Parliamentary Notes.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4218, 8 July 1882, Page 2

Parliamentary Notes.

. [By Telegbaph.] (PBOM OUR OWN COEEEBPONDENT.) Wellington, Last night. Dargaville's Kelipious, Charitable, and Educational Trust Board Incorppfation Bill enables trustees of these properties to be incorporated, having a common seal and certificate of incorporation. All property, whether real or personal, held by the trustees of any such trust shall immediately upon their incorporation be deemed to be rested in the Board upon, and subject to the' same trust, power, contracts, and equities as then affect the same. Any Board (notwithstanding any trust that may affect its property) may give, sell, exchange, or dedicate all or any of its property for any publio purpose upon such terms as it may deem expedient, and any money or lands that may be received in pursuance of any such sale, exchange, or dedication shall be held or invested in lands, or on mortgage on the same trusts as may affect the lands so dealt with. The Volunteer Commission blundered in the report (page 4): The Commissioners say if that where land has been awarded scrip shall be awarded,, and scrip available only in the districts where the claimant resides should be issued at the rate of 10s per acre, but in the schedule referred to-many cases occur where " 60 acres or £60 scrip " appears to be; recommended, whereas it should have been " 60 acres or £30 scrip" in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission. The error in question affect the following cases: —Beatie, Hugh Biggs, Thomas H. Burroughs (or Burrows). Thomas Brown, John Carpenter. John Cartby, James Chandler, Wm. C. Orr, John Desforges, Mrs 'Dunn, Joseph Fletcher, Isaac Forrest, J. Free, K. Hobbs, W. George Holland, W. Holmes, B. Delby, Geo. Kennedy, D. Kingsley, Henry L. Lane, Jas. Levy, Peter McEL wain, Jas. McGowan, Wm. McMillan, Alexander Mitchell, John, sen., Mitchell, Wm. Moriarty, E. Newman, Peter Patrick, Thos. Pellat, David Reynolds, David Sampson, Gerald Sargent, Robert Saundf-rs, T. Savajje, T. Stanford, Thos. Staples, Samuel Wright George. The inquiry into the loss of the Westport, in connection with which allusion was made to the fact that she had not been swung for the adjustment of her compasses for a considerable period, has led to an examination of the Shipping and Seamen's Act, 1877. Clause 169 subsection provides that any vessel built wholly or partly of iron shall have her "compasses perfectly adjusted from time to time." Another provision is that the Governor*in-Council shall make a regulation defining the term from "time to time." Such regulation has never beeu made, so that proprietors of steamers trading iv New Zealand waters are under no legal obligation to take a precaution absolutely essential to the safe navigation of ships and the proper protection of life. A case in point arose here yesterday, where it was found that a coastal steamer had not had her compasses adjusted for two years, and owing to the neglect of making the regulations which the Aot contemplated, no penalty can be inflicted. The matter is to be brought tinder the attention of the Government, and will of course be immediately remedied. The Board of Trade rule at home, I believe, is that steamers be swung every six months. I have heard of a case in which a coastal steamer's compasses became polarized, and yet on arrival in port she was not swung.

I am informed on tbe best authority that either about the end of tbe ensuing week, or early in the week following, the Government will select what business they will go on with, and what abandon.