PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2311, 3 May 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[by telegraph special reporter.] Going to Work. Wellington, Saturday. The House has now settled down to work, and a large amount of preliminary business has been disposed of this week. It is indeed quite unprecedented in the Parliamentary annals that the debate on the Address-in-Reply and the second reading of such an important measure as the Representation Bill should be concluded in a portion of two afternoons. It was no uncommon thing in previous sessions for either of these to have occupied at lest two sitting days in discussion, and the latter probably a week. As I have previously informed you, this dispatch is due to the desire of trie opposition to get the Representation Bill disposed of in order that the Financial Statement may be brought down without delay. The Financial Position. It has been hinted that the real reason .why the Government called the members together so early in the year is because the finances of the colony are in such a serious condition that they dared not postpone the meeting of Parliament till May or June. The House will shortly have an opportunity of assuring itself whether or not those rumours are correct ones, and will no doubt go very fully into the whole matter this session. The Same Old Thing. The position of the Ministry at present is a rather curious one, inasmuch as, although they possess a majority of the House, they will be unable, according to report, to carry their policy (?) bills. It remains to be seen whether the Premier will again submit to the humiliating position he occupied in 1884, when, although the whole »f their policy was rejected, Ministers still stuck to office, because forsooth a section of their supporters assured then they wanted to keep the Government in but to throw their measures out. The Opposition are not anxious for office at present, and would prefer Ministers going to the country at the expiration of the Parliament, believing as they do that by that time the colony will be heartily sick of the present Government. Matters will shortly, however assume a more definite shape in this respect. Representation. The representation question has at present put all others in the shade and endless amendments to the bill are already spoken of. Mr Pyke intends moving on the proposal to commit the bill, "that any bill providing for the future representation of the people shall be based on a modified form of Hare's system of representation. I hear that a majority of the House will insist that the present advantage possessed hy country districts of 20 per cent, of population shall be maintained, otherwise tho bill is likely to be lost. The ratio proposed by Sir R. Stout, when properly worked out, really means depriving the country districts of seven members and giving them to the towns. That is, supposing the number of members to remain as at present. The roll question is to be considered on Monday. As a meeting of country members is convened for the purpose of discussing the provisions of the bill as far as it effects country districts, in order that the meeting may not be regarded in a party light, it is proposed to invite one of the whips from both sides to attend. It is reported that the proposal to amalgamate the city electorates will not be pushed. The Opposition Whip. Considerable comment has been caused by a statement that Sir R. Stout strongly opposed Mr G. F. Richardson's election as chairman of the Local Bills Committee yesterday, because Mr Richardson was the Opposition Whip for the session. The Times this morning, on the Premier's authority, gives an absolute contridiction to the report, and says that Sir Robert himself proposed Mr Richardson as chairman. The simple facts, I am informed, are that the Premier actually did object to Mr Richardson's appointment, on the grounds that it was out of place for a whip to occupy that position, to which Mr Hursthouse replied by saying he had known paid chairmen.of committees who were also Government whips, and depreciated party question being brought into the committee room by the Premier. Sir Robert eventually gave in, and proposed Mr Richardson for the position, having previously endeavoured to get Mr Donald Reid, a Government supporter, to stand as chairman. The Late Mr Macandrew, A meeting of Southern members has been convened by Mr Bracken to take steps for furthering the memorial fund now being raised for the late Mr Macandrew, who was the oldest and one of the best respected members of the House. Caucus of Country Members. WEllington Monday. The caucus of country members that I referted to on Saturday was held this afternoon, and was attended by about 25 representatives from both sides of the House, Mr Pyke in the chair. A resolution was read to the effect that the Representation Bill, as at present drawn, does not provide sufficient representation for the country districts and also that no Representation Bill will be satisfactory which gives less power to the country districts than that possessed under the Act of 1881. The following deputation was appointed to wait on the Government, nnd communicate the resolutions Messrs Donald Reid, Scobio McKenzie, Steward, Pearson, Hursthouse, Pyke and O'Callaghan. The opinion is generally expressed that the Bill in its present shape has not the slightest chance of passing, owing to the opposition of country members. It has also been freely stated that if the vital principle of the Bill were altered the Government would resign, this supposition being based on the threat held out by the Premier that if the House insisted on material alteration in it that other men would have to carry the bill into law. I hear to-day, on good authority, that if any vital portion of the Bill is defeated Ministers would drop it altogether rather than accept it iu a mutilated form. The most contradictory rumours are still afloat as to the fate of the measure, one being that Ministers were willing go accept a defeat of it in the hope of staving off a discussion on the general finances of the country. Mrs Fraser's Grant. It is reported that a committee is about to be asked for to enquire into the circumstances under which the sum of £1725 was paid to Mrs Eraser, wife of Col. Fraser, member for Thames. Mr Ballance stated a few days ago, in reply to Mr Rolleston, that the money was the cost of the survey of certain land about to be purchased by the Government. The Post says that "after the experience Ministers had last year over the Steward debentures scandal we would imagine they would be particularly careful this_ year not to enter into any transaction involving the payment of money to any member of the House, or to his wife, sister, cousin or aunt." The Treasurer. The Colonial Treasurer's health is rather precarious at present. Sir J. Vogel was absent from the House on Thursday, owing to illness, and only put in an appearance for a few minutes on Friday, while to-day, he was so unwell as to be unable to attend to his official duties. The Independents. The party known as the " Independents " intend coming to the front this session, and the main plank of their political platform will be free trade. The RailwaysThe Bill about to be introduced by the Minister for Public Works, providing for

the appointment of railway boards, will meet with some opposition. In order to test the feeling of the House on the question, Mr Monk, the member tor Waitemata, intends moving that instead of railway boards being formed, as indicated by Mr Richardson, provincial boards of advisers should be appointed, consisting of the chairmen of road boards, also the chairmen of chambers of commerce, and the district railway managers of the various districts,