POLITICAL ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1217, 26 June 1885, Page 3

POLITICAL ITEMS.

Mr Bradshaw has been re eles'e! Chair* m-n of the Native Affairs Committee, and Mr Pyke Chairman of the Goldfields Com« mil tee. The Comities Amendment Act proposes to allow each iding to receive its own ratei, and also pro idea that where there is no district, and never was any, a certain proportion of the rates shall go to the riding. The new provisions in the Hon Mr Ballance’s Lmd Act are nnimnertant. They include clauses for the leasing of sections not including fifty acres on p rpetnal system. the sections to he open on application and a clause regarding the leasing of mineral springs. Sir G. Grey’s neat little speech in moving the Address to the Queen, has won golden opinions from al soils of people. The ‘ Post ’ says that it was exactly what such a speech ought to bo. There was nothing exaggerated nr supeifluons in his remarks, and they found an echo in the hearts n f all who heaul them. Even Mr Wakefield was enraptured with it. In a leader in the * Press ’ be savs : The motion tself was a model of parliamentary composition, and the speech in which it was moved would have been marred by the omission, addition, or alteration of a ringlet word. I! Sir

George had known or discerned the power he wields from the'"beginning of his eon* nectiou with the politics of New Zealand, he would haye spoken yesterday not from the cross. benches hut from his place of Premier of the strongest and most perma ne"t Government ever seen in the Colony." The Canterbury and Otago Marriages Bill is an Act for remov.ng doubts as to the validity of certain marriages solemnised in the provincial districts of Canterbury and Otago respectively. From the preamble to this bill it appears that a certain marriage has been solemnised at Amberley, Canterbury, by the Hev.William M ‘Gregor, of the Presbyterian Church, and other marriages have- bt en solemnised at Hawea Flat anil Lower Hawea, Otago, by the Rev. James Odjnqr, of 'he Presbyterian Church, and' air Invercargill by the Rev. Thomas Hairingtobi '"a Baptist minister, the neinss of the aforesaid ministers having been omitted from the list of officiating minis tera ; of which they were not cognisant at the time of the solemnisation of such mar* riages respectively. I'he Bill validates these marriages as if all the formalities required by any of the provisions of the Act had been duly, observed and complied with. The key-note of the local government policy is a measure to be called the Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Bill. It is proposed to repeal the Roads and Bridges Construction 'Act, and to anbsiitu ■« the subsidy principle for a fixed term of years All local bodies will receive a subsidy on thrir- rates at the rate of L .for L up to LIOOO, The subsidy will be paid for half of the current financial year and the succeeding twenty live years. In addition to their share of the general -subsidy, all the goldfields counties will receive-,a special grant of L2OOO per annum each for five yea s and a half; that is.’ for half of the current financial ■ year they will- receive LIOOO, and for .the succeeding five years L2OOO per annum. It is estimated that the general and g -Idfields sunsidies will average L 300.000 annually for the twenty five yea s. The L 150.000 required for the ensuing half year- from 3lst October to 3lst March—is to he provi led foe in the Eati mates as follows: —L50,000 from the Pnblio Works Fund, and 1100,000 from the Con solidared Pu d. During the five years from March 31, 1886, Ll5O 000 will be token annual y from the Public Works Fund, and the bal nee from the Consolidated Fund ; and for the remaining period of twenty years the whole of the required amount will be charged against the Conans lidated Fund. Cities and other local bodies will pa-ticipaie in the subsidies. Existing obligations under the Koads and Bridges Construction Act will not be abrogated The measure, -which is exceptionally well rawn, will probably be committed this afternoon.

Sir Julius Vogel has given notice to intreduce the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Bill. The bill proposes to repeal the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and provides in lien thereof the granting of subsidies in local bodies. The subsidies will be at the rate of pound for pound on the general rate struck, and will extend to a period of 25 years. The fund for this will bo drawn partly from the consolidated revenue and partly from the public works funds. In addition to the general «üb-idy. a special subsidy of LlOdO a year will ' e paid to each of the goldfields county conn oils, and authority will be given to hem to borrow for goldfields woiks on security of the subsidy. This special subsidy to goldfields districts is probably in lieu of the re venue now accruing from the gold but, but which it is propose t to abolish.

The Gold Export Duty Aliolition (Sir Julius Vogel) is a short bill of four clauses. It prov des that no export duties shall be leviable on gold produced in the Colony after the expiration of two calender months after the passing of this Act, though all gold obtained before or with a suih two months is subject to duty ; and the exporter must make a declaration before the collector of customs as to when the gold was obtained. This section of the Act is only intended to be operative for. 12 months For a false declaration there is a penalty of LSIIO or two vears’s m prism men t. Si' Julius Vogel has presented an unusually comprehensive Financial -Statement unusually early. He has reviewa 1 the country's position with admirable 'clearness ; ha has stated bis requirements with great pre cision, and he has made bis, proposals with considerable force. 'No' Vine who reads that very statesmanlike dociimeut can fail to realise one great; fact: 1 The Statement is the b at justification which, has yet been made, and ihe most practically unans verable, of the Stont-Vogel compact. An in crease of nearly L9),000 in "the Customs is a big call to make, an I must have entailed cnniderable labour and exhaustive, as well as exhausting, thought. Whether it will he accoptvb e to the majority in the Colony, on account of its Pro eotive tendency, remains to be seen.' We think some expression of public opinion ought to be taken on the subject. The rao-t cheerful part of the Statement is that which relates to - he conversions, to the loans of the past, and the loans of the fUtuie. '• In asking f >r a million for n. Xt year, ..Sir Julius has kept within the limits of strict necessity. This is prudence, and the increase of the annual expenditure entailed by the loan-will not be too ranch for his skilful finance to cope with.—Lyttelton Times.