Parliamentary.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3283, 15 August 1889, Page 2

Parliamentary.

In the House'yesterday the Premier in answer to Mr Seddoo, said the Government had received telegrams from Premiers of other, colonies asking them to assist in giving responsible Government to Western Australia, and had replied that they would be, happy to do so oxcept that they did not think that the whole of. Northern Australia should be handed over to a Western Australian Government. The Government thought that those lands, which could never be occupied by Europeans, should be governed either by the Federal Council or some specially constituted govommontf. He promised, however, to endeavour to givo opportunities for the subject being considered by tho House. The property-tax debate was resumed and again adjourned.

The Kokatau Mystery. The Lost Boy. Tun search parties which were out yesterday found no trace of the missing child little Thompson, and the circumstances make his disappearance altogether inexplicible. There was practically no scrub or thick brushwood at the spot where the boy was last remembered to have been seen. The nearest bush was a quarter of a mile away quite; and to get to it he would liavo to have gone in the direction of his father's house.! Tho ground has been thoroughly searched everywhere within a radius of two miles of the spot. About fifty persons wore engaged in looking for the boy yesterday, twenty-five of whom were school children from the Carterton School, thoughtfully and promptly sent by Mr Brann, the schoolmaster, in response to the valuable suggestion of Constable Darby, who throughout had displayedinuch quick energy. It might here bo mentioned, that the child was first missed. at about three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. News reached Constable Darby at a quarter to ten o'clock at night, and within twenty minutes he had organised a search party of seven, who immediately sot off for Kokatau, so tha f , tho chances of finding the littlo one alive and well should not be neglected. It is now feared that serious mishap must have befallen the child, as the showery and not over warm weather, if lie were exposed to it, would be killing in its effect.

There was no water worth speaking of in the immediate vicinity of the place the boy strayed from. A small stream exists, but it is across a road, Every nook and corner seems to have been searched again and again without result.

A large party is again going out to-day, The school children are also likely to help, and will probably this timo include a contingent from the Park Vale School. Dogs are being used to aid tho searchers.