PARLIAMENTARY.

Observer, Volume II, Issue 40, 18 June 1881, Page 434

PARLIAMENTARY.

GOSSIP FROM THE LOBBIES. BY ELECTRIC TFLEGRAPH, (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, Tlmrsday. Not long ago the Audit Office sanctioned the payment of £560 O.s. 4d. to the Borough of Kumara, Westland. It subsequently transpired tliat tlie money should have been paid to the County of Westland instead. Only a small portion of the cash has been refunded. This is the reason given by the Controller-General for his visit to the other colonies, and he asserts that going to see the Melbourne Exhibition was " not at all in his thoughts." Colonel Trimble, having successfully pitchforked two sons into the Civil Service over the 1 Leads of many deserving cadets, has come to Parliament in a new suit of clothes. Sir Arthur Gordon added the last few and perhaps some other paragraphs to the speech lie delivered at the opening of Parliament. The new cutlery furnished to Government House, Auckland, cost £25 2s lid. Paddy McCaughan was in training for sometime before Parliament, and is now looking quite respectable. He still wants a "siding" run into his property in Southland. Sir Dillon Bell got £500, travelling expenses to pay his passage to England notwithstanding: he was in receipt of salary. Sir William Fox has done no good on the West Coast and the Australian Mutual •would like to take over the Government Insurancebusiness. The day the Observer came toWellington containing Oliver's portrait, he resigned office after reading it. The Auckland papers obtain their information from the same course, in order, possibly, toprevent "doubling" on each other. Sir Julius Yogel wrote the letter to Curtis because Government would not give him a retiring alloAvance. There is no bad English in the Governor's speech, because Mr Rolleston corrected it. The annual cost of the A.C. officers at Taranaki is £5346. There are in Wellington two civil servants with salaries of £1000 a year, one with £900, seven with £800, one with £700, six with £600, seven with £600, one with £585, three with £550, fifteen with £500. It appears that many of the persons insured: in the Government Insurance are drowned by their friends, as the Commissioner in his report says : — "As usual the chief cause of these accidents was drowning, eight of the eighteen persons referred to, being accidentally drowned." There was a funny story related on board the Hinemoa on her passage down from Auckland with the Northern members. Briefly told, it was to the effect that some of the reporters in the gallery of the House of Representatives were in the habit of levying black mail on the members of the House for the purpose of writing them up, or in other words, borrowing money which it was well understood was not toberepaid. When,- however, the story wasinvesti gated by one of the narrators, there appeared to be nothing in it, or that they failed to bring i borne to the imaginary culprits. The Governor's speech was given with a kind of Presbyterian snuffle, somewhat after the manner of a divine holding forth. The display of beauty in the Upper House was not very striking in the House of Representatives at the opening of Parliament. Mrs Batkin Avas in her usual place, the centre seat in the ladies' gallery. She is known to the wicked world as the secretary of the women's political rights confederation of New Zealand. The member for Riverton has gone North to see if lie can purchase some native lands at a cheap rate. The report on the prisons of New Zealand by "Captain Hume, Inspector of Prisons" was a still more wonderful production than it now is before it underwent a Ministerial inspection and correction. When the Ringarooma came into Wellington on Sunday, Mr Rolleston came down to see who was on board and betrayed the Ministerial fear by calling out to Captain Russell, "Where isOnnond." Mr Macandrew during the recess has adopted the Gladstone _ pastime of wood chopping, and looks quite rejuvenated. When Sir George Grey wanted to know what amount had been paid to newsjwipers other than dailies during the recess, some people say he had the Free Lance in his mind. It will be made a matter for debate whether the Government had a right to appoint Dillon Bell as Agent-General for four years. It has been suggested by a northern member that Sir William Fox should deliver a series of lectures on "political adventurers who have their own little papers." As being a political adventurer himself, and having had generally a little paper of his own, he would be well up in the subject. The Government have got into the habit of snubbing the editor of the Post lately I hear, and some people think it serves him right,, as he has been their political tool, boot-jack and valet cle chambre as long as bis services could be tolerated. Mr Fisher, of Christchurch, has got rid of his gout, and Mr Fisher, of Westport, has got rid of his action for breach of promise. When Atkinson brings down the proposal to renew the Property Tax he will show that all improvements made to houses and tenements depreciate their value. It is reported that at the next general election the editor of the Waikato Times will stand for the East Coast in. the Grey interest. The New Zealand Times, following the Government plan, has been importing reporters from the "other side." One was imported from A delaide not very long since. He was a great swell, and wrote shorthand so well that he could not read it himself. One day the editor told him of an accident which took place, a man being thrown out of a trap and breaking-

liis neck. The man from A delaide took a long " note " of the affair, and when he had finished, eagerly asked, "is he likely to recover." It was debated in the Cabinet avlio should take charge of the Chinese Immigration Restriction Bill, and, after some discussion, it was decided that Atkinson should do so, because he was a protectionist. It is paid that the sores the Bryce friction ■caused to rankle and fester in the mind of Major Kemp have been healed by the application of llolleston ointment.