PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2245, 13 June 1881, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[Br Tblbgbaph.]. [FBOM OTJB OTO COBBESPOWDBHT.] WELLINGTON, June 11

Members are arriving very slowly. Only six came to-day by the Rotomahana, and but few are expected to-morrow by the Ringarooma. This unavoidably delays any united action on either side regarding their political programme. Ministers have been in Cabinet nearly all day, without even an adjournment for lunch. Their general plan remains as I have telegraphed you last night. The Licensing Bill will probably be the first pushed on. The last proof of the Bill came back for revision this afternoon. The only alteration since I sent you a summary of the new provisions is in regard to the minimum age at which liquor will be allowed to be purchased by children. In the former Bill spirits oould not be sold to children under sixteen or beer to those under twelve years of age. This is now ohanged by making sixteen the minimum age for either spirits or beer. The Government are quite firm in resisting any proposal to apply looal option to renewals, as well as new licenses.

Pressure is being brought to bear on the Government to induce them to introduce a Fencing Bill among the earliest measures, that Bill having passed through the Legislative Council last session, bnt having had to be dropped in the Lower House. It is now suggested that the Bill as sent down from the Council last year should be at once introduced in the Lower House, so that if passed there without material alteration, the Council would probably oonsent to repass it in globo. A deputation of country members waited on the Cabinet to-day to urge that this course be taken, and earnestly impressed on the Government the great importance of the measure to the oountry districts. Ministers promised to consider the proposal. It is understood that the Bill will be strenuously opposed by Messrs Montgomery, Swanson, and De Lautour. It is rumored about the lobbies to-day that Mr Johnston is desirous to take permanently the Public Works portfolio, and relinquish the Postal Department to the new Minister, whoever he may be. I am assured that the question of the new Minister will be loft an open one for some time yet, and until Parliament has got well to work.

The report of Mr Habens, the InspectorGeneral of Schools, on the teachers' examination, was circulated to-day. The report is very brief ; 572 candidates entered, and 400 presented themselves for examination; 140 passed, and 65 were partially successful. Class D candidates were weaker than might have been expected, and the results inferior to the previous year. Class E, though showing an improvement, is far from satisfactory. Geography in both classes, the examiners cay, is treated almost as a matter of memory, and questions which appeal to the understanding are either not attempted or are badly done. The answers to questions in History displayed surprising memory, with very little power of any other kind. Elementary science was not so good as the year before. Two returns moved for respectively by Messrs Wright and Montgomery last session have now been printed, and are noted as having cost respectively £llO and £250 to oompile. As they relate mainly to the position of the railways and branches fifteen months ago, they no longer possess much interest as the regular, departmental reports give fullor details. The following figures however are new and worth quoting. The branch railways in the South Island coat altogether £1,485,693, and the aggregate receipts for the year just expired were £176,277, the expenditure being £114,650, but if the Lyttelton and Fort Chalmers branches be deducted, the remaining branch lines cost £978,165 to oonstruct and have only £73,204 gross reoeipts, with £58.930 expenditure'; thus leaving only £14,274 to go towards the present rate would amount to £50,000. The Fort Chalmers and Lyttelton lines yield a net revenue of £47,353 to pay interest on £507,528 the cost of construction. On the other hand the Lawrence branch cost £182,915, and has a loss of £384 on the bare working expenses.