PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4884, 4 September 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Teleg-baph.j (feom our own correspondent.)

Wellington, Last night. Mr Ca&maa and the SiCiae? Portfolio. The Ministerial Statement made by Hie, Premier this afternoon was exeeediu;;ly interesting as a forecast in brief of some points «f the policy of the new Administration. The creation of another paid ministerial office, and that to undertake the care of so important an industry as mining, will probajjly give eff.cfc to the prediction mr.de yesterday, namely, that Air Cadinan, member for Coromandal, will be offered a portfolio as Minister of Mines.

From what the Premier said, it would seeca that surmises on one point have no foundation, inasmuch as it is not the intention.of the Ministry to interfere with luxation this session. It was thought that the Financial .Statement would contain proposals for the imposition of a modified land tax, and a battle resulting in the defeat of any Ministry proposing such legislation, was very oracularly spoken of. At the present time there is a majority in the House averse, to chan*7ii><j the incidence of taxation. ' "

It is probable that at an early date a Select Committee or [Royal Commission will be appointed to look into (he question of a route for the Forth Island Main Trunk line of Railway, with a view lo reporting upon the routes and deciding which 01 the rival routes It ia desirable to take.

The Financial and Public Worka Statemerits are already in course of preparatic n, and may be delivered any day next we.k. The . fact of the present Goyernmeat giving such et.dence of a desire to prosecute tiia business of the country' without delay lias gained for Them the. sympathy pfinany waverers, and the general feeling is in the direction of giving Government a fair field, if no favor. Although only sworn, m at half-past twelve, Ministers met the House two hours afterwards, and showed no Hesitation whateyer in replying

to qiu-sliu'ss given nf lie*- of d^si?;-.' ihe reign of 'h-'ir prod-cessors. ■ Thir- d»y. The t)«;xt i-n-rd pnlitic-U event vriH b; the electioa of a Ciinjs*o?»m of < 'onmi'toes, and some dissaiisfaetion is being expressed at the delay in bringing the starters to ibj post. It ia understyoi thnf. the taeni will nominate Mr W: J. Slow'.irt, member for Waimat[», arid k>fe whip for the Montgomery p >rty, and that his candidature will be opposed by Mf_ Hamlin, Chairman of Committees in tho last Parliament. The namo of Clu'iha Thompson* is also mentioned as a candidate.

The real work of the session may now be said (o ha?e comraenced, and most of the Committees set up yesterday met this morning Tho first business was. of course the (-lee tion of ' bairraeo. For the GoldGalds Committee Mr Pyke was elected Ohair» man, and for the Waste Lands Committee Mr Fulton was elected. The two paid committfe chairmanships are the Chairman of Public Petitions Committee and the Chairman of Native Affairs Committei. For the former, Mr Turnbui (Tiumru) was elected without opposition, as being.o'dest member ; for the Native j Affairs Committee there were two cindi" j dates, Col. Trimble and the Chairman i of last I^arliament, and the vottDg resulted in a tie; this placed tho Comroitiee in something of a difficulty, for the clerk who put the motion Lad no vote, and (here is therefore no way of settling the matter unless the Speaker, to whom, ife is to be referred, can suggest anything. Had Mr Locke b-en appointed to tlie Committee, as Ire will be to-day, the scale would have been turned in favor of Mr J. B. Brad sbaw (late of Thames), who, it is understood, is the nominco of Sir GJ-eorge Grey. The lalier desires Mr Bradshaw simply on the score of humanity, believing lhat his lranings will ba towards the native race, p.rd not bet.au<e be possesses any special knowledge of native sff-rtirs. Mr Shcehan is here, and is working the Maori vote.

Later

It is whispered that Government are not by any means unanimous on the question of the election of the Chairman of Committees, Sir J. Vogel and Mr Tole being in (avor of Mi 1 Hamlin, and the others for Mr Steward.