POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1914, 11 October 1884, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

The A Trunk Railway.— The Marton route Recommended. Wi:m,tng ro.\, Thui sday. Thk report of the Noitli Inland Tnink Railway Committee was laid on thp table this afternoon by the Minihter for Public Works. Tho committee leeomtnend the contial route from Marton to To Awamntu in pieference to either the Stiafctoid or tho Eastern routes. Mr Richaulson said the committee had examined mure than 3 1 witnesses, and the evidence was most voluminous-. Mr B.ill.mce intends to introduce a bill in connection with the lecoinniendation of the committee, the object of which is to prohibit any dealings with native lands for some distance on either hide of the mute. The bill i.s to be retrospective from the commencement of the present session. The report of the committee will be taken into eonsidmation on Monday.

Activity of the Ministry. Ministers appear to li.ue a perfect mania for li'giblution at piesent, and nitiocluce new bills at every oppmtimity.

Illness of Members. Mr W. J. Hmsfc, member for Wiiitoimita, has boon suiouxly ill for ne.nly a foitmght pas-fc. I nuclei stand lie has been advised by Ins medical attendant not to take Ins seat in tbe House again this session. Mr Gemge Fisher, tbe meinbei foi Wellington .South i» still mtable to .ip|>e,ir in the House. Owing to long continued illness, a fiutlicr leave of absence for foiu-t'-en days was gianted to him yestetday. Air Fishei is at piesent in Nelson for tlie benefit of his health.

"WEr.uNGi'Ov, ITiukv. Mr Whyte on Sir George Grey's Bill for Creating Political Undersecretaries.

Mr Whyte, m opposing Sh Geo. Grey'.s proposal last night foi ci eating four political Undei-Seu'etaiies, said tli.it if thcic was one thing more than another against which the House should set itb face, it was any pioposals to increase the number of p.ud l)ohtic.il .sonants, 01, m othei woids, to add to the positions of emolument to which numbers of the Legislature jould be nominated by the Government. If they went on, <is was pioposed by the vanous bills which weie before the House, over "20 such positions would be added to the piebent number. They had ahead y paid ministei.s the Speaker «uid three paid chairmen of committees. These, howevei, weionecessaty and weio not o\eipoweied, but tho Gosetnment had told them they intended to cieate a new poitfoho, the bill befoia the House pioposed 4 moie, the new msuiance bill pioposed 3 nominated general duectoi's, and f> if not moie nominated local dnectois, all paid ; then tho new youth Sea ]sl uid Bill, piopo-cd 8 nominated duecuois, (i foi the fn>t ?> yeais and two afteiwaids ; this made 32 positions, all piactically in the gift of the (-!o\einment. How could they ever get rid of a Government with thus amount of pationage in its hands. He did not refer to the piesont Government, because lie did not think it would exeioKe thispowei any woiscthau their piedecessous would have done. His confidence in the piesent Government was so gieat that lie hud made up Ins mind on no account to \ot.e to tin n them out of om'ce until it was made peif<>ctly cleat that they should succeed m doing so ; lie had said so the othei night, and he only lcpeatcd it nou becivusij he found that his influence with his paity was so gieat that they h.ul all at Ins mquest consented to extend t^e same amount of confidence to the Government; still, this powoi of pationa.ge was 100 gie.it to be put m the hands of any Go\ eminent, and was demobilising to the House. He theiofore seconded tho amendment that the bill should be read a second tune this day si\ mouths. The Go\ eminent hhypa vp given to-night to private nieinbeis, according to the pioiuise | made to that effect n few days ago. ]n consequence of this the debate on the East and West Coast (Middle I-land) and Nelson Railway Bills, which occupied neailyall tho afternoon, was intmupted to night, and the local bilk of pnvate niembeib weie taken instead.

Breach of Privilege. A breach of privilege was hi ought befoie tlip House this afternoon by Mr O'Callaghan, who asked the (fo\ eminent whotliei they weie .uv.uc of the fart that .1 poison named Kobt. (haham hadaddiossed a chtular to a numbei of ineinbois, asking them to meet to-monow m the 100111 at the P.uli unentai) Jjiiildmgs known as t!u> " Symposium, ' foi the piupose of consideling a question in connection with the Thermal Spiings of the colony, and also as he (Mr 0 Callaghan) supposed having lpfeipncc to the sale of the propeity at the WaiueiaHot Springs. The menibpi for Lincoln wished to know whether it was not a bleach of the puvilege of the House for a pel son unconnected with Pailiaineut to c.dl a meeting within the precincts of the House. The Premier leplied that the matter was mosp for the House Committee to dotentimo, and did not come within the power of tho Uovcmment-. The Speakei here explained that the .subject had been bi ought bcfoie him m Ins official capacity, ;md had also boon icpiesonted to him that the meeting 1 had been called in the Fai hainent buildings out of courtesy to a gentleman who was at piosent a guest at (to\ eminent House, (pei son illy Mi Howard Vincent), and who had nisfc ■. lsited the hot spimgs. ]]ofoio giving pi emission ho\«e\er, be desired to know what the object the meeting was, and he would consult with the Speakei of tinCouncil (Sir W. Ji'iUhcibeit), on tho m itter. Mr Seddon said the Speaker would no doubt desiie to be guided by the House, m this subject, and with that view he niOM'd that the House lefusc the peunission asked fur by Mi (liahain. lv was quite evident, fioni the tempei of the House, that his motion would have been earned unanimously, but at the Spcakei's icque&t 3li Seddon witlidiew it till he (Su AEauiice) had an opportunity of confemng witli Su W. Fit/heibeit. On the House lesuming, tonight, tlie vSpeakei said he had teccived a letter fioin Mr R. (iiaham, who was an old member of the House, m which he e\piebbed his legiet that lie bhould have transgiessed the niles of the House in any way, and .stating that ho intended to postpone the mepting, or to hold it m some other place. The matter then dropped.

Records of Speeches Made in the Early Days of New Zealand's History. Mi Macandrow i*- evidently anvions that tlio Parliamcntry lecoids of thr spooelic made m thooaily day, of Now Zealand histoiy should not be 10-t to posterity. He aslcd the Government this afternoon whether, with a view to preserving thoeaily histoiyof the colony, they would consider the advusability ot obtaining a compilation of the speeches made in both Houses of the Legislature from IS">4 down to the date at winch Hansard commences, such compilation to be printed and bound np in Hansaid form. He saw that there was no record of any kind of members' speeches fiom 1854 to IS3J. When Hansard was liKst published he thought that such a lecord, if prepared, would be exceedingly interesting at the pi esent time, and would also throw much light on seveial matters in connection with the eaily history of Kew Zealand. The Premier in leply said lie was obliged to Mr Macandrew for the suggestion. Ho added that the Government would, duiing the recess, take steps for collecting the necessary mateiial for the re-publication of the speeahos as asked foi by the, lion, mem bet\ (Hear, hear, from seveial members.)