PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1982, 1 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, June 30. With a view to economy it is intended to close the Telegraph offices at the “ 8 o’clock stations,” from 5 p.m. to 7 daily, the work during those two hours being always slackest. This will enable the staff to be reduced by about 30 officers, and a saving of nearly £4OOO a year would be effected. The offices will reopen from 7 to 8 p.m. In the absence of real political news [all sorts of rumours are flying about. One of the favourite canards is that Mr Hall and Mr Bryce are about to resign on account of ill health, and Mr Oliver andJMr Dick for business reasons. I am assured, however, on the highest authority, that all these reports are without tho slightest foundation in fact. lam also positively informed by members whose names have been freely mentioned as loaders or participators in the “rumoured” middle party movement, that this report is equally groundless. At a meeting of members representing the Goldfields Districts, held this day, the following resolutions wero agreed to : —“ That in tho opinion of this meeting the administration of goldfields hag not for some time past received that attention at the hands of Ministers which the importance of the goldfields industry demands.” “ That tEe creation of a special mines department, which was intended to obviate the inattention to goldfields interests, which has been so often complained of in years past, is rendered entirely nugatory by the system now adopted of nominally attaching the department to a Minister already overburdened with the care of other departments.” “ That this meeting respectfully desires to submit its opinion to the Premier, requesting him to give the matter his earliest consideration.” Signed by Messrs J. C. Brown, Hugh, J. Finn, W. Gisborne, Masters, W. Beeves, Ireland, DeLautour, Beid, Seddon, Hirst, Shepherd, Pyke, Tainui, Gibbs, Fisher, Jones, Shrimski. Mr Sheehan has intimated by telegram his full concurrence.

By the bye, Mr Sheehan’s continued absence is subject of much comment of not a favorable nature, especially in view of tho very serious charges made or implied ae to his conduct as Native Minister. Mr Dick’s statement in the House to-day that Mr Sheehan had paid to the plaintiff’s solicitors in tho “ Waka Maori ” libel case £BOO more than the proper amount after taxation, has produced a strong impression, especially when coupled with the improper payment of £IOOO on the pretext of the notorious Wuitara meeting, and other matters lately disclosed. It is felt to be quite time that all these things wero answered by Mr Sheehan, or else some definite action taken. He seems disposed, however, to let judgment go by default. I hear that the Government are considering the advisableness of appointing a Eoyal Commission, consisting of judges and other qualified persons, to report on the practicability of simplifying proceedings in the Supreme Court and reducing its costliness, also to make recommendations on the subject. The no-confideneo debate to-day has consisted solely of Mr Seddon, who up to the present time, 9.30, has spoken over four hours, and appears prepared to go on for over. Mr Barron to-day asked a question of tho Minister for Public Works, the answer to which appears to flatly contradict the evidence of one witness referred to in the report of the Civil Service Commissioners. The question had reference to the following portion of the report of the Eoyal Civil Service Commission :—“ Waggons built by contract in Dunedin were delivered in Christchurch at the end of last year in a state thus described by a witness— ‘ Some of them were disgracefully bad workmanship ; bad timber was used, stringy bark was put in instead of iron bark. The joints were not properly made ; some of them had the bottom frames held up only by tho nails in tho flooring boards. Some of them we have had almost to rebuild in six weeks.” The questions to-night wero —1. The names of the contractors of such waggons. 2. Under tho supervision of which department was the contract carried out, and who was at the time, and is now, tho responsible head of that department ? ■3. Who passed the work, and under whose certificate did the contractor obtain payment for such waggons?” Tho reply of Mr Oliver was confined to the reading* of a report upon tho subject furnished by Mr W. N. Blair, engineer-in-chief for the Middle Island, which was as follows—“ No waggons built by contract under this department at Dunedin wore delivered in Christchurch at ibe end of last year, and I believe the same remark applies to the Eailway Department. The last contract for waggons in Dunedin was finished in August in 1877, consequently they had been running for thirteen months before the line to Christchurch was opened, and nearly two and half years before tho date referred to. I may add that so far as waggons built under tho supervision of this department in Dunedin at any time are concerned, there is not tho slightest ground for thinking them defective. They have in every instance been well made with proper materials. As the proposition laid down in asking the question is correct, they cannot be answered otherwise than as above.”

10 p.m. Major Atkinson is up, and has been speaking twenty minutes. He is in good form and producing an evident effect.