POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2541, 31 May 1882, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

fPBEBS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM. ) WELLINGTON, May 30, The first division of the session took place this afternoon on the Chairmanship of Committees. It had transpired just beforehand that Mr Hurst intended to retire in favor of Mr Hamlin, and this made the election of the latter a dead certainty, as the event proved. Analysing the voting, you will see that out of ninety-one available votes (excluding the Speaker and three vacant seats) eighty-five were recorded, two (Messrs Mason and Pyke) paired. The two candidates. Messrs Hamlin and Thomson did not vote. Messrs Driver and Tole were absent. Thus had the whole ninety-one voted the result would have been the same, a majority of throe for the Government candidate. Mr Hamlin is expected to make an excellent chairman, and his election is decidedly popular. The debate on the Native question to-night has been very dull, and flags considerably. Mr Bheohan and Mr Moss each spoke nearly an hour. There was nothing noteworthy in their speeches. Mr Montgomery spoke over three-quarters of an hour, but produced little effect beyond that of intense tedium. It is now regarded as certain that Ministers will have a large majority on the Peace Preservation Bill, and that the Indemnity Bill will go through unopposed. Sir George Grey, Mr Sheehan, Mr Shephard, and other staunch Oppositionists will vote with the Government on this question. There is very little lobby gor.sip stirring to-night; indeed, things seem likely to be very quiet all this week, now that the chairmanship of committees is at last disposed of and the Native question practically settled also. Sir George Grey’s Prevention of Purchase of Yotoa Bdl contains only two operative clauses, which run thus:—“ (1) From and after the passing of this Aot no eleotor shall, at any general election of members of the House of Representatives, vote in respect of more than one electorate. (2) At any other than general election no elector shall vote in respect of any electorate unless he shall have voted in such electorate at the last election held therein, or unless he be a resident eleotor of such electoral district.” Mr Dick’s Industrial Schools Bill contains seventy-two clauses, and provides for the establishment, maintenance, and abolition of industrial schools ; how children may become inmates, for the guardianship, transfer, and discharge of inmates, and provides power to make regulations ; also to visit religious institutions, &c. Also for the inmates being Hocused out to reside with persons outside tho schools, and for apprenticing them to trades. Penalties for offoioes are provided, and various miscellaneous provisions appended. An Otago deputation waited on tho Government to day and urged the necessity of pushing on the Otago central railway. The Minister for Public Works replied that the Government contemplated proposing a new loan, and that the claims of tho Otago central would then receive due consideration on the part of the Government. It is now rumored that Sir Arthur Gordon will delay his departure for Fiji for some days, until, in fact, he is clear that there is no immediate need of a Ministerial defeat, and it is said that ho will go by the Miranda, and not by the Nelson, as previously arranged. The estimates will be be brought down either on Tuesday or Wednesday next, and it will then be proposed to deal with them as early as possible, so as to avoid the unseemly rush and scramble of last sees ion.