POLITICAL NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 11631, 4 November 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

| (FBOM OOK OWN OOBEBSPONDEWT) , Wellington, November 2 I; After the ponderous solemnity of the . Financial Statement, the varied busij noas of a private members' day came as 3 a welcome relief. All sorts and conditions of questionß,motions, and private bills, came on. Some of the business t was vary interesting. The railway 3 management came in for reference at a the hands of Messrs Thompson and . t Joyoe. The former wishes to sea a trial 3 given to Vaile's system of railway t reform, and advocates a trial of his l system on the Waikato line, uuder the fc personal supervision of the indefatigable b Auoklander. Mr Joyoo wants to know, 8 you know, whether the Government 9 contemplate a deposition from hia high I estata of Maxwell the muddler, on the f latter's return from tne European tour so liberally provided for by the late Government. Sir George Grey is follow* . ing the lead given .by Messrs j Monk and Hobbs, in ferreting out j. all the corrupt administration of . the late Ministry, and papers j and telegrams, etc., in connection with f the purchasQ of the site of the Govern--3 ment Assurance buildings, Dunedin ; , and any information relative to or in (. connection wifb, the purchase of the late » firm of Sievwrigbt and Stout, havejbeen moved for by the Knight of Kawau, and some interesting disclosures are I expected. Taiwhanga is rapidly becoming an unmitigated bore. This afternoon, he spoke on every conceivable subject, and making the most absurd statements amidst the loud laughter of the House. He evidently considers the Bank of New , Zealand to be in the same state as the ■ Glasgow bank : that depositors will lose s all their money, and that altogetb.ee the Government should take over thr * Bank at once under their protections 3 The Premier, however, reassured th. 1 timid Taiwhanga, who will doubtless ne longer fear the likelihood of the oolouy'o greatest financial institution putting ups E its shutters. An animated debate occurred on Wilson's motion, for the appointment of 3 a committee on the education system. - Messrs Beeves, (StAlbans,)Fish, Seddon, r and other oppositionists, evidently were i Btrong against raising the school age, and , took advantage of the debate to attack 0 the proposals of Government re eduoae tion, as shown by the Statement. This >, is, I understand, to be one of the chief i- points on which the attack of the 3 Opposition will be based. During the progress of the debate, Dr 3 Newman caused some amusement by the vigorous manner in which he c denounced the waste of time in learning 0 grammar, which he contended was I, absolutely useless. The present system i- of spelling was also scoffed at by the a member for Thorndon, who strongly c advocated more time being given to 7 technical education. Mr Fish then 1 made reference to the urgent claims of t the fioman Catholics, and said he would r support a moderate capitation being i given them, if the Government standards 4 were maintained. There will be a stiff } debate when the reduction of the eduoaa tion vote comes before the House. c Hori Funi, and other natives presented !• a petition through Sir George Grey to* 9 day, for a restitution to them of Island t Matui or Soame's Island, in Wellington 3 harbour. Interesting papers were laid on th« table to-day. Bhowing the coat to the country by the prosecution of Thos Hall. The total of the bill was 12210. The 1 items were as follows : - Regina v Hall c and Houston,— expenses o: witnesses, a £595; jurors, £28; Crown Solicitor, r £45 ; Beginavßall — expenses.wilnesses' t payment, jurors, £570 ; fees, analysis, Q £286; Crown Solicitor, Timaru, both * cases, £550... a Mr Maoarthur's bill brought on a long b dull debate', and several new members r made their debut. Sir John Hall made s his first speech this session ; his voice a has suffered much through illness, but it & is still admirably clear and audible. The t general opinion is that the Government & should take action to ame id the whole 1 system of. the Hospital and Charitable J aid aa soon as possible. It is very 0 probable this will be done. Mr Ballance 1 strongly supported the measure. t The main feature of the evening was s the discassion on Sir George Grey's 8 old stock question, the Law Practitioners t Bill. Dr Fitohett made an excellent 3 speech against the measure; Mr Hutchif son made his first speech, short and to - the point, in its favour. The Maoris were i amusing. Sir George was duly dignir a'ed and pathetic. The result of the 1 measure — carried by 57 to 15. The young New Zealand party hold a dinner at Bellamy's to merrow, at which over B 20 are expeoted to be present. The Q object is to commemorate the formation c of the party. 