INTERCOLONIAL. [REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.] NOTES IN PARLIAMENT. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1437, 17 September 1881, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL. [REUTERS TELEGRAMS.]

NOTES IN PARLIAMENT. [BY ELEC TRIC TELEGRAPH, OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Supposed Bank Bobbery. , - MblißOVßKß,, September 15. Notes to the value of £2500 are missing from the Bank of '*Viotoria. No clue can be, obtained,, regarding them. , , ,•, A meeting of cricketeranvill lie held at the RoyaJ Hotel, .Hamilton, at half-past seven o'clock this evening^. Messrs Gee* and (potter, coachbuildcrs, Grey-street, ''Auckland/ ttdterfise that they have a variety pf buggies, j waggon % ,^arm drays and traps of all kinds always on hand, .is well as a complete stork of wheelwrights' m.ttciial. » We beg to direct tm special attention of farmers and others to the important sale of Mr Snbwdcftl ? s'lenlj)(;t!|j6ni^X6ndOT (^\t, at the farm, Hautapu, Mr J. S. Buckland will auction the ichdiceN'sjiort&drasi and first-class horses, implements^ household furniture, itc. , Mes'ira'-'W.' [ S. Hunter ffl '&/. Notify that in consequent? tof. Jtheir usual Cambridgo SalcdaXi Timrajlav Ulje ,22nd instantlbeiMg also the &t 4nl?,Wrttrid|is'|facSt^Bi?yill hold their sale on the day following, when Acy will offer fat lioffgcts, &ta«d ca^p, &c>*c.

