PARLIAMENTARY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2796, 7 September 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

W AIM ATE PLAINS RAILWAY REPORT. THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE’S ELECTION BILL. MINES ACT AMENDMENT BILL. GOLDFIELDS DEPARTMENTAL ESTIMATES. FEDERATION ENABLING ACT. EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY. EXPECTED STONE WALLING. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE CASE. (from our own correspondent.] Wellington, September 5. In the House yesterday, considerable discussion arose on the report of the Waimate Plains Railway Committee, re defective rate on the property adjoining the railway. Ultimately the House ordered a bill to be introduced to remedy the defects. In the matter of the School Committees Election Bill, a conference was ordered to discuss the Legislative Council amendments. In the Mines Act Amendment Bill the Committee struck out the clauses reducing the price of miners rights and business licenses. The amendments were disagreed with. Messrs Pyke, Seddon, and Larnach were appointed managers, and a conference was ordered. The House went into Committee of Supply. The Goldfields Departmental Estimates caused considerable discussion. The Nelson Creek race, the WaimeaKumara race, and slndge-channels, and the votes for Professor Black and Mr Montgomery’s lectures, were the chief items attacked. The goldfields members stood well together, and at four o’clock this morning the whole of the votes were passed, without one reduction. September 7, The House sits at half-past two today, when the motion of the Premier “That New Zealand declines to have anything to do with the Imperial Federation Euabling Act ” comes on for discnsssion. A whole day will be lost in useless discussion, and probably no conclusion arrived at. There is a very heavy political storm brewing in connection with the East and West Coast Railway vote, and the session will very likely be considerably prolonged if some compromise is not arrived at. Ministers are in a very perplexing position ■ seventeen Canterbury members, five Nelson members, and three Westland members are reported to have insisted on Government making it a Ministeiial question, whilst over fifteen Government supporters are equally determined

that Government should not. In the House there are about forty members only in favour of the railway; so, if Government make it a Ministerial question, they will go after that to chaos. Nothing will be definitely known until the Public Works Estimates come on ; then, perhaps, a few stone-walls will be created. If thirty good parliamentary stone-masons go to work with a will, it is wonderful the amount of obstruction work they can erect. The look-out is very black at presen t. The Seddon Disqualification Committee have now been sitting on and off for the last three weeks. The “ irrepressible bush lawyer ” has for once got plenty of pleading. Worse luck, he says, there is no fee attached, but hopes that if he pulls through, the House will pass a special Act to admit him as a full-pledged solicitor and barrister. “ Whatever the result/’ said he to one of the Press men, “ they can’t hang, me, and the evidence for the prosecution has proved my honour unsullied.” Whatever the result may be, there can be no doubt it is the longest and moat searching inquiry on a question of privilege that has taken place in the New Zealand Parliament a veritable Tiohborne case. [From the Wellington Correspondent of the Argus.] Wellington, September 4. The Opposition are very sore, and not at all satisfied with their last beating. They vow eternal vengeance, and that your railway will on no consideration be allowed to proceed. It is stated that the Cabinet is still undecided as to making a Ministerial question of it. Vogel and the Premier are in favor of that course, and perhaps Mr Richardson, but the others wish it to be left an open question with the House. To my own knowledge Westland and Nelson members had a distinct promise that the question would be a Ministerial one, and they will, I fancy, insist on this. If the amount is rejected on the Estimates, it is said three votes of £50,000 each will be placed on the Supplementary Estimates. So far as I can judge there will be a majority of a few votes against it, though in politics, as in horse racing, you never can tell till the numbers are up.