PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 287, 4 August 1888, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Wellington, Augu&c 2. LIVE STOCK QUARANTINE TORTS* Thk Live Sfcock Committee, who are now considerngr their leporb, are lively Lo rocommend, \vith roga-d to quarantine, that thore shall be only t.\vo ports for Ihe colony in the iiifcure \iz., Auckland and Lvfcteltoii.

THE RABBIT PEST. The Joint Committee on Rabbits will probably recommend that discretionary powers shall be given to inspectors to irgulate tho use of rabbit traps or other meaiin of destruction where any natural cuomy is known to be established. It is also pro posed, generally, to give the department til-cater powers than they already have and to lecommend (he discouiagement ot all rabbit tinning factories, because evidence show?, they ha\e had the effect of cucouiagiug labbit farming.

VILLAGE SETTLEMENT PETITION]\Ir John Lumlon ib at present in Wei" lington with copies ot resolution^ and petitions from Auckland re \ illajvo settlers, and has asked the Auckland members to meet him at 2.15 10-moirow afternoon.

THE GRAIN KATES. Tins famous question ha-s been io\hed by Mr J. Mclvenzie, who intends to a&k the Minittei tor Public Woiks whether the piomise to charge gtain by the actual weight hat been tjiven ellect to. Is it a fact that rates of ireights generally on goods it) this colony aie very much lover than thoss now (.-liargcd in all the Australian colonies, and if ;>o why aic our farmers charjred higher for the freight of grain ior the average distance carried (50 miles) (, i per cent, above tho.-c of Victoria, and New South Wales, the raies being 5s -id and 5b 6d per ton, while for this colony it is Ss Bd. REPEAL OF CROWN AND NATIVE

LANDS RATING ACT. Strong opposition was othred last night to a Bill introduced by the Government to repeal the Crown and Nathe Lands Rating Act, under which local bocueb receive something like £70,000 annually fiom the Go vernment for rates on Crown and nathe lands. The opponents of the Bill weio principally West Coast and countiy lbembeis. The Premier, in mo\ing the second reading of the Bill, denied that, local bodies would be unfairly treated if they lost these rates, and pointed out that Uio benefits they had already received from them was ample compensation. He suggested that members opposing the Bill migh^ suggest some proposal to supply the levenue the local bodies might thus lose, and the Government would give it consideration. The whole ot the money paid by the Government on native lands rates ueie lecoverable, and this was about half of the whole amount. The natives prefeued the present system, and as the Committee were also agreeab c, he would in Committee move that the clauses dealing with native land- be struck out. If the goldn'eld members wished it. he Mould be glad to treat the gold duty as local rates, which would be subbidised accordingly. The Fiemier, in replying, said he hoped when the Bill went into Committee, to propose amendments which would meet the various objections laiscd. Iho second leading was then carried on \oices.

TE PUKE. Mi lv lly intends* to ask the Minister o Lands if the Government, have consideicd the application from Te Puke settlers, soliciting assistance to wauls the construction of a canal between Tauranga Harbour and Te PuLe

PROPERTY-TAX VALUATIONS. The Goveinmenl intend putting a clause in the Propei Ly Tax Assessment Bill authorising them to accept the borough valuations, and thus ?a\e the expense of sepuiate valuator*. Boiough valuations, where annual, will be capitalised at a cci tain number of years' purchase. If they cannot pass this amendment, borough valuations? will not be taken, but. separate valuators will be appointed still.

TEA DUTIES FOR SUBSIDIES. The Government do not propose to legis late this session for the purpose of specifically allotting the increased tea duties io the payment of subsidies. In the Financial Statement, it \vas> stated that subsidies for this year should be pro\ided for out of the ordinaiy revenue, so that it will not be nece&sary to pa&o any Act until next session.

