NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 232, 15 August 1873, Page 7

NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

There was rather a serious debate, oh the question of voting £30,000 for the Randall's Creek (Grey), and £50,000 for Mikonui Water Races. The ■ first was agreed to on a motion by Mr. Harrison, but the second, though ably advocated by Mr. Tribe, was' negatived. Mr. Fox came out strong ou the the second matter and referred enthusiastically to his tour on the West Coast. He.urged the claims of Mikonui in a very earnest manner. Of course, it is quite natural that the honorable, gentleman should advoc.ite water races. 'No ilotibt he sees how largely the question of water supply affects °teetotalism, and hopes/' by providing the Westland miners with a plentiful supply of the beverage, to bring them into the fold or tents of Rechab.—' Guardian.'

July 30. , The Gold fields members had the greater portion ,of the morning sitting to themselves. The notices of motion included the following: Mr. Harrison moved.—That out of the moneys set apart for...the purposes of . water supply on goldfields by " The Immigration and Public Works Act, * 1870," " there be applied a sum of £30,000 to the construction of a water race from Randall's Creek, in the electoral district of 1 Grey Valley, as recommended by the Provincial Council of Nelson. .Mr. Tribe mo/ed. —That out of the sum of £300,000 appropriated by Parliament to the supply of water to goldfields, an a<nount not exceeding £50,000 be applied to the construction of a race to convey water from the River Mikonui to Clearwater Gully, near Ross, Westland, in accordance ; with the plans now in the pos- ' session of the Government, and that the -.■ construction of such race be commenced forthwith by the Government. The two motions met wiih different fates : that of Mr. Harrison's being carried '; that- of the member for Ross, "on a division being called for, negatived. Mr. T. ibe made out a good case, and the best speech of the session hitherto; he had a grievance and ventilated it well. The Premier had to be called to the fore to silence the clamor of the Ministerialist from Westland; but from the plain, business talent Mr. Tribe manifested in his speech, it would be a relief were his voice to be heard oftener: Now, I wish to call the attention of your mining readers to the following fact. All the goldfields • members of the House present voted for Mr. Tribe's measure, save the member for the Dunstan and Mervyn of Mount Ida. Messrs Taiaroa, Bunuy, Curtis, and Fox voted with the minority. Now, there is no use assigning any reason for any course of action the member for Naseby may take, save this: that goldfields members should recognise the importance of acting in concert on mining questions, but the mining public'had a right to expect a better education from the man who loved to be called "the Goldfields Representative," than to vote against a measure because he knew nothing— as manifested by his remarks —of the subject under discussion, Tha Premier had to say that the difficulty the Ministry had in dealing with these claims

of goldfields members arose from the fact that a member from one Goldfield disputed ' the assertion of a member from another Goldfield fifty miles distant. Now the . man whom the people of the Dunstan love to honor should remind him that his district is not the Colony, and that he must expand in views as well as person. The " member for xiangitikei, I member say, would vote for anythin'gVm- f water iupply—' Star.' -r^/V

• Another most satisfactory item is the Confiscated Land Account, which, for 1 the first time, shows a balance on the right side on the 30th June last, since which there has also been a large amount to credit of the same account. This is, perhaps, the best answer that could possibly be the detractors of .Mr!i M'Lean's native policy, as much of the land recently sold was, not so very, many years ago, the seat of war and rapine, and now bids fair to be one of the most prosperous and flourishing districts in JN T ew Zealand. As if to show, too, the complete change which has come about in public opinion as to the chances'of native wars, much of the land recently sold has been purchased by capitalists from the South Island.

That the proposal to borrow another £2,750,000 has caused so little comment is scarcely to be wondered at, seeing how greatly the necessity of still further developing the public works has become apparent of late, and that the G-overnment will act-wisely in spending £500,000 out of it in . acquiring Native lands in the North Island, is what all sensible people who have studied the question will allow. I have already adverted to the facts of many capitilists from the South Island having gone in for land purchasing in the

North, and one good effect lias been that a much better and more accurate knowledge of Native affairs generally has been acquired by Southern members. As one of the results, there has arisen the well founded opinion that Government alone should be the purchaser direct from the Natives, and although, in some cases', Government might possibly be in a position to drive a harder bargain than a ; private individual, still the profit in the transaction goes to the general benefit, and not into the pockets of land-stairks and speculators, and when we hear it stated as a fact that private individuals, are actually acquiring hundreds of thousands of acres ad as low a price as 4d. per acre, it would seem high time that the Government stepped in and prevented the wanton sacrifice of what ought really to be, and must eventually become, the property of the State.—' Guardian.'

Wellington, August 8. Mr. Mervyn moved the second reading of the Representation Act Amendment Bill to alter the boundaries of the Dunstan district, and explained that he moved in the matter because lie originally represented the district, now lived there, and knew the local feeling on the matter. — Mr. Shepherd characterised Mr. Mervyn's conduct as impertinent, particularly as he had not been consulted by Mr. Mervyn.—The latter replied that as Mr. Shepherd was not likely to represent the Dunstan or any other district in another Council or Parliament, 'he had not troubled to consult him.—The Bill, on the suggestion of the Native Minister, was withdrawn..