POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3213, 28 June 1892, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TELEGUAFH —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, Last Night. DISSOLUTION RUMOURS, It is still asserted that a dissolution is one of the probabilities of the session. Ministers are said to be absolutely resolved that if the Legislative Council reject the vital portions of the Electoral Bill and the Land Bill, they will demand an appoal to the country. The party are strongly opposed to a dissolution, and some of the labour members are positively furious at the idea, but Ministers themselves are giving it out that thev will not allow their measures to be mutilatsd by the Council without ascertaining the will of the people on them. THE ELECTORAL B,ILL. Mr Balance's BUI this session provides for giving the franchise to women, bo that this great reform is now a portion of the Ministerial policy. The Bill also provides that every '* poraon " is qualified to t vote under the freehold or residential condition. Commercial travellers, seamen, and shearers are placed on the same electoral footing. Polling day is to be a general holiday, and there are provisions for purging the rolls. In every other particular the Bill is tho same as last session. THB LAND POLICY. According to lobby rumours the now Land Bill will be very similar to last year's Bill, except that a system of " occupation with right to purchase" will probably be substituted for deferred payment. This would mean a perpetual lease with a purchasing clause, and the systems in force in the colony would then bo " cash," ' per- , petaal lease "and "occupation with right to purchase." The Land Settlement Bill provides that the Government may acquire private lands for settlement where the owners are willing to seill. The Bill differs from last year's measure in not being made compulsory. Last year's Bill proposed that the Government should be able to take properties in the same way as under the Public Works Act, whether the owners were willing to sell or not. THE LABOUR PARTY. It is stated here that the labour party are bringing great pressure to bear on the Government to get their share of representation in the Upper House. According to the Press to-night, they urge that if there should be a dissolution, and at the next general election the Government should be beaten, not only would they lose their piesent share of representation in the House, but they would have none in the Upper Chamber unlesß four of the labour party were at once nominated for the Upper House. They, therefore, urge the Government strongly to accept the nine, which number His Excellency is willing to appoint, and that of these nine four shall be labour leaders.