POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2626, 7 September 1882, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[By Thlbsbaph.J

[rSOM THE “ PHBH3."] WELLINGTON, September 6.

The House sat till nearly fonr this morning, so did not resume again till two this afternoon, The Counties Amendment Bill, the last of the quintette of local Government Bills, is going through committee with the same c lerity as others. When that is done with the Loan Bills will come on again, and probably will be speedily run through. The Public Works estimates are to be brought down to-morrow. They are not even yet finally revised, but this will be done at & Cabinet meeting early to-morrow, so aa to have the estimates in members' hands in tbs course of the day. The supplementary estimates will also be distributed if possible tomorrow, but it is likely they may not be dona until Friday. It is still fully expected that the arrangements which I indicated last night aa to prorogation of Parliament and departure of members will bo curried out. Some very sanguine spirits, it is true, talk about getting away by a steamer on Saturday or by the mail steamer on Sunday, but the chance of this being realised is very remote. Others again talk about the session lasting a fortnight or three weeks longer; but I don't believe it vvjll be passible to keep members together to long. On tbe whole, therefore, 1 fancy we shall see a majority of members depart on Monday, and the prorogation on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the position of the essential Bills in the Upper House. The latter, by the by, are bard at work in committee on the Land Bill, which was nearly being shelved altogether for the session, Sir George Whitmore's motion to defer its committal for six months being lost only by three votes. It is not at all impossible that there may .jet be tome trouble in the Council. The Legislative Councillors do not at all approve of the helter-skelter style in which important Bills are rushed through the Lower House, anu ors not disinclined to take a firm stand against any undne nasifi. With reference to the opinion of thi leading members of the legal profession, who advise (in oppcaition to the SolicitorGenera) that County Concoils and not Town Boards are entitled to license fees and dog taxes, I may mention that Mr Travers, the well-known local barrister, informs the Government that on three different occasions before the Solicitor-General's opinion was published, he (Mr Travers) has explicitly given the opinion that Town Boards are entitled to these fees and taxes, as held by the ' Solicitor-General. He is quite clear that th?« is the legitimate c.ns traction of the Act, and there seems no doubt that such was the intention of the House when the Bill was passed. Political matters are frightfully dull to-day. The splendid spring weather which has prevailed during the past week or two seems to have had a depressing and quenching influence on members, and has only inspired them with keener desire to finish the session and be off as quickly as possible. I may remark en passant that there are still no fewer then seventy-three Bills on the Order Paper in various stages.