POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2623, 2 September 1882, Page 4

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[PBOM THE "EBEB3."] WELLINGTON, August 31. i A petition from certain residents in South Malvern and Hororata districts, in favor of a reduotion in the railway tariff, was jreientod to the House to-day. A return was tabled to-night showing that the Government paid respectively £6535 and £4853 for buying baok sections on Wellington reclaimed" land, as part of the site for a railway terminus, the sellers having originally paid respectively £5682 and £3821 at ■notion for the same sections, purchased 'from the Government. The return alsj shows that the railway terminus site was officially valued by the oity valuer at £ll3 000, antt that its eost to the colony was "less than niZ." The total expenditure on reclamation and on land purchase was £82,319, whereas the portion of land sold realised £86,763. The cost to tha colony of this return (»hich was prepared on the 'motion of Mr Barron) was £3 103. ' The North I.lind Native reserves accounts were laid on the table by command of the Crovernor to night. From this it appears that the Teats collected in the yearending the Slit March. 1882, were as follows:—Wellington, £961 10* 61; Taranaki, £369 13s 9d ; Auckland, £251 17s 6d; total, £1583 Is 9d. The returns for the previous year were as follows? —Wellington, £9lO 13s 81; JTarahaki, £369 4a Id; Auckland, £l4B 10s 'Xd7 total, £1428 7s Bd. The total receipts in two years (including the balance of £784 on hand at the start) amounted to £3848 5s lid ; expenditure, £2902 13s 9d ; balanoe on -hand; £945 12i 21. . Now that the Protection of Telegrams Bill has passed both Houses, I may remark that it was the subject of a desperately hard Struggle in the lobbies as well as in both Houses, eaob side striving its utmost to win. It was only carried through by sheer determination and dogged perseverance. -■ 'Mr Bryce's lUngipo Murimotu Agreement Validation Bill is a very important measure, as affecting the settlement of the North Island. It provides that the Governor may grant leases of the Bangipo Mmimotu land when acquired from the Natives, in terms of an agreement made between oertaiu parties and the Grown in that behalf. The terms and conditions of such leases are to bs as follows: —The lease or leases to bo ao granted shall be in accordance with the said agreements. Bach portion of the said land, as it may be acquired, may be forthwith dealt with under the said agreement witbont the necessity of waiting for tho completion of the Crown's title to the whole of the blocks oomprised in the said agreement. The rentals to be paid by the said privaie persons shall, in the event of the Grown on'y acquiring a leasehold interest from the Native owners, be equal to the **ntal which the Grown shall have agreed, or may agree, to pay to the Native owners of the •aid lands. The order paper ia getting reduced by degrees, as the end of the sesßion draws nearer. To-day five private Bills were passed, .two discharged from the order paper, and three more talked oat, bo this has effected a considerable olearance. It is understood that the Government will endeavor to push through nearly all their their more important measures, as the House seems in the humor to let everything go through by the run. I believe no Ministerial announcement will be made as to meaiurei being dropped, because it'is not intended to drop any of the prominent Bills (excepting, of course, the Bankruptcy Bill, as already stated), bat to carry as many as can be by hook or by crook. WELLINGTON, September 1. The Colonial Treasurer laid on the table to-night, by leave, a return showing the amount of Customs revenue oolleoted at each of the New Zealand ports during the past financial year and the cost of collecting the same. I need not quote the sums collected, bs they have already been published in full in the '.'Gazette," bat the cost percent, of collection at eaob. port on the sum oolleoted was respectively as follows: —Auckland, £1 19a id t Thames, £3 19s 5d ; Bussell, £lO 5s 3d ; Monsrnui, £l3 9s 7d ; Hokianga, £l6 IBs 8d ; Kaipara, £1 I6i 8d 5 Tauranga, £1 12s ; New Plymouth, £4 5s 101; Wanganui, £3 2s ; Foxton, £2 53 41; Wellington, £2 Es ; Napier, £2 17s Td ; GHsborne, £4 Is 101; Wairaa, £4 8< ; Pioton, £3O 3s 7d ; Nelson, £2 lis 7d ; Wostport, £4 6s 9d ; Greymouth, SI 19s 3d ; Hokitika, £3 lis Id ; Biverton, £B,l7alod; Invercargill-Binff, £3 4< 101; ' icedin and Port Chalmers, £1 18s 51; <jamaru, £2 17s 6d ; Timaru, £3 7s ; Christchnreh and Lyttelton, £2 7s 81. The following note is appended :—" The cost of collection for the above mentioned period was £2 It 2d per oent. It was £2 15j lid for tho financial year 1880-81. The rate per cent, of cost of collection in the United Kingdom in 1831 was £3 12* lid. The average for ten years ending 31st March, 1881, was £3 8s 7d. A curious petition presented by James