PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 3284, 29 August 1873, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(BV OUK SPECIAL REPORTER.)

Wellington, August 25. I suppose for the benefit of your mining readers I must give some short ;u;,oust of what took place on the motion of Mr ' '’Neil to reduce tUe gold duty fid per ounce during the ensuing year. It will be born :in mind that the impression left on the raining mind from last session’s proceedings, w;u that this tax should he reduced rixpence annually uncii it became extinct. Mr O’Neil drew particular attention to this fact, and said all that he warned for the miners was fair play. He made a long speech on the subject, but was lacking in apt illustrations, has a bad delivery and precision as to data. The gist of what he said may thus bo summarised:— Ho wanted an expression of opinion from the House on the subject—wanted to see who would advocate the reduction, and how the goldfields members would* vote. Mr Vogel said “No !” and then wandered away discussing the mint business, to return, however, to say he was sorry the reduction was made last year, that the tax was a light one, and that goldfields members should be thankful to outside members for opposing the reduction. That the diUty collected fell not on the miners themselves generally, but on companies, and then made the astounding assertion that miners* wages were exceptionally high on the Thames. He compared the gold duty to the rent paid by pastoral tenants, and informed members that while gold duty was only paid on the gold obtained, wool had to pay rent whether the market was up or down, and the occupation profitable or the reverse. Every goldfields member would doubtless get up and bully him, but still he must say no. Mr O’Conor was prolix on the matter—he had crammed himself to repletion with statistics and facts ; and nature, self-asserting, compelled their infliction on the blouse. Are they not all narrated in the bluecolored books of Parliamentary records that can be perused and digested during the recess ? Next to the hon. member for the Dnostan, Mr Luckie is one of the most ardent supporters of the Ministry—everything that emanates from the lips of a Minister is of course to them excnthearci. When one of the defeated candidates for Wakatip contested, or started to contest, a seat at Tuapska several years ago, he got snowed up on the road. There was a whisky mill in the neighborhood, and for some time during his stay at the mill he had imbibed pretty freely. Previous to starting on bis journey again in the evening over the hard-crusted snow, he was advised to grease his horse’s legs well before starting, to prevent their sticking in the drift. So the incipient legislator got a bucket of slush, and with coat off and shirtsleeves rolled up commenced greasing the legs of his Arab from the stifle and forearm downwards. Now these gentlemen, in nautical parlance, are greasedfrom clue to earing. They are boa constrictors and a-half at swallowing any Ministerial food put before them. The member for Nelson City got up and ranted about “ bunkum and spurious sympathy” for miners, and said Nelson would lose L2,5U0 per annum by the reduction ; Westland, L 2,100 ; Auckland, L 2,337 ; and Otago, L 4,236. Now, what Mr O’Uonor told the member for the Grey Valley may be said of the member for the Dunstan if he holds his tongue on this subject, “he does not represent his constituents,” and that he had better not again face them. Mr Gillies (Waikouaiti) spoke like a man on the subject, emitting uo uncertain sound —said the tax was a class one—it mat tered not whether it were little or much : it was unjust, and should therefore be repealed. Mr White, of Hokitika, told the Premier it was not statesmanlike to tax any particular industry, and that although Auckland could not meet current goldfields expenditure unless this impost were continued, the Assembly had no right to look at this subject, or any other, in a local point of view. The question will again be brought before the nouse most probably on Wednesday next.

There was rather a lively hour and a-half’s sparring on Thursday evening about the Otago Yarn! Bills Nos. 1, 2, and 3. The Speaker could nob make the matter out at all—the three Bills wore too many for him. He reminded your reporter of Dundreary, who could never count the number of his fingers right—always had one too many. The Independent, of course, could not let the opportunity slip of descanting on the free tights of Otago that take place annually on this question. This paper has a peculiar course to steer. On the one hand, it is recognised as containing a large amount of spluttering from the brain of Julius, while on the other it has to advocate the views of Provincialism as pleasing to Wellington statesmen and conducive to Wellington prosperity. Its columns are generally pretty inane, and valuable chiefly from their inspiration. Newspaper proprietors exact too much work from their editors, hence the reason editorial matter in the present day resembles that which prevailed in the days of the patriarchs. When you get hold in the present day of a crisp, sparkling leader you read it over twice and wonder where it come from.

The Independent this morning gives the Wellington public some .Southland news, viz., that the pastoral tenants of Southland pay a fraction over sixpence halfpenny per acre to the Province of Otago for their depasturing licenses. I suppose this information will be as novel in Southland as it is here. Verily the people of Southland are long suffering and meek. I had no idea this portion of the Province was so overtaxed in comparison with Otago proper, vshich pays not quite one penny per acre—so says the print—for a similar privilege.