PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3912, 13 July 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telkgraph.]

(fbom our special correspondent.) Welxington, This day.

The followiag are the main provision of the Local Government Bills, entitled Crown and Native Lands Hating Bill, introduced by Major Atkinson last night: —That Crown Lands and Native Lands, together with buildings and improvements shall be rateable property with the follow-' ing exceptions—Parliamentary Buildings and grounds (Wellington), Government buildings and grounds (Wellington), Government House and grounds (Auckland), lands occupied by Government, schools including play-grounds and school masters residences, wharves, piers, and jetties, the property of Railways and Railway Stations, and all land end buildings on which the same are constructed. The public parks, or domains, or gardens, or all Crown Lands on which there are buildings actually occupied by auy de»

partment of Government; Crown and Borough Lauds shall be rated under the Eating Act, 1876, in like manner.as other lands authorised to be rated. The rates payable in respect of such lands, shall be paid by the Colonial Treasurer out of the Consolidated Fund or out of moneys to be appropriated by the General Assembly for the purpose. Native and Borough lands shall be rated under the Sating Act, 1876, and the value of otter Crown lands and native lands, shall be fixed a« follows : —Crown town lands andjnatire^^ town lands at the rate of £36peraeref Crown , agricultural lands and #atire agricultural lands at £1 per acre ; Crown pastoral lands and native pastorali*mU~*t 6s 8d per acre ; and the rateable »alue for the purposes of this Acfc f'rshall be deemed to be £6 per centum. TKe quantity of Crown town laridsyHjd nativetown lands shall, for this year aild future"^ years, be fixed by a certificate of the Purveyor General. The first rates pay-* able shall be for the year ending 31st March, 1882. Whenever any land is sold or exchanged for the" first time, and whenever it is leased to.ptker- -, than aboriginal., r natives,, .then amount of all tates .paid 1 by the Colonial Treasurer in respect of such land shall be repaid to the T Colonial Treasurer, and shall be deemed to be a duty payable _ on soob. s»lf, " exchangp or lease. Sucb^ duty shallybe? in addition to 'he duties imposed by the Stamp Act, 1875. In the case <of'•natifftf~<f lands under lease, the tenant is made? ; liable for rates as ovneß .uttdeiTT the Katiug Act, 1876. The \ G^eroQT ill Couucil may at any time oj P^rbclafaatfbh' 5^ declare that in any diatrici ot pbrHbtt^bf » district all native lands shall be subject tO" " the Eating Act, 1876. -J ' v> ' Xl~ \

Mr Hutchinson is determined to get st the Governor's despatch re uatiy«»as«f<,-;! which Ministers are withholding? '^NeW** Wednesday he will ask Government if the publication of the Governor's, despatch bearing upon the state of native affairs in the North Island, and the imprisonment , of natives for alleged. politica^dffeibeiw? h would at present be prejudicial to the public interest as stated by the Premier, and will Government state atf^lilflfige such despatch can be published without any prejudice. ; The following returns show' the" posU< lation (exclusive of Maoris) in tbe Auck« land electoral districts—Mongonui 4,440-f Marsden 6593 ; Eodney 3913;-Wait«eaat«, 4220; City of Auckland Hast 517^V:Ww :S 11,501; Parnell 5,979; Newton 8.881; Town of Onehunga 2,189; Eden 6,242; Franklin 10,539; Thames 12,054; East Coast 7,204 ; Waipa 4,714; Waikato&77,4.T Total for Auckland District 98,452. ±h A My

The members who are moving in .the, * direction of obtaining the abolition of tlreli gold duty, anticipate a promise to.th«f*effect that the Ministers hope to be able to do so next year. r .','':'.