The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 145, 18 June 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1880.

Owing to want of space several letters from correspondents are unavoidably held over until to morrow. The proceedings in the House of Representatives last night assumed an unexpected form. As will be seen by our telegrams, Sir George Grey declined to proceed with his Property Assessment Act Repeal Bill upon the conditions imposed by the Government, namely, that they should regard it aB a no confidence motion. Leave, however, was refused to withdraw the Bill, whereupon Sir George moved it without remark. This was immediately followed by an amendment to the effect that the Bill be read that day six months, which was carried by a very large . majority. Sir George then, upon the Treasurer moving to go into Committee of Supply^ moved without notice a direct vote of want of confidence. Mr Hall replied, and the debate is now proceeding, and will probably last several days. At the Court to day Mr George Richardson ■, who recently passed his examination as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, was, on the motion of Mr Fell, admitted to the bar. Mr Fell made his first , appearance this morning as Crown Prosecutor. The Artillery and City Cadets were inspected by General Davidson last evening, when there was a fair attendance. The infantry drill of both corps was rather loose, but the former excelled in field battery drill, handling the six-pounder gun with much smartness. At the Court this afternoon, W. Stallard and H. Livick, jurymen, failed to answer to their names, and were fined £1 each, his Honor stating that he should not make the final order until later in the day in order to give them an opportunity of explaining their absence. The Post of Wednesday last says: — The report of the Civil Service Commission is to be laid on the table very shortly. We believe it is of a very damaging character, and that it recommends the instant disniisal of one head of the Railway Department on the ground of " gross mismanagement," and his connection with a manufacturing company; and also the dismissal of another " head "on the score of incompetency. The number of civil servants in the colony is somewhere about 11,000, and it is, we believe, proposed to largely reduce this number, and to effect reductions all round to the extent of 12-| per cent. The report will probably be found to Bhow that so far the Commission has only dealt with the Survey and Railway Departments, and in both there are grave charges of mismanagement. In regard to to the latter it is, we believe, stated that surveyors who have bungled the survey of large blocks have been re-employed to cor-, reel their own errors, instead of competent men. The report will not be sent in as an interim one, though practically that is all it will amount to. It is rumored that the reductions recommended by the Commissioners will involve a total saving of nearly £ 150,000. I „— ,■■-- , ,;.,.. — :, .....-*.