PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 237, 19 September 1873, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

(From 'Hansard.') WAITAKI-MOEEAKI RAILWAY. Mr. Steward asked, the Minister for Public Works—"When the WaitakiQamaru and Oaniaru T Moeraki portions of the Waitaki-Moeraki railway will respectively be ready for the rails ; and when the Government anticipate being able to open the line for traffic ?" Mr. Richardson said that, with regard to the first portion of the question, he would state that the line would be finished, so far as the present contract went —viz., to make it ready for the permanent way upon the 14th December next, and there was eYetj probability of its being open within four or five months from that date. The rSils.had.been ordered from Home, and would be here very; shortly. With respect to the latter portion of the question, as to when the line would be open for traflic, he would say that the work was proceeding in a satisfactory manner, and there was no doubt it would be completed on the 19th January, 1876, the time stipulated in the contract MOESASI-DUSTBDISr RAILWAY.

Mr. Steward asked the Minister for Public Works—" Whether the survey has been completed of the Moeraki-Dunedin line of railway; and, if not, when it is likely to be completed?" Mr. Eichardson replied that the field work was now being proceeded with, and he expected that the arrival of the next steamer from the South would place the Government in possession of sufficient information to enable them to give details to the House respecting this line of railway.

■ MINING- COMPANIES ACT. Mr. Sheehan, in asking the Premier—- " Whether -it is the intention of the Government to introduce, this session, any measure amending the Mining Companies Act of last year?"—would remind the House that last session the honorable gentleman carried a measure of verv great importance on this subject. It was based upon.an Act. passed in Victoria after fifteen years' experience, but it turned out, as one would naturally expect, that in some particulars it was not suited to this Colony. A great deal of correspondence had taken place with regard to it, and he had himself papers on the subject which he would willingly place at the disposal of the Government if they had any intention of introducing such a Bill. Mr. Vogel replied tb at the Government had no information upon the matter. He had been told that there were some imperfections in the Act of 'last session, but the Government had received no information upon the subject. The honorable member would have the goodness to com sider that, unless those who locally administered the Goldfields law placed the Government in possession of information with respect to imperfections in any Acts applying to Goldfields, the Government were not in a position to take any action at all in the matter. He would be glad, if the honorable gentleman would furnish him with papers in his possession on tne subject, when the Government would give full consideration-to the question. In the absence of any information, he was not able, to inform the honorable member tnat there was any intention on the part of the Government to bring in an amendment Bill ; but if the honorable member gave the information he possessed, it might probably have the effect of altering the intention of the Government. °