0 Wellington, November 3 1 A meeting of the committee of the 0 Opposition was held this morning, when it was decided not to move an adverse motion to the Government for the a present. 1 The Premier stated this afternoon, as the outcome of the interview with b Sir Julius Yogel, that the Midland 1 railway proposal would be taken. The debate on the Financial State--3 ment takes place to-morrow. Sir Julius Yogel will open the debate, Although not moving an adverse motion it is ex« * peoted that he will severely criticise the 1 polioy of the Government, more espeoially the education retrenchment, the repeal of the Crown and Native ' Lands Bating Act, also the determination I of the Government not to revise the tariff this seesiQn. Sir Julius Yogel was absent from the House the whole 1 of WeduQßday, it is understood, pre* i paring a regular crusher for the Government. * The decision of fcbe Opposition not to move an adverse motion is looked upon 1 as evidence of their weakness. The proposition to reduoe the subsidies to local bodies is, however, very badly received by many staunch Qo\ vernment supporters, but desertions are not feared by th® Government whips. There is a general feeling that the Ministry are perfectly aafe for this ses* eion, and probably for the next. Respecting the Midland railway contract and the proposal of the Government oa tha earae, I hear that Mr Allan Scott, the representative of the company, is by no means satisfi-d with the Premier's proposed alterations. He, however, thinks that the differences will be all satisfactorily settled, and the construction o£ tho Hoe proceeded with J , vigorously. He haa had several inter* j J views with. the. Premier on tha subjeofr. f

The persistency with which Borne of I the young inemberß— notably.Messrs W. ; H P. Beeves, Fitohetfc, and Sydney 3Pai- ■ whanga— -apeak on every possible quea- ■ (ion is a matter of considerable comment. H Mr Beeves is a special offender, doing ■ muoh to spoil his promising political I oareer. His references to the Govern- ■ ment are, however, treated with silent ifl disregard. Taiwhaaga is a pernrti S nuisance. On Thursday ho sprite PJB&tfi no less than 17 separate stobjeots. r '™H This afternoon was mainly oooapied B with harbour bills. Tho Oamaru Bill 9 excited considerable opposition, tho !l feeling of the House evidently being fl against local borrowing unless under I exceptional oiroumstanoes. B When the Wangaimi bill oamo on, ,-jM Mr Ballanoe mada a brief but effeotive :i M speeoh! He referred to the changes '9 made as to the area of the district ainoe ■ laßt session. The proposition to take in the district between Wangaehu and Turakioa would, howwer, not be insiated upon nkooida strong opposition be manifested. The urgent necessity t for completing the work was referred to, and also the fact that the town rate was much in exoess of the country district; that a poll must be taken before tho & loan oould be floated.— Mr Bruce inti- $ mated that ho would not give the bill '.'■■ any factions opposition. He must ofc I jeot to the inclusion of any port of the I Bangitikei County, The trade of the I particular distriot between Wangaehu and Turskina waß done through the Central and Wellington railways. He was by no means certain that an exten* sion of the works would improve the " entranoe to the river; he had heard that the contrary would probably be the result.— Mr HutchißOn supported the bill, but oould not support any inclusion of part of RftDgitikei. His electorate took in part of that country, and whilat the interests of some of hiß constituent! ' demanded his assent to the bill, yet those of his constituents , within ; the .-- - boundary of the Bangitikei County ba#*h| received his pledge to oppose the lnolu* "■% sion of their distriot. fie thought ths 1 works would be of great > value.— Mr = Turnbull, though willing to support the \ bill, severely deprecated the wholesale system of private borrowing.— Mr Bal- : lanoe did not reply, and. the ques^on *'\ was put and deolared in favour of; the ayes. Dr Newman, who had not spoken ; during the debate, challenged the rul- \ \ ing, and a diviuion was taken, with* the result that . the seconil reading wa« - oarriedby 89 to 31, Ino tided that all '■ the Wellington membera voted with the ; noes, also the Hon Mr Fisher, , and . ! Messrs Scobie MacKensrie, Hobbs, Pyke, ■ Tanner, McGregor, and the Auckland || members. Mr Bruce did not vote. ]'. 1- \ In answer to Mr Pyke, who wi«he(i«fcpw \ know if there was any truth: in jflra^ ';■ report published that Major Atkinuoii | had offered the Attorney-Generalship) to :} Sir Sober t Stout during the process of \ oabinetmaking, the Premier stated that ■ j the report was quite untrue.v and that '■] he had never communicated with the' ex- Premier on the subject of a coalition Binoe 1884. ■ '-'"•- \