OUR SPECIAL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1040, 22 June 1883, Page 3

OUR SPECIAL.

(by telegraph.) WELLINGTON, This day. Endowments are to be given lo new Boroughs and also to Town Districts. Patea Borough, Hawera Borough, Waverley Town District, and the Town Districts of Normanby, Manaia, and Opunake, will each have a claim for endowments under a Bill which the Government have prepared, but not yet introduced. Returns have been lately obtained to show wh..t sections of Crown land in each new Borough and Town District can be given to the local body without depriving the Government of all sections which may be needed for future Government Buildings. It is not intended to endow such'places with lands lying outside their local boundaries. The endowments will therefore not be large in extent, but they may still be of considerable value as building sections. Each local body affected by the new Bill should be prepared to say which sections would be of most use as endowments. Patea Borough might ask for the area in front of the Emigration Barracks, in order to improve the main street, and also ask for such other sections as will best assist the growth of the borough. I should mention that town districts and boroughs to be formed thereafter become entitled to endowments, so that places like Kakaramea and Manntahi need not be alarmed that all endowments are being swallowed up before they can claim a share under the Town Districts Act. Like good little boys, they should eat more porridge, and try to j~~ grow big enough for town districts. An important statement is to be made to-day by Major Atkinson, and as it can hardly be telegraphed to yon in time, I will indicate its purport. Complaints have been made by the Opposition that the policy of Government is to keep back all details of finance and public works until the Session is so far advanced that time will not remain for proper discussion. The Colonial Treasurer intends to meet this kind of grievance by rising on the first Government day after the Address in Reply has been passed, and informing the House as to when the Financial Statement will be brought down together, with the printed Estimates, and also when the Public Works Statement will be made. lam informed that both these important statements are to be laid before the House at early dates, so that the whole financial policy for the session may be known, and the fullest criticism may be invited. The Colonial Treasurer is also expected to state today the various bills which Government have prepared and intend to introduce during the session. He will probably intimate also whether Government intend lo submit an abstract motion for reforming the Upper House, or whether they will take the bolder course of submitting a bill at once. The expectation among Government supporters is that time will be allowed for the nominated . peers to prepare themselves for a new and perhaps a better state. This will be done by first submitting a motion for reform and following it up next session by a Bill which might pass just in time to influence the triennial elections. that the Financial Statement made next week and that the / detailed estimates are [now ready for printing and will be issued to members probably the day after the Financial Statement. This will be an early beginning of the serious work of the Session, and it will be interesting to see whether the effect is to finish the Session early,! or to prornote more talk than ever. An Opposition row is brewing. The Controller-General’s memorandum presented last evening about an imprest being drawn for £192,000 on the very last day which the law allows to the Treasury before the meeting of Parliament has made the Opposition jubilant. The leaders are busy to-day concocting , sharp and scathing speeches intended to overwhelm the Ministers when this matter comes up for discussion. It is amusing, however, to see how neatly Major Atkinson pricked the bladder in advance by being the first to call particular attention to the Con-troller-General’s memo. I hear that the Bay of Islands Main Trunk Extension Railway is to be played off by Auckland members against the Canterbury and West Coast Railway. Of course the'Otago Central is lo be played off against both, so that we shall have a three cornered railway duel in the House.