POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1113, 31 August 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Through our Exchanges. The question of allowing Press reporters to have access to Select Committees appointed hy the House, and to report their proceedings if they thought tit to do so at any time, occupied the House for a considerable lime. It arose out of the privilege motion brought forward hy Mr Dargaville last night in connection with the publics tion hy the Evening Post of a paragraph purporting to stale what took place at the Dargavillo Atkinson Committee Sir George Grey, in proposing Hie amendment, spoke at considerable length, but the matter was finally shelved hy the motion for the adjournment of the debate for sis weeks being carried. It has been generally reported for the last day or two that Mr Pyke is to be one of the Hoyal Commission wh'ch will probably be appointed to report on the dummyism m Otago. Wellington seems resolved to have a fa : r share of Government expenditure for building. A new post and telegraph-office is just about finished, at a cost which, I am informed, will reach L2(),0I)0. .Since last session Parliament buildings have had additions, including lighting, at a very la r ge cost, and plans for additions to Parliament House have been exhibits I this session, to cost, as per Estimates, some L 25.000. Plans for a new gaol have been laid on the table, the estimati d coit being L 82.000 ( ic). A new customhouse is also sp ken of, and Mr Daniel, member for Wallace, ia urging the House to erec a new printing office as wel . I fancy the expenditure here in the pur chase of land, buildings, repairs, furnishings, and the like will tot up to nearly half a million since the 'eat of Government was lemoved he ein 1865. No wonder tha - so much additions' taxation is lequire l. Thjd of property tax cannot by any possibility, with the other available revenue, m et the year’s expenditure, and 1 should not be a all astonished m xt session to learn that IJ property tax at last will have to bo impo-e Nearly the whole afternoon of Tuesday was taken np wuh an irregular and rather ill tempered debate on the education ques tion. in which about 30 members took part. The whole thing arose out of areport brought up by Mr' inrent Pyke, the char man ot the joint Education Petitions Committee Mr Pyke also brought up an enormous pile •if evidence. The debate lasted about two hours, and considerable bitterness was ap parent on the part of several members. The question of appointing a eew Minister will com • before the House to-morrow Major Hanis intends asking Governin-nt whether they will, when appointing another Minister, take into consideration the great necessity of having a Minister for Agriculture. The Ronds and Bridges Construction Act Arne d n n Bill b t odm e I hy Major Atkinson, pr vi es that any toads gaz tte 1 before the 31st of March of tha year, an t declared hy a resolution of the House of Kepresen at-ives passe I during the present session lo bo main roads for the purposes o f the said Act, shall be mdn roads for the parunse of any appli-a ims under the aid Act. made before the 30 hj day of June pa°t. ' pnlications fora loci bodies ate limm dto LSOOO ami applications for er. c inn of Ini ig-s are to have priority over roads. In the event, of aC moty Council making applicati nt r a giant or the ereo ion of a arid e, the cost of which is more than LSO HI, the application may he receive! and granted in pmporti m with other ap ideations, tbs nalahce being a ehar.e upon th" fund for istribiiti-ni in proportion wi hj oth»r appli-c-timis in the next and subsequent years, tint so that no more than 1 500 d shad he pail in any one year, unless ih-re is a suffic ent balance of the fund fir distrain n-iii fo winch app ieation his not been male. Imprest paym-nts may he mile f mu time to nine t-i the fun Is of the local ho ry hv the Colonial treasurer, ami ihe -cc puts of expenditure are to he supplied an lan d'ed. Money mis ipplie' is to be recovere i as a de'-t o Hie Crown, and no furthoi grant shall he ma le to any local body mi approiiriatingany money until the mailer hj .s been leported to Parliament.