POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2825, 21 August 1890, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(iiY TELEORAIME —OWN" C'OIUtE.SI'ONDtfXT). Wklmnt.tov, La&t Night. v HUTCHISON BUSINESS. t Judoino by the length of time winch has been s devoted thiri session to < Mr Hutchison s notorious charges and the prohmtred debates yet to come, it looks as if this ullair is about to become as interminaole as the ' Midland Railway -bscussion which stil crops up occassionally, although seveia years have elapsed since it first came before the House. This afternoon was chiefly oc- I copied with the discussion arising from the Ministerial statement made by Mr Hislop. Tho Minister for Education rose to make a < statement before the questions were orought < on, but several members called attention to the fact that Mr Hutchison was not present and Mr Ballauce said that as a matter of conrtesv tho Minister should defer his statement till the lion, gentleman was in his place. Mr Hislop at once agreed to do this, bat said he had previously informed Mr Hutchison of his intention to state the decision of the Government this afternoon Later on, when Mr Hutchison took his seat, the Minister for Education rose, and informed the House that the Government had decided to allow the charges as to the maladministration of public accounts to be fought out in tho House, and he laid on the table a memo, from Sir Henry Atkinson, giving a detailed statement of the public accounts of the colony for the last six years. Mr Hislop further stated that as to the personal charges made by the member for Waitntara. the Government had decided that Sir F. Whitake.r, as one of the members of the Ministry mentioned in Mr Hutchison's speech, should proceed against Mr Hutchison in the Supreme Court for libel. The debate that followed will no doubt reach you through the medium of the Press Association. A further discussion, of an embittered character, is certain to take place when the Premier's memo is considered. ROYALTY ON METALS. The nioinber for Coroinandel intends to nsk the Minister of Mines if he will get the opinion of the Crown law officers as to whether or not the Crown still retains the right to all royal metals on land held under Crown "rant by private individuals. ' A LIVELY MEETING. According to lobby gossip the meeting of the Reporting and Debates Committee this morning, to resume the consideration of Mr Hutchison's Hansard proofs of his speech attacking the Government, was of a pretty lively character. All tho members of the committee were present, including Mt'.l, B. Whyte, tho member tor Waikato, who returned from Auckland yesterday. The committee finally adjourned till to-morrow, without coming to any decision. POSTAL CLASS IF [CAT lON. The Post and Telegraph Department Classification and Regulation Bill is trained on similar lines to those of tho General Civil Service Classilication Bill, an outline of which we recently published. It provides for the division of the Department into three classes, to be known as the first division (comprising only the superintendent and the secretary), the clerical division (consisting ot inspectors, telegraph operator", postmasteis, and postal officials), ana the non-clerical division under which are placed the mechanical staff and messengers. These clashes are again subdivided and a maximum and minimum salary attached to every grade with pel judical increments by which the maximum is to be allowed. liovision is made tor the Governor recommending to the Hons-, an all round inciease or reduction of salaries in any year where such may be found necessary. Ihe scale of salaries was published in our columns two or three weeks ago, under it chief postmasters will be in three grides with salaries ranging from UoOH in third grade to maximum of in the first; po^tniisteis will receive from a minimum of in the fourth grade to a maximum to 1000 in tho first grade, cadets will enter at AMO a year (besides lodging allowance when away from home) and rise gradually to £100 011 attaining the rank of operators or postal officials they may expect to rise from a minimum of JL'llo in the lower gvaue of the sixth class to a maximum of 1100. VOLUNTEER LAND SCRIP. Mr Ross wishes to ascertain from the ' Minister of Defence whether it is his mI tention this session to ask the Mouse to ' authorise him to issue (during recess) sciip ' to volunteers whose claims have been con- ■ sidered, approved and reported on bv the ; Commissioners of Crown Lands,