PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2191, 24 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Two Unlucky BillsWkllivu rox, Thursday. CoxsIDKRAMiE progress was made this afternoon with private busine-.s till the- Kew Plymouth Harbour Bill was reached. As usual, this blocked all other business, and was again talked out, as I anticipated, by Col. Tiimble. Tin's practically .settles the Bill for this session, as, should it get another chance ne\t week, which is very ltnpiobable, it is not at all likely to get into committee. Tiie Wangati'U H-üboui Bill will also share the satin; fat.. 1 , owing to its being the ue\t order of the day after the Plymouth Bill.

The Loan Bill. It was generally e\pected that Mr Bryce. would move an amendment on the Lnm Bill, that the amount of the loan be i educed to one million. It is exceedingly probable such a motion will be proposed in committee on the Bill. Mr Biyce is endeavouring to asceitain what amount of siippoit he would be likely to receive if he adopted the cour.se, and if, after consult ition with Major Atkinson, he .should hud a majonty of the House willing to follow him into the lobby, he would move the amendment.

Government Insurances The Government Insurance Committee of the House will, 1 heai, report iie\t week. I understand the committee will ieu>mmend that the. Government should assume the management of the insurance business, that it be made a department, that all salaries be voted by the House, and th.it no large expenditure be mcuired except by vote of PailUmeut. Wellington, Fiiday. The report of the < roy eminent Insurance Association Committee, was presented in the House to-day, and it .stated that t'85,777 had been spent in pmch ises of propeity, which mv.st bo legarded :is paitlv made for .speculative pui poses for the erection of imposing premises, on the ground that they weid necos-aiy to inHuence and piomote business. The committee cmisideis this uunecssai y, and leeoiniueuds that o'lly such buildings should be pro\ iiled as aie requisite f< >r the proper and convenient conduct «>f the associations business. T)n i y .ue of opinion that the evidenc- taken shows that the disngieoments of til** boa id and the publicity gneu to them h.ive act"d uijuiiouslv on the associations mteicsts. That thu w oikinge\penscs have been coiisideiably mcieased. that a poition of the, fund-) should be invested to better advantage, than m Government securities, and th.it canvassing for lives is uuni'U'saiy to the sucoess of the association. They have passed a number of resolutions embodying these views and recommend thorn to the consideration of the Hoiiie. The chief of these aie, abolition of the pit sent board, and a lvturn to the original Act of 1574, to appoint a general managei of high charactei, attainments and e\p^iience, th* 1 investment of not less than half the funds in the (iov eminent secuiities and debeutuies of colonial bodies seemed by a late, restriction of amounts advanced on moitgage to £'10,000, and appointment of a .special board to deal with investments.

The Loan Bill. It was expected that the debates on the Loan Bill would be resumed this afternoon, but the length of the discussion on the Wair.tu Gas Bill and a large number of question-, put to the Ministers occupied the whole sitting. It is very doubtful whether the Public Works debate will be concluded to-night, as a huge number of members still intend speaking on it, including Majoi Atkinson, Sirß. Stout, Mr Rolleston, and others.

Private Member's Nights. T have freqnently referred to the lamentable waste ot time that occurs on private members nights, and last ni^»ht was even worse, than those which preeeeded it in this respect, no less than four or five hours occupied with a most profitless discusAon on the Dog Registration Act Amendment Bill, which .seeks to increase the annual dog tax to ill, instead of 10s as at present. The early part of the discussion was ceitiiinly amusing enousrb, so much bo that the chan man (Mr Hamlin) had to request the membeis to cmno back seuonsly to the question, and not conveit the committee into a burlesque. This lcpiimand appealed to have \eiy little effect, as various membei.s pleaded the cause of poor little innocent dogs, ladies' pet dogs, hp dogs. Knssian dogs, &c, which would have to be destroyed if this shall become Lw. The discussion, how ever, at an early hour tins morning assumed a diffeiont aspect, and a >oit of triangular duel oceuried between tho Premier, Mr Hislop and Mi W. I*'. Buckland. The Piemier mk! he was surpiised at Mr Buckland's attitude to the Bill, as lie had been infoimed by the membei on eh nge of it, yir McMillan, that he had withdrawn all opposition. Mr P.ucklaud promptly denied this. Mr Hislop who by-the-bye, was ,v year oi two ago a htaunch suppoitei of the Piemier) then rose and said Sir K. Stout was too ready altogethei to put ciedenen m statement-, irfkctmg on tin; ciedit of tho members of tilt; House. He was pi,~-<nt at a\\ interview, between Mi Buckland and Mi McMillan but nothing had been said to justify tho

"tit"inent thtt W Buckland had withdrawn opposition to the Bill. Sir Robt«*id In- w,ts >.)> •alcnig of wlnt Mr McMillan told '•mil and htill b"b«ied that gentlemen Mr Hefelop hero rose in an e<< ited in inner and h ud lit* consideied Ins word a* good as that of the Premiei <u Mi McMillan'*, and addwl tli.it the portion taken up by Sir Robert in this in itti-i vv.ts not ci editable to his position or hi* m.mliuess, Mr Buckland's biothi'r also rushed into the fray, and expiessed lim indignation at the manner in which the Premier icciised other members of telling iintmths. Mr McMillam at* tempted to pmr oil on the troubled watar bv .stating th it lie probably mi«imder«tood Mr Biir-IJand, but he mf- rnvl that he had withdi.iwu his opp isttum. The bill wan then allowed to get through committee with an amendment eve.mpting the Maoris from it-i operations, which had prey lou&ly caused .1 loiifj debate.

Maori Representation. Mr Hursthoiise thieitenod to uhb all his effoitsto abolish M-ntii representation for the House, to which Wi Pere letorted that he would drive all the Maori-, back to T'wlimo The bill is expected to come to utter gnef in the Council.

The Constitution Act. Sir (Jeorge (ricy has another of his irapiacticiblc s •hem.-s on hand which, as usual, will ie-.ult m nothing- except delaying the business of the House. He intends moving in Committee of Supply a series of resolutions to the effect that an Art should be, introduced to i^peal ths Constitution A"t of New Zoaland, and giving the Colonial Parliament power to frame and adopt its own constitution, which power is enjoyed by each State foiming part of a ftdeial nation—the United States for example.

Stonewalling. I understand that the principal reason for the last night on the Doj? Ki'gistiation Bill was, in order to prevent Mr SeddonVi Auctioneers Bill from coming on. It w.a> c^rtiunlv significant that the stonewalling collapsed at 11.30, after which no more business can be introduced. Some members of the House a|>j>ear to take peculiar pleasure in opposing anything brought forward by the member for Kumara, and h«>t night was a case in point, as the opposition is not so much to the Auctioneer-? Bill a> to the mover of it.