PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5119, 13 June 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Telegbaph.] (from our own coeeespondent.) Wellington, Last night. As I anticipated in my telegram this afternoon, the moving of the Address-in* Beply has been deferred till Tuesday. During the discussion on the subject of the postponement, the first passa^e-at-arms between the opposite benchee took, place. Mr Stout, in moving the postponement of the notice and the adjournment of the House, twitted the Opposition with having made a statement to the effect that the Gorernment were anxious to get the debate on the Address-iu-Eeply over before the arrival of a Dumber of stilll absent members, and intimated that the only desire on the part of Government was to gtt on with tli& business without

waste of time, as Government were quite ready with bills, and willing to go on. Mr Bryce, who, until the arrival of Major Atkinßon tomorrow night, is acting as loader of Her Majesty's Opposition, in the course of his reply to Mr Stout, remarked that it was usual to allow three or four days to elapse after the opening of j Parliament before moving the Address^in- i Reply. Mr Stout immediately rejoined ! that the fact was entirely the other way, and, lawycr'like, produced a tabulated statement, which must have been prepared at great labor and after much research, which proved that since 1867, embracing twenty sessions, the Address-in Reply liad been moved the first sitting day after fcho delivery of the Governor's Speech eleven times, so that if the majority was my criterion, there was no ground for the statement that the custom had been departed from. At any rate, everybody seems pleased and satisfied tit the adjournment, nnd glad to have an opportunity of looking round for two or three days before settling down to work. Advantage has already been taken of the respite, and a little outing has been arranged for tomorrow, when the Hinemoa will take members over to Points Ha!swell and Gordon for the purpose of enabling them to inspect the defence works on these localities.

There is a remarkable dearth of papers of interest and petitions so far. Yesterday there were no petitions whatever, and to-day just one or two of only local interest^ Among the papers was one presented to both Houses, which shows the number of patents applied for during the year to have been 354.

There was a most amusing preamble to a petition presented to day, which shows exceeding want of gallantry on the part of those who,prepared the petition, and will probably rouse indignation in the fair breasts of the female vendors of alcoholic liquors in hotels. The preamble is as follows :—''That your petitioners regard with deep regret the employment of women, called barmaids, as vendors of alcoholic liquors in public houses and hotels, as being injurious to their own morals, and also as an undue incentive to the consumption of alcoholic liquors by young men." This day. Among the petitions presented yesterday was one from the settlers of South Canterbury and residents in the district over which, under the District Railways A.ct, the Waimate Railway Company have power to make up the deficit on working receipts. They say that the threatened rate will entail a very heavy and grievous, burden upon them, that the railway could have been made and worked far more profitably by the colony itself, or under a colonial guarantee, and that the line benefits not merely their own locality but the whole colony; they therefore pray that Parliament will take out the Waimate Railway as part of the colonial system, or that in some other way relief may be afforded them; they also urge that the District Railways Act,'having proved a failure, should be repealed forthwith. fjThe Hon. Mr Holmes yesterday prer sented a petition to the Legislative Council from the Moderator and Presbytery of Danedin, setting forth their opinion that the present system of national education fails to recognise the moral and religious nature of the children taught in the public schools ; that this defect is causing growing dissatisfaction, which may lead j to the overthrow of the national system; | that a large and influential portion of the community favors denominational education, owing to the absence of moral and religious instruction, and that the reading of the Bible in schools is desired by the majority of parents; they therefore pray that amendments mvy be made in the Education Act having the effect of securing such reading of the Bible in the State schools.

The Chairmanship of the Native Affairs; Committee and Public Petitions and Goldfields Committees, (paid offices), are sessional appointments, and not for the term Parliament as generally understood. It is not likely, however, that there.will be any change in the chairmanship of these committees, and the chairman of each of last session, viz, Messrsßradshaw,Turnbull, and Pyke, respectively, will in all probability be re-elected. A. large party of members and ladies will avail themselves of the trip of the Hinemoa round the harbor this afternoon ; the weather is simply superb, and the trip will embrace a visit to the defence works.

Great dissatisfaction exists among certain sections of the Legislative Council, at the recent appointments thereto, and it is understood that on Tuesday next the Hon. George McLean will ask fora " call of the Council/ a specially summoned meeting of members for the purpose of discussing the question. Of course these malcontents can do nothing more than express their dissatisfaction at the appointments.