Parliamentary Notes.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 32, 6 August 1896, Page 2

Parliamentary Notes.

No fewer than nine well-known public men have died during tbe Premiership of Mr Seddon. The melancholy record is as follows :— ln 1893, Mr Ballance and Sir William Fox ; in 1894, Mr Vincent Pyke and the Hon. T. Dignan ; In 1896, Sir P. Buckley, the Hons. Dr Pollen, Robert Hart, Robert Pharazyn, and Mr J. E. Fitzgerald. An improbable rumour is afloat that Mr Ward, the late Treasurer, is to receive tbe vacant appointment of AuditorGeneral. An equally improbable story connects the name of Mr T. Kennedy Macdonald with the appointment. Mr T. Mackenzie leaves for England at tbe end of tbe session to take up his new duties as representative in London of the Canterbury Co-operative Farmers' Association. Rumours many and varied are afloat as to tbe Auditor-Generalship, but it is believed the selection will be made from witbin tbe ranks of tbe Civil Service. Hon. Major Steward is to ask tbe Minister of Lands whether he proposes to introduce a Bill tbis present session to amend the Land Act in tbe direction of altering tbe system of allocating lands so as to do away with tbe family dummyism which goes on under the present system of balloting. Mr Pirani has given notice to ask tbe Premier if he will consider the advisability of reorganising tbe Audit Department, so that it shall have tbe oversight of tbe expenditure of all departments, and include in its functions the audit of the accounts of the Bank of New Zealand Estates Realisation Board.