POLITICAL NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2019, 16 June 1885, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

n\ rPf.Kt.ii \rn,—^ri,n \i < oKur->i'o\*i>fivr ] Rumoured Dissensions in the Cabinet. \Vi i i im.ion, Satmday. Tr appears to be geneially admitted now that the Governor's Speech winch was .ictu dly dehveted by his Kxcellency was .1 dillerenfc document from that wind) it svas intended bhould have been brought down, and of course the opponent- of the Government are turning this to ac count by Hpreading abio.id jcports that the C.ibinet are hopele-sly disided on nnwt que-tions of public policy. It w.is perilstcntlv rnniouiod lait so— ion th.it Mr Stout and Sir Julius Vogel weie not 111 .iccoid on ininy point-*, and tho limimir is .itfaiu being cnrnl.ited in the Lobbies It i» futthei dieted th.it Mr Stout warmly lo^cnt-* the iiotmii that in.uiy well mfoimod people h.ue, of his beiup; only the noinin.il head of the Ministiy, Sir Julius Vogel beiiiK the actual l'leiniei. Win thei tin-, supposition be eonect i>r not, the fact h patent to eu-rybody that but foi Su Julius bnii' n ' a member of the Government Mr Stout's Ministry 'voukl h.ivo a \eiy shmtlifo in d-'trl, it liemg a<lnntt(vl oil all sides that the Colonial Tieasiuci is the leal mainstay of the Stout- Vo^el Cabinet.

The Whitmore Indemnity Bill. I uiidci -t.uid th.it tho piopo-al to idomnifv Sir (ion. Whitmoro ag.un->t any disriualihc.ition Iw would be Mibjected to as Riil.ined coiinn.inder of the foices while ,!t tlm time Iminp: a member of the legislative Council, \\ill be \orv w.utuly ..j»l»>scd, mainly on tho Krnvuuis of its crc.itin^ a flangerou* jirccedeut, by setting aMdu the nro\ moiii of the J>isqualiKc.itioii Act.

Inspecting the Fortifications. Tho first of the nmrmo excursions of the present session took place niiniii the hubour this .ifteinoon. Tlie occiwon for tin- " legisl itno spree," us Mr .Shepherd termed them while speaking against tin pinpiii.il to .uli«<nni the Hoiisp m outer tli.it member •« might \ i>it the Christchnich Exhibition, was foi tho putpo-e of inspection of the fortifications at the entrance of the, poit, and the Hinemo.i having been got m readme-^, the <lo\einni and about 10 nietnheis of both Houses jnoceeded by hin down the harbour. On .uiival nt the foitificition-., hi-. Excellency ■Hid the meinbeis exjircssed groat surprise at the fovwaul state of the deteuc»> of the l),nt, although of cour-e there is still much to be done before they are completed. The d.iv being beautifully fine, the trip pioved both enjoyable and mtciesting. The Hineuioa letmned to pint about fhe o'clock.

Sir William Fox. It is stated here that Sir Win. Fox, the evPiemiei and late member foi Raneittkei, doo-» not intend lcturniriß to Kew Zetland in consequence of the delicate state of Lady Fo\'s lie iltli, ,ui(l that was his uwsnn fur (Jis|>i>sii)g of hin estate .it We^tuii, Kangitikei.

Mr Sheehan's Death. The intelligence of Mi Sheehan's death was leceived in Wellington with feelings of veiy general icgiet, as the decea-ed gentle man had a host of friends here. The j Hiuemoa is to be despatched to Napier to- I night for the put pose of conveying Mr Sheehan's remains to Auckland foi lntei ment. This little tubutu of lexpect foi tho memory of tho deceased is a giaceful act on the pait of tho Government.

Prospects of the Session. Wn,i ivi.iov, Monday. Theio is really veiy little in the way of poll teal gossip still ing .is yet, and sc.uoely anyone seems inclined to speenhte at all as to the piospocts of the so-sion. Judging fioin piesont appe.uance>, theie is not likely to be any oiganised attack m.ide on the Government, in co-i- "ir.ence nf the he.ny responsibility th it any fre^li Minwtiy would have to encounter. Sevenl runiouis aie aHo.it as to the action thi Legislative Council intend taking 111 respect to the lecent addition-, to that august body. It. is fieely asseited in the Lobbies that one of their nninb-i will propose a vote of censure on th> Ministiy, after the selection they havo made in this res-pect, and a "call" <if the whole Council will probably be moved foi to consider the matter.

