PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3906, 6 July 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By

Telegeaph.]

(FEOM OtTli SPECIAL COEEESPONJDEtfT.)

Wellington, This day. As it i 3 now known that the Financial Statement will be made to-night, all political speculation has been suspended. Sir George Grey caused considerable consternation amongst a section of the House last night, by giving notice of his intention to introduce a bill limiting the electoral privelege to only one vote to each elector. This is with the object of depriving persons ;pf the right to vote in each electorate in which they have property. :; ., There are curiou|j;^poi;ts about Goveujament withholditf^tfrom the printer certain correspondence in conneotion with Pollen's "pension, and which the House ordered to be printed. When Sir George Grey gave notice of a question on the subject last night, it created an evident surprise in a certain quarter, aud the Premier's promise to produce the documents appeared tajsogiven with some degree of hesitatiolft

No answer has yet bsen given to any i;i the House which has created f-so caueh interest, as the Premier's reply the effect that Goveru--IS£efitV lli^&' in pn*p\*iat.ion a measure to assist prirate companies, in constructing main or branch lines of railway or continuing those already commenced by the Government.

Mr Hall stated before the adjournment last night, that the finauoial statement would be delivered by ttie Colonial Treasurer early this evening.

A return of securities held on behalf of Government was kid before Patliameut yesterday, amounting to £2,488,769, of which the following are the details :• — Post office, £839,069 ; Public Debts sinking funds, £149,600: Government Insu ranee Department, £431,000; securities belonging to Public Trust, £96,400; Public Works account, £969,700 ; Nelson prize fund, and Armed Constabulary reward fund, £3000 : Total, £2,488,769.

Mr Beeves gave notice yesterday of two questions which he asked last session and failed to obtain answers satisfactory to his constituents ;■ first, whether the Government would appoint an inspector of mines for the. West Coast of the Middle Island ; to which an answer on a former occasion was in the negative, and secondly, whether efforts wonld be made to extinguish a fire which for some years past has been burning in a coal seam in the Grey Valley—a fire which apparently, iustead of burning itself out, continues to inorease.

Mr Bain yesterday tabled in the House a petition from the representatives of various Insurance Companies doing business in'Otago and Southland, praying that clauses 17 to 23 jo the " fire Proven-

tion, and Fire Brigades Bill " be excised These clauses refer to compulsory contribution by insurance companies towards the expenses of fire brigades, such contributions being deemed specially as debts, and the amount of contribution to be calculated pro rata with the amount of annual business transacted by each company .within each city or Borough, having aa organised Fire Brigade. This was unanimously objected to by the companies on the introduction of a similar bill last session, and the arguments against the proposed measure then advanced have still equal force.