POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2621, 31 August 1882, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[Bv Tblbqbaph.J [FBOM THE “PBBSS.”] WELLINGTON, August SO. The waste lands committee have struck out of the Special Powers and Contracts Bill the clause which provides that the Governor “ may grant to the Corporation of the borough of Sydenham rural section 80494, in the provincial district of Canterbury, containing 345 acres, as an endowment in aid of the borough funds, to be dealt with under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, any provision in the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Act, 1878, notwithstanding.” There i* very little stirring in politics today worthy of note. Failing more worthy mateiial for the exercise of legislative eloquence, members wasted an hour or two today in discussing some careless blunders made by the “ New Zealand Times ” in reporting the proceedings of the House. The who’o aff air was very trumpery, and unworthy of the dignity of Parliament. Of course nothing came of it. The House did not get into supply after all this morning’s small hours, the motion being successfully intercepted by amendments moved by Government supporters. A curious feature in party strategy. Good progress has been made again to-day with the Local Government Bills. The Counties Act Amendment Bill passed the second reading on the voices, and the most debateeble measure of all, the Crown and Native Landsßating Bill, also getting through its second reading by a very large majority of 17. This marked success was somewhat beyond expectation, but it must bo remem. bered that not only did North Island local bodies almost unanimously oppose the Government proposals, but also a large majority of those bodies in the South Island, although a minority in the latter island, did, it is true, strongly object to them. The Parliamentary representative* of the latter will no doubt give some trouble in committee, but it begins to look as if Major Atkinson would really succeed in passing his Bills this time. The House next debated the second reading of the Bating Bill. There are still no fewer than ninety-four Bills on the Order Paper of the Lower House, notwithstanding the large number which have now passed to the other Chamber. The list of petitions presented this session hus now reached a total of 485, end the papers laid on the table number 190. There ii still talk of proroguing next week, but the Legislative Council seem indisposed to be unduly hurried with their part of the work, c.r.d some hon. Councillors declare that as they have been kept waiting so long through the dilatoriness of the Lower House, they will not now consent either to “scamp” their duty or bo rushed to death because members want to go home unusually early. This may mean some considerable delay in the closing of the session,