PARLIAMENTARY. (From "Star" Reporter.) Welllingon, July 21.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 284, 25 July 1888, Page 5

PARL IAMENTARY. (From " Star " Reporter.) Welllingon, July 21.

AUCKLAND BILLS. Two Auckland Bills passed their second reading yesterday without discussion These were the Ngaruawahia Cemetery Reserve Leasing Bill, introduced by Mr -Jackson, and the Waikato Model Fa»-m Bill, introduced by Mr Hislop.

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY. Threo largely-signed petitions wore presented yesterday by Mr Moss in favour of the construction of the North Auckland railway. The petitioners recommend that the Puhipubi foreib shall be sod or utilised f oy the purpose.

TE AROHA - KATIKATI ROAD. Mr Kelly has been interesting himself i n this proposed work, and has succeeded i n getting a vote of £1,200 on the Publi Works estimates for the new track, known us Thompson's, between Te Aroha and Katikati. Lastyear C 960 was voted, but as it would havecost£2,ooo to complete the road, the Government did not wpend any part of it. Tauranga County Council got a survey of a horse track made, and the cost being estimated at £1,200 the Government have now placed that sum on the estimates.

NO HOME RULE FOR THE MAORIS In asking yesterday afternoon what steps the Government are taking with a, view of bringing to justice the "Waiapu wife murderer, Mr Sydney Taiwhan»a explicitly declared that the natives wished Turei hangod in ftccordance w ith European laws in the event of his conviction, and he triumphantly argued that the fact that hi& countrymen had not attempted to avenge hi& act was a proof that they did not want home rule. The Minister for Justice replied that the law waj. quite adequate to meet the case, and that the police were on Turei's track, and hoped to secure him in a very short time. Mr Taiwhanga jocularly remarked that he knew what answer he would get before he put the question.

TBJBUTE TO A RAILWAY OFFICIAL. Tho question put on the Order Paper by Mr o oldie as to the reason why a bonus of ,€4OO to Mr O Connor was paid by the late Government, elicited from tho Minister ol Public Works a few remarks of a most complimentary cha.acter. The Hon. Mr Mitchelson said that on relinquishing the post of Inspecting Engineer of the Middle Island to undertake the re-organisation of the Public WorLs Department. Mr O'Connor was promised that if at any time he chose to take up his old position he could do so. His assiduity as one of the most hard-worked officers in the service, had sated a large sum of money to the country, and when he applied for an increase of salary or leave to resume his old office, the late Government did not consider themselves justified in permanently increasing his salary, but granted him a bonus of X'2oo a year for two years. In conclusion, Mr Mitchelson expressed his own opinion that Mr ©'Connor had been insufficiently paid for the enormous work he had done. He was one of the hardest-worked officers in the service, and whatever he had done had been in the interests of the colony.

AN UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY. Some surprise and indignation was expressed in the lobbies on Wednesday evening at the attack made by Mr Hobbs on the Hon. Mr Larnach, the insinuation being that while he was absent fixing up private arrangements prior to leaving the colony, he had been entitled to his honorarium through leave of absence being granted on account of sickness in his family. Yesterday afternoon the member for the Bay of Islands swallowed the leek. Me said that he loseto express regret at having on Wednesday assumed that the Hon. Mr Laruach intended to draw his honorarium during his absence from the colony. He felt that he was not justified in making the remark (cheers), and in the lion, gentleman's absence he thought it was only right that he should make the apology.

CONTROL OF NATIVE SCHOOLS. The Minister of Education informed Mr Thompson yesterday that no communication had passed between the (Government and the Auckland Board of Education relative to taking over the control of native schools. They had received a private communication from a member of that Board (Mr U-oldie) that no proposal had been formulated with regard to the schools. He had stated, in answei to Mr Thompson a few days ago, thai these schools might with advantage be handed over to the Education Boards, but the Government had not yet had time to give proper consideration to the que&tion. He believed it wuuld be for the benefit of the colony and in the interests of economy to hand over these schools to the Education BoaicU of the North Island.

A STONEWALLTNC CAMPAIGN. The stonewall to secure the committal of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act Amendment Bill continued till 1.20 a.m. During the last five hours the discussion was canied on with closed doors — stran&eishavinbeenordeiedoufcofthegallery in order that the debate need not be reported in " Hansard." Mr Uoldie subsequently spoke for an hour, and Mr Joyce for three hours, thus keeping up the discussion till near daylight, when a compromise was arrived at by maKing the Bill the third order of the day for Thursday next. The stonewallers have thus practically attained their object.

NATIVE SCHOOLS. There is a determination on the part of some members to get rid of the expensive department under which native schools are controlled from Wellington. Mr R. Thompson has been informed privately that the Auckland Board of Education has offered to takeover the management of theseschools. He intends to ask the Minister of Education whether it is a fact that such an offer was made, what are the conditions on which the offer is based, and whether Government will accept the offer. If a reply to this latter point is in the negative, Mr Thompson will offer strong opposition to the vote when it comes down in the estimates.

THR SHEEP DEPARTMENT. The investigation made into the working of the Sheep Department) by a joint committee of both Houses is proving very exhaustive in it& character. Already several witnesses, including runholdeis from the Kaikouras, Inspectors, and the Minister for Lands have been examined, and several others have yet to be called. The bearing of the evidence so far, I am given to understand, shows that the whole Department is demoralised, that the sub-inspectore have not had sufficient control through being too directly answerable to the Chief Inspector, and that in making appointments political patronage has outweighed all other considerations.

TEMPERANCE CONVENTION. Ib is intended to hold an international temperance convention in Melbourne during Novembei' next, and tjie promoters ; have written to Mr 13. Goldie, M.H.R.,

requesting him to be present and allow himself to be nominated as one of the Vice-PresidentB. The convention last? over a week, and includes an exhibition of temperance journalistic literature.

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. Mr U. Jl. Hunt, of Auckland, has again written to Mr Goldie urging him te endeavour to get beet-root sugar machinery placed on the free list. It is now too late to have any change in the tariff made, but the Premier has given his word that this machinery shall be admitted free.

LAND ATs'D PROPERTY TAX. It is practically certain that a motion will be tabled before the close ot the session directed against the property tax and affirming the desirability of a land and income tax. The Opposition are credited with intended action in tnis direction, and lobbying is proceeding on behalf of the resolution. It is notinteudedthat it should haveany effect on the present policy of the Government, but its promoters simply wish to obtain an expression of the feeling of the House on the subject in \iew of the reconsideration of the incidence of taxation during a future i session.

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS. Sir George Gi'cy ha& not yet had an op" portunity of explaining bo the Hoube his scheme for the construction of the North Auckland, Otago Central, and other railways. He considered tnat the Government (should issuo debentures, and that the land afl'ected by railways should be security for these as well as the Government bond. The land might then be leased, and the proceeds would be devoted to the piymenl of debentures.

THOSE BONUSES. Speaking to this question yesterday, relative to the bonus of £400 paid to 0. Y. O'Connor, Mr Goldie showed that the sum of £9,000, paid in bonuses, was divided as follows :—£3,635: — £3,635 for supposed exceptional services, £2,389 for overtime, and £3,473 in lieu of increase of salaries.