PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1811, 10 December 1879, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

[By Telbgbaph.] [PEOiT OUE OOBEESPONDENTB.] WELLINGTON, December 9; Sir George Grey and a few of his “ greyhounds ” barked at the Maori Prisoners Bill all last evening and until'nearly' two'this morning. Clause 5 was altered so as not to allow of the appointment and payment of members of tho House on the Commission. Tho fight was chiefly kept up by Sir George to betray the House into covert insult to the Government by compelling them in the Bill to appoint one Maori on the Oommisaion, after they had in a general way expressed their intention to do so. Mr Hall told Sir George plainly that they would resist such an amendment of the Bill from him, as they did not choose to allow him to appear before the Maoris as their protector against injustice from the Government, which had no existence. This rallied the House round the Government by an overwhelming majority, and loft the late Premier with a following that he could not have felt proud of. It was nearly two o’clock this morning when the House got into committee on the Property Assessment Bill. On clause 19, Mr Stevens succeeded in altering the valuation for owners’ taxation from twenty to fourteen years purchase, that is, to fourteen times the rental. Mr Saunders carried his exemption of agricultural implements by a large majority against the Government, but Mr Kelly afterwards got an addition carried, exempting them only in the farmers’ hands and not in the dealers’ possession. Mr Saunders had to give up the attempt to get slow draught horses exempt, and a general lively discussion ensued on his motion to exempt all machinery. This was continued until daylight, and then the House adjourned. Most of this afternoon was taken up in asking the Government no less than forty-two questions, mostly applications for public money, which the applicants well knew must be refused. Mr Hall gave a list of the Bills that must bo got through, and others that he would try and get through, and of all others to be dropped. With this determination he hoped to bring the session to a close on Tuesday next. It was afterwards agreed that all the notices of motion on the Order Paper should be set aside to take tho orders of the day first, so as to get some of tbe private Bills passed to-morrow.