PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4809, 7 June 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telegeaph.] (fkom ottb own coebbbpoltdbnt.)

Wellington, Lait night. The House met at 2.30 to«day, but there was a very thin attendance, the only notable additions being Messrs Macandrew, Hursthouse, and Feldwick. Mr Shrimski gave notice to introduce a Pensions Bill; the Minister of Lands gave notice to move for the appointment of the usual sessional Committee's; the Minister of Justice gave notice to introduce the Married Women's Property Bill, Alienation of Lands Bill, Local Courts Bill, and Bankruptcy Act Amendment Bi'l; Mr Levestam gave notice of a Bill for better securing the purity of fermented liquors; Mr Macandrew, for Mr Bathgate, gave notice to move for a select committee to enquire into the commercial depression which at present prevails in the colony, with a view of providing a remedy; the Colonial Secretary gave notice of the following amending bills — Representation , Act, Regulations of Elections Act, Otago Harbour Board Empowering Act, and alao the Parliamentary Elections Bill. Leave of absence wps granted to Mr J. B. Whyte for one week through sickness. Mr Dargaville asked, without notice, would the Minister of Public Works lay his report on the table of the House immediately, or would be delay it till the Public Works Statement was brought down, and Mr Mitchelson said he could not answer the question till Tuesday next at 3.30. The House adjourned till Tuesday next. Sir William Fox left for England today, via Sydney, per Wakatipu. A large number of members were down to see him off; indeed, Sir William's departure was the cause of the expedition with which the business was disposed of this afternoon

The Hon. P. Buckley is nothing if not pompous. In the Legislative Council, the other day, Col. Brett, in moving a committee, referred to the hon. gentleman as the Hon. Pat Buckley. This ruffled his dignity, and after the work of the Council he requested the colonel to call him P. Buckley in futnre. Wahanui has not yet turned up, and the Native Office can give no information aa to his whereabouts.

I know that your readers are anxiously awaiting information concerning the relative strength of the parties, but in the present incomplete condition of the House, it is impossible to give any idea. The strong party men on their side of the House both claim a majority, and Ministers confidently state they hare at least four more rotes tbao the Opposition, aud

in this composition they do not count either Sutton or Petrie. Very large numbers of members are doing what is technically called " sitting on the rail,"—at any rate they are exceedingly loth to unbosom themselves of their sentiments/ They really do not know under which banner to array themselves, and parties will not become consolidated until the gage of battle has been thrown down. Should the Canterbury members endeavor to make the groin tariff the leading question, they will find themselves in a woeful I minority; indeed, it looks bad for them i when ah uncompromising Oppositionist { like Mr Shrimski half states hisinteution • to support Government in their action i regarding the tariff, and with one or two ■ exceptions all the Otago members will j oppose the demand' of their Northern neighbors. The general opinion, howeverts that though Government may be able to avoid an actual defeat oil any direct issue which would require them to resign, or ask; for a dissolution, they cer« tainly have not a sufficient majority to force through measures which excite any strong demonstration of the Opposition. It is too early to attempt any estimate of the resolute relative strength of parties, bat still the talk in the lobbies already shows the existence of a general conviction that very little real legislation is likely to be effected by this session. Mr Shrimski's bill to regulate the granting of pensions to retiring civil servants proposes to place the granting of all future pensions in the hands of the House. At present Government have, however, to exercise their patronage in a questionable direction. ■ Thus, they can tell, a civil servant to retire, on his pension and place a friend in the vacant position. This perhaps superanuates the man when he has several years' service in him. Last year Mr Seed, the Secretary of Customs, wished to retire on a pension of £600, intending to take the management of an Investment Company at a salary of £500 per annum. Mr Shrimski then objected to Mr Seed's retirement, arguing that if be was fit to work, lie should continue in Government employ. The result was that Mr Seed's salary was increased to to £800, and again there are rumors of his intended retirement. The bill does not propose to interfere with those entitled to pensions now, but there is a pro* vision in it to the effect that should a person drawing a retiring allowance re enter Government service, his salary, with the pension, shall not exceed the salary he was drawing on his retirement. Mr Shrimski got a similar bill through the Lower House last session, but as it was then retrospective, and if passed would have affected Sir W. Fitherbert's pension, it was thrown out of the Upper House. Mr Shrimski was of opinion that the measure being; a money Bill, the Council had not the right. to interfere with it, and in this opinion he wes joined by Sir Maurice O'Eorke and other members of the Lower House. During the recess ths point was referred to Sir Erskine May, the great English authority on Parliamentary practice, and his opinion coincided with Sir M. O'Korke's. This being the case, it is not probable that the Lords will have the temerity to thwart the wishes of the House ©^Representatives this time.

Among the petitions presented to-day was one from J. L Deed, of Waiuku, praying for a grant of land to which he was entitled under the Auckland Waste Lands Act of 1858, but which he had not been able to get, through having neglected to procure a claim and certificates.

in the Legislative Council to-day, the following notices of motion were given for Tuesday :—That in the opinion of this Council the quantity of native land included under the proclamation issued under the Thermal Springs Act is vastly in excess of the requirements of the case, and of the distinct understanding on which this Council was induced to give its assent to the passing of the Act (Waterhouse); that in the opinion of this Council the restrictions from alienation affecting the title of land reserved for the benefit of aboriginal natives should not be removed unless lands of equal value had been reserved for the benefit of such natives and rendered inalienable (Hart).

Several names are mentioned as probable successors to the seat in the Cabinet vacated by the Hon. W. Johnston, bat in all probability Mr J. C. Richmond, of Nelson, having had previous Ministerial experience, will be called to the seat.

Mr M. W. Green appears to be bidding for votes for the advocates of local iudustry, and to-day gave notice for Tuesday to ask if orders have been sent to England since last session for locomotives and rolling stock, and if so, whether tenders were first called for in the colony. The Minister of Public Works to-day laid on the table the notorious return asked for last session by Mr Wright, for information as to the items composing traffic receipts to the extent of £40,000, appearing in traffic returns. In preparing the return three million way bills have been examined, and the return has hascost £600.

Mr Macandrew, over persistent in his efforts to properly educate the people in matters political, gave notice for his motion of last year for the daily distribution'of Hansard to the electors of the colony; and Mr Hursthouse, the practical; immediately gave notice of motion to move that, in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that the publication of Hansard be discontinued.

Mr Hutchison has given notice to ask the Premier if the penalty of £500 incurred by the Bank of New Zealand for neglecting, within the statutory time, to send in its last quarterly return of assets and liabilities to Government, has been or will be exacted, and if, not, why not? The spirit of Provincialism has already manifested itself in the House this session, as is evidenced in the notice of motion tabled by Mr Montgomery for a return showing (in continuation of a similar return which was furnished in the session of, 1882) the loan expenditure in and revenue derived from the several provincial districts to Ist March, 1884.

Mr Hutchison will shortly more in the House for a return of all the existing endowments for, ecclesiastical purposes in the colony, exclusive of building sites for churches and chapels, and church or chapel schools (if not exceeding two acres in extent) and the revenues arising there* from; also, a return of all existing endowments for secondary and university education in the colony; and, further, a return of the number of schoolkouses and sboolmaaters' -houses erected in each of the educational districts of the colony during the three years ended on the 31st December last, together with the estimated value of these buildings and fittings.

It is rumoured in the lobbies that the Hon. George McLean is to be asked to fill the seat in the Cabinet vacant by the resiguation of the Hpn, W, W. Johnston.