POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 13 July 1880, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(by telegraph.) (from OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT). : Wellington, July 12. i This afternoon was wasted in the House of Representatives in discussing two questions—the motion of the Premier, fot sitting after 12.30, and that of Mr. Saunders in reference to" the Civil Service Commission report. As might haye been expected, the Government side had it all their own way, notwithstanding the numerous and lengthy protests of their opponents. The House will therefore sit till all hours at the will of the Government, who will no doubt be able to work the new arrangement to their advantage. j As regards Mr. Saunders' motion, itwill come on to-night, and it is probable discussion will be adjourned in order that; members may I have-' -an opportunity to peruse the evidence, and the papers, which; will be laid on the table, as the result of the motion., .Considerable discussion arose out of"ttie-facts : thai'i;he evidence has nojfc been available to members for the last three or four days. Tt is understood to - possession- -of-.y-Mr... '£>auncl ;ra. c Th'e"miss~ing' ;neqte4ywifej; thie ; rail way,, said to : have b.een [abstrajcted:by' .the J.department,..,and; about which,; Mr. ;Saunders imade; some ;severe comments, hte been- fpund;> by' a 1 messenger amongst other papers connected with ; "th'e Civil Service investigation. It is impossib!e"tcTfell when the session will be closed.; .in any,casejthere is much work to be"db'rie". ana if i£ : progresses as slowly done up to.'the presentstage, Aiembers will not return to their homes ; for : ; july 13. ; Nothing definite is known yet about th'e discfiatgfe ; .cif .officials, Autiit .is'lrumoreid that a number will be discharged, and. -id' the^'e'nj'oyjnfe'nt"<&£>'■ pensions. iany d'du'bt :that"'through_o.utj thp r Cplopy„spm.e.,ofi}cers. .will, be,,difcs', {jharge'd/'aiid* titters retained' at'tfiduoed .salaries. • , , A csrtixi v.:s' ••! .. ." -j.,.? ;.

(FROSiC OUR SPfcCfAL' CORRESPONDENT.)

—Wellington, July 13. : It is stated that the irork, of .amalgamais be placed at the_head of the combined 1 department. The friends of Messrs. to'"'become'lof "those" hign but |I suppose for. | 'are' tlifeatened in the Police- an4»4p a ?4^!?iMtabula^rr, l In forifcteVHße* number" of* Supgrihi"endenj;s will be reduced to two —one for each island—and the number of Inspectors will be limited to two for each island. Tile rates of pay will not be altered. In tlie Armed Constabulary there will be both ja-. reduction of numbers and of pny, ! It is stated that a new tariff is "beirjg prepared for the railways. The real nature of this will not be made known for some days, but it is understood that it wiil have the effect of making all lines pay!a fair rate, and that on present non-paying lines higher rates will be charged. j The Wellington Chronicle, speaking pf the property tax, says : — li A gentleman who has recently arrived in the with capital to the tune of some L 30.000 to invest, has become so alarinrd at the new tax that he has buttoned up Kis pockets and hied away to look . out for investment." j Mr. Saunders' speech on the Civil Service Commission's report last night is not accepted as a strong defence of the Commission. He must have ascertained lpy this time that he and the other Com- j missioners made a grave mistake in couch* j ing their report in such strong languagel