PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 202, 17 August 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[By TBiBQEAPH.] fraOH OTO OWN COBBESPONDBNT. i WELLINGTON, August 16 Various rumors were afloat to-day, the chief being that all the financial Bills of the Government were to be abandoned, including the Property Tax Amendment, Beer Duty, Succession Duty, Eating Amendment, and Local Public Works, and that subsidies would he continued this year out of the land fund so far as it would go, and would be distributed pro rata ; also that the prorogation was to take place on Friday next. These rumors contain a little truth, with much exaggeration, and some absolute falsehood. The Beer Duty Bill is to be pressed on, and the Property Tax Amendment will be left to the House to carry or reject. If rejected, then the Government will collect £40,000 more by taxing personal effects which the Amendment Bill exempts; but in any case, the property tax will be collected, and probably the Amendment Bill will pass. The time for sending in the property tax return, which expires on the Slat inst., will be further extended, probably to September 30th. The Charitable Institutions Bill will also bo pushed on. The local finance Bills (namely, Eating Amendment and Local Public Works) will be gone on with provided the House can be kept together 1 ong enough to pass them, -which is very doubtful, as it is now tolerably certain that members will not stay after this month, and there is little probability of getting through the business by that time. It u impossible to ascertain whether there is any colour for the rumour as to the continued payment of the subsidies out of the land fund, as Ministers ore very reticent on this point, but the general impression is that this will be done, and the land fund distributed pro rata so [far as it will go. The great object of all seems to be to get the session over as soon as possible. There is no fresh Native news.