PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1988, 8 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[BY TbLBGBAPH.] [PBOM OITB OWN COBBBSPONDBNT.]

WELLINGTON, July 7.

In the House last night the Premier hinted that the rule for adjournment at 12 30 a.m would be set aside, in order to facilitate the business. It is the intention of the Govern* moot to ask the House to tit on Mondays during the remainder of the session. After three weeks' waiting members have at last got a day to themselves for the transaction of private business, to-day being clear for that purpose. There are on the Order Paper eight questions and twenty-six notices of motion, some of the latter having been tabled before the no-confidence debate. Many such notices have been struck off the paper, having been on more than three weeks, the limit allowed by the Standing Orders. There are fifty-four Bills now down for disposal, the majority, however, being Government measures. Of these forty are down for second reading, and the others for committal for further consideration in committee.

The Deceased Husband's Brother Marriage Bill, introduced into the Upper House i by Mr Peters, provides that any marriage which shall subsequently to the passing of this Act be legally solemnised or contracted within the colony of New Zealand between any woman and her deceased husband's brother shall be deemed to be and are hereby declared valid, the previous law against such marriages notwithstanding. His Excellency the Governor has received a despatch from Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, late Secretary of State for the Colonies, covering a letter from Sir P. D. Hooker, Direotor of the Royal Gardens, Kew, announcing an intended visit to the colony of Miss Marianna North, of whom Sir F. D. Hooker speaks in most complimentary terms, especially as being avery accomplished artiste, who oomes out to New Zealand, Australia, the Cape, and Mauritius mainly with the view of making at her own coßt paintings of remarkable trees and places for presentation to tho Royal Gardens at Kew, where they will be placed in a gallery now in course of erection, towards which Miss North has contributed a munificent sum. Both Sir M. Hicks-Beach and Sir F. D. Hooker bespeak the assistance of the Government in affording Miss North all facilities and aid in her undertaking. The letter points out that this affords an unique opportunity of securing faithful views of the New Zealand forests and their constituent trees, which are rapidly disappearing, and which in respect of their pristine condition will soon he matter of history only. It is asked that the Government botanist may be permitted to aocompany Miss North as a guide on her artistic expedition. The New Zealand pines, especially the oone-bearing trees of the extreme North, are specially alluded to as an object of particular botanic interest. Miss North is expected at an early date.

Some very Bevore remarks are being made regarding the continued absence of Mr Sheeban, who did not arrive by the Rotomahana to-day, notwithstanding that hia intention to come by the steamer was so very ostentatiously announced. Various speculations are rife as to the real reason of his absence, being connected with tho recent disclosures by Mr Bryoe as to the conduct of Native affairs under the late Ministry and the revelations which ore rumoured to be pending in the final report of the Weßt Coast Native Commission. Mr Sheehan's absence is severely damaging his reputation, and still more bis lata Ministerial colleagues, besides giving form and shape to unpleasant rumours. A long and probably acrimonious debate will take place on the Civil Service report next Monday. Mr Saunders is likely to make a long speech in support of the report, and I hear he has armed himself with all sorts of evidence as to railway management and other matters. He has given notioe to move on Monday " That a copy of the report of Mr Blair, the Engineer-in-Charge for the Middle Island, which was read in this House on the 30th of last month, denying the accuracy of the statements made in the report of the Civil Commission as to the condition of certain railway waggons built in Dunedin, and asserting that there is not the slightest ground for thinking them defective, and that they have in every instance been well made with proper materials, be laid before this House ; also copies of all correspondence that has paeaod during the last two years between the Commissioner of the South Island and Mr Smith, locomotive engineer at Ohristchurch, re the condition of rolling stock built at Dunedin ; also letters of 27th February and May Ist, 1879, from the locomotive engineer to the acting Commissioner of Railways at Christohurch, forwarding a Bample of tenoning taken from waggon No. 1402, recently built in Dunedin, and complaining that this and other waggons had to be taken off the road, as they were literally tumbling to pieces, and nothing being left but to rebuild them, stating also that the majority of Otago waggons that have come North since the opening of the through line have been in a simply disgraceful condition ; also, a copy of the report from the foreman, Anderson, dated 30th June, 1879. stating that on taking the waggons built at Dunedin and Invercargill to pieces he found that several of the timbers were without tenons, and the different parts so badly framed as to necessitate re-building, and that stringy bark had been used instead of iron bark; also, aotual specimens of Btringy bark frames shrunk away from their work, joints without tenons teld up only by the nails in the flooring boards, and samples of slipshod workmanship, cut off headstocks of waggons numbered in Dunedin 1515,1595, and 1670, but now re-built and numbered 561, 66,172 ; also specifications for timber and workmanship under which such waggons were built, by whom they were built, and by whom they were passed and allowed to run on New Zealand lines; also, the conditions of the tenders called for the supply of timber for building waggons at Dunedin during 1879 ; also, a list of artiolos and stores for which tenders have been called within the last two yeara_ at Dunedin and Christohurch, the conditions attached to the tender, tho number and names of the tenderers who have competed, and the names of officers employed to ascertain which was the lowest tender; also, the conditions of the tender for the supply of castings at Dunedin, under which Davidson and 00. fmppliod the »poke rolls that were ordered, paid for, and found useless ; also tho amount paid to Davidson and Co. for patterns, the terms or authority upon whioh payments were made, and the name of the person with whom snch patterns are now left." I have seen a number of specimen parts of these badly constructed waggons, which Mr Saunders has procured from Mr Smith, and will lay on the table of the House, and they certainly are quite bad enough to warrant the Btrongest remarks of the Commiesioners. I am told also that it has been ascertained that Mr Macandrew paid a feonus of £SOO to Mr Conyerß last year out of the Railway vote without the slightest authority, and there are many speculations as to how the item came to be passed on audit when some other illegal payments, such as the £3OO to Mr Roes, were so promptly "sat upon." Nearly the whole of to-day has been spent in idle talk about Dr. Wallis' motion against further borrowing and Mr Seddon's Payment of Members Bill. The former was cut short by the afternoon adjournment, and the latter was still going on at 10 p.m. Messrs Moss and Wallis strongly advocated the principle of paying members. The Premier pointed out that the Bill was inopportune just at the present crisis. I do not think the Bill will be carried, and assuredly a large majority of the measures now before the House will never get beyond the present stage this session. _ Tho House could not deal with them all if it sat till Christmas.