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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4494, 14 August 1875, Page 2

The debate on the Abolition Bill was continued last night. Mr. Shepherd, who commenced on the Government side, made a speech that, had its matter been considered, should have proved one of the most effective in the discussion. He especially made a good point in advocating that road boards should be constituted for goldfields districts, and that the gold revenue should be treated as rates, and subsidised as such under the general abolition scheme. Mr. Brandon came out as an ultraproviucialist, and Major Jackson made a number of statements which were unchallenged, but which are not the less on that account open to criticism. All this was done to an almost empty House, and at I‘2 o’clock sheer weariness and the somewhat somnolent voices of honorable members demanded an adjournment, which was taken until Tuesday next.

A PEW days since we published a telegram from Dunedin, which stated that the Otago Daily Times had expressed great dissatisfaction with the Dress Agency’s report of the proceedings in Parliament last Tuesday night. The Times was only able to publish a report of Sir George Grey’s speech, and apologised to its readers even for this. We have before us the Otago Daily Times and Guardian of Wednesday last. The Times' report is certainly an awful muddle, that of the Guardian is clear and well done. As each was taken from an identical original supplied by the Press Agency, we can only conclude that the sub-editor of the Times was not sufficiently well acquainted ■with his business to properly prepare the Press Agency’s telegrams for his own paper, and that the sub-editor of the Guardian was. But it is rather hard that the Agency should be blamed because the 2’imes employs inefficient people.

A good many people will agree with us if we say “we are governed too much,” but perhaps everyone will not agree with us when we note the particular incident that has caused us to say what we have said. The members of the Press have to attend the proceedings of the House of Representatives without an accession to their income in the way of a honorarium, and without the privilege of retiring to Bellamy’s when a tedious speaker is on his legs. The members of the Press are but mortal, however, and in the interval of an adjournment they have been accustomed to go to “The Strangers’ Boom,” and there obtain stimulants suitable to a variety of tastes, to enable them to support the fatigues about to come. But yesterday they found this notice in the Strangers’ Boom.: “ Refreshments mil only be supplied in the waiting-rooms to members or to gentlemen with a Speaker’s order.” It is said that one gentleman on seeing this addressed a polite note to the Speaker asking for an order for brandy and water.