PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1990, 10 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

WELLINGTON. July 9. There was a long discussion to-day over the first item in class 5 of the Estimates, Q-eneral Post-office, £4OOO. Mr Seddon made himself a conspicuous nuisance by his continual chatter. Mr Header Wood’s proposal to reduce the item by £SOO was lost on the voices, no division being called for. Mr George’s motion to reduce by £250 wont to a division, and was negatived by 35 to 29, or with the pairs by 40 to 34. The pairs wore—Ayes, Messrs Moss, Sheehan, Stewart, Harris, and Speight ; noes, Messrs Colbeck, Whyte, Ormond, Bowen, and Russell. The discussion on the same class still continues, and is likely to prove very tedious. The general feeling seems in favor of passing the votes in globo, and reducing the aggregate by 10 per cent., as agreed upon in Mr Saunders’ resolution, which is now explicitly stated to bo intended to bear that interpretation. The Commission appointed by the Govenor to inquire into tho construction, practice, and procedure of the Supremo and other Courts comprises the following persons—The Chief Justice, Justices Johnston, Williams, Richmond, and Gillies j the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General; District Judges Ward and McDonald; Mr Barstowe, Resident Magistrate ; Messrs W. Gisborne, O. O. Bowen, and John Sharp, Justices of the Peace ; and Messrs E. T. Oonolly, Robert Stout, J. N. Wilson, George Harper, Allan Holmes, and E. T. Devore, barristers and solicitors. Tho inquiry is to bo made into tho constitution, practice, and procedure of tho Supremo Court, including tho Court of Appeal, District SM. Courts, Courts of Justices of tho Peace, and Courts of Petty Sessions, and to ascertain what change might, with advantage, be made in the practice, &0., of the above. Tho Chief Justice has been appointed chairman and Mr Chapman, solicitor, secretary. A return of the electors under the new roll in the electoral districts of tho colony shows on tho 31st March lost a,total number on tho rolls of 79,896. The freehold qualification numbers 38,173, and the residential 41,719. There are only four Maori ratepayers. The approxi mate number of leaseholders disfranchised is 3641. The number’ofJMaoris and half-castes entitled to vote for Maori members is 795. Eleven Chinese are on the roll. A strong feeling appears to exist in both Houses in favor of Mr McOaughan’s motion to hold the next sitting of Parliament at Christchurch. If not carried, the division likely to run close. It is alleged to be intended as the first step to removing tho seat of the Q-overn-ment permanently to Christchurch, but in the present state of the finances it is not likely that any Government will attempt to carry out the proposal oven if carried, as it has been in two previous sessions. The cost of change would probably swallow up all the proposed *• reductions, and more too.