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

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2032, 16 July 1885, Page 2

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

The Local Government Bill. WmiM.iiis, Tuesday, Tmk dobitr on tho J,ocil Bodies Finance and Powers Hill occupied nearly nil thn afternoon, mul will j»rob.ih!v fill up the reinamdei of tho evening fitting. It ihcputo evident from the hpoeche* already made th.it the bill will be pretty sp\crelj 11,11 died in Committee. Nearly every ninnbei who hart spoken on it, including Major Atkinwin, expressed lcßiot tint the l'romier has so jionitedly referred to the bill as a Mmiiteii.il measure. Mr Stout in reply to the M.ijor made a \ igorous defence of the bill, and denounced the Koads and Bud^vH Construction Act, which wan introduced by the H.ill Atkinson Miniitry .is ,i remedy for loc.il (Joveininent but winch he contended was one of the worst measures that could bo devised for the purpoio of relieving local bodies

Land Tax Petition. A petition was presented by Hit George firry thin afternoon fioin about 2000 electors in the colony, playing th.it a loud tax niay be imposed instead of the property tax. He o\plainod that ajfreat many othei signatures were still coming in to the petition which would increase tho munbor to nearly 3000.

Native Lands. Mr Locke to day gave notice to mo\e for a return showing tho amount of land now in ponies-lion of tho Maoris in the North Inland that h.is not passed the Native L.tndrt Court, with tho amount (if acreage in each country ; also tho number and acreage roHpectively of each rescno g.v/.etted in accordanco with the various N.itivo RoHfrven ActK only ; spocinl grants, in what county they are mtuated, tho nuinbur ot thorn and to whom leaned .md .amount of rent for rach county that has pa-wd thro\igh the Natno Laud Court and held by the Maoris as inalieii.iblo, with the name and acre.ige of each separate block.

The Local Government Measure. Wem.inh ton, "WednesdHy. Contrary to e\ppetation, the debate on thp Loc.il Bodies Km, nice .md Powers Bill was brought to .iclo-e .it an e.uly hour thin evening, without a division being called for. l)r Newman, e.uly in the evening, threatened to diude the House on the Hecond leading, but *-e\ei,il Opposition nipintx'r^ induced him to .iltei liU intention in this re>)>ect. They pointed out that by voting a£.un>t the bill it would place repre ■■.ent.itiveh of bmniigh-. e^jmcuilly, in an aw k\v .ud position with their constituents, p.irtieul.uly as the. bill li.is bei n «> altered now that ni.inv nictnbcis leg.ird it as a harmless nie.isine, which in only in forco for a year or two .it the longest.

Charitable Aid. A meeting of <Jo\ eminent supporters, comened by Mr l'ykc, is to lie hold tomorrow feu the piu|nise of considering tlio Hospitals and Ch.mt.ilile Aid Bill. TV Premier hns coiiMt'iitt'd t<> all altcrationH in thtj schedule of the hill, hy wlneh i.itei are to Vm- contnlmted on the pioperty h.isis, insteidof mi th it of population, as originally intended.

Rumoured Retirement of the Treasurer. An p\tram(lin.iry niiiumi it floating about the lobbies, w Inch I send you for Wll.lt it Is Will til. It H tll.lt MllUKtfM 111tond to introduce a New Ziml.ui'l (Jo\ernmout Tusur.inrc liill mi'li'i whu-h Sir .T. Vugol is tn rotiic from politic-* ami lie appointed chairman of tho Insin.incc A^rfoci.ition at a salary of t'TiOO .i-jo.ir.

Refor.n of the Council. Thi' ((iiiMtiDii of rt fiiiin i>f the Jji*^i*>l.iii\ i» Council w likoly to iwtlim mi^iily \i>ntil.iti*(l tliw •'i'— «hhi. I hikJci^Uihl tli it .1 l.irjff qti.ttitity <if cvulciici 1 i> t<i In' tilo-ri cm tin 1 condition and procfiliiic of tin* ('nuucil.

The Otago Lobbyists. I havn pievinu-lv leferrod t« tho cisc of thorn* indefatigable lobbj i-.ts.uid petitioner from Otago, Mr and Mrs Agnew. This worth j f C(Ui|ilc still frequent the outei lobbies (if the House with almost as much peisistency .is the little lady in Dickens' n<i\el, "Bleak House," who attended the Court of Chancery, every morning waiting for a judgment, "th.it was ne\ei given." Mr and Mrs Agnew ha\e now petitioned the Upper Houwe, for an enr|uiiy into theii else, but of course .ill lefnence to compensation is omitted from the piesont petition .is the Legislative* C'onnul ha\o iintlimtc to do with money grants. It was repotted l.itoly that in one of hei intemews with the Minister for Lands, Mis Agnew used her umbrella l.tthor nioie fieely than was agree.iblo to Mr li.i Dance, but this has been indignantly demrd by her husband through the columns of the l\>st.

The 'Frisco Mail Service. A MPction of the Opposition m htron^ly incensed in con-equciict 1 of Sir J. Vogol's l>ro|)os.il to ask the House for n votti £SO,OOO for si fresh .S.ui Kr.uici-co M.ul Scmico. Then contention 1-, tli:ittlie diiect mail <jtc.iinors.iiid Sue/, hci vice should ht> amply Hutticient. for tlio ii'(|iiiu*inonts of tho colony. Undci prevnt ■iir.itigcir.i'iits, the total amount p.nd foi the convey .nice of our English in. ills to and finn tin; colony is about £('»>">, 000.

The Crown and Native Land Rating Act. Mr lWron lias, with tho consent of the Hotixc, iii<i\u(i, and it lias been canicd, that a return be prep.uud hhnwnif? sep irately tlio .unountH paid by the (Jdldiii.il TroaMirer to each local body in e.icli piovinui.il district for Kite* under tho Crown and N.itivo Lands H.iting Act, in each year ••inco that Act e.uiio into opera, tion. The object of the motion is to show tli.it thi act like, the Ku.ids au4 Budges Cotirttiuction Act h.i-., been muquit.vblu in its opei.ition.