McGregor and another was reported to-day by the waste land committee. The petitioners state that though they were both born in the cclony, they have' never received a grant of land, and they pray for relief. On this peculiar petition the committee curtly report " petitioners have no claim." Eighteen Maoris have petitioned that the Thermal Springs Act may be repealed, but the Native affairs committee report that the question being one of publio policy, they have no recommendation to make. The publio petitions committee reported to-day on the petition of Detective J. Farrell. The petitioner states he was twenty yeara in the constabulary without any charge of misconduct or disobedience being brought against 'him. That in May, 1882, he struck a man named Eraser in self defenoe, for which he. was fined by the B.M. at the Thames, and afterwards dismissed the service. He prays that he may be reinstated in the polioe in his former position as detective at the Thames. The committee report that having carefully considered the oase of the petitioner, they are of opinion that he has some claim for consideration, and recommend if he can't be reinstated in the police force that on account of his long service and previous good conduct he receive employment in some other department of the publio service, for which he is suited. The annual report of the New Zealand Institute was tabled to-day. The members on the roll of the Institute now number 1285, of which Auckland has 301, Hawke's Bay 107, WellingtonJ£277, Westland 100, .Canterbury 197, Otago 813, and Southland pfiS. The Nelson branch having withdrawn from incorporation, the numbor is nominally fewer than last year by 50. Members receipts for the year are £590 Os lid, and the expenditure £584 8s lid; balanoe in hand, £5 lis lOd. Daring the year 265 analyses were performed at the laboratory. The House sat till four this morning and finished the ordinary estimates. The supplementary estimates and publio works estimates axe yet to come down. Daring the consideration of the estimates last night Mr Bryce remarked that it was still his objeot to endeavor to do away with the Native Office altogether, and added that, after matters had been settled in the Waikato district he would bs prepared to tell the House that his occupation was gone. In the House to-day Mr Braoken gave notice of a question he intends to ask the Government on Tuesday next relative to the Gaining and Lotteries Bill, namely, whether, in view of the opinion expressed that it is inexpedient to permit members of the Legislature to introduce questions affecting publio policy, and that the Gaming and Lotteries Act is a question of publio policy, and also in view of the faot that on a division in the House on the 3rd Augußt the second reading of the Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill was carried by 44 to 17, proving a majority of the House to be in favor of the Bill, the Government will themselves introduce a measure this session amending the Act referred to. Great progress has been made to-day with business on the order paper. The House went into committee on no fewer than twenty Bills in one lamp, of which thirteen have been already pot through. It is at present intended to sit at 10 a.m. to-morrow, and go on till midnight. Taking the policy Bills, vis., those relating to local government reform, there are still eighty-three Bills on the order paper. Sir George Grey left to-night by the Arawata for Auckland. This looks like the beginning of the end. fie gave one " long look behind" round the House just before going on board. The return of hospital receipts and expenditure was presented to Parliament to-night. The figures are as follows: Receipts by subBoriptions and donations, £BIB7 14s 2d; from and on account of patients, £3566 19s ■Li ; contributed by the Government, £31,536 12s 8d; contributed by borough councils, £3183 14s 41 j contributed by county councils, £6497 lis 2d; rents or other revenue" irom endowments, £1364 3s 2d; from other

sources than the above, £3416 15a 6d; total,: £56,703 10s 4d. The expenditure on provisions, exclusive of wine, beer and spirits, £14,653 12i 4i; wine, beer and spirits, £2241 10s 3d ; drugs and dispensary, £3210 53 101; surgioal instruments and appliances. £lllß 43 j fuel and light, £2BBB 18s 3i; linen and bedding, £llsO 13» 4i ; furniture and earthenware, &3, £2435 8j 81; washing and laundry, £690 12s 7d; salaries and wages, £19,693 5s 3i ; water supply, £421 lis; funerals, £SOO Oa 103; repairs, £3149 14» 2d; printing, advertising, stationery and postage, £839 13s 3d ; interest, £76 17a 6d; insurance, £2BB 7s; commission, £IOB2 6s. Other than items mentioned above, £3623 18s lid. Total, £58,064 18i 41. The Publio Beserves Sale Bill (Rolleston), was oiroulated to-night. It ompowets the Governor to deolare lands speoified in the schedule open for sale. The schedules comprise lands only in Auckland, Taranaki, and Canterbury.