PARLIAMENTARY (From "Star" Reporter.) Wellington, August lOth to 11th.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 290, 15 August 1888, Page 3

PARL I AMENTARY (From " Star " Reporter.) Wellington, August lOth to 11th.

MANAGER OF RAILWAYS. Mr J. MoK.knsj.ik is to as>k the Minister for Works if ib is true that the General Manager of Railways has tendored his resignation to the Government, and if so, does the Government intend to accept the earns. A rumour lias obtained currency through t.ho question given nobico of by Mr MeKenzie, that Mr Maxwell has resinned the position of General Manager of Railways. I have authority tor saying that ho has neither resigned nor do6s he intend to do so.

THE SCHOOL AVERAGES. Mr Goldie is to ask the Minister of Education whether he is aware that there is growing up,sinuo the rule of payments upon " stiiet average " was determined upon, a custom of dismissing the children ftom public schools and closing them upon \ery blight pietenceson the plea that the keeping of them" opun with reduced attendance would .affect the Board's finances, and cause a slight reduction in the head teachers' fcalaiica by reducing the " strict average "' upon which capitation and head touchers' salaries are computed. Will ho make inquiries into the extent of the evil, and if necessuiy take such &tcps as will put an end to the' practico ?

THE 11AILWAY REDUCTION. Some uncertainty appears to e\i&t in tlic minds of railway employees relative to the olt'ect of the 1 eduction of ClO.OOO made in I lie railway vote. The reduction was made as an indication to the Go\ eminent ot the cleniie for fnrthei icticnchmcnb in this dopaitmenb, bub a promise v, as evicted fio.n the Premier thatolhcials lccciving le*s than lilSO per tinmim should nob bo subject to the i eductions.

UMBRELLA MATERIALS. Mr (.1 oldie bonio few clays ago received lettci'o trom the umbrella-makers ot Auckldiicl complaining that theiewafc. onlj one special width mateiinl used by them allowed to enter free, whilst it was absolutely necessary in their business, that they should ui?o other widths. Mr C.oldie saw the Piemier upon the tubject, and after some considerable delay he has been lutouned that the other widths, will be admitted free, but onlj' upw condition of ita being cut into shapes foi umlnelhib before leaving bond, tor the material is such that it could be Used for other purposes than that named.

RE-OR(JANLSINO THE CIVIL SERVICE. Mr R. Thompson is inging the Go\ornmenb to take into consideration the achisablencas of appointing a commisfion, to convict of three commercial experts, one to be selected in Auckland, one in Christ church, and one in J)unedin, for the purpose of prepaiin<* a scheme foi re-organising the Ci\il Sei\ico so as to bring its cost within the means of the colony and fix the salaiics of the Civ II servants on a lair and equitable basis, to en able this House to deal with the whole question next session.

THE MAXWELL DIVISION. The Auckland economists who \oted against the reduction of the salary of Mr Maxwell, General Manager of Railways, express confidence that they will be able to justify their action before their constituents. They say the motion for reduction was> a nio\e on the part of Canterbuiy farmers to secme the dismissal of Mr Maxwell, because that gentleman icfusccl to a^rcc to differential jxrain rates in their favour. Consequently, in voting as they did they were striving to tuppoit ilv Maxwell in his action.

COST OF GOVERNMENT. Tho cost of the Go\crnmenb of the colon for Lho second half of the lasb financial year was £1,105,430, as against £973,897 for the first six months of the year. The e\planation of the exce-s i.-- that in the latter half of e\ery jear there i» always nioic expenditure chained and moic levenue chaigert to account than m tirob half, owing to offoits made at the end of the yea i to pay off outstanding accounta as closely as pos-ible, while on the otlic 1 hand icvenue is btoutfhb to the account on the last day by telegraph.

THE IDEAL NATIVE BILL The Bill forwarded bo llio Native Minisfcer,a^ repie.-enting the wishes of the native on native land legislation expressed at \arious meetings in the North Island, piovides foi the repeal of the Nati\e Land Court Act and the Native Land Administration Act, 1886, the Native Land Rating, and Native Succession Act; lca\ing, ho\ve\cr, some parts of: the Native Land Act open .so tar as to allow native Commissioners to assist in settling disputed ' lands. It i.-* proposed, to give native Commissioners all the powers and jurisdiction of the Native Land Com („ re lease them from Government control, and give them power to* deal with cases accoicling to nati\e customs,, and to adjudicate on sub-division eases?. Nathcs are to ha\e full authority to deal with then own lands, but tjie .sale of land, the title of which lias not been ascertained, shall be invalid, and the land may not be bold unless reserves have been made for the people and their children ; that nathe-s who are destitute of land on account of confiscation by the Government, purchases, and decisions of the Court, should be supplied with land by the Government (including Tawhiao and his people) ; that, land given for school purposes and Government buildings should be returned to the Maoris when the purposes for which the gifts were made have not been fulfilled ; that County Councils, before laying oil loads through Maori lands, shall apply to the owner to suggest the ioute, and that no roads shall be made without their owner's consent, and that the dog tax shall not bo in force in Maori districts.

