POLITICAL GOSSIP Wellington, September 3.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 401, 11 September 1889, Page 6

POLITICAL GOSSIP Wellington, September 3.

PUSHING BUSINESS THROUGH. Fob the last two or three days no questions have been answered by the Government, the order of the day being gone on with. Yesterday, ag soon as possible this was done, and fairly good progress was made with business.

PETITIONS TO PARLIAMENT. Mr Samuel brought up a matter which he considered to be a gross contempt of the privilege of petitioning Parliament in the House yesterday afternoon. Early in the session Mr Fitzherbert presented the petition of John Mynott and others of Taranaki, containing cortain allegations reflecting upon other people. The matter was inquired into and the Petitions Committee declined to make any recommendation upon it. Now he had received from one of the petitioners a letter stating that he had been induced by Mynott and others to sign a blank sheet of paper which he represented was to be used for an entirely different purpose, and expressing regret fchab his name had been misused. ,' ' ' < <' Mr Thompson, as Chairman of the Committee, said that four other persons had written from Tarqnaki withdrawing thoir signatures. Mr Fitzherbert said he knew nothing about the subject of the petition, which had been handed to him by a Wellington lawyer, with the request that it should be presented. Mr Samuel exonoruted Mr Fitzherberb from personal blame. The Speaker said that the members presenting the petitions could not altogether divests themselves from the responsibility, for it was their duty to see that the petitions were bona fide. After some desultory discussion the subject dropped.

NATIVE LAND COURT BILL. A number of amendments have been made by the Native Affaire Committee in the Native Land Court Act Amendment Bill, the most important of which is che striking out of clause 14, which was intended tovalidatecertain past transactions in native land?. In its place the Committee have substituted a lengthy clause which means the appointment of a Commission which shall take into consideration all dealings which were right in their intention and inception, but became impossible of completion through the Act of ISB6. That Act intended that incomplete titles should be completed, but the Act prevented the commencement of now transactions which were necessary to complete the previous transactions. The new clause gives the Commission power to deal with such incomploted dealings- The clause which was intended to make the real and i personal property of a deceased native liable for his debts has been struck out.

NEW BILLS. The following Bills were introduced and read a second time yesterday afternoon, all Government measures : — The Educational Endowments Bill, the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act Amendment Bill, a Bill to Amend the Public Revenues Act, 1878, the Public Debts Sinking Fund Act Amendment Bill, the Westport Ngakawau Railway Extension Bill.

NATIVE MEETINGS BILL. When this Bill was reached on the order paper yesterday afternoon, the Native Minister announced the intention of the Government to withdraw. JrJi This wyis received with a burst of appfause by Taipua, Parata and Taiwhanga, the native members present. There is no doubt that the withdrawal of this Bill will have considerable influence on the length of the session, for it would have been stonewalled for a certainty, < - ' , '

CRIMINAL 'EVIDENjSJp BILL. The Council have decided, on the motion of Dr. Pollen, to withdraw their amendments in the Criminal Evidence Bill, so that the measuie will now pass into law.

LOCAL BODIES' LOANS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion of the Premier the second reading of this' Bill was agreed to. It made slight amendments in the procedure under theoriginal Act, and provided punishment for the forgery of debentures, and validated a poll taken in tho Manchester Road district last March in respect of expenditure upon the Bunnythorne-Feilding Road, a flaw having been discovered due to the fact that the w hole road is not within the Manchester district. The Bill was committed, read the third time and passed.

NATIVE LANDS FRAUDS PRE VENTION ACT. The Bill to amend this Act was committed yesterday and the new clause was added. It provided that a Trust Commissioner may use evidence taken before another Trust Commissioner, and that all lands which had passed the Native Lands Court in 1888 shall be free from the restriction limiting the number of 'owners in a deed to twenty if the land is sold in areas not larger than 5,000 acres, or leased in areas of not more than 10,000 acres. Another clause \va& recommended by the Native Aftairs Committee, providing that the Trusb Commissioner shall inquire into the nature of the consideration paid for any alienation, and shall refuse his certificate if he thinks the consideration is not reasonably sufficient. This was supported by the Native Minister. Ib was, however, discussed at length, and was ultimately lost by 37 to 31. Progress was then reported in order to allow of a new clause being drafted.