The Waste Lands Committee. I understand the Government contemplates tho bestowal of the cli.iuinans.lnps of tho Waste Lands Committee, on ill Steward, the member for Waunate, in lecognition of the services lendeied by that gentleman to his party in the past. The appointment, with a Hilary of £100 ,v year attached, h.vi been held for several sessions by Mr Fulton, member for the Taieri, and it i> genci.illy acknowledged that he h.-u disch.uged his duties in a consciencious and poinstakmg manner, notwithstanding the fact that last year he declined to accept the sal.uy appertaining to the oltice. As f.u .is one can lo.un, the piopos.il to siibsti tute Mi Stew aid foi Mi Fulton 1^ bk.-ly to meet with such opposition tint Ministci* will ))i..bibh leHect a little before ) Hitting it to the House.

The Budget. The Financial Statement; will be delnored at an oiuly period of the session, a* soon as the Addles* in-Keply 1^ dipo^ed of. The debate on the Addir-*, however, is ex pected to bo .1 lather piolongcd one, as a luge number of members will taki> ,-uhantage of tho occasion to ventilate theii particular gtievauces against the power*.

The Late Mr Sheehan. It was rumoured t< 1 day that Sir (Jeorge Crey intends mo\mg that tho Ifoiise should on meeting tn morrow adjourn a* a inaik of lespett to Mr Sheehan's memory. The adjoinniiicnt will piobably be till halfl>ast se\cn p.m.

Reform of the Council. The bill for the lefoun of the Upper House, introduced by the Colonial Secretary, repeals tho Legislative Council "uoiiiin Act, lSiin, and ceitain sections of the Constitution Act. All appointed men l)eis fioin the passing of the new act, aro to hold orhce for 10 years only, but the act does not apply to members holding «Hice on the dly of the passing of the act. Power is given to the (Jo\ eminent to -ummon persons to the Legislate c Council and appoint ;n occasion may lequuo one member of the Council to be .S[K\iker thereof, the neat of any member to become vacant if he fails to attend the whole session without rccen mg leave of absence from the Governor, or if ho becomes naturalised to another powei, if he becomes insolvent 01 a- public defaulter, 01 is convicted of felony or resigns his seat to the (Governor. Every member whose seat becomes vacant .shall be eligible for reelection. Questions of right to sit in tho Council are to be determined by the Legislative Council, but the right of appeal to the l'rivy Council is however given.

Mercantile Law. The Meicantile Law Amendment Hill provides that sections 57 and .">S of the Mercantile Law Act, 1880 aie rept-aled, and in lieu thereof, the no\t follow ing pio\ision is enacted, and shall take etFect as if it had been originally insetted m thr act, ill place of .sections H7 and SS. :—" In event of any mich trader as mentioned 111 section 53 of the said act being adjudged a bankiupt, or taking the benefit of any act for the roliof of insolvent debtois, or entering into an airangenent to pay bin cieditois less than 20s in the pound, or dying in insolvent circumstances, the lender of any such loan shall not bo entitled to recover any Ration of his principal, or of profits or intciests payable ,in rospect of such loan, nor shall any such vendor of a goodwill mentioned in seclion ,")(> of tho naid net bo cntitlod to recover any Mich piofits as aforesaid until the claims of other cieditors of tho s,aid tiader for valuable* consideration in money 01 moneys vvoith have been satisfied.' 1

I.v "Bleak House" the fnneial of Mr Tulkinghorn is described with gtot humour. The aristocracy send thur empty carriages with " bicavod woims," six foot high, hanging on to them in the shape of foot men. To judge by the accounts of the burial of the Jato Prince Lan-L'X the Chinese outdo us in their pompous mockeries of woe. The process .siou of his Royal Highness 'a remains \\apreceded by a huge wooden c.ige, representing his soul. Then followed his spoitsmen, leading 240 hounds ; then his aim-chair, then soldiers, and servants by the hundred, and at last the Emperor, represented by six empty carriages J The Houth Biiti-Oi Insurance Company insert a business notice in another column. Mr A. liiuce Suttnr, Kureka, has l'K) woll bied c.ihrs fm «.ilc. Tho business notice of Mi S. J. Thompson, Tiimahou 1 , will icpay peiusal.