POLITICAL.

Parliament met pursuant to notice on the 16th July. The speech of the Governor was evidently worded so as to exclude matter upon which issue could be taken by the Opposition. It was altogether a model of its kind. It expressed the congratulations of the Assembly upon the recovery of the Prince of Wales ; it referred complacently to the pleasant and uninterrupted tour of his Excellency through the northern native districts ; it conveyed an expression of the satisfaction of the colony with regard to the increased and increasing receipts of Customs revenue, and the success of the Government scheme of Assurance. It promised, in the customary terms, a possible reduction of expenditure, and some half dozen measures, none of which could be said to possess any political importance. For full particulars we refer our readers to the speech itself, which appears elsewhere. Three weeks have nearly expired since the opening of Parliament, and as yet the indications of any political conflict are confined to outside evidences. Up to the present time the Opposition, under the leadership of Mr Stafford, has made no sign, and the ordinary business of the Government has proceeded almost without interruption. Still it is well understood that latent elements are in existence which as soon as an opportunity is afforded will make themselves felt in opposition to the Ministry. The public works and immigration policy of the Government, logically and of necessity, involved a curtailment of the powers and functions of the Provincial Governments, and for some time before the meeting of the Assembly the political world was full of rumors of the intention on the part of the Provincial party to demand from Parliament the delegation to the Provincial Governments of the powers hitherto exercised by the Ministry in respect to the administration of the public works policy. In former summaries for the English mail, we have had occasion to refer to this movement, and although it was found convenient for its originators to deny the imputation placed upon their proceedings, subsequent events have proved that our conclusions wore correct. Within a few days of the meeting of the Assembly, a private meeting of Superintendents and other provincial officers holding seats in the House was held, and a series of resolutions was adopted which fully confirmed the rumor previously circulated. Their tenor was to the effect that the Government should divest itself of the functions of administration, while at the same time it should still be held responsible to Parliament — a proposition so utterly opposed to the principle of the Public Works and Immigration Act, and so entirely contradictory, that, further than the interest excited by its promulgation, the programme has fallen perfectly dead upon the public. It was, we believe, arranged that the policy involved in the resolutions referred to, would at once be submitted to the House in a positive form, but up to the present nothing has been done, and the probability is that they have been found too hot to handle. The general opinion evidently is against any such reversal of the Colonial policy as the resolutions of the Provincial party would involve, and it is understood that should they be brought forward in any concrete shape they would either be negatived, or, if carried, a dissolution of the House would be the result. It is said, and apparently with some reason, that the Superintendent of Welliugton, Mr Fitzherbert, is, if not the leader, at any rate the main-spring of the new Provincial movement ; but it is unfortunate for its success that this gentleman has on many former occasions expressed very strong opinions against the very course he now is said to advocate. The feeling of the House and the country is entirely against the proposed denudation of the Government, of its powers and responsibility supports the inevitable view that the real issue should be the fitness of those upon whose shoulders the responsibility of administration rests. It is possible that before the end of the session an attempt will be made to turn out tile Ministry upon a direct vote of want of confidence, and it is probable that Ministers would have a hard fight under such a contingency, to hold their seats. It is undeniable that many shortcomings and mistakes can be brought against them, but on the other hand it cannot be doubted that they have accomplished a vast amount of useful work. So far as we can see it appears that the present Ministry is about the strongest which could, in the present state of the political world here, be found. The Opposition is at present a disorganised and heterogeneous body, bound together by no stronger tie than that of a desire to oust the Ministry from their seats. No opportunity has, as yet, been afforded of testing the strength of the two sides of the House. The bills introduced by the Government have, as we have just said, been eminently of .a nonpolitical character, involvingno question of policy, and although there has been no want of expressions of hostility, no battle ground has been afforded. Probably nothing in the shape of a party contest will occur until after the Budget, which we expect will be brought down in a few days.

Amongst the measures introduced by the Government and which are likely to be carried, we may mention first the Public Health Bill — a measure for enforcing the observance of sanitary laws, providing certain precautions against epidemic diseases and enforcing a stricter system of quarantine. Next -we may placo a bill for affording greater security to the public with respect to assurance offices. This is a measure wliich, whilst extending to other offices the facilities and privileges attaching to the Government system, makes it compulsory that assurance offices shall deposit in the hands of the Government £20,000 as security against their obligations within the colony.

