POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3132, 11 August 1892, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL CORRESPO.VDKNT. [ Wellington', Last Night. ; THE NO-CON b'XDJSXCE DIiBATE. Mil Brock's amendment to the second reading of the Lmd Bill, which Ministers have chosen to accept as a motion of want : »f confidence in themselves has prov-nked a 1 lengthy debate which will probably occur over again when the Bill comes back from ■ the Waste Lands Goumiittee to which it ' will he referred in the usual way after the ' second reading ts ucreed to. Mr Bruce * informs nie his only object 111 moving the j amendment was merely tn affirm the principle of the freehold tenure and he considers that he could not expect that the object will be attained in committee or on the second reading of the Bill. Ha knows of course that he has not the remotest ch.mce of carrying his amendment as the division ' will be a purely parly one, bub it is freely stated that if Government supporters were free to vote 011 it without involving the . question of confidence in the Ministry the ' discussion would most likely go again.-t the Government. LAND AND INCOME TAX BILL. The presence in Wellington of a largo number of gentlemen connected with banking institutions has induced Mr Geo. Fisher to give notice to ask "whether the Colonial Treasurer can explain the cause of the meteoric aoyearance of a, galaxy of bank managers and bank directors as is to be seen at any hour rf the day in Wellington at the present time.' " MR BRYCE'S " WHITE-WASHING. The Evening Press has a strongly-worded article on the manner 111 which the Government last night consented to remove the vote of censure passed on Mr Bryce by the House last session. It concludes as follows :—" If the Government had had a spark of true manliness, to say nothing of generosity, i.i their composition, they would have allowed Mr McGuire's motion to pass in the first instance instead of keeping the matter hanging on for three or four weeks and then venting their pitiful spite by including the ex-meinher for Wnikako in what the Ministerial organ calls a " general white-wahirig," However, we may rest assured thict the condnct of the Government on this question will do them far more harm than it will do the Hon. John Eryce. He comes out of the embroglio with nnsuHied character, whilst if the Premier anil his colleagues are not ' ashamed of themselves.'' it is simply because they have no sense of shame left itj them."