JOTTINGS FROM WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4350, 21 February 1893, Page 2

JOTTINGS FROM WELLINGTON.

(By Our Own Correspondent,) Weilikgion, Monday, The general concensus of opinion here is that the declaration by the Trades and Labour Council is surprisingly flat and dull, Nothing now i 8 put forth whatever and it would appear to be a oase of the moISW in labour again bringing forth after much groaning only a mus ridiculus, One pleasing feature of the manifesto is that education shall bo free, secular, uud as tbey oddly enough term it, partly compulsory. Strange to relate more than litflf the members of the Cabinot are strongly wedded to denominational education. The part of the declaration dealing with education will therefore cause considered annoyance and dissatisfaction to some of the Government's warmest supporters, Sir Patrick Buckley, Mr Ward and Mr Balance are strong douomina* tionalisis, When the question last came up in the Seddon was not present at having gone down to the wharf "tosee somo friends off by th* steamer," As Mr Scobie Mackenzie said afterwards it was very probable that whenever this grave question came up iu the House again lie had no doubt the Hon the Mmistor for Public Works would once more fiud he had to ste some more friends " off by the steamer."

There is now no doubt that the dark bint conveyed in Mr Reeves' speech, at Nelson, that the Government were noj likely to take up the female fian-r cbise this year again, will be homo out by future events. Mr Cadman, speaking at the Thames tho other day,admitted that thequestiijnJiad j not been put to the twelve to the Council, whether they wero ill favour of extending the franchieo or not, And this admission comes in the face of the fact that though the question was a burning one, yet the Government did not think it worth while to ask the opinion of their nominees on the subject, It is a significant fact, too, that the Trades and Labour Council, which it is believed only issues its programme after consultation with tho Government, while dealing with a few comparatively insignificant questions, has not a word to say on one of the most important subject that has ever been submitted to a New Zealand Parliament.

Your remarks on tbo recent ap* pointments to the Commission of the Peace have, I have observed, been noticed by several of tbo leading papers in tbo Oology, and their views coincide to a large extent with those expressed in your article. 1 hear tbat some members are goiug to make very stiiugont enquiries into the nature of some ot these appointments when Parliament goes into ecssion in June next,

Parliament will not be called together till tho fag end of June as Ministers do not wish to ba hampered all too soon with a hostile Opposition and a querulous gang of independent supporters, Messrs McGuire and O'Conor (thegentte Eugene) formerly out and out, red hot, Government snpporiors, their sturdy protestations of independence notwithstanding,have now, however, definitely announced that they will run only on tbe independent ticket, I am told that the Opposition believe that Ministers would not call members together even at the end ot June wero it not that by Act, Parliament must meet within three months of the dosing of tlio financial yeur,

It has always been expected that next sosßion would be particularly bald of even Is. It is now a significant fact that although this is the time of the year when Ministers begin to send forth the pilot balloons in the shape of unauthorised statements aa to the measures they propose tointioduco uuring the coming pession, yet on this occasion thero are none floating about. Ministerial speeches give no hint of any new proposals and tho Ministerial organs aro also barren in this respect. It is current bolief that Ministers next session propose to havo only a very tamo colourless programme and that no exciting questions are to be disturbed and politically spealdng they mean to I'let sleeping dogs lie."

° Speaking the other day to a wellknown politician about the respective levels of belief of the Liberal party j in the Old Country and the so-called j Liberals of Now Zealand, he e out to me a very curious fact of the Temperance and the Prohibit tionist movement in this colony, "la ] Great Britain," he said, " the Liberal , party are thorough whole-souled sup* a porters of tho Toinperauce cause, and j in the principles laid down by its de--3 votees out here tho very opposite is _ tho case. New Zealand "Liberals" _ are allied with the publicans and givo , and receivo for them a very large ] amount of support." That this ia r quite true, we can, on reflection, j easily see, It would be well if this fact wero carefully remembered for future use, because it affects very , seriously two of the looming questions , of the day in this country, namely, Prohibition and the Female FranchiSß. TlioopponontsofProbibitioncan ' never be honestly in favour of Female , Franchise as the two questions must 1 necessarily go .Tliia j 8 another instance of the ihsinl'erity of tho Government in the matter of the , Female Franchise,.• / Ihoy cannot possibly keep friends with the publicans and the adherents of women's suffrage at one and the same time. Each party is ■as far asunder as are the poles. A curious trade of quite a new character, with already large dimen» Bions, has sprung into existence quito recently, in the shape of the exportation of breeding ewes to the South Island. Tho other day 4000 owes were shipped from Wellington to tho South, Another buyer has already taken 12,000, and a third is in the market with orders up to 16,000 This refreshing new demand should have the effect of hardening the prices of ewes in the North Island, which will be good news for tho farmers. The reason of it all is that the Canterbury farmers have frozen so recklessly so many '" their ewo lambs, that they are )$? short of breeding sheep. The trfufo-v may be expected to assume even larger dimensions next year, Glad tidings reach ua of an astound-: ing rise in the Jjoijdon markst of from £25 to £36 per ton for tallow, This will mean an enormous profit to the Wellington-Meat Freezing CompanieSj if sustained. Unfortunately, however, the Wellington companies havo comparatively small shipments ,in the market, and it is an open question whether the slow sailing ships will reach London before a fall in price sets in, which is expected will take place directly, freights of tallow now on the cargo steamers are placet} putbefcofidQii pwiwf,

It is not generally known that at tho Somes' Island quarantine station in Wellington harbour, are some beautiful cattlo. which will shortly be released. Amongst thorn is an imported hull, bought nt a verv high figuio in England, by Mr I), MoHardy, of Hawito's Bay, This bull, it is assorted by oxperts, is tho very bost la the wholo of tlio Australasian would gain a very high' place amongst the picked shorthorns of Great Britain, The To Aro Railway Extension, the money for which was voted now ntarly two years ago, and which will especially be a great convenience to Woirar.ipa people when completed, is still dawdling along in a half hearted misoraWe sort of manner, It is not ov;'»Afc!0 v ;'»Afc! thnt the station will be ready for' traffic for some time yet, The Catholic Times, of Wellington, and tho Tablet, of Dunedin, will, it is stated, be into one paper. A coslpiny is now being floated to work the concern, tho headquarters of wlnoh will bo in Wellington. Preparations aro proceeding apaco for lighting many of tho warehouses, shops, and privato houses in this town by electricity, Many arc, howover, standing out for the present, with the idea, no doubt, of seeing how fur tho light is a success, Tho Government lias not decided yet to light the Public Ofliccs or Government Housobj' elrotricity, The Government Printing Office has been lit by electricity evir since it was built, Tho price ol gas is so high in Wellington, atidjthe light so bad in many the wonder is to ine nioie people have not seized tho opportunity with avidity to obtain a much superior light without tho disadvantages of a heated and impuro atmosphore.