PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 441, 27 September 1877, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

(From oilr Exchanges.). THE WANT-OF-CONFIDENCE MOTION. .1 The rumors of a no-confidence motion have, i'.fsnmeil a definite form-at last. At a • meeting of ths Middle Pa. tj on the 21st iaytant, attended by about- twenty members, it was resolved that a motion should be moved when going into Committor of Supply, condemning the action of the Government in continuing.to publish the ' Waka Maori' in defiance of an express rote of the Hou.se, and allowing its columns to be used for the purpose of libelling Members of the House. Mr. Larnach will move tho resolution, and the division is expected to be close. Rumors of a want-of-confidence motion are in abeyance,-but it is mysteriously whispered that a direct attack will be made on the Government on the jSative Land Sales Suspension Bill. • Besides Mr. Murray's resolution;- another will be moved something similar to Mr. liees' ' Waka Maori' resolution, attacking the Government on their native policy.*- In tho : meantime Ministers and their supporters affect to treat these threats vith contempt, and predict an early " slaughter of the innocents."

There is some Standing Order difficulty about Mr. Larnach bringing his 'Waka Maori' vote of censure on, owing to the long-standing motion by Mr. llees ou the same subject, which is still on the Order Paper. JfATIVB SALKB SUSPENSION" BTLL. Votes are being begged for this Bill in the Lower House, ou the private assurance thai it will bo effectually disposed of in tbe Legislative Council. In the face of Mr. Murray's amendment the. Government cannot withdraw tho Bill, and they fear being defeated on it. Mr. James Mackay has arrived in Wellington, and says tho feeling amongst Natives in tho North and amongst the Whites also is very much against the Bill. ABOUT THE LOBBIES. The newly-formed Opposition state that they have a majority. It is, however, a, curious combination. The Upper House squatters from Otago are exceedingly active, and tho Canterbury Members to some extent join the combination. Alarm has been taken afc the liberal action of tho AV aste Lands Committee. Attempts continue to be made to damage the Ministry by side-wind motions on every subject brought torward. They fail collectively, but of course have some affect with waverers. At a meeting of the Constitutional or Middle Party on Saturday, the leadership was offered to and accepted by Mr. W. Uolleston. It was resolved to offer seats to Messrs. Curtis and Ballance, should they vote with the party, and succeed in turning the Ministry out. The others who would get portfolios for certain besides Messrs. Uolleston, Curtis, and Ballance, if the party are s iccesstul, ftro Messrs. Montgomery, Travers, Gisborne, and Lusk. The party have not yet decided as to what other Members they would get to complete the Ministry. T.HE agent^gkjiewalship. The Attorney-General stated that the Government had no yjresent intention of extending Sir Julius Yogel's term of office as Agent-General beyond the term originally specified, or longer than was necessary to make arrangements for supplying bis place. DISTHICT EAILWAYB BILL. In Committee, Mr. Pyke strongly opposed the Bill as not giving sufficient powers to County Councils. Clauses Ito 50 were passed with the alterations indicated by Mr. Ormond in moving the second readings.

The Under-Secretary.for Public Worts, in replying to the letter conveying to the Hon. Mr. Orraond the resolutions on the subject of the District .Railways Bill, passed by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, says that he is instructed to state " that in some particulars the Government has anticipated the recommendation of the Chamber, and that, with oilier amendments proposed to be made in the Bill as it was originally introduced, the Minister hopes tho Bili will prove of public advantage." THE EDUCATION BILL. Clause 8 (appropriation) was considered in Committee of the Whole. The Minister for Justice proposed that the grant from the Consolidated Fund be made £3 15s. per head instead o? £3 10s., the amount required for ordinary repairs, <&c., of schoolhouses, to supply the place of capitation tax. The additional live shillings proposed would be required to enable Boards to meet expenses of inspec* tion of schools, which were now thrown on them. The amendment was agreed to. A new clause was introduced exempting buildings used for public school purposes from liability from local rates. An amendment, to extend exemption to other than public schools, was lost by thirtynine to thirteen.

A new clause, proposed by Mr. Carrington, fixing the minimum salary of a teacher in charge of a school at £l3O per year, was rejected by thirty-four to twenty-nine.