THE COMING SESSION. THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. CHINESE RESTRICTI0N AND ELECTORAL BILLS

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 262, 9 May 1888, Page 3

THE COMING SESSION. THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. CHINESE RESTRICTION AND ELECTORAL BILLS

WELLINGTON, Ma> 4. MiMSThKb weie closely occupied in Cabinet again yesterday preparing se.-tsion work, and iepumed hitting in the evening, continuing until a late hour. Nothing has yet. been decided <i-> to the mo\ei and Mvo'uiei of the Addiess-in Reply No new members have been elected since last- se-Mon, so of couise Lhe selection w.ll have to be made ft om among those who woic piebcnt la^t \cai. It is possible tli.it the mai.tei may be left open until tiie bulk oi the members an ive. Lt is intended to get the debute on the Address over wit:, the utmost piaeticablc speed, so as to clear the way lor a large amount ofimpoitant business that has to be attended to. (iovernment will introduce a Hill pro Aiding io |% incieas-od re^tiicoions against Chinese imnugiation. One provision will be, it is undersbood, to limit the nurabor ol Chinese that) may be brought by any vessel to one per hu idled tons? as in Victoiia, instead of one per ten -• tons,aa at pi esent id the rule in New Zealand. This alteration would only enable the To A i) au to bring ten instead of the hundred she I can carry under the existing i emulations. ' Among eailiest Ministeiial measuios, after k the Address-in- Reply, the Loan Att ' Amendment Bill, and rules of procedure have been dealt with, will be the Electoral Bill. Tt is not yet decided whether the legislation contemplated by the (Joveinment on this subject shall be consolidated into one comprehensive Bill, or sub-divided into two or "three sopaiate billy, dealing respectively with qualification of electors, registration of electors, and regulation of elections. At pic&ent the draft bill is in one, but if a majority of the Cabinet desire it, the measure will be subdivided. An cllort will be made to get the Bill through some of its preliminary stages without delay, as in the evont of a dissolu tion becoming necessary (a contingency, however, not at all anticipated) it would be essential that electoral reforms should have , been passed as complement to the Repre- ; sentation Act of last session. It is under stood that the Financial Statoment will bo ■ dolivored before the end of Una month, possibly either on Friday, the 25th, or Tuesday, the 29th jnst.

The long continuod drought in the Riverina distiicl, has broken up at last,. The lino of It U- is a nigged diagonal bofcvvoen duty and donirc. The bill for (lie kite Ini.sh fircb at Albury, N.S.W., will foot up lo £10,000.