INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1097, 12 August 1873, Page 3

INTER-PROVINCIAL NEWS.

WELLINGTON. Mr Gillies has introduced a bill which is a commendable specimen of legal brevity, The enacting clause and short title occupy four lines, and the operating part of the measure is comprised in the words, " The Volunteer Land Act, 1595, is hereby repealed." If, as is probable, this Bill passes, it will probably be the shortest Act on our statute book.

Wellington does not seem to be a nice place for promenading, judging from the following extract from the Post: —" The streets are still allowed to remain in the disgraceful state of quagmire, to which we have called the attention of the Corporation times withont number. It is now almost impossible to cross Willis street anywhere except under the undesirable conditions of wading knee-deep or thereabouts in a dusky compound varying between thick batter and thin gruel in consistency. The Wellington correspondent of the Wanganui Herald describes the new Houses of Parliament as having the appearance of having been designed and executed by a cheap pastry cook, whose ideas could not rise above a bad imitation of a plaster of Paris toy. The Chambers are surrounded by a net work of passages and staircases, in which even the messengers of the House lose themselves, and out of which doors open in every direction and in numbers that are absolutely bewildering. On the first day the blunders made by the public, members, and reporters, while vainly endeavouring to thread the maze were amusing. Two gentlemen, after following a messenger (who excused himself on the ground that he was only a new chum himself at it) for half an hour in the vain endeavour to discover the speaker's gallery; by mistake opened the door of the speaker's dressing room, and discovered the Honorable Knight in the undignified position of changing his shirt. "Is that you George?" said Sir Dillon, in muffled tones from the middle of the garment into which he was struggling to get his arms. " I beg your pardon, Sir," replied the intruders ; '• can you direct tis to the Speaker's Gallery!'" Sir Dillon, in a very differ-

,ent tone from his first, vociferates

•' George," and the discomfited wanderers retire.

Mr E. D. Butts, who has been Chief Postmaster in Southland for the past 12 years, has received the appointment of Chief Postmaster in Wellington. The Wellington oorrespondeut of a Christehurch contemporary, describing the position of political parties, says : —'' Mr Fit&herbert aud Mr Bunny, who with Messrs Johnston, Hunter, and Pearce occupy the front seat of the cross benches, will almost certainly support the Government; and if Mr Yogel's health lasts the Ministry in all human probability will remain undisturbed, but if Mr Vogel's health fails, aud it is very precarious, there is no knowing rvhat would happen." Last reports say Mr Fitzheruert will lead the Opposition.