PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3928, 2 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telegraph.] (FJiOM OUB SPECIAL COBBESPONDEtfT.) WfiSMOTQ?. This day. A. strong feeling is growing in J?arliamep£ in favor of an amendment in the -Redistribution of Seats Bill to the effect that the Parliament shall only define the number of members iv each provincial district, the districts then defining the boundaries of thp electorates. The following resolutions were passecj. at a meeting of Otago members held yevsterday j—" That iv the opinion of this meeting there should be no increase in the number ol members of House representatives, and in any scheme of readjustment of representation it should be understood th.it city and suburban constituencies should, upon an average, have thirty-fire per cent more inhabitants in the representation thau County constituencies." " That each provincial district should have the pruportiuu of members its numbers

should entitle it to possess, and that the distribution of such representation be arranged by the members at present Representatives of each provincial district. It is understood that the Government has received further disquieting news from the West Coast. The members of each provincial district, it is thought, will hold caucuses to endorse or otherwise the action of the Otago members re the redistribution of seats. Westland has already issued a circular, and Canterbury is moving in that direc- : tion. In reply to a deputation to-day, Mr Hall stated that Marlborough would return its three members, Nelson would lose three, Canterbury would get seven, Otago would get three—making a total for the colony of 91. Westland will lose one. This means a decrease of three in the North Island. The provincial districts will not be allowed to define the boundaries of the electorates, except by way of recommendation. Mr Reeves is determined to persist in his question as to whether the Government appointed any person to the Commission of the Peace while that person was himself bouud over to keep the peace. I am informed the question refers to a Mr Tildcn, in the Auckland district, who, on April 25th last, was bound over to keep the peace. The case is reported in the New Zealand Herald of April 27th, and on May 23rd a letter appeared in the Herald from Tilden, practically admitting the charge. On June 2nd he was gazetted a Justice. The difficulty arose out of a Highway Board dispute, and the specific charge against Tilden was challenging to fight. . There was a cross summons in the case, and I am informed byooe perfectly conversant with the circumstances that they were of a disgraceful nature.