BFo opposition of an important character has been raised against/ this i measure ; it is now in committee and will with a few technical alterations be passed. The third important measure is one for the appointment of a Public Trustee— an officer greatly required in this colony, .and there is no reason to doubt that it will become law. A bill for enabling Municipalities and other local boards to grant facilities for the construction of tramways has been introduced and has passed the -Lower House.

Not the least interesting item is that the Permissiye Bill introduced last session and subsequently withdrawn, has passed its second reading — by a majority of two— 2B to 26. The bill is under the charge of MrCreighton, an Auckland member. It is doubtful, however if it will pass, as there are differences of opinion upon its details j but the principle has been affirmed and so far a great trhunph for the Permissivists has been achieved. The Lower House has read a second time a bill legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister introduced by Mr Steward, the member for Oflmaru, and as a similar measure was carried in the Legislative Council last session it may be considered that the present bill willbecome law. The Education Bill providing for a general system of primary education in the colony, withdrawn last session, has not been reintroduced by the Government, the reason being that the great differences of opinion existing upon the subject were such as to lead the Government to believe that it would be inopportune to press the measure just now.

The consitntion of the Upper House has long engaged public attention, and there can be little doubt that before long it will be insisted ,. that theLegislative Council shall be an elective body. The Hon Mr Wat'erhouse ha» already tabled resolutions in this direction, and it understood that under certain conditions of property qualification and; high franchise, the Council is not avers# v to a constitutional change.

The Ministry has been strengthened by the accession to its ranks of the Hon. John Hall, who has resigned his Beat in the House of Representatives, and now leads the Upper House. His seat has been filled by the election, unopposed, of Sir J. Cracroft Wilson, C.B. The Hon H. J. Miller has also accepted a seat in the Cabinet, and acts as a colleague of the Hon John Hall in the Legislative Council. Both gentlemen at present are unofficial members of the Cabinet. The seat for Coleridge, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Karslake, has beenfille4 by the election of Mr Bluett, who hastaken his place in the House. Mr Cantrell has resigned his seat for Caversham, but it is not at present known who is his probable successor.

We should not omit to say that the address in reply to the Governor's speech was seconded by Mr Sheehan, the first member o.f European descent born in the colony. The Speaker of the House took occasion to congratulate the House upon this circumstance. Judging from Mr Sheehan's performances hitherto in the>. House, the colony has reason to hope much from its first generation of legislators.

Rumors are afloat of an intention again to raise the question of the removal of the Seat of Government from Wellington. For several sessions there has been a disposition amongst the Auckland and Otago members to >shift the seat of Government to Dunedin or Christchurch — for no other reason that we can discover than that Auckland has never forgiven the removal from that place to Wellington, and that the Southern provinces desire the prestige which the establishment of the Seat of Government at Dunedin or Christchurch would furnish. Last session a resolution was carried by the House of Representatives in favor of holding the present session of the Assembly at Dunedin, but it was negatived in the Upper House, and the Government subsequently found substantial reasons for not making any alteration in the place of meeting. Now, we learn, it is contemplated by a combination of Auckland and Southern members to introduce a bill for removing the Seat of Government altogether from Wellington to Christchurch, and possibly it will be supported by a considerable number in the House of Representatives,; but we do not think it will command a majority. At any rate it.is tolerably certain to be thrown out by the Legislative Council. There can be ■ little hesitation in interpreting the desire for the removal of the Seat of Government as in the direction of an ultimate separation of the two islands. Once remove the Seat of Government to Christchurch or Dunedin t and the Auckland, representatives woulct follow up the matter by a demand for the erection of the North Island into a separate colony with its Government stationed at A*ickland. Shoxild the motion for removal be brought forward it will undoubtedly raise the larger question indicated.

The Government have announced an intention to bring in a bill for uniting to the county of Westland the West Coast goldfields of th.c province of Nelson and the formation Ob ;sie whole into a distinct province, with a similar constitution and the powers enjoyed by Provincial Governments, from which the county of Westland is at present excluded. The Government, in introducing this measure, are simply giving effect to the wishes, of the residents on the West Coast goldfields, who have for several years agitated in tliis direction. The bill will, of course, be keenly contested by the members for the settled districts of Nelson, but there is little fear of its passing. >