PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1996, 17 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[By Tblkqbaph.]

[PBOM OTJB OWN COBBBSPONDBNT.]

WELLINGTON. July 15

The return called for in the Legislative Council by Mr Waterhouse is a list of all persons in official positions drawing salaries under the Education Act, with a statement of the amount of salary paid to each, also the oost of Education Boards. The Eduoation Department consists of five officers, who draw £IB9O per annum. Auckland Education Board, with ten officers, draws £2615 ; Taranaki, three officers, £430; Wanganui, two officers, £430 ; Wellington, two officers, £750; the secretary receives £54 for forage allowance, with £1 per day travelling expenses, also a messenger at £2O ; Hawke's Bay, two, £7OO, with £l5O travelling allowance, and a cadet at £SO; Marlborough, three, £132; Nelson, two at £625 ; Westland, two, £740, with £SO for forage ; North Canterbury, eleven, £4IOO, with £SO forage and actual travelling expenses for three; South Canterbury, two, £657, with allowanoe for actual travelling expenses; Southland, two, £BOO, travelling expenses included; Otago, nineteen, £45,880. The incomes of the education boards for 1879 were:—Auckland, £77,522; Taranaki, £8149; Wanganui, £22,744; Wellington, £31,000; Hawke's Bay, £35,743 ; Marlborough, £7318; Nelaon. £21,975 ; North Canterbury, £90,266 ; South Canterbury, £86,790; Westland, £19,262; Otago, £112,318; Southland, £25,011. The total of this received from the Government is £368,457. The expenditure for 1878 was :—Boards, £11,109 ; inspections and other expenses, £7735 ; teachers' allowances, £187,763 ; committee and schools, £26,926 ; scholarships, £2834 ; new buildinge, additions, &c, £166,961 ; provisional services, £5906 ; Bundry Boards, £1651 ; libraries, £6074; balances, £43,275. The number of schools in the colony in 1879 was 817 ; number of teachers, 1773 ; average attendance, 58,729. Mr Sheehan arrived to-day and took his seat without any demonstration on the part of the Opposition members, as rumoured to be intended. The feeling of the House is much divided as to what should bo done about the disclosures made in the report of the Native Commission, as to the pretended takoha payments and fraudulent vouchers. Some of the Government party demand that full justice shall be done without respect of persons; others deprecate the scandal which would ensue. The Opposition threaten to have the recesses of the Native office ransacked, in order to disinter tho vouchers of the former Minister, with a view of showing that the "takoha " system and other irregular practices have been in constant übo as part of every Minister's policy. As I anticipated there is most bitter opposition to the Maori Prisoners Bill, and the resistance is very likely to take the form of stonewalling, aa the Government are quito Btrong enough to carry the Bill through in fair fighting. The only chance of defeating or shelving the Bill will ba to take advantage of the forms of the House for the purpose of obstructing. The Government, however, look on the measure as of vital moment to the peace of the colony, and will stand or fall by its fate. It is not believed, however, that the Opposition will be able to effect anything by their obstruction, as Ministers appear very confident in their strength, and quite determined to force through the Bill at all costs. The result of all this fighting, waßte of time, and long sittings must inevitably be a frightful massacre of innocents at no distant date. Already no fewer than sixty-five Bills are before the House, of which forty-nine are still down on tho order paper for second readings, only sixteen having got so far as the notices for committal, and only the surface is scratched off the estimates, and the financial business, so far as relating to the raising of revenue, is not even touched, while there is a whole mass of legislation on Native and domestic matters, settlement of the Civil Service and public works, re-adjustment of representation, &c. It would bo quite impossible to get through all this in twelve months' continuous session. It is believed, therefore, that the course of events will be that after a few weeks' longer wrangling over the estimates and one or two other matters, the session will suddenly collapse, and the vast majority of the work be postponed till next year, in order to allow wearied members to return to their homes. The Aahburton County Council Waterworks Bill and the Malvern Water Kace Transfer Bill have passed the joint oommittee on the Standing Orders, with a recommendation that they be allowed to proceed. The permission in the latter case is given however conditionally that provision be made therein that the rate to be levied does not exceed Is in the £, and that the provisions of part 9 of the Counties Act, 1876, contained in clauses 140 and 146 inclusive, so altered aa to he mado applicable to tho district, be em- ■ bodied in tho Bill.