PARLIAMENTARY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1764, 17 July 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Wellington, July 16. Mr Ward, member for Awarua, has received a testimonial" signed by 800 of the leading citizens of Irivercargill asking for a revision of the sentence passed upon the seamen of the Annie Bow, who were very severely dealt with for alleged refusal of duty at sea. In forwarding the testimonial to the Government, Mr Ward points out that the offence the men were guilty of was that of \ declining to risk their lives in a - leaky ship, and he expresses that the verdict given by the Justices is tantamount to saying" that the lives of a ship's crew are of secondary importance where the employers' interests are concerned, and that a cruel miscarriage of justice has been inflicted. On Wednesday next the Eon. Mr Richmond intends to move the adjournment of the Council to give a rebuttal to certain allegations made by Mr Rußden in his notorious history ns to his action when a Minister of,,J the Crown in connection with the Maori War. Mr Ward, member for Awarua, has for some time been urging on the Minister for Public Works the necessity of opening up Stewart Island more for settlement, and as a result the Minister has promised to bring down a vote for £SOO, probably in the schedule to the Public Works Statement, for opening up the Island by tracks and ro^i^

The Premier is said to be worsie his morning, and in consequence it is doubtful whether he will be able to attend the sitting of the House to. morrow. The Speaker, however, is on the mend, and may resume his duties in the course of a day or two. Mr J. T. Matson, of Christchurch, has been appointed one of the Commissioners to the Melbourne Exhibition for the colony. Eumors of an indefinite character have been floating about during the last few days of a no confidence motion to be moved during the preaent week, and something is being done in the way of a canvass of members with a view to ascertain what support an adverse motion would be likely to receive. The Kev. J. A. Crawford, Anglican clergyman, at present on a visit to Wellington, and Mr Postlethwaite, ■ waited on the Minister of Lands this moriing with the object, I believe, of Bounding the Government as to what inducement they will hold out to the rev. gentleman to deliver in the North of Ireland a series of lectures on New Zealand, with a view to assisting emigration to the colony. The Minister informed the visitors, however, that the House had for the present put its foot down on Stateided immigration. It is ; now improbable that the Public works Statement will be delivered tomorrow as owing to the absence of the Premier from the Cabinet meetings a quantity of Government business, including the final revision of the Statement, has been held over. —Correspondent of the Ashburton Guardian.