PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2200, 14 August 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Mr Lundon's Mission in the North. Wellington, Thuwday. It appears to be quite a recognised thing this ne«sion that the adjournment of the House must be moved at least once :i d*y in order to ventilate grievance* of members, and scarcely a day passes now without such a motion being made. To-day w.is no exception to the rule, and it led to th« usual half-hour's discussion of an excited character. It arose through Mr Hobbs, member for the Bay of Islands, asking the Government whether they mtendei to f»ay Mr John Lundon's expenses in tiavoling through the electoral district of the Bay of t Islands, explaining the dttuls of the npecial settlement regulations. Howiid his reahon for putting the question was that Mr Lundon had been going about ntnone his constituents, telling them what he hud done for them in the past when he (Mr Lundon) was their member, and stating that he intended to stand again at next election. Mr Hobbs said he was not at all afraid of Mr Lundon's candidature and he intended to fight him, but he thought it j was a very improper thing for the Government to encourage electioneering of thii kind with the country's money, as it was well known that Mr Lundon wan on very intimate terms with the Government. He simply wished to let the House know what wa# going nn under the sanction of the Government, and he thought the provisions of the Corrupt Practice-. Prevention Act were being violated. Mr Ballanco said Mr Lundon's expenses were paid at he was so well acquainted vrtth the district. He al-o said that Mr Lundon's efforts had caused hundreds of people to sign their names for the purpose of taking ujj land under these special settlement regulations. Mr Hobbs then moved the adjournment of the House, which led to an all round discussion, in which several members, condemned the practice complained *»{- by' Mr Hobbs, ' and Sir Geo. Grey said a return should be prepared, showing the number of poisons who were employed by Government in this manner, to winch Mr Ballanco said he should not object. Mr J. B. Whyte made a few goofl humoured remarks, in which he said he remembered Mr Lundon when he was a member of the House, saying that his way of getting into the House was by putting his friends on the roll and plenty of them. He also remembered that Mr Biyce had, about 1878, been sent up to this very district to investigate some case of wholesale roll-htufting in which this same gentlennn was concerned. Mr Whyte trusted that this wa.s not what ho was going to do again now, while in the pay of the Government. Mr Hobbs wound up tiie discussion by stating that he took gtnat interest in the .settlement of the people on the laud, and he had no objection i to Mr Lundon addressing meetings in Auckland, but he did object to his going tlniiugh his (Mr Hobb-.') electoral district at the expense of the country. Ho iefu.-«ed to explain the land settlement ipguLitiotis, but in reility he was elcct'oneennsr, for ho stated at hi-, meeting at Hold's Point that he intended to be a sandid.ite at the ne\t election. The matter then dropped.

The Representation Bill. The Representation Bill is some distance down on tin 1 Order Paper, and Supply ih before it, which m.ikes it highly improbable that it will bo reached to-night. The n»o«-t c uitradietoiy leports are afloat with ivsp«ict to the Bill. The latest are that the Cabinet are disinclined to force the Bill, with a majority of only ten in favour of it. The KegUtrar General also has ju>«t reported that the census returns will not bf completed till the end of the year, so that the (Joverntnent think no great advantage will be gained by keeping members in Wellington to tire out the opponents of the Bill. The latter now express themselves confident of being able to defeat it, and another rumour w;ih afloat to-day to the effect that it the Southern supportns of tho Representation Bill would vote for the (iosortimtM)t on the proportal to recommit the District Railway Bill, in order to restore tho I'Booo struck off the cash payment to the Wannea Company, the (roverninent w( uld thon drop the Representation Bill foi tho session.

Shipping Casualties. II appears from the report of the Marine Department that no less than 80 wrecks or casualties to vessels occurred on the New Zealand connt, and were reported to the Marine Department, from Ist April, 18S.">, to 31st March, 1«8G. Of the wreck ■«, 11 were total losses.

The Representation Bill. It may almost be taken for granted now th;vt thti Representation Bill, as I hinted la-t night, is killed for this .session, as the Premier distinctly stated this afternoon that ho should not proceed with the bill unless a substantial majoiity were prepared to support it. The general opinion now is that thp majority will be ;i slender one. It is repeated the four Maori member-, haic been perMiaded to vote against the bill, although two of them voted for the second reading, while Mr Donald Reid and other* who Hiipported the second read ing are determined ni»t to assist any fin ther, on the ground that it is not required at all this year, especially at such a late st.tjje of the .session. Mr Macandrew- amendment, this afternoon seemed to take with the Hou.se, and looked ominous as to the fate of the Bill He explained, however, that the amendment Avas solely hin own production, and that he had had no cuiiMilt.itinn with the Government or with any other paity, there was a rumour to-day that if the JJill were not allowed to proceed the Opposition would .stotiow.dl the Appropriation Bill, but this i>. a very unlikely mo\e. To do the Premier justice I believe he i-> <incerely desirous of |tassinpj the Bill thi> but tremendous presume h.is been brought to bear on him by opponents of thu Bill and it looks now their dt'siie.

The Stark PurchaseThe Stark purchase came bcfoie the Hnu»e again tlna afternoon on a question put by Mr Moss, who asked the Govern inent vvhothor they would set apart nome day for tho consideration of the committee* report on this purchase. He s,ud his ro.ivin for doing so was because he had received .1 telegram from Auckland l«» tho effect th.it tlm qiioiti'in \va-> e\citiup the greatest indipnati(»n in lli.it ntv, and it wanonly light the Hoimo .-hon'd hue an opportunity of e\presM*njr .in npimon of it. Sir Robert Stout Miid lie could not ti\ .my definite time for the consideration ot the mutter, and it would altogether depend of the progress of hiitiinev). Yourieadeis will recollect that I sent you full paiticularn of this purchase at the time the committee enquired into it, and I also informed you that the decision of the committee which exonerated the Gen eminent was arrived at by the votes of two Ministers fchetnseUes, Sir J. Vogel and Mr Balance.

The Latest Rumour. Amongst other Lobby gossip it is stated that Sir Frederick Whitaker, M.L.C., has been approached by a Ministerial supporter with a view of ascertaining whether Sir Frederick would be willing to accept one of the jtidge»hip« of the colony. I send you the rumour fur what it ia worth, but cannot vouch for the correctness of it.