PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3944, 19 August 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telegraph.]

(FROM OUB SPECIAL COBREBPONDENT.)

Wellington, This day. The Government intend to get through tb» business as quickly as possible in order that the Governor may leave for Fiji, and it has been definitely decided that His Excellency Sir Arthur Gordon in his position as High Commissioner of the Western Pacific Islands will embark at Auckland in H.M.S. Emerald, in which he will proceed to Fiji. The Emerald is expected to arrive at Auckland the second week in September, by which time it is anticipated the public business of this the last session of the present Parliament will be sufficiently advanced to warrant the Governors responsible Ministers advising a prorogation. Before the House commenced the ordinary business last evening, Mr Pyke gave notice that that he would move on Thursday the 25th instant. " That this House having sat for ten weeks, and taking into consideration the circumstances that the business of the session has now commenced is of opinion that it is desirable parliament should be prorogued fora sufficient interval to allow of His Excel lency the Governor paying his projected visit to the Western Pacific, and also to give the members of both Houses an opportunity of recruiting their wasted energies, so that they may be enabled to enter.upon discussion of public business in a healthful frame of mind and body."

On the Land Act, 1877, Amendment Bill, De Lautour in Committee will move the addition of the following new clause, " Deferred payments: Any person whosball be in occupation of an allotmeut of land which shall have been selected on deferred payments, the area of which shall be less than 102 acres, shall be entitled to select a second allotment of such area as together with allotment first selected to make up an area not exceeding 230 acres in the aggregate ; provided that such second allotment is in the same block or within two miles of the allotment first occupied ; and provided also that it shall not be necessary for such person who has fulfilled the conditions in the case of the first allotment to reside upon the second allotments so selected."

In .Committee on the Representation Bill, Mr Sheehan will move the insertion of the following new clause:—"Every man of twenty-one years of age and upwards having leasehold estate in his possession situate within any electoral district constituted under this Act of the clear annual value of ten pounds, held upon lease which at time of registration shall have not less than three years to run, or having leasehold so situate or of such value as aforesaid, of which he has been in possession for three years or upwards at the time of such registration, shall be entitled to be registered under the .Registration of Electors Act, 1879, and to vote at the election of members of the House of "Representatives, and this clause shall be read as part of the Qualification of Electors Act, 1877."

At an early hour this morning, after a long debate, The Gold Duty Abolition Bill passed through Committee, and was reported. In addition to the motions of Messrs Seddon and Sheehan, a clause was added empowering local governing bodies to levy the tax up to ten shillings per ounce.

Decision of the Government to pay Half the Damage by the Flood.

The local bodies will get a sum of money equal to half the Engineer's estimate towards repairing the damage done by the flood.