood went to London empowered to relieve Sir Julius Vogel on the receipt of a cable message, and that Mr Maoandrew has since been fault-finding, and counselling cheese-paring, in the hope of compelling Sir Julius to resign in disgust, but bo far without success. Sir Julius’s friends in the House say that it was little short of an insult when Mr Macandiew questioned such a small matter as the necessity of nine rooms for the Agent-General’s offices. On Ait that the Opposition contemplate endeavouring to take the wind out -of the sails of the Government by being more ul tra.democratic than Sir .George. Grey. Mr Whitaker has prepared a Bill dealing with manhood suffrage and electoral reform somewhat similar to the Bill he prepared last session. The Bill embraces, it is said, manhood suffrage with equal electoral districts on the,basis of population and a modification of Hare’s system. It is rumoured that Mr Curtis will introduce a Bill for the refoim of the Upper House. Other measures of the same tendency are in contemplation. Re the report that Ministers intend to postpone their proposed change in the incidence of taxation, I have the Ministerial authority for the statement that the report is j that changes .iq, the .incidence of taxation will be introduced in the Financial Statement. The idea in some quartern is that Ministers desire to keep the impression afloat, that, the incidence of taxation is dropped in order to deceive the Opposition. In the lobby to-day one lion, member, with the Bribery Agt in hand, was heard to say, “I say this is coming it too strong. They want to make us too honest.”

Ministers have been so frequently disappointed by the reports in the local Press, and the cause being attributed to the bad accoustic properties of the chamber, there is now proposals to removo the Press gallery to a more.advantageous position. One propoaal is to take in a portion of’tho strangers’ gallery. Many members of the Press believe that the accoustic properties of the chamber arc impaired hy breakages in the wire net-work fitted up some sessions ago for the purpose of improving the sound.

Mr Mason’s Bill on coal mines will be introduced and referred to tbe Mines Committee. It deals principally with the management of mines.