Parliamentary Gossip.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4513, 22 June 1883, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

(FBOM 0TT8 .,.-0W;8 COBBBSPONDENT.)

Wesliwgton, Yesterday. An important memo, from tbe Con-troller-General was laid on tbe table of' tbe House this 1 afternoon by tbe Colonial Treaurer. The Controller states that the Government on the 31st May, tbe latest day on which any money could be drawn out of the treasury, presented a requisition for an imprest of no less tban £112,000. Mr. Fitzgerald remarks that he had not the power absolutely to refuse the money, hut he contends that this course was a clear evasion of the intention of the law and of Parliament which, if allowed .to grow into a precedent,^ would open the door to grave abuses; be adds that the Audit Office may find it its duty to refuse to sanction even the payment of the imprest, and ho requests that this protest may at once be laid before Parliament. ' The new Bankruptcy Bill has been circulated, it contains 50 pages and 250 clauses; tbe main provisions and details are identical with those of lust year's* bill. t Mr M. W. Green hasbrought in a bill to provide for the moral training of the, young in tbe public schools, which is to be read together with (the Education Act of 1877, and 'the' provision .of the Act. are to be construed in harmony with it. As one operative clause runs thus, "the Committee of each school district sbjll ap point special periods during school hours not to exceed 30 minutes, at which Bible reading lessons shall be given under the supervision of the teacher, and also tor the inculcation of iensons in morality, but no denominational religious teaching shall be given during; such lessons, the periods shall be either at the opening or close of school hours. No child shall be permitted to be present at such lessons whose parents or guardians shall have objected thereto in writing." Mr Feldvrick has introduced several small but important bills affecting matters of trade. 1. Morgages Release Bill, which provides that a receipt endorsed on a mortgage is to be a sufficient digcharge without a reconveyance.-being necessary as at present. 2. Chattel Securities Act Amendment Bill, which enacts that every bill of sale *hall only take effect from the date on which it is actively executed, shall set forth the oonsideratiou in full, shall be verified by declaratioo, and shall be attested and executed before a Justice of the Peace ; an in.ventory of detailU is to be annexed ; euoh bill of sale is not to affect after acquired property, bills within 3 month* of bankruptcy are to be void against creditors, except as to present consideration; five days must elapse between seiture and sale;, 5(3) WorkmenVLien^Bill provides for remedies being extended to workmen,, off the piece or sub-contractors, "for a contractor only to be liabl* to the extent of funds in hand, for workmen not to be, prejudiced, to their right for the attachment of moneys in contractors'hands'; a preference is <io be permitted in certain

U1m j'- ; piViiir a lf< «• ivanee -tre to \.>f> applied lo trie cos= l of unrerial °"'y- service of sum on on see in th<- caste of absentees is daly provided for. Th«* Tenants Fixtures Bill introduced by the Minister of Justice provide! for the right of a tenant who has put up fixtures of any kind to move the same; bul the tenant is not to do damage to the premises in removing suoji fixtures; and compensation is to be payable to him in case of such damage-; this act is not to interferes with-leiies or contracts. .' * This day. The requisition referred to by the Coatroller G-neral injjjp, memo of the protest included £21,500 Tor Harbor.defence, £90G0 for Public Buildings, £10,000 Native Affairs, £10,000 Immigration, £20,000 Roads in the Aiiekland district, £20,000 Lunatic Asylnm*; and. ,£46,000 under section 4 of the Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Act, 1882. The total amount of the requisition was Canterbury and Auckland appear to be in just tbe same position relating to railway construction. The Wellington people want the Southera Island Trunk line to come to Picton and connect with Wellington, but Canterbury people, who will have to pay the interest on | the cost of construction, object to the line going that way at all; but the Wellington members, who form the Ministerial majority insist on the Picton route. Again, the Auckland people who want the line made from iwamutu to Taranaki are over-ruled because the Wellington people .want the north central route; 'this* then , happens, Wellington dictates what routes io both cases shall be adopted. Canterbury says we will have no, rail way other than the Robinson line; what Auckland might say about the central against the Mokau one is scarcely an open question. This I am told will happen, if Auckland will help Canterbury against Wellington, Canterbury will help Auckland. In the matter of Stevens trying to .bribe Lewis with £210 last December, people here cannot understand why the prosecution has been so long delayed. I hare not seen members in such ft ferment for a long time, as they tre orer Atkinson's attempt to draw * large imprest on the 31st of May last; they put it in this way, if he could draw £192,000, he could hare obtained a million had it been there, and thus have avoided, if he liked, calling Parliament together at all, until the money was exhausted. The artful dodger, men say, has been, caught at last.