PARLIAMENTARY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1598, 31 July 1874, Page 306

PARLIAMENTARY.

ft . (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)' [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] Wellington, 30th July. The Colonial Bank of New Zealand Bill has been read a third time. Mr Montgomery, member for Akaroa,. has lost his seat through being a Government contractor when elected. The Minister of Public Works said that the bridge across the Waimate river, near Gisborne, must be built out of the proceeds of the confiscated lands. The Waste Lands Bill of Hawke's Bay passed its second reading last night. Mr Ormond this day introduced a Bill to reserve certain land as an endewment for the Harbor Board for the harbor of Napier. The native population of the North Island is estimated at 43,408, and of the South Island at 2,608. The new Native Land Bill, brought in by Mr M'Lean, contains only two technical alterations from the Act passed last session. Mr Fox's amendments on the Licensing Bill provide that no person convicted of sly-grog-selling shall sit on a Licensing Bench; that a licensed house must have two sitting-rooms and three bedrooms; that the licensing bench may at any quarter put an end to a licence if the house is conducted improperly ; that no publican shall permit music or dancing in any part of his licensed house open to public resort; dancing girls and dancing saloons are prohibited, under a penalty of £2O for the first offence, £SO for the. second, and forfeiture of licence for the third ; no female to be employed in any public bar under a penalty of £2O (this clause was not carried); women must be at least thirty years of age to serve in a tap, under a similar penalty for infringement; every public bar or place in which alcoholic liquor is sold shall have glass windows towards the street without any paint or blind, so that passers-by outside can clearly see who are drinking inside. These amendments will be carried. The prorogation of the Assembly is expected to take place not later than the 21st August. The Constitution Act Amendment Bill will probably be rejected by]J the Upper House. It is generally thought that the Government are not earnest in this measure ; otherwise they would first have obtained the sanction of the House of Representatives, and then, if the bill had been rejected by the Upper House, have appealed to the Imperial Parliament. The Government show a disinclination to proceed with large measures. The Electoral Bill is to be dropped; the State Forest Bill is not to be proceeded with; and the Polynesian scheme, after debate, will be postponed until next session. The Provincial Loans Trill not be brought forward, the Government sternly refusing to sanction provincial borrowing. As the Government is not introducing a District Courts Bill, Mr Stewart of Otago brings in a Bill to empower the Governor Jto appoint provisional trustees to portions of the Supreme Court districts, and also another to authorize the clerks of the District Courts to side at the meetings of creditors required by section 95 of the Bankruptcy &ct, of 1867.

Geelong will shortly have another cloth factory. A sum of £20,000 has been subscribed as capital, and contracts have been accepted to something like £13,000. The demand for timber from this port, says the Hokitika Star, is on the increase. One firm here has received one order from Christchurch for over one million feet of sawn timber, besides several small orders. The New Zealand Herald is informed that five or six of the most recent of the immigrants to Auckland are of a most valuable character, they having come provided with sums varying from £SOO to £BOO. These are of the class we want in the colony. The Shasta Courier of June 6th, has the following :—A few days ago a couple of ladies were taking a ride, on the grade above town and enjoying a social chat, when, in making a sudden turn in the road, they were astonished to behold, just ahead of them, several full grown bears. Of course, the ladies were considerably frightened at first, but as it is not the style of California ladies to let bears get away with them, the couple referred to kept the even tenor of their way, and the bears suddenly disappeared. The species of the bear was not ascertained, but the supposition is that they were of the grizzly order, although their sudden flight is more in the style of the black bear. In the House on Wednesday, Mr Kelly moved for all reports upon the working of the Native Lands Act, 1873, by the Native Lands Court judges, to be laid upon the table, and to be referred to the Committee on Native Affairs. Mr M'Lean could not see nuy advantage as likely to flow from the production of these papers. He might say that he intended to bring in this session a Bill to amend the imperfections complained of in the Native Lands Act, 1873. He hoped the hon. member would withdraw the motion. Mr Buckland was sorry the Native Minister declined to produce the papers asked for. He hoped he would repeal "the Native Lands Act alto* gether, as its principle was essentially vicious, and the complaints of the native landlords were loud and deep. Taiaroa hoped the Act of last year would be repealed, as it was very bad. The Maoris uught to be brought under the same law as the Europeans, and the Native Lands Act abolished. Mr T. B. Gillies trusted the Native Minister would reconsider his decision. How could members be ex r pected to deal intelligently with the question unless all information was afforded them? He moved the adjournment of the debate. ;