POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2950, 11 June 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

[BY TKLW.RAI'II— .-iI'KCIAI, KKI'OHTKH.] WKI.I.INGrO.V, List Night. ADDRKSS-IN-R KPLY. Thk mover ;in< 1 seconder of tho Address.inReply, Mr Felix McGuirc and Mr liuick, arn now in Wellington, and will perform their part of tlio contract either on Friday afternoon or at the evening sitting. Special interest is felt in Mr Mc(»oin*s maid'-n speech, in conseqnence of ins being the successor of such a veteran potiticiun Sir Harry Atkinson. Tim few remarks made by Mr Duick last session proved that he is likely to become in time a ready debater, although lie i- a- yet scarcely live and twenty years of ago and is the youngest member of tho House. A NOVEL PROPOSAL. Curiously enough. the Attorney-! iencr.il declares that he has considerable difficulty in getting two members to move and second the Address-in-Reply in the Legislative Council, and Mr Buckley is actually talking of moving tho Address-in-Reply himself. This would certainly be a novel proceeding for a Cabinet Minister to undertake, and although Mr John McKenxie also told hi.s constituents .1 week or two ago that the Government had great trouble last session in the same direction one wonders how such can possibly bo tho case, considering that so many faithful adherents of the present Ministerial party .ire still in the Council. It is shrewdly suspected heio Ministers are simply endeavouring to pavo the way for further appointments to the Council, notwithstanding the fact that they protested loudly against their predecessors' action in adding six new members to that chamber, at a time too when the Council had been so much reduced in numbers, owing to death and resignation, that it was a difficult matter to get the business of tho country transacted in the Upper House. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. A forecast of His Excellency's Speech to-morrow, which is evidently inspired, appears in the Post. I gather from it that the Speech will allude to the beneficial effect upon the relations between tho natives and European colonists likely to accrue from the late visit of His Excellency tho Governor to the Uriwera country, and also to the retrenchment carried out in the departments of the Civil Semco, which will bo claimed to be 111 the interests of true economy and better organisation. The proposed change in tho incidence of taxation will be touched upon, but its nature will not be specially indicated. Proposals will be hinted at for the reform of the Legislative Council, improvements in the electoral system, the condition of land tenure, and various less important matters. His Excellency cannot fail to deplore the exodus of population indicated by the census returns, but lie may be expected to take a hopeful view of the matter by anticipating that the taxation proposals of his advisers and their liberal scheme of land settlement will have the effect of extending general prosperity and brightening tho prospects of tho colony. MISCELLANEOUS. The Hon. T. H. Wiploy has communicated with the Government, sotting forth his claim to be re-appointed a member of the Legislative Council. The Postmaster-General has returned from the South. Parliament will be opened by tho Governor at half-past two to-morrow (this) afternoon. V«ry few members so far havo ar-