REFRACTORY ORES. Several conferences have lately taken place between the Minister of Minos and Messrs Cad man, Peacock and Allen relatho to the bonuses for processes for the treatment of refractory ores, but no definite decision lias yet been arrived at. It is not intended to finally hx the conditions on which rewards arc to be offered until after some further scientific information has been received from Professor Black, Mr Ulrich and others.

OLD SOLDIERS' LAND CLAIMS. This measure, which passed the Lower House some weeks ago, • has shared the same fate in another place as the Fair Rent Bill. It is clear that the Cabinet have nob a majority in the Council, and all the Covcrnmenb mea&ures are meeting with severe treatment. It is anticipated that this opposition is intended by the Lords as marking their displeasure afc having their honoraria docked last session. The object of the Bill was to satisfy., outstanding volunteer and land claim,v, v and to appoint a Commissioner to hear and determine claims nob dealt with. The Bill dealing with volunteer land claims was Jaid

aside by the Legislative Council because, it being a money Bill, they had no power to alter it, and a& they had serious objections to sonic of its provisions, moro especially that of tho appointment ot a new Commission, they ha\e taken tho course aforesaid. From information received an attempt will bo made by some of the Auckland members to induco the Government to make provision for Iho sotUomont of tho claims of thoso \oluntocrs and others who tho Lords believo arc entitled to consideiation, and steps arc now bcin^ taken by them in that direction.

AUCKLAND PETITIONS. The following petitions from Auckland we ro presented Yesterday: — \V. Steadman Aldis and 13 others?, for Cho repeal of the Contagious Diseasos Act (JNlrLawry); T. 13. Hannafoid, that tho (lovcinmciit m.iy cause a trial to bo given to hit. beacon lijibb (Mr Liwry) ; Taonui Wahanui and 133 others, that power of dealing; with rehear - iiit^s may bo taken away from the Chief Judge of tho Native Lands Court (Mr Taipua) ; the Waikato County Council, that certain sums of money weio wrongfully deducted fioni subsidies due to them (Mr Why to).

THE JVIININU ACT AMENDMENT BILL. This Bill lias at length passed tho Council, its thiid leading having yi.^teulay been assented to by 21 to 9. On tiie motion boin^puf, "Thai the Old Soldiers' Land Claims Bi,l be lead a thiid time," the lion. (ji. M. Watorhouso moved, a& an amendment, '' That it bo laid aside,' and after a shoit debate, this was. canicd by 17 to 13, and tho mcasiuo wa« thus .shelved. Se\eial minor Bills which had been bent up fiom tho House weie advanced a stu^e.

FENCING AMENDMENT BIT L. At a meeting of members interested in tlio Fencing Act Amendment Bill, convened by Mr JVldls, and held ye&tciday, it was that the following .should be the definition of a legal fence : -One barbed who and &i\ plahi wireb, 01 two baibcd wires and four plain ; tho distance between the ]>o&tb nine X efc. J^oiough and Town Boaids ate to lia\e power to make by-laws defining tho limits within which feuccf, wholly or paitially of barbed wire, cannot be Übcd.

IMAOLU GRIEVANCES. Mr Taipua presented yesterday attornoon a petition lai^cly signed by nathcb, ptayin^ that the Chief Jud^e of the Native Land Court may be remo\cd from his position, in consequence of want of knowledge of the Maoii language and of Alaori customs and usages, and that another pci->on duly qualified in thebc lCbpect^ may bo appointed in his btead. They also nt>k that the contiol ot the Nati\c Land Court may be \csted wholly in the judge-? and n&sesboi, and that it may be quite independent of the Cio\ernmont, but that in the event ot any application for a rehearing being ictu&ed by the Chiet Judtjo thcie may be a lifjht of appeal to the Supremo Corut and rmlimncnl.

EFFECTS OF OBSTRUCTION. Sir Ceoige Oiey and JVIr John Lundon were to ha\c been examined bofoio the Petition's Committee Lo-duy, re ativo to \illagc settlement-, Imo o^sin^ to the stonewalling the meetinir wtb jidjoumed. The Cabinet weic to ha\c consideied the mail berxices to-day and the \illage bcttlemento io-monon, but the tlone \v ailing luiinterfered with their aira n^emen bs.

JOTTINUS. The Hon. Mi Kc^noldH i.> suilicicntly iceovered irom his lecent illnob to be able to lesume his ?cat in the Council. Taiuhanga sayt> that thiity lliou-and Maoiirf will bo killed if the Native Land Bill is passed. The £87 spent by the Iliubour Board in entcitaining guctb inspecting the harbour wu'j Aalidatcd by the cabting vote of the Chniiman of Comnuttees of the Logislativo Council. Parliament has now been o\ei thiiLcen weeks in session.