CHARGES AGAINST CHIEF JUDGE j MACDONALD. This matter was brought before the House yesterday on the repot b oi the Native Affairs Committee on the petition of j?nhur Owen, exonerating the Chief Judge and officers of the Native Land Court from the charges brought against them. Mr Hamlin asked that the evidence taken before the Committee be laid on the table. He had not been asked to attend before the Committee, nor was he satisfied that the charges made by him had been investigated. Still, he would like time to look into the evidence, and with that object he moved that it be printed, and that consideration of the report be deferred until the next day. Mr I£elly, Chairman of the Native Affairs Committee, said that neither Mr Hamliu nor his statements had been mentioned, but the charges made in the petition were almost idenoical with the woids used by him, and the Committee had unanimously decided that they weie without foundation. The Premier considered Mr ITamlin'sproposal perfectly fair. Mr Ballance said the Committee had carefully avoided the particular charges made by the member tor Franklin South, believing that they might come before another committee. After some discussion it was agreed that the evidence be printed, and that certain documents which had been produced before the Committee should be laid on the table. MORALITY OF SCHOOL CHILDRENMr Goldie received the following telegram fiom Mr Henry Worthington, head- ■ master of Wellesley-btreet School :—: — "Thanks for defence of school childien. Archdeacon Stock is. the victim of credulity."

AUCKLAND MEMBERS AND THE OTAGO CENTRAL. I have been asked to make clear the position of the Auckland members who have been stonewalling the Ocago Central Railway Bill. They only voted to report progress without in any way binding themselves to accept Major Atkinson's plan, so that they have still full power to assist in rejecting any special concession that it may be proposed to give. This will help them f r obvious reasons on the San Francisco mail question.

LOCAL BODIES AND GOLD REVENUE. The actual position of the Government's intentions with respect to the repeal of the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act is that half the present subsidy, viz., 5s in the pound, on the gold revenue, will be

paid this year to the local bodies, •xnd one fourth (2s 6d) next year. Tnc Act will then dib out. Jfc i« admitted that, the local bodies would nob bo in a position to carry on if bhoir subsidies weie at onr-a d:seontinned. No county i» to bo allowed lnc.-c than €2,000.

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY. Threo lengthy petitions i'roin Auckland in favour of the const mot. on ot the North Auckland railway ueie considered by fcho rotations. Commit ice to-day. It wab decided to icrt'i them to die Govern men t ior considci.u ion. Now UiuL a. < uin promise is piobablc on i the Crown and Native Lands Kntitm Repoal Bill, and on t!ie native Bills., it it. anlicipatocl that the session will be .shot toned by_ a week 01 ten day*, and Ministers aro now winpuine of proioguing within thrcj week.-. The latin^ clauses are to be chopped from the Nathu Lands Bill, and Crown lands »ro nob to ho lated under the Repeal Bill. The (>o\ eminent i \ ordor to compuntato the \\ est Coast of the Middle Island for it-i losb of subeidieb, will piopo^e to subt-ithso the pold revenue to the extent ol live bhilliuos in the pound. rhi& wdl amount to about five thou&ai d pounds a yeai. The I'etitioti^ Commibtco will 1 eport^ as follows on the petition ot Seobf Bioo. , Chrifrtohurcli, who recently made ten loco- ; motives foi the New Zealand (!o\omnient : "Thai" while the conditioiib ol contiacn ha\o been infringed, the Committee is of opinion that the mateual condemned was ouleied in the usual way, and consider that the turn ot £300 deducted und< r the amended contract should bo lcfundcd to the petitioners." The object of the Ilarbour.s Act Amend ment Bill, which was ciiciiUic d to day, ''s evidently to meet the financial diilicultics into which &e\cial Harbour Boards i-i the colony have beci hnd 1. It proposes to suspend the powers ot the Th imes, Waitara, New Plymouth and I'atea Boaid*. to Jix and collect) luirbom dues and to empower the do\uraor- n Council to (i < them and arrange foi their collection. The moneys aio to be paid by the Collector at stated periods into the Harbour funds of thcie£>peeti\e districts, and tlie cost ot collection must not exceed £2 10s per cent. The boriowing powers of New Plymouth and I'atea Haiboui Boards aie also extended.