POLITICAL NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 14, 15 June 1885, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

The Parliamentary correspondent of the Taranaki Daily News writes :•— lt it probable, if there is no amendment, or " waste of time m any other way, that the Treasurer will bring down his Financial Statement within the next fortnight, And - . possibly on Tuesday week. Its financial proposals have been finally agreed to ii Cabinet, and the document itself baa been out of the printer's hands for torn* <• weeks. It will propose extensive ohsngtt "*• m the Cuatqms tariff, and probably, v 1 .,,, indicated some days ago, to the re-im* position of the Property Tax to thff extent of a penny m the pound. The de» s - - tails of a local government scheme will V bd fully explained m the Treasurer^ budget speech. The Bible-in-Schools Question is again to the fore already. The Hon Mr Holmet on Friday presented a petition to tb« Legislative Council from the Moderate* , and Presbytery of Dunedin, setting forik their opinion that the present system of national education fails to recognise th# moral and religious nature of the ehiV dren taught m the public schools ; that * this defect is causing growing dissatis* • faction which may lead to the overthrow of the national system ; that a large and influential portion of the community favors denominational education, owing to the absence of moral and religious in* struction ; and that the reading of the Bible m schools is desired by the majority of parents. They therefore pray that amendments be made m the Education Act, having the effect of securing tuck reading of the Bible m the State schools* The Wellington correspondent of tht Napier Telegraph says : — Mr Richardson will bring down his Public Works Statement on the next Government day. That statement, like the budget, is under- : stood to be quite ready, and all its proposals hare received the approval of tht Cabinet as a whole. This statement wUI propose the establishment of a non-politU cal railway board of management. Th# proposed reform will apply immediately, and only to the Auckland railway au<| South Island main trunk line, each of these would be placed under the control of a separate board, but the Wellington. Wanganui, Napier, and other smaller sections would continue for the preseqt under the direct control of the Pqbjjo. Works Minister. Next Government day Mr Ballahce will give notice of his b#W Land Bill proposals which I have before telegraphed, the chief new feature being ' increase of the maximum area authorised for special settlements from 100,000 to--200,000 acres. The new Bill, wjjj, of course will have to go m the first instance before the Waste Lands Committee for their report,