LATEST GOSSIP. Wellington, August 19.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 116, 22 August 1885, Page 4

LATEST GOSSIP. Wellington, August 19.

Auckland Matters. In reply to Mr Hamlin, who asked the Government yesterday to give effect to the report of tho Public Petitions Committee in the case of J. Murton, incapacitated from manual labour while working on the Waikato railway, the Minister of Works said that he had instructed the railway authorities to employ the petitioner as soon as possible. Replying to Mr Moat, Mr Richardson said the Mahurangi line had been used in Government works. Mr Dargaville presented a petition from J. M. Fraser, of Waikato, asking for an inquiry into the allegation made in the petition recently presented to the House to the effect that petitioner had forged certain native signatures. The Secretary of the Marine Department, in a memo, regarding the survey of Cape Palhser, states that there are unmarked dangers in the vicinity of the Cape, but closer inshore than the lonic is reported to have struck. A return has been laid on the table of the House showing the amount paid by Official Assignees out of bankrupts estates in law costs :— In Auckland, £606 was paid • Wellington, £994 ; Canterbury, £1.350 • Otago, £2,016 : Total, £4,967. The legal nrms that had the bulk of this are :— Mr | Cave, Auckland, £349 : Mr Travers, Wellington, £334; Mr Male*, Christchurch, £338; Messrs Stewart and Denniston Dunedin, £445 ; Dick and Stewart, Dunedin, £345. The general impression is that no provision will be made in the Public Works Statement regarding the East and West Coast Railway, but no doubt the Canterbury members will have an " understanding " with Government on the matter. In the House yesterday afternoon Sir George Grey gave notice that he would today ask whether it is the intention of Government to undertake as a colonial work the construction of the East and West Coast Railway, to connect 'Eokitika and Christchurch. Mr McArthur will ask whether the Government have received any intimation of the intention of Sir F. Dillon Bell to retire and if so, what arrangements will be made as to his successor as Agent- General. While the Land Bill was in Committee, the discussion on tho proposal to report progress commenced soon after midnight, and lasted for upwards of an hour. On the question of the desirability of adjournine Sir George Grey was stonewalling thl measure, and Mr Holmes complained that the Committee were being detained by the ™ S w tim ™ ent £ lli ? of Senility." This brought Mr W. F. Buckland to his feet with the remark that ifc was evident that the last speaker had no respect for age, and a fewsuch speeches would drive away from the Government "their last supporter." Mr Stout: Oh, oh ! Sir George Grey said he. would not be (he did not like to use an n offensive term) intimidated by the overbearing violence of the member for Christchurch, South. At a later stage of tho proceedings Mr Rees said he hoped the member for Christchurch, South would' leave as honourable a name behind him as that of the member for Auckland,' fiast' 111 feeling was evidently growihgup in the Committee when the motion to report pro* gresa was fortunately earned, '