WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3564, 25 July 1874, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

[Bt Telegraph.]

(From our own Correspondent.) July 24 Mr Vogel’s two amendments on the Tele- ' graph Bill—the one making it compulsory i on the Telegraph Commissioner to produce telegrams when so requested by either the sender or the receiver of the message ; the other making it compulsory on any person summoned before a Select Committee or Royal Commission to give evidence as to the contents of a telegram improperly divulged, to give such evidence, on receiving at the hands of the Chairman of Committees or Commissioner an indemnity—were carried. On the Regulation of Mines Bill, Mr Reid moved as an amendment to clause 4, “That the expenses of carrying out the provisions of the Act should be defrayed out of the sums voted by the Assembly.” Ayes, 20; Noes, 20. Mr Seymour gave his vote for the ayes, and the amendment was carried. This morning, the Goldfiel's Committee considered Mr Shepherd’s Bill, and came to the following resolution, which was passed on the motion of Mr J. C. Brown “That, in the opinion of this Committee, it is not desirable to pass a new Goldfields Act until the people of the district which it adepts have had full opportunity to consider it; and that the committee recommend that any measure for the amendment of the Goldfields laws should bo prepared by the Government as early as possible after the rising of Parliament, ana copies forwarded to the mem-

beta for Goldfields constituencies for circulation in their respective districts.” The following voted for the resolution Messrs O’Neill, Sheehan, Gibbs, O’Conor, White, Shephard, Pyke, Brown, Harrison, and Thomson ; against, Mr Shepherd being the oply dissentient, refused tp vote. On the Goldfield’s Committee report being read, Mr Shepherd moved the committal of the Bill on Wednesday, and said Mr Pyke’s supporting it in the House, and then endeavoring to kill it in committee, fairly illustrated what his (Mr Pyke’s) political career - was likely to be. The Goldfields Committee was sett'ng the House at defiance by a

motion in committee, moved by that pillar of political wisdom, Mr J. C. Browne. Mr Shepherd pretested against the seven men as incompetent to understand the question, and ef voting necessary legislation. Mr O’Conor said Mr Shepherd arrogated

to himself the position of being the only goldfields representative when he was rejected by part of his constituency. He protested against Mr Shepherd’s hectoring and bn lying. Mr White said Mr Shepherd’s attack on himself was coarse and valgar, and, such as no other me Tiber would use. After some debate the Bill was discharged. The Estimates were passed as far as the item—Resident Magistrates. There was a long discussion over the Crown lands question. Most of the sneakers said the time bad arrived when the Colonial

(Government must take out of the hands of the Provinces all surveying, and appoint a Surveyor-General with a proper Colonial staff. Mr Bunny opposed the idea, as being the thin e d of the wedge for making the Co'ony assume the the waste lands Messrs Wood, Brown, and others strongly urged immediate action by the Colonial Government as regarded the North, and said the people would welcome a change. Mr Vogel said the Government intended to appoint a Surveyor-General, humor says Mr Thomson, of Otago, will receive the appointment.