WELLINGTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 213, 7 September 1881, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.) [By Telegraph.] Tuesday, 1130 p.m. The following important return of loan expenditure iv the various provincial dis tricte from the beginning of the public works policy, al3o the revenue derived from such j districts to Match 3 1st 18& ! * was presented ' to Parliament to-day by the Premier. (Note-, the liabilities at thai date are included in the expenditure; Auckland, x2,6SG,CCO; Tara"aki, £604,006; Wellington, £2,600,510 ; Hawke's Bay. £817 325; Nelson, £904,030; Mariboronv/b. A 287.206 ; Canterbury, £3.008 533 \ W.stknd, £811,004; Otago, £4,714,864j Total, £16.448,438. Comparing tue above with thfc respec ive contributions to revenue (■ xclbsive of latid sales), the following districts have had expenditure in excess oi proportion i— Taranaki. £213,772; Wellington, £739.770; Hawke's Bay, £184,055 • Nelson, £87,080. ; Westland, £366.654. The following districts have had lees than their propor|i n i— Auckland, £49,500; Mariborouub, £16,384; Canterbury, £1,474,689; Otago/ £51,658. In the above return the revenues from railways and property tax have been approximately allotted to the respective districts. A report from the Agent General, Sir D. Bell, was laid on the table to-night showing the proposed alterations in, the Agent General's department. Sir D Bell reports that \ when he took office the staff comprised three clerks and messenger costing £534 10s annually. Tha offices were costly and in- i convenient, being in separate nets held under lease at a rental of £450, with a further charge of 31 4a for a caretaker. The Agent General proposes to sub-let a part as soon a3 soon as possible and so save abont £100 a year. If immigration is stopped one clerk could be scared at once, but there is stjll a large amount of clerical work to be done There is not work for both audit officer and accountant, the two costing £700 a year, but under the Revenues Act this cannot be done. Sir D. Bell suggests that the audit department coald be done equally well by some eminent English accountant a3 is the case in the Queensland Agency, while the countersigning of the Agent General's cheques could be done by the Secretary if he were appointed an officer of the Audit Department, whereby one salary could be saved altogether. The following is his estimate of expenditure for the current year:— (l) Fixed by Government (6r for which the Government are^ already liable): Agent General £iJ2SOj SecreU r y £600: Assistant £300; Rent £400; Caretaker £31. Total £2551; (2) Expenditure controlled bjr the Agent Genefral : Cler&s (subject to deduction of one) £500} messenser, postage, stationery, and contingencies £250. Total £750, or in all £3339, of which £250 will soon be saved in rent and by the discharge of one clerk. These figures are less by £750 than the smallest' of any Colonial Government office in London, and greatly less than the largest. If the Government take a vote for £35P0 it may be assured that tho expenditure will be within that amount* A return was presented this evening showing (I) the number of teacher? employed in the Normal or training schools of the colony, namely, 13, on the 31st July, with aggregate salaries of £3459; (2) the number of pupils during the game period, namely, 32 males and 83 females, total 115; (3) the amount iof money paid on account of individual students of Training school* during the three years ended December 31st, 1880, namaly, £2720; (4) the number of students known to be engaged as public school teachers, namely, 74 males and 88 females, total 163, the number of pupil teachers trained in the Normal schools, 27 males and 61 females, total 88. The following is the preient state of the Order Paper:— 91 Bills in various stages, namely, five which hare not yet passed the second reading, 30 not yet through Committee, three for report, two for third (reading, and three for the consideration of amendments by ths Legislative Council. Then there are six other orders of the day, and 21 notices of motion. 363 petitions have been presented this session, and 187 papers laid on the table. i In reference to 'some rather sensational accounts which have been published relative to Te Whiti's attitude and the fencing operations by the West Coast natives the Government have received telegrams assuring them that these reports are greatly exaggerated, and that so far the native obstruction ba3 been of a most; moderate and good humored kind. The Government, howev«r, have issued orders for the fences to be removed in most of the cages where they; first were erected, and in regard to the others it is fully expected that the arrangements (now in progress will give satisfaction to a large majority of the natives, and will probably bring about the entire restoration of a good understanding at an early period. All practicable efforts will be made to meet the reasonable desires or. natives, but no vexatious or unreasonable interference with the settlement of land now bting placed in the market will be tolerated for a moment. The House sat till 4.15 this morning, when the Eepresentation Bill was at length passed onadivißion by 33 votes to 8. Owing to the late honr at which the Houae rose, th^re was no afternoon sitting, and it did not re sume till 730 p.m. After the questions were answered, the House went into consideration of the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Licensing Bill which occupied the time up to the supper adjournment at 10-30, and ifc appears exceedingly likely to take up all the remainer of the night. It has been arranged to have a morning sitting at 11 o'clock to-morrow for Government business, and at the same hour the next day for private business. Members are now jubilant at the apparent prospect of the early close of the session, some are even so sanguine as to name Tuesday week aa the date of prorogation, but the general opinion seems to be that the session vail not terminate much before the end of tha month. There is an enormouß quantity of business still to he got through, and even allowing for a wholesale slaughter of the innocents, there iga good deal which it ia absolutely esiential to deal with. Great pressure' ia being brought to bear to secure the passing of the Railways Construction Bill, but somewhat gloomy apprehensions are entertained that if it gets into Committee it will be improved and improved until it is improved off the face of the earth. A great many useful amendments of the Bill have been suggested, but it is probable there will not be time to deal fully with them, and that this will lead some members, who feel strongly on the necessity of certain alterations, to oppose the Bill unlese these are carried out. However, it is premature as yet to form any conjecture on the fate of tho measure. It is now asserted that the rumor of an impending scene, which drew each en immense crowd to the House last night, was deliberately circulated by a certain Opposition member in the hopa of precipitating that which he professed to predict ; however, it did not come off, and at present everything seems calm and peaceful. This Day, 2.20 p.m. There is no political news or gossip stirring to-day. The House adjourned soon after midnight and met again at 11 in the forenoon. The sitting was occupied chiefly in a vigorous debate whether the dog- tax should be five or ten shillings. 'which important question produced a full House and much fervid oratory. Several members leave today for their homes.