I^J.*Sp6rting Councillors. Wellixgtox, Thursday. That highly Conservative system the Legislative Council has been sorely perplexed of late uncut the doings of two of its number. They mado a kind of '" spotting bet'^with ft^meonber-of<'the* Representatives re their honorarium. One of the number paid iip' ]ik<£ ujroan, tfhcji although the transaction' was, from* the foundation, one ,which did npfe^nqoord with the dignity, of ( a Legislative Councillor, still the' fact thaf'he 1 paid his " score" went a great way towards making his offence a trifling otic. j ' His speculative partner was not quite so conscientious. Finding the odds were rtgaineE himj" he tried to 'shuffle out of "the liability, and this is the view 1 taken by the? Legislative Council of the whole transaction-as .shown by the discussion on the subject yesterday. Col. Brett moved a formal resolution to the effect that the matter be taken into consideration, * Mr Wood Stated that on the advice of several friends he had paid the money to Mr ' Reeves,' although' he still declared he never considered he made the bargain, having expressed his sorrow that he had foolishly entered- jnfco the transaction in any shape. Mr Wood then withdrew, so that the matter 1 might be discussed in his absence. Col. Brett said he*' had no' ill- feeling to Mr Wood, but he wished to vindicate the honour of the Council. He mqved that Mr Wood be called on to apologise to the Council. Mr Wilson moved as an amendment that Mr Wood was deserving of t.the grave censure of the Counoil. „As Mr Campbell was absent they could take no action in regard to that gentleman. Mr Miller thought if Mr Campbell were present they might have a different explanation. He believed that Mr Campbell treated the matter as [a joke, but being pressed paid the money afterwards rather than give any bother. Mr Robinson thought both gentlemen weie equally rnlpable, but that Mr Campbell had" sufficiently "punished himself by paying Mr Reeves, aud had left the whole of the money in the Treasury). Captain Frasec said if anyofficer in a icgiraenfc had acted as these members, ho would have been drummed out, if a member of a Club, he would have been expelled, and if a betting m.m, he would have beou kicked out of the ring 1 . Col. Brett's motion was negatived, and after some further discussion the matter was, on the suggestion of the Attorney-General, adjourned till next day. The State of the Finances. On Tuesday evening the House succeeded in getting into Committee of Supply, when the Estimates were again, brought under consideration. Pursuant to notice by Mr Bryce, he moved, upon the motion for going into Committee of •Supply, au amendment affirming the principle of reducing the amounts set down in the different class by an all round reduction of £30,000. In doing ho lie gavo them some wholesomo " cuds" to chew. Ds^pite all th.it had been alleged to the contrary, ho maintained that the fiscal prospects of the colony were still far from bting assured. In token of that, he pointed to the fact that' the next annual income from all souices, including taxation and profit made 6u open linos of railway, did not exceed £2,000,000, and out of that sum £1,000,000 had to be piovided for inteieit on loaus and sinking fund, leaving not more than £-500,000 to meet other expenditure. The argument was conclusive pnousrh ; at all events Government did not attempt to contest it, but mildly intimated their acquiscence, subject to the distinct understanding that they were to be left free to apply the retrenchment policy in whatever direction they might deem expedient. On that understanding the Estimates were proceeded with, the general opinion being that they would be rushed through c» mawc. The various ifcoms, however, were canvassed with as much ctniosity as if no lump sum declaied had been provided for. Messrs Andrews, Saunders, and other econom'sts of that ilk, essayed one or two cfiorts at cutting down K't'aiies, but the effort not succeeding the former shook the dus>t off his fecb, and m high dudgeon left the Chamber ns a gran i moral protest against the extravagance of the age. Uelieved of jtfr Andrew.s' presence, the various items were scrutinised less clusoly, and when progress was reported a fen minutes before daybreak in the morning some real progress had been made. Native Land Courts Amendment. The following correspondencs relative to the amendment act of Lust session between the Home authorities and the Govemoi lias been published :—'"Dowii-ing-strect, 12th January, ISSI. Sir, —l have the ' honor to acknowledge tlic receipt of an act of the new Zealand Legislature No. 38 of 1880, intituled "An Act to .amend and consolidate the law relating to the Native Lind Couit, " ttausmittcd by Chief Justice Picndcrgast m his despatch No 59 of the tenth of September last, and also a further despatch, No G2 of the 11 of September, enclosing a piotest from certain mcmbeis ot tbe Lsgislative Counoil against this act. (2) Botore proceeding to tender any advice to Her Majesty with regard to the act in question, I request that I may receive fitither information respecting certain points in connection with it. (3) Under the Native Lmd Act, 1873 the assessors of tho Native Land Court, were required to bo aboriginal natives. This qualification does not appear to be expressly required by the new act, and I should be glad to be informed whether the assessors will continue to be natives, (i) I also observe that whereas the power to order a rehearing was by the act of 1873, vested in the Governor in Council, it is by the present Act vested in the Chief Judge of the Court, and that the period within which an application for rehearing may be made is reduced from six months to three months. Even the longer of these periods is considered to be insufficient by the members of the Legislative Council, who have protested against this act. I should wish to be funrshed with a memo of tho reasons for these changes. I have, etc., Eimberly. The Hon. A. 11. Gordon, G.C.M.G. — Government House, Wellington, New Zealand, lGtih May, 1881. My lord, — In reply to your lordship's despatch, No. I of the 12th January, I have the honor to' enclose the copy of a memorandum addressed to me 'by the Premier, which contains the information desired by your, lordship/with regard to certain provisions of the Act to amend and consolidate ,the Hwb, relating to the Native Land Court. — 1 have, ets., A. H. Gordon, -r-TheHight Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Memorandum for His Excellency. — The Premier presents his respectful com,to the Governor, and forwards '! •to His Excellency for transmission to ' the Secretary of State for the Colonies answers to the questions by Lord Kimberly in 'his despatch-No. 1 of January 12 .respecting ' certain' provisions of an Act to amend and consolidate the law relating lo the Natiye i Land Court p'a^ed :l '%' s the" General ' Assembly of New Zealand during the ' session, of 188,0, y but to which Her Majesty 1 -i has not *$6t-been 'ad vised 'to absent. (2) 1 natives or naif-castles.' (&) The lime - within' wMofr applications iop xfehearings may be made ( .ya| not, shortened by the I Act of ,1880 aS appears f to be supposed by i Lord Kiraberly. Sic months was fixed i

adfli^Ke'iimit by the Act of 1853, but this was reduced to three months by the Act $£ 1878, the longer period having been found inconvenient and to bear hardly upon the native owners. The Act of 1880 continues the limit of three months. (4) The change of the authority to order rehearing has, it is believed, brought the proceedings of the Court more nearly in aoqord with those ..of, ordinary, . English Courts. In adai6iWtt%-tnuH<! £ ieas doubtless considered by ttieT-lfegialature to be . placed whexe the real power had long ; furf inf iaM, the SG&ifernßr in CouncifhasfduHffjTflfteetv^atsrionowed -^addca,of^thoJ^^udfiau^^RtiM;»i in two case^only. (Signed^. John Hall.