NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 238, 26 September 1873, Page 3

NOTES FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS AT WELLINGTON.

As I advised you, the Gold Mining Bill came on again for re-consideration. The member for the Dunstan was evidently in , an impatient, irritable humor on the sub-, ject fearing how his bantling would fare. He would walk from one member to another along the floo of the House, chat earnestly and impressively, then bother the Minister of Justice and the Native Minister, striving to induce them to.defer the consideration of the Native Land Bill, in order that his Mining Bill' might have a chance. So he had his way, got up and commenced a long speech for 'Hansard' and the country —iold the House he had twenty years mining experience as to Goldfields legislation,.possessed a greater knowledge of mining matters than any man in the House—that members might feel anxious as to when the division would take place, but he, could tell them he intended to speak for two hours on the subject, when the House was counted out, on the motion of Major Atkinson, and the Mining Bill postponed again The debate on the Provincial Loans Bill has been the main t topic ~of interest and information since; my. last-letter. Its policy was very vigorously criticised by every section and shade of opinion "in the House. Some considered it only of a permissive character, and hence harmless,, it having no finality, as any Province could come down at a future day with fresh proposals for a Provincial loan; others maintained that the reverting to Provincial borrowing was a great mistake —an evil to the and an error in statesmanship : that it would tend to perpetuate Provincialism itself, a result eminently undesirable. The Government having announced that it would be made a Ministerial question, settled the doubts of those who hoped to get it thrown out on the second reading. It was determined by a large section of the representatives of the couutry that a division should take place on the second reading, and the majority was estimated first at eight and later at five. When, however, Mr. Vogel got up to reply, it became known that no division would, take place—the opponents of the Ministry being undesirous of shoeing their weakness,' and the second reading was carried on the voices. Your readers will have learned by the wire the modifications that Have taken place, by j the Government, when the Bill passes through Committee. It will thus be 1 rendered comparatively harmless in the South, and inoperative altogether in the North. Among the Ministeralists themselves there were much cogitation, consultation, and doubt as to how the Bill would affect the country, but this consideration also was ot great .weight with "the wavering— If we turn out on tin's question the present ! Ministry, who shall we get to put-in their place ? whom*can we depend on to carry out the policy inaugurated by Mr. Yogel —men whole-hearted and eager for its success ? Hence, right or wrong, we must support the Ministry, was the conclusion they arrived at." It was then suggested to the Ministry by the member for Waitaki, that if a clause was inserted in the Bill by"'which Provinces wero only allowed to borrow at par, and at a certain rate of interest,, say five or six per cent., the difficulty felt as to the probability of Provinces borrowing at ruinous rates had been overcome, and that the Bill-in this, manner could be - swa!lowed*;by the House and the country, The suggestion was

fcivora;•!_>" !'t;;-''!Vi-<i, and promised io be adoptevl. [t i< probable that the member for the Duns; an hoard of the proposal either in the lobby or Bellamy's, and on-, the last day of the debate, throw out the suggestion to the Government in his speech, which the member for Waitaki had previously settled. Although the member for the Dunstan spoke first on the subject—Otago, knows his modesty well—l feel without his narration honor would be given to him to whom it would not be due. "Thereisone thing apparent here—his constituents rather alight him, as petitions from his district are rarely given to him for presentation. To a high minded representative like the hon. gentleman, this must be cerLainly galling. The Bill will doubtless receive further modification in Committee, and not im- . probably be thrown out in the Upper House.

| In the Legislative Council oh Tuesday. I last, the Hon. Mr. Seweil moved—" That in the opinion of this Council the financial position of the Colony demands the grave consideration of the Legislature." (This statement is applicable to every country under the sun at every possible period of its history.) The debate has been protracted, decorous, as might be expected, and will be resumed on Tuesdaynext. Mr. Seweil wants to bring out the fact or assertion that our indebtedness is increasing in a greater ratio than our population, but forgets to remember the money spending is in- works of a character that represent the worth of the money spent. The Lords, I expect, will prove refractory—they will- probably be to the Native policy sent up to them —and prove nasty generally. There was rather a good thing came on duriug the early part of the week. When the Gold Mining Bill came from Committee before, the House, its putative father, the member for the Dunstan, was absent from his post arranging handicaps at the Empire. The Bill was,thrown out. It was considered a crude and: immature measure, and' as such not worthy of adoption. -Your-readers .can imagine the wrath of the Shepherd when he found his own particular Bill had come to grief during his absence. So he induced the Government to have the Bill again brought before the House for recommittal, describing it as a " child of his own begetting," which the Goldfields Committee had sat upon for" three weeks, and which was now unfit - to be seen, and that the other Goldfields members were anxious to throw the Bill out lest too much eclat should attach to the member for the Dunstan through its passing. Now that Vincent Pyke has come into the House for Wakatip, the member for the Dunstan will be sat upon as well as his Bill.

The business of tlie session is drawing to a close. A fortnight will probably see its termination. . There may be some time required yet to he given to the Lords to run through their perfunctory work; but the absence of. any legitimate Opposition will tend to shorten the "session. It is weary work listening night after night to what takes place—the whole often of a useless character. Breaches of privilege and private Bills take up a large amount of time. Last night an opponent of the Timber Floating Bill, who had had his evidence be!ore the Committee printed, took the trouble to get it circulated among the members of the House. - This, of course,. was. a breach of privilege, and Dunstan said Mount Ida was more culpable still, as he had given your reporter news which he had obtained before it had left the Committee-room, and that it was published in Otago long before it was known in _ Wellington. Dunstan's bulk and arrogance grow with his years. He would be a good managing director for a self - assurance company, unlimited.—- ' Star.' *

In tlie House, on the motion to go into Committee on the Provincial Loans Bill, the Premier, said he was surprised that Mr. Tolmie opposed the Bill, when, lately, he had paired in its favor. —Mr. Tolmie said he voted for-the seeond reading, believing that the Government would have had sense enough to withdraw the Bill.— The Premier aiso thought it desirable that the Colony should not undertake too many works at once. The Bill tended to prevent this, and therefore it deserved the support of lion, members. —-Mr. Webster likened Mr. Pox to an old woman, told off by Indians to sneer at captive warriors, and'to throw mud upon* them; and recommended Mr. Vogei to drop personalities in debate. • He argued that the lands were already pledged tor £-3,400,000, borrowed for Public Works. Mr. Macandrew introduced a Bill to sot aside certain lands in'the Province of. Otago as special security under the Proviucial Loans Act. The Bill is for the purpose of seeling aside land as security for a loan of about £200,000, to be expended upon the construction of a line of railway from Lawrence, running through the centre of the Goldfields'of Qtago ; the land to be selected from f aioiig the route of the railway.