THE OTAGO CENTRAL AGAIN. A deputation, consisting of Messrs Pyke, Fish, Anderson, Allen, Valentine, Barron, Fitchett, and J. McKonzie, waited upon the Premier yesterday evening, with respect to the Otago Central Railway. Sir Harry Atkinson said ifc was useless to re • introduce the Bill this session, even if it were modified, but promised next session to bring down a Bill, including the Otago Central and some other works, and make it part of the public works scheme of the Government. Meanwhile the whole of I the vote available from the last loan will j be spent as far as possible in order to com- , plete the line to Middlemarch with despatch.

THE ESTIMATES DEBATE. The House went into Committee of Supply last evening, when the Minister for Public T orkB said that the Government had decided to go on with the Public Works Estimates when the others were disposed of, if the members desired. The first division of the estimates taken was that of the Mines and Land Department. On the item Geological and Meterological Department, £3,250, MrGoldie found fault with the increases of salaries over £200 to the extent of ±95 and the addition of £300 to contingencies. He moved to reduce the vote by £395. This was lost by 45 to 21 and the vote passed. Stock grant, £29,279. Upjon this item there ensued a very lengbhy discussion upon the l'emoval of sheep inspectors on the representation of several Auckland members that the expenditure on rabbit inspection in their provincial district was excessive, seeing thai

fchBre were practically no rabbits norbh of Auckland city, and not many in the Waikato. Mr Ward moved the reduction of the item £600 for destruction of rabbits on Crown lands in Auckland to £300. This was however lost on the voices, and the vote of the whole Department was passed. Crown Lands Department, £15,940. ' The item three forest rangers for Auckland, £450, met with the disapproval of Mr Monk, and after considerable discussion on his motion an attempt was made to strike it out, but unsuccessfully. The division was 31 to 18.

THE HOSPITAL RETURN. It will be remembered that the Government laid upon the table a return showing the amount that would bo received under the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act of 1885, as compared with bhab to be paid under the Bill before the House. The reburn showed that a large advantage would have been gained by the Auckland, Napier and other hospitals under the new Bill if it had been in operation for the year ending, March 3lBt, 1889. This Mr Goldie took leave to question, on the ground that the return, so faras Auckland was concerned, was not correct, seeing that the Government'had reckoned upon paying for the full time that each patient remained in the Hospital, viz., 34£ days, whilst the Bill made provision for a payment upon an average of thirty days only. They had also made no provision for chronic cases, for which the authorities only receive one-fourth the amount paid fop ordinary caeca. These misleading stabemen ts were hob confined to the Auckland Hospital only, for the Thames Hospital authorities also took exception, and now the authorities of the Napier Hospital say that they were set down as receiving £525 under the existing system, while they would have received £910, or £385 more than under the Government Bill. It is, they say, true that only £525 was actually jjaid in the last financial year, but a/ further sum of £690 wan due, and was paid on April 2nd, two days afterwards, so that instead of benefiting to the extenb of £385 under the Government proposals, the hospital would have been a loser to the extent of £330. It is fair to assume that the same thing applied to other hospitals, and if so the return must be stigmatised as a deliberate attempt to mislead the House and the country on a most important matter. Next Monday Mr Cadman will give notice to ask the Government to withdraw this false return and substitute one that is correct.

HANNAFORD'S LIGHTHOUSE. The Public Petitions Committee had Mr Hannaford's last petition before it yesterday, in which he prayed the Government to erect one or more of his beacon lights on the coast of New Zealand. Mr Goldie appeared for the petitioner, and pressed his claim for consideration upon the Committee, with the result that they determined to recommend his prayer to the favourable consideration of the Government.

