OUR SPECIAL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1053, 29 June 1883, Page 3

OUR SPECIAL.

(by telegraph.) WELLINGTON, ThisedayA The Minister of Works is now devoting his whole time to drawing up the Public Works Statement. He is expected to deliver it next Tuesday. The estimates for' Public Works have been finally agreed to by the Cabinet, and will be presented after Mr Johnston’s statement. These estimates will cause new divisions and discontents among those members whose expectations have not been satisfied. Log Rolling will also set in severely and some wavering members may change Aides in the House. It is certain that a vote will be taken for completing the Paten Railway gap, but- whether the vote will be - spent : in the current twelve months, that ' depends mostly on the amount of pressure which Patea people may apply; The dawdling policy should be pushed aside by memorial from,all parts of the district, urging the quickest possible opening of the through railway. A lively contention in the House this afternoon is expected over the Government proposal to take Thursday from private members, in order to push on Government business. Major Atkinson has boldly advanced a theory that the House should not encourage attempts at private legislation on large .questions, but should give more time to the Government for legislating bn subjects which it chooses to take up. Sir George Grey intends to make a strong stand against this claim of the Government, especially as his bills are put down for Thursdays. Mr Bryce intends shortly to make a statement of Government policy as to Native Lands. The large petition from the King natives cannot be ignored, and some change in .the working of Native Lands Courts is considered inevitable. Mr Bryce will also say whether Govern-: ment intend to reassert the preemptive right in order to stop the private trafficing in Native Lands. A motion in favour of the preemptive right is to be made from the Opposition side if the Government decline to touch that awkward question. A debate is expected to-night on Sir George Grey’s Bill for amending the Constitution Act. This Bill practically repudiates any control by the Imperial Parliament in matters affecting the constitution or affecting the colony’s, right to annex any neighbouring islands. A severe but hopeless fight is to be made by some southern members for getting a vote by way of loan or otherwise to construct the West Coast railway from Christchurch to Hokitika. These members ridicule the report of the commission on the subject, and Sir George Grey has offered to head an attack against Government by moving that a sum be placed on the estimates for constructing that railway. The fight is fixed for next Wednesday.®