POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2632, 13 September 1882, Page 4

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[By Tel.tqbaph.J

[mom THB “ PEHB3.”]

WELLINGTON, September 12

The parliamentary session was practically brought to a close this afternoon, when the difficulty bitween the Houses which bad arisen c~ r r the Land Bill and the District Railways Bill was overcame by mutual conoassio rf. ’i he outcome of the conference on the Land Bill may bo thus summarised. In clause 2 one third of the available land is restored in lieu of tho one-fifth. Clause 31, imposing residence, is restored in an amended form, providing that the Board may dispense with the necessity of residence in all cases of youths living within tho provincial district in which their parents or near relatives resideuntil three years after the commencement of the term. Clause 33, compelling one twentieth of tho land to bo improved the first year is peotorad. Clause 35 (purchasing clause) is Agreed to, with a proviso that nothing in the section shall apply to land on education reserves or within proclaimed goldfields. Clause 37, mining to be defined m gold mining is reinstated. On danse 63 (McKenzie danse) the Council's proviso is altered so as to insure that the trauferee by Way of mortgage could only occupy for throe years pending the enforcement of his power of sale nnder the mortgage danse. Clause 76, regarding the payment of commissioners, S 3 abandoned, and in order to balance (he concessions as to tho residence area, a forfeiture danse is inserted, providing that any lease held by any person who shall hold or ooonpy by himself or other persons more than one lease under the Act, except aa provided in the case o£ sections 14 and 15, shall be forfeited.

On the motion of the House to go into committee of ways and means this morning, Mr Sheehan moved a resolution to the effect that the House approved and would ratify the payment in full of the honorarium to the members for Franklin North, Wallace and Btanmore, The proposal was supported by the Government, and after discussion the motion to go into committee of ways and means was negatived by 31 to 13, after which Mr Sheehan’s motion was carried on the voices.

On the resolution relating to the vote of £50,000 for harbor defences being reported to the House to-day from the Committee of Supply, Mr Hutchison entered a mild protest against the vote. He held that oar beat plan was to cultivate peace and commerce. In any case, however, the sum of £50,000 was, he maintained, quite inadequate to meet the requirements of the case. The resolution, however, was agreed to, but a general feeling undoubtedly does prevail that the sum voted can only bo looked on as a first instalment, and is nothing like sufficient for the purpose. No doubt it will be exceeded if necessary. With reference to my telegram of last night, in which 1 mentioned that the Legislative Council decided to insist on its amendments to the District Railways Bill, bolding that it had not exceeded its privilege in making these amendments, which was the ground on which the House of Representatives disagreed with them, I may mention that tlyt-Speaker of the Council (Bir W. FitsfceySSr-) strongly endorsed this view, and quoted a precedent in its support. It was also etated that the Speaker of the other House (Sir Maurice O’Borke) concurred. There seems to have been some misconception, for, on a message from the Council intimating its insistence being received by the House. Sir Maurice O'Borke distinctly declared his dissent and bis concurrence in the antagonistic view taken by the Home, quoting from May in support of hie opinion. I happened to enter the House gallery as Sir Maurice spoke, and had just come from the Council, where his views had been very differently represented, the discrepancy being exceedingly singular. Of course the point at issue is a somewhat important one, namely, whether Bills such as the one in question are “ Money Bills” in theses se which precludes the Upper House from altering them. The House and ita Speaker hold the affirmative, the Council end ita Speaker the negative view. This afternoon many Southern members of both Houses left by the Botomabana, and more go North by the Hinemoa tc-night.

Before tbs Council rose for dinner this evening the two Appropriation Bills were passed, and all the session work finished. Both Houses will meat formally to-morrow, but will probably adjourn at once, as there is really nothing to do. The House murt however be kept together until all the Bills come down from the printers, the only thing now delaying the prorogation. The Government printing office however is fairly blocked with the enormous mass of Acts sent up during the last fortnight, and it is improbable they will be ready in time lor the prorogation to tak i place before Friday at the earliest. It will, no doubt, be interesting to your readers to know that no fewer than 108 Acts have been passed by Parliament this session, of which 103 are public end 5 private Acts. It will also probably be interesting and useful to know that the Acts passed are the following :—(1) Private Acts—Ashburton County Council, Union Bank of Australia, -Trustees and Executors Agency Company, Wellington Harbor Board and Corporation Land, Orakei Native Eeserve, (2) Public Acts—These are 103 in number, and the following is an alphabetical list;—Auckland Harbor Board, Aliens, Auckland College and Grammar School, Auckland University College, Auckland Improvement Amendment, Auckland Railway Station, Amnesty, Ashburton Bacecourse, Appropriation, Bluff Harbor Foreshore Reclamation, Borongh of Hamilton Boundaries, Banks and Bankers, Companies, Corrupt Practices, Customs Laws Consolidation, Courts of Appeal, Criminal Law, Canterbury Rivera Amendment, Crown and Native Land Bating, Customs Duties Consolidation, Counties Act Amendment, Cemeteries, Dog Registration Amendment, Dangerous Goods, District Railways, Employers' Liability, Explosives, Education Districts, Education Reserves, Friendly Societies, Fencing Amendment, Gos Oompanys and Consumers Liability, Gold Duties Amendment, Gisborne Harbor Board, Imprint Supply (Nos. 1,2, 3,4), Inspection of Macbinrry, Indemnity, Imbecile Passengers, Iniluclrisl Schools, Immigration and Public Works Appropriation, Justices of the Peace, Lunatics, Lyttelton Harbor Boa 7 d, Law Amendment, Law Practitioners, Licensing Amendment, Mines Acts Amendment, Mining Companies Registration, Validation, Municipal Corporation Amendment, Nelson College Amendment, North Timaru Cemetery Sale, Native Land Division, Native Land Aot Amendment, Napier High School, North Island Trunk Railway Loan, New Zealand Loan, Native Reserves, New Zealand Colonial Inscribed S:ock, Otago Harbor Board Lord, Prisons, Portion of Dunedin Market Reserves, Protection of Telegrams, Public Offenders Disqualification, Private Tramways, Public Works, Public Health Amendment, Patents, Private and Local Bills Costa, Pafei Harbor, For obello, Public Revenues, Pablio Reserves Sale, Railways Construction and Land Amendment, Rongiora Domain Board Reserves, Endowments in Mining Districts, Babbit Nuisance, Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes, Roads and Bridges Construction, Rhodes’ Estate Duty, Road Board Bating, Registration of Births Amendment, Sheriff Act Amendment, Small Birds Nuisance, Stamps, Supreme Court, Sheep Aot Amendment, Special Powers cud Contracts, Trade Marks Amendment, Timaru High School, Timaru Harbor Board, Thorndon

Reclamation, Te Aro Township, Tea Examination, Tauranga and Bast Coast Railway, Vagrants Amendment, West Coast Pceoo Preservation, Waikato Confiscated Lands.