WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3585, 19 August 1874, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

[By Electric Telegraph ] {From'our cion Correspondent. ) August 18. Some extraordinary revelations have be.n made before the Ward-Chapman Committee. Scandal forms the prominent feature. Mr Macassey and the lady witness contradict each other on the subject. The evidence, if printed, will astonish your readers. Mr Stafford does not arrive till to morrow He will probably speak in the evening, Mr Fitzherhert following him. Mr Shepherd asked whether the Government would ca 'se a case to be submitted for the decision of the Supreme Court as to the right of miners to foul rivers and streams under the existing Goldfields Acts. He explained that several suits had been commenced in Otago against miners for fouling streams, and it would be mueh in the intere-t of miners that tbe doubt at picsent existing as to their right to do si ) should be get at rest. Tbe cheapest way would be for a friendly suit to be instituted, with the.object of laying a case before the Supreme Court for decision. The Premier said the Govirnment were fully alive to the importance o,f the question, and, having regard to the interests of the would consent to p.iy the costs of both sides, if the litigants would consent to such a cours-. Mr Shepherd, in said it would be easy, if necessary, to raise a friendly suit with the view of deciding the question, and the steps to be taken. He would take advantage of tho offer of the Government.

The Cromwell Waterworks Bill, introduced by Mr T- L- shepherd, and authorising the Corporation to raise L 5 000, for a water supply, has passed through both Houses. August 19. The Legislative Council last night passed the second reading (f the Forests Bill, the Dunedin Waterworks Bill, and the Regulation of Elections Act, They threw out the Southland Waste Lands Amendment Bill by 17 to 10, on Mr Nurse’s motion that it be read that day six months. In the House of Representatives the debate was resumed by Mr Sheehan, who made a good speech. He said they might trace the cause of the sudden move on the part of the Premier to the comet, as much as to anything else. The Northern Province never sponged on the Southern, and tho time would come when the North would assist the South, but would not boast of it. Because the Premier was overworked was no reason why the Provinces should be abolished. Mr Tribe said he supported the public works policy, because he believfed there was nothing for the Provinces to do. He referred to the shameful mismanagement of public works by rich Canterbury, and said that Central legislation vVas killed by the presence of Superintendents and their tails. The country was tired of Provincialism, and the West Coast was unanimously in favor of tho resolutions. He moved that the new system should' be extended to the South, the country be appealed to, and close next srssion on the subject. One-half of the members at present in the House were recipients in some" way or other of Provincial money. Therefore they were not unbiassed in their judgment, If Government was forced to go to the country, it would have nine-tenths of the constituencies at hia hack. Mr Gibbs supported and Mr Murray opposed the resolution. The latter charged the Government with haviiig a slavish, abject majority at its back. On being called to order, he substituted “humble.”

Mr Reader Wood made a powerful speech in favor of the resolutions. He characterised the Opposition as of the weakest character, and therefore they were wise in selecting' Mr j Beeves as the leader. The chief objection , of the Opposition seemed to be that the time : was not opportune fdr organic changes. The answer was that there was no time like the present. The ■Government had been forced . into the present line of action.’ He was supposed to have only uttered the threat to keep Wellington in order, but it was evident that higher motives hud animated him. He did not deny that he had looked on the Public Works Scheme with alarm, but he could not forget that in 1872 Mr T. B. Gillies told them he did not care to engage in a game of unlimited loo; ytt he had done so, and secured all the stakes. He had no doubt a larf;e saving could be effected with oue Government, and claimed Mr Maoandrew as a convert to the idea that the present sysrot? 1 v^ U^e Government was a mistake. 1 he subject was not being discussed on its the land funds to do with it ? The compact of 1855 was that the land fund should be locally distributed. That was the Premier’s view. Provincialism bad been the only form of Government in the early days, and it did well, but as time went on institutions once local became central and in their turn handed over local government to still more local institutions. If T rovincialism were abolished to-morrow the Government would gb on as usual. Mr Williamson characterised Mr Wood’s assertion about Auckland as unwarrantable, a»4 the General Goveraujcut

with squandering money. Having grown t > an agreeable magnitude through the assist anco of the Provinces, it desired to swallow them up. He believed the time would come when the Provinces must he abolished, but that time was not yet. The affairs of the Colony should be allowed to go on in peace, and not drift into anarchy. Auckland would not give up he:- privileges without a struggle. Another election was approaching, and the voice of the people at the hustings was stronger than the opinion of the House as at present constituted At 12.25 a.m. the House adjourned.