PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5195, 10 September 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Teikghaph.] (from our own corbespondbnt.) Wellington, Last night. The Special Powers and Contract Bill empowers tbe Thames Harbor Board to conrey to Mr William Bowe the land described in tbe second column of the second schedule, on the said William Bowe conreying to the Board a certain piece of land, which is colored greea on the plan marked MD 1054, and deposited' in the office of the Marine Department, Wellington, viz.: (1) AH that piece or parcel of land containing 21 aorcs 5 perchee, be the same a little more or less, being part of the Thames foreshore situate in the Borough of Thames, bounded towards the north and east by part of Te Karaka Block, being the line of high water mark, 100 30 and 135 links; towards the south by a continuation of Walter street, 16 5 links; and towards the west by other parts of the Thames foreshore, j132 273 and '72.5 links, be the said several measurements a little more or less; excepting out of the above piece of land that portion thereof containing 2 acres 8 perches occupied by the Karaka Creek, and now used as a public drain. Also all that piece or parcel of land containing 13 acres 6 perches, be the same a little more or less, being part of the said Thames foreshore, being bounded towards the north by the continuation of Walter Street, 51.5 links; towards the east by Te Karaka Block,, being, the line of high water mark, 189 links; towards the south by part, .of the Thames foreshore, 39 links; and towards the west by part of the Thames foreshore, 188.7 links, be all the said sereral measurements a little more or less. The said land is colored yellow on plan marked MD 1054, and deposited in the office of the Marine Department, Wellington. Mr Tole is to introduce his Supreme Court Beporting Bill, for the appointment of short hand reporters to the Supreme Courts of Justice.

1 his day. The position is a peculiar one. Capt. Russell's amendment after the last division became the substantive motion upon the Speaker's ruling, afad there is now another amendment moved upon it. At this rate any number of amendments may be moved one after the other, and the debate may become almost interminable. That, however, i« not likely except as party tactics, for everyone is sick and tired of the debate. Still it is not impossible that it may be found that s«me% one will move to except the. Otago Central, the North Trunk, or any other lines from the dimunition of expenditure now affirmed. Of course Captain Russell's amendment has yet to be affirmed; it has already been made a part of the question, bnt is not yet finally out of the bush. The position of the amendment is complicated, bat the Speaker has ruled as above. The Government are not treating the matter from a party point of view, and it is therefore impossible to say what may happen. Sir J. Vogel and Mr Enssell had a set to, the former getting quite the worst of it. Sir J. Vogel, in execrable taste, compared Capt. Bussell to a pig driver, and the Opposition to a pig who would not go the way wanted. Mxßussell retorted that he feared he had driven Sir J. Vogel very hard, the last day or two, as the Government teemed to occupy a most lamentable position, and appeared as helpless and: as limp as it is possible to imagine a Government to be. Last night the Minister of Public Works declared his willingness to reduce his estimates, bnt the Premier refused to do so; and to-night Sir J. Togel says the Government will not treat the question on party grounds. How these statements are to be satisfactory reconciled does not appear. , , ■ - .■.•',..-•.'■-■ . - •