PARLIAMENTARY.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 141, 27 July 1880, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

(From our Own Correspondent.; Wellington, July 25. After one or two Parliamentary skirmishes the Estimates were gone into in right earnest on Friday. It was known that the Legislative vote would he taken up in the evening, and as this' happens to he a vote which touches members personally, it is hardly necessary to say that the floor of the House was well occupied. In that respect alone the aspect of affairs on Friday evening was exceptional. Every seat was tenanted until an advanced hour—until, at all events, the question of the honorarium had been finally determined.' The proceeding throughout was undignified and is certainly not calculated to inspire the vulgar mind'with respect for the New Zealand Legislature, One or two selfdenying patriots appeared on the scene and talked largely about submitting to a fair proportion of the general sacrifice, hut in the majority of instances everything like disguise was thrown aside, and members went in tooth and nail for the conservation of their own personal interests. In re the former, Murray, the member for Bruce, aided and abetted by Andrews, one of the Christchurch members, took the lead, while, on the opposite tack, Fyke and Reeves were by far the most conspickously importunate. The affair provoked a most unseemly scramble, and after a hard fight resulted in a ten per cent, reduction being carried, which will reduce the honorarium this year from L2lO to LIS9. I really do not think the country is to be congratulated on this saving. 'No man can be more deeply impressed with a sense of the urgent necessity that exists for a retrenchment policy than I am, but I do think that in this particular instance its application has been ill advised. New Zealand has fully endorsed the policy of payment for members and having done so, it can hardly be argued that two hundred guineas is a farthing too much. Any constituency which returns a man whose time and efforts are not worth that amount is unworthy of the franchise, and ought not to count as against others exercising it with due regard to its importance. It will, I believe, belli saved money, and will not tend to promote carefully considered legislation. The mistake is not to remove the necessity that exists for a periocical recurrence of this undignified scramble. A short Act on the subject is all that is necessary, and recent events have shown that it is rare

than ever imperative that such a measur e should not he delayed. Efforts have from time to time been made in this direction, hut in some way or another rothiug ever comes of them. Men cannot he got to do the work for nothing/nor is it at all desirable. that they should, and if this principle he once affirmed then they should be placed in a position beyond the necessity of scrambling for what is their undoubted right. Let us hpe that this is the last J occasion upon which an exhibition like that ;of Friday last will he necessitated. At a I previous stage of the evening’s sitting the j member for Wairau did a very graceful thing indeed. I duly advised you of the j fact than an extra L2OO was set down as a i supplement to the modest salary paid to him as Chairman of Committees. It could hardly he called an advance, inasmuch as it was simply compensation for the loss sustained last session in consequence of his i appointment as Chairman of Committees, and consequent loss of honorarium. Private : members under the honorarium “ draw ” ■ were paid for the two sessions held last ; year, whereas the Chairman of Committees j was only entitled under his fixed salary to j a sum considerably less than that of a pri- | vate member. It was with a view of comj pensating him for this loss that the L2OO ; was proposed. Mr Seymour, in anticipa- ! tion of the item being brought on, explainIcd that the sum was placed on the Estimates without his knowledge or coni sent, and that not only was he willing to ! forego the whole amount, hut was ready to : submit to any reduction in the fixed salary the exigencies of the times demanded. | There was a candour about the avowal ! which elicited hearty approval from all ! sides of the House. lam pleased to have this opportunity of stating that Mr Seyj mour’s position in the House is a most j reputable one, and although a well defined | party man, he commands the respect and | attention of all sides. So far as the re- ; trcnchment proposals of the day have gone, ; the Government has been firm hilt not indiscriminate. Overpaid and under- . worked salaries have been cropped, while i the salaries of deserving officers have been ; allowed to pass as they were. For example, the assistant clerkship to the House, held by a gentleman not unknown in Blenheim —Mr Otterson was passed without a syllable of complaint, members being well aware that the amount of his salary is honestly earned. A similar position in the Upper House was cut down, the duties being much lighter and less important. Thus far the work of retrenchment has proceeded satisfactorily, hut you can readily understand a great deal remains to he done before it can he called complete. Government, it is understood, will, in a few days, bring down their resolutions relative to the inscription of stock. The character of these resolutions is not yet known, hut it may he predicted that they will he substantially as follows :—The three agents employed for the purpose will he continued, each receiving one-twelfth of one per cent., or I per cent, amongst the three. Sir Julius Yogel will retire from the Agent Generalship, and will form one of the three agents appointed for the stock inscription, with liberty to fill up his time in any way he may think fit. There are, however, two opinions about this inscription of stock, and when the question comes-on for consideration in the House, it will in all probability he debated all round, because there is a considerable section of the House, who have apparently arranged in their own minds that it is not expedient that the inscription should he carried out as contemplated by the Act of 1877. When the estimates for the Agent-Generals’ Department come on for consideration there can he no doubt hut that large reductions will he proposed. All prospect of Reader Wood obtaining the Agent-Generalship is at an end, and it is more than probable it will he offer ed to Sir Edward Stafford, at a salary of from £SOO to £OOO for current expenses, and the establishment will he reduced with•n the limits of £2OOO per annum, as Government immigration is henceforth altogether to cease. It is still, however, deemed desirable to have the Colony represented in England by an Agent-General, although the office will he shorn of much of its emolument as stated above.

The debate on the Civil Service Report re the railway department, will, it is under stood, be renewed when the vote comes on for consideration. Now that the public mind has had time to digest matters, the feeling is beginning to prevail that the whole system is what it is represented to he —a sink of corruption. Conyers, of whom so much lias been heard lately, will either be ousted altogether, or at all events, his present large salary will be reduced very considerably. If lie gets £BOO, or 50 per cent, less than he had last year, it will be all. I have heard it stated that Blenheim is a nest of officialdom, which is likely to receive a most severe handling. One thing is certain —you may look out for changes and reductions. [By Tulkohath.] This Day. The Railway Commissioners Report was laid on the table last night, and contains the following Opaint to Blenheim —This small section, crossing the river into Blenheim, is nearly completed, and we believe avill be the means of improving the returns of the original section from Picton, of which, in our opinion, it should have formed part. Blenheim to A mat ere. —The land which this extension would serve is good enough, both in quality and quantity, to justify the expenditure, hut as the district is wholly in the hands of a few large landholders, and has not been settled to any extent, we consider that the execution of the work should he preceded by increased settlement or an immediate prospect of it by the subdivision of properties. Subject to this condition, we recommend the construction of the extension when further funds are available. Blenheim to Huriinui. —The construction of this coastline could only he justified on the ground that it might form part of the future main trunk railway, as it would open up but a very limited area of agricultural land in proportion to the cost of the work. We consider the proposal altogether premature.

Blenheim to Bound ell. —Neither the extent of agricultural land in thedistrict which this line would traverse, nor the prospects of increased settlements 'to arise from its construction, is sufficient to induce us to recoin mend any expenditure on it. The House made some progress with the Estimates, and so far as it went, there was less determination envinced in the way of cutting down. Speaking to a motion on the subject, the Premier said the Public works Statement would he down next week, and that after the Estimates were passed, Government would select a certain number of social Bills from amongst the number on the Order Paper, and ask the House to pass them: after which the session would be prorogued. He expected that would be about the end of August.