OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 3565, 27 July 1874, Page 2

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

July 22. The Budget Speech was delivered on Tuesday evening, according to promise. Every member at present in Wellington was in his place, and the galleries were well tilled. There was quite a rush to the strangers’ gallery, and many of the fair occupants of the ladies’ gallery had ‘‘spotted” their seats before the afternoon adjournment, and remained in possession until the House met again. Mr Vogel spoke for an hour and a quarter—a short Budget speech for him. He was listened to with wrapt attention, and the general silence was only broken when sonu admission was made or line of policy sketched. The Opposition “ hear, bear’d, ” loudly when hg admitted that the ad valorem duties had largely exceeded his estimate, and again when it was announced that future Defence expenditure would be to a large extent a permanent charge, and when he resumed his scat be was loudly cheered from all sides of the House. Generally, the speech is here considered the best Mr Vogel has declared. It was delivered with the air of a self-satish d man, and if he did ailude rather often to the Public Works policy, it was pardonable, considering how largely the satisfactory condition of things he was explaining was due to that policy. Twice was the House templed to lamdi ; ouce, when Mr Vogel hit MrT, B, Gillies so' hard when he said Auckland was so far behind, and when he himself said the only difficulty the Government had experienced was in deciding what to do with the surplus It will be difficult for a day or two to arrive at a reliable conclusion as to the manner

in which the financial proposals of the Government will be received by the House. Everyone agrees jn the necessity of increasing the salaries of the civil servants; and not a few would have b eu pleased had the special allowance been made a little larger. It is notorieus that many of the salaries—notably those paid to Post Office and telegraph officials—are ridiculously small, compared with the salaries that at present obtain in mercantile and banking business. It is equally well known that many of the best officers in the departments I have referred to, especially the Telegraph, have found it greatly to their advantage to follow other avocations j and that others were preparing to follow suit. For my own part 1 very much doubt if the small increase that has been allowed will prevent the exodus of civil servants which has been going on to such an extent as to absolutely force the Government to come down with an increase of salaries. But this is a digression. On the whole the financial proposals are favorably entertained. Of course our own Superintendent .and Mr Reid are by no means pleased that their Loan Bill has to be put away j while Mr Fifzherbert and his lieutenant, Mr Bunny, are quite savage at the miserable dole JjfclJington is to receive. Mr Fitzherout of the House before the statement was fiuished. Canterbury of course has any amount of cash, and requires no assistance, therefore us members are quite indifferent; .Nelson, Marlborough, an i Wes'land have a sop thrown to them which will keep theirs shut; and Auckland, though piofesatdly disgusted at being ranked with sleepy Hollow,” is content to receive hard blows and uncomplimentary news at the price. Auckland ought to come out of it with an advance of someihing like Lloo,lioo, so that she has every reason to be satisfied. 1 believe if there was the slightest chance of a combination, Otago and Wellington would merge, and give the Government some trouble ; but as things stand Mr Vogel can do almost as he likes. The tinauciai proposals will be carried through without any material amendment, though they will give rise to considerable discussion.

On Tuesday afternoon Mr Vogel kid the Polynesian papers on the table. They form

a pretty bulky bln,'book, but will well repay'perusal. The manaer in which the Premier’s brief remarks in introducing the papers were received leads to the belief that the House will give the matter its early and earnest consideration.

Mr Pyke questioned the Government the other afternoon in reference to the disallowance of th-5 Otago Gold Duty Repayment Bill, and in replying Sir Vogel laid on the table the letter already sent you by telegraph, which fully explains the reasons that induced the Government to recommend his Excellency to disallow the Ordinance Since then the Premier has told Mr J. C. Brown tb*t the Ordinance was disallowed without any reference to the Provincial authorities— an answer that greatly astonished the member fyr Tuapeka, who had been given to understand on pretty reliab’e, if not the bestauthority, that if the Provinc : al Government had shown any desire that the measure should become law a different source might have been ■pursued. Mr Sheehan wa- well supported, but not Slice; ssful i \ his endeavor to obtain a re-ad-justment of the representation before this Parliament expires. None of his arguments or figures were new, but ho most undoubtedly made out a strong case in favor of the

Thames, which, with its 13,0 0 inhabitants, returns only one member, while Taranaki with not one-third - the number, returns three. The existing inequalities, such as Wellington haying two and Auckland three against Dunedin’s two members, were admitted by Mr YogH who, however, said the only effect that would result from a readjustment now would be to allow Canterbury or Otago to squeeze in another representative each. Auckland would nob be able to do s®, nor was it right that she should, seeing how unprogreas've she had been since 1870, when the last adjustment took place. Mr Vogel’s promise to deal with the question in time for next session of Parliament was not at all acceptable to Mr Reader Wood, who said he knew from experience that that was only a polite way of shelving the question, nor to Mr Thomson, Mr O’Neill, or Mr Connor. In fact the speaking was all on one side. Mr Swanson, the “ civil servants’ friend” (?) who likes to call a spade by its proper name, told the House it would never have the matter attended to until it made it one on which the existence of (he Government de-

pended. The previous question moved by the Government was carried by a majority of three, and the question thus shelved. It may be taken for granted that hremen will be exempted from serving on juries Petitions asking for such exemption were presented to the House during the week from the firemen of Dunedin, Wellington dokttika, and Christchurch ; and last night Mr Macandrew moved to bring in a Bil to give effect to the firemen’s request. In a characteristically brief speech, which contained few words but much truth, his Honor referred to the efficiency and usefulness of the brigade. The motion was seconded by Mr Pearce, of Wellington, who eu’ogised the brigades, and sa : d they were entitled to very great encouragement. The only obstacle in the way of carrying out the proposal was pointed out by Mr Vogel, who promised that the Government should deal with the matter next session, as it was advisable to so hedge in any Bill as to prevent the desired privilege being abused. Mr T. L. Shepherd and Mr Wales pointed out that the objection referred to by the Premier woull be removed if the number of men entitled to exemption was limited, and the names of those so entitled gaz-dted ; and Mr Nhepherd lurther said the Dune iin limit would be fixed at thirty efficient foremen. The chief grounds on which the Bill was opposed were that there was difficulty enough in getting jurymen without reducing the panels. Mr Macandrew withdrew his resolution.

The wolf has laiu down with the lamb. On Wednesday night Mr T. L. Shepherd moved the second reading of his Gold-mining Bill, which was actually seconded by Mr Pyke, who praised the measure. There was some sparring between Mr -bepherd and Mr J. (J. Brown, lbs wind-up of which was that toe former dared ,the member for Tuapeka to bring forward any amendments ho might fairly, instead of “ lobbying” in the smokingroom of the House, or the streets of Welling:on, or other places that were unmentionable ! The Bill has been inferred to the Goldfields Committee.

{To he continued.)