A LAND TAX. A very great deal has been said about the impossibility of substituting a land tax in lieu of the property tax now existing. Persons who talk in this way seem to forget that such a tax did exist, and, had it not been for the large land-holders, would have remained until this day. Mr Goldie has been looking up the records upon the question, and has furnished me with the following information :— Clause 3 of the Land Tax Act of 1876 read as follows :— " Every owner of land liable to duty under this Act shall pay to Her Majoscy every year in respect thereof a duty by way of land tax of one halfpenny for every one pound of the capital value, according to the, valuation thereof under this Act over and above the sum of £500 ;" and clause 4 provided that all land should be .valued at the capital value thereof to sell after deducting herefrom the value of all improvements thereon. The amount collected under this Act for the eighteen' months ending June 30, 1880, amounted to £150,262 4a lOd, made up as follows:— Auckland, £12,123 ; Hawke's Bay, £9,139 5s lid; Taranaki, £2,350 ;-W«llington,£2l, 74B 19s sd; Nelson, £3,941 15s lid; Marlboiough, £2,658 10s lid; Westland, £138 10s 5d ; Canterbury, » £46*228 14s 8d ; Otago, £51,932 19s 7d. . Now the property tax for the /ear ending the 31st March, 1881, at Id in the £, with £500 exemption, and with 30s for every £100 of premium on fire, marine and guarantee policies, amounted to £255,914 6s 2d, inado" Up as follows : — Auckland, £40,991 0s 9d ; Hawke's Bay, £13,851 14s 4d ; Taranaki, £4,160 17s 3d ; Wellington, €40,263 3s 5d ; Nelson, £9,740 16s 8d ; Marlboroueh, £5,358 19s 6d ; Westland, £1,216 4s 6d ; Canterbury, £69,429 Is; Otago, £70,902 Bs,. 9,d ; so thab if £100,131 was the amount received the first year from a land tax at one 'halfpenny in the £, at one penny, it should amount to over £200,000. Now" this and proper retrenchment ought to be sufficient, and might well tako the place of the present property tax. If there is any deficiency a tax levied upon insurance premium, as at present, should bring in quite sufficient to make up for it.

MR- MITCHELSON. In the discussion of the Railway Commissioners' appointment last nisrht, Mr Fisher stated that he and the Hon. Mr Mitchelaon had strongly stood out in the Cabinet for. the, appointment of An. English expert as Chief Commissioner. He left the other Ministers to explain their position as they chose.

uuoy uuuau. FIRE AND MARINE INSURANCE BILL. The report of the free conference of both Houses on the Fire and Marine Insurance Companies Bill which I sent you up the other day has been adopted by ( the Council by 15 to 8.

LOCAL BODIES' LOANS ACT. The Bill to amend this measure in the direction of validating a certain election, improving forms of procedure, and providing for the punishment of the forgery, etc., of debentures, etc., was brought up for its second reading in the Council yesterday, but met with quick despatch, for Sir George Whitmore moved to have the second reading on that day six months, which was carried by 16 to 11, the Bill being thus killed. The reason for this was that the Bill validated the election of Mr Macarthur in the Manchester Road District.

A LATE SITTING. The House rose at 10 minutes to 3 o'clock this morning. The following votes on the Public Works Estimates were passed : — Immigration, £3,830 ; roads, £145,127; railways, £9,330; Thermal Springs, £2,350 ; waterworks on goldfields, £700 ; telegraph extension, £12,700 : lighthouses, harbour works anddofences, £9,382; rales on .native lands, £8,595 ; charges and expenses of raising loan, £3,084 ; purchase of native lands, £9,396.

CARE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH. In the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon the Attorney-Ceneral moved the second reading of the Public Health Act, 1878, Amendment Bill, which he explained had been brought in to regulate the inspection of dairies and slaughter-houses. The hon. gentleman remarked that the Bill had

been brought in by the Government wibh a view chiefly to allay the scare occasioned by the recent outbreak of typhoid fever in the city of Wellington. The second reading was agreed to on the voices.

GOLDFIELD MATTERS. Mr Cadman, as Chairman of the Goldfields Committee, has requested other members of the Committee to suggest for consideration ptior to drafting the -final report before the close of the session. The result is that the following, list of topics has been drawn up for discussion at the next week's meeting : — (-1) Rents andlicensed holdings, (2) reduction of, gold export duty, (3) reduction of registration fees, (4) revision -of •. survey fees, (5) smelting, assaying and purchasing gold by the- Government, (6) aid to prospecting. (7) representatives from mining districts to visit the Dunedin Exhibition to explain and show to visitors the mining exhibits, (8) water races, (9), cheap railway fares for students of schools of mines and mining districts, (10) present system of letting tributes ; (11) classification of mine managers for certificates, (12) special facilities for foreign companies, (13) scholarships for pupils attending schools of mines, (14) Agent-General's report on Frieburg system.