PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 404, 28 October 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Tklegraph.] (From our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Monday evening. To-day will be quite a field day in the Legislative Council. First the East and West Coast Railway Bill is to be committed, and if disposed of to-day, which is doubtful, the Greymouth and Westport Harbor Bills, which are pretty certain to be opposed strenuously, come on for discussion. To-day. Mr Stout is to move that Government business take precedence on Thursday — anochcr sign of the beginning of the end. Sir J. Vogel's amended resolution with reference to district railways moved to-day is as follows : — " That this House will tomoirow^resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider the following resolutions : — '■ That the difficulty surrounding the railways constructed under the District Railway's Act and the hardship to which the ratepayers are subjected in connection there- I with an; siu:U that this House considers the Government should seize a favorable opportunity to enter into an agreement to acquire the said laud by lease and purchase, the cost not to exceed the value ascertained by a Court of Enquiry presided over by a Ju'dee of the Suproni" Court, and to be based on ■ the actual cost sit which at the time of construction the railways could have been made, the balance to bear 4 per cent, interest, ami i to bo paid in four annual instalments; the ! Government next session in the event of such agreement to introduce a bill to makK the ratepayers liablo for one half of any amount shurt of i per (.■cut. which the railways agreed upon may produce after-working expenses, plus the cost of raising the rates.' " Several members of the Legislature, in view of the mo3l important business of the session taking up at the very least three weeks before completion, are endeavoring to arrange for a week's holiday, so as to enable hon. gentlemen to attend the Agricultural Show and the Races at Christchurch. It is possible (.hat the suggested relaxation would tend to give a healthier tone in more ways than one to the consideration of matters before Parliament. Proceedings in the House. ] In the House this afternoon Sir G. Grey ' presented a petition from Wahanui, chidf of some Native tribe, praying to be heard at the bar of the House in regard to certain laws proposed to be passed affecting the Native race. Dr Newman gave notice to ask the Minister of Public Works to-morrow If the Government would proceed at once with the construction of the North Island Trunk Railway beginning at the Marton end. A bill to unite certain city electorates (Mr Stout) was read a first time, the second reading being fixed for Friday. The Premier moved that Government business take precedence on Thursdays for the rest of the session. — Carried. At the request of Sir Julius Vogol the resolution, regarding the district railways was ordered to stand over till to-morrow. - Sir G. Grey then moved the adjournment of the House in order that he might bring under the consideration of the House, the statement mn de by the Premier on Friday morning after the delivery of the Public Works Statement. It was with feelings of n gret that he heard such an announcement made. Ue took it as threatening the freedom of the House. — The Premier said there was a preponderance of North Island members in the Council, and evidently an intention to pass works only for that part of the colony. If the policy bills of the Government were interfered with they must resign their seats or take some other means of checking the action of the Council.— After Considerable discussion, Sir George Grey's motion for the adjournment of the House was negatived on the voices. The House is evidently in a very bad temper over the Ministerial statement made by Mr Stout the other night, and the tone of this afternoon's debate was strongly antagonistic to the Government. Mr Seddon is now (8 p.m.) entertaining the House with a long speech, continued from the hour of adjournment, on the Police Offences Bill. DISTRICT RAILWAYS. Writing on the subject of the resolution to be proposed to-morrow by Sir Julius Yogel if his health permits of his attendance, having reference to the proposed purchase of the district railways, the ' Post ' this evening says; "The House of Bepicseutatives is to be asked to pass a resolution practically pledging the Colony to the purchase of these railways on deferred terms, the authorising of which a few years ago has become a public scandal. The good faith and credit of the Colony is really ininvolved in regard to some of them, and lar.ee numbers of settlers in districts through which the Hues run are being harassed and worried by atteniDts to levy exorbitant rates. If the Colony docs not con?e to their rescue, the bailiffs will shortly have possession of some of the district railways, and the disgrace will rest in a large degree on the Colony, while the losa will fall on innocent shoulders ill able to bear it. We believe it is necessary that the Colony should at oncra intervene and take over these j lines on the best terms possible. They can be obtained en terms which afford fair reason for believing that as parfc of the general railway system of the Colony they can be worked in a manner which will yield a fair profit on their cost. It is of course a fact that if the colony buys these a number of speculators and others will obtain relief and make the profit which they do not deserve. This is to be regretted, and if there was any way to prevent it, while relieving the ratepayers generally, and securing the credit of the colony, we should be glad to see it adopted. There is,, however, no was of separating their interest from the others, and the fact that a -few people may make an exceptionally good thing of the transaction is not, we think, at all a sufficient reason for leaving a number of othi r perfect ly innocent persons exposed to ruinom loss and jeopardising the public credit by refusing to complete the transaction. We hope therefore that the House ■ will, by a substantial majority, pass the resolution to be proposed by the Colonial Treasurer, and by doing so neutralise the effect of the vote come to by the Legislative Council on Monday evening last io re* jevtiujj the District .Railways Sill, i