PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5147, 16 July 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By. Telegraph.]

(FBOai OUK OWN COBRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, Last night. A meeting of Government supporters has been convened for to-morrow morning by Mr Y. Pyke, to consider the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill, in which it is proposed to request Government to make gome radical changes. It is rumored to-nij»ht that Sir J. Voge! is angling for the Chairmanship of the Government Insurance Association Board. The rumor, however, requires confirmation. It will be remembered that the appointment is worth £1500 a year. The Petitions Committee of the Upper House have repnrted favorably on t'^e petition of the residents of Port Chalmers, asking Government to hand over certain endowments vested in the Otaße Harbor

Board for tbe assistance in constructing } the graving dock at Port Chalmers, and * recommended the matter for the consideration of the Government, with the object that the municipal authorities of Port Chalmers shall themselves carry on' the construction of the work. Mr Barron has amended his Bill for the extension of the hours of polling, in the direction of schedules in certain districts wherein the shall only operate. This has been done at the suggestion of the representatives of country districts, who object to any extension of the hours of polling in the country, but who will ' vote for the Bill operating in certain de^ fined districts that may desire such ex tension of hours of polling. At the supper adjonrnment, Major Atkinson wanted the Government to adjourn for thr. night, thus postponing the Hos- J pital and Charitable Aid Bill till to- I morrow, but tbe Premier, evidently J having got an inkling of the meeting to-morrow, which is to consider the Bill, intimated that the House should proceed with" the business. The Bill will probably be talked out now on tbe stonewalling system, in order to preclude a serious discussion until after to-morrow. /From a return compiled by the Customs Department, and forwarded to the Imperial authorities by the Governor, as, beariDg on the question of the navaf defences of New Zealand, it appears that between the Ist of January, 1880, and the 27th April, 1885, there have only been 14 visits of English men o'-war to New Zealand portg. During the same period, the colony has received 11 visits from German warships, two from French warships, two from Japanese warships, and one each from vessels fiyiog the Bussian and American flags respectively. The Minister of Justice in March last forwarded a memo to the Governor, which was duly transmitted to the Secretary of - State for Colonies, asking that the Colonial Attorney's Belief Act may be brought "' into operation in regard to New Zealand. This would admit to practice in England Colonial Attorneys who have served articles for five years in this colony, passed the colonial examination, and been in actual practice in the colony for at least seven years. The Local Bills Committee, reporting on Spencer's [Restoration of Water Bights Bill, say that it is a local bill, and that the Standing Orders have been complied with, and recommend that it be allowed to proceed.

This day. The following paragraph from this mornings New Zealand Times corroborates what I telegraphed you tbe night before test. "So far as can be judged from current gossip it seems pretty certain now that the proposal for a new million loan will not be agreed to. An opinion seems to prevail in the House that with the two loans floated this year, the Government have quite enough money to carry them on until next, year, and indeed more than they ought to spend in the interim. Seeing that two and a half millions have been borrowed this year, thero appearß sound reason in the view that so large a sum ought to suffice for current requirements, and it is understood that if the Government press this proposal, it will be rejected even at tbe risk of any possible consequence. Parliament has now been in session six weeks, and although nothing much has been done, the beginning «f the end. is spoken of, and a proposal has been made to the Government that in VibW bt the desirableness of bringing the business of the session to a close as speedily as pos* sible in the present unstable condition of parties, and tbe. constant liability _to_ a block in tbe progress of work, the Ministry should next week and thence forward take one of the private members' days for Government business. A feeling is steadily gaining ground in the-House that the sooner this uninteresting and unprofitable session is brought to a close the better for everybody. The opinion is freely expressed by many members that tbe best thing to be done would be to pass the Estimates and prorogue, shelving all, or nearly all, other business. The Police Offences Act Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr Fisher, enacts that any person who is the occupier of any house room or place which is frequented by reputed theivea, prostitutes, or persons who have no visible lawful means of shall be deemed an idle and dis- ' orderly person within the meaning of the said act and to be keeping a disorderly house, and shall be liable to imprisonment with hard labor for any time not exceeding six months, also that imprisonment as a disorderly person, and any person who appears to be master or mistress of the place may likewise be punished. Two justices or an E.M. may deal summarily in such cases. There was a general feeling in the House that. Mr Pyke's action in convening a meeting of Government supporters to consider the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill was ill-advised, and it was distinctly stated that whilst supporters were willing to combine on a question of principle such as that shown in the recent action of the Freetrade Party,, bnt sup» porters were not willing to raise an agitation on the Charitable Aid questionwhieh might tend to the embarrassment of Government in the conduct of parliamentary business. The consequence was that the meeting this morning was poorly attended, there not being a dozen present. Mr W Downie Stewart was in the chair, and the action taken by Mr Pyke in cop. vening the meeting was resented. The universal opinion was in favor ot a pound for pound subsidy, but no resolution was come to, the meeting not being considered a representative one, and after only a tew minutes sitting it was adjourned sine die. The question of making the subsidies to Hospitals, etc., pound*for pound instead ot ten shillings for the pound was before the Cabinet this morning, and I -have reason to believe that the suggestion was agreed '..'. ■■ ,:.." ■. ~ . .'■':' '•■'