PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 184, 6 August 1890, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

% (BY TELEGKAPH.— oW_f REPOKTEK.)

. '"" "•-'• Welling-on, this day. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM.

Another animated debate on the Legislative Council Reform Bill took place in the Upper House yesterday afternoon on the motion for third reading.* As was anticipated, considerable opposition was manifested to the Bill, owing to the excision of the clause by which "it was proposed to allow present members to retain their privileges. An amendment that tbe Bill be read a third time that day three months was moved by the Hon. Mr McLean and seconded by Hon. Dr. Pollen, aad gave rise to a good deal of discussion, bub eventually the motion for a third reading was negatived by seventeen againsb seventeen, -v The division list was as follows :— Ayes: Acland, Buckley, Dignan, Martin, Peter, Reeves, Shepherd, Stevens, Swanson, Wahawaha, Whibaker, Whibmore, Wilson. Noes: Barnicoab, Grace, Hart, Holmes, Johnson, Kenny, Mantell, McLean, Miller, Morris, Pharazyn, Pollen, Reynolds, Richmond, Shrimeki, Tairoa, Williams. :s%«.<> THE DEA N CASE. In [-respecb of bhe petition of Lindsay Jackson, of the Thames,who prays for relief in respect of bail given for the safe custody of Dean, the Public Petitions Committee reported to tho House yesterday afternoon thab tbey aro unable to recommend the prayer of the petition. Mr Cadman thereupon complained that while the Committee had heard bhe evidence adverse to the petition they declined to take the evidence of tho Warden and Mr McIntyre, which was ot vital importance to the petitioner's case. , He moved thab the report be referred back in order thab this additional evidence may be taken. This resolution was seconded by Colonel Fraser, and carried on division by 40 to 35. s f AN OLD CLAIM REVIVED. >$ Amongst the petitions presented to Parliamenb yesterday was a very weighty document in which J. M. Grace, journalist and clef— of Kibikihi, Waikato, prays for relief in respect of certain contracts entered into by the late Peter Grace, contractor, so far back as 1865, for the construction of a section of the Auckland and Drury railway at a cost of £19,474. For certain reasons which are alleged to have been duo to default on the part of the Railway Commissioners, the contract waa never completed, but the contractor signed a document in which he acknowledged having received £3,600 in payment of all claims for bhe amounb of work done, etc. In this way he was placed in such a position thab no action could be taken for the recovery of any further pay men tB in respect of his contract, and the petitioner asserts that the deceased placed himself in this position owing to pressure brought upon him by his creditors, and thab bhe loss which subsequently fell upon him was the cause of his death. The Government are now asked to accepb the sum of £2,322 in consideration of the amount paid to tho deceased, to cancel the document signed by the deceased, and to allow the whole case to be settled by arbitration. MR HARROW AGAIN; '^S? Mr E. Harrow, of Auckland, has presented to the House one of the mosb remarkable petitions on record. He asserts that Sir Dillon Bell, as representative of thia colony in England, purchased a thousand copies of a book on New Zealand published by Mir- Wakefield, and asks thab the Government should purchase a like number of a similar but more truthful publication, entitled " New Zealand as I Have Found it," by the petitioner, bo thab people ab Home may know the true state of the colony. If the Government will grant him this favour, Mr Harrow proposes applying the proceeds to avoid tbe poverty thab is likely to fall upon him unless the property tax is removed from his property.- In consideration ot the granting of the prayer of his petition, he also states thab he will ever pray bhab the blessing of Almighty God may remain with their divine assembly, and so guide and direct them and keep them that they may all meeb bogebher in heaven, to drink new wine out of golden cups and success bo New Zealand. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARIAN. In reply bo a queabion asked by Mr Fisher, Hon. Mr Hislop has informed bhe House bhab ib ia nob correcbly stated that Mr Fortesque has been appointed to the position of Chief Librarian. The Government received a letter from the Chairman of bhe Library Committee, asking that Mr Fortesque be appointed to the position, bub the Government did nob consider themselves ab liberty to confirm tho appointment, pending tha requisite amount of salary being voted by the House. Tho appointment, although agreed' to by the Library Committee, will nob, therefore, be confirmed until the estimates have passed the House, and as there exists a very strong feeling that thia officer can very well be done without, the probability is thab the salary £300 attached to the office will not bey oted. THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. '— Some discussion took place in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon on a motion of the Hon. Mr Mitchelson to appoint a commibtee to examine into and report upon all questions relating to the public accounts, as they may think advisable, or as may be referred to them by the House Commibbee, to consist of the Hon. Sir H. Atkinson, Hon. Mr Ballance, Barron, Hon. Sir J. Hall, Hon. Mr Larnach, Messrs Macarthur and Moss, Dr. Newman, Messrs Perceval, Rhodes, Samuel, Saunders, Valentine and Wilson. Mr Seddon and other members of the Opposition urged that in view of the acbion taken by tho Public Accounts Committee in reference to the advance made on accounb of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, the House should nob consenb bo the reappointment of this Committee. By doing so, he said, the House would virtually approve of the action then taken. This gave rise to the re-opening of the whole transaction, and Mr Guineas moved for the insertion of the words " and to report to this Houso on all matters referred to them and their decision thereon." After a lengthy discussion the amendmenb was negatived and the original motion carried. An amendmenb, moved by the Hon. Mr Ballance, to add the names of Messrs Walker and R. Reeves, was nob admitted, the unanimous consent of the House, which waa required, being refused. WOMEN'S RIGHTS DISCUSSED. An unexpected diversion waa provided in the House of Representatives last evening by Sir John Hall, who moved as an amendmenb bo a motion thab the House go into Committee of Supply :—" That in the opinion of this House the righb bo vote ab tho election of members of the House of Representatives should be extended to women." Amongst other arguments in favour q| his mtiw Sir John B*U pointed

out that women were already allowed to vote in local elections, and thab they had as much right to vote upon questions relating to the education of their children as men. He argued ab greab length as to woman's fitness intellectually and otherwise to exercise tho franchise, and contended thab the effects of the pressure of tho gentler sex at elections would be to considerably improve the conditions upon which all sucn contests are carried on.

Mr W. P. Reevos warmly supported the granting of bhe franchise to women who had passed in the higher branches of education, and its extension to other women qualified to exercise such privilege. Hon. Mr Ballance believed in placing women on a footing of political equality with men.

Dr. Hodgkinson strongly opposed the amendment, denying that the sexes were or ever could be equal in bhis respect. Mr Saunders expressed himself as an en- j thusiastic supporter of the amendment. j Mr Tanner waß prepared to extend the franchise to women, bub thoughb the privileges should nob exbend to eligibility for election as members of the House. Mr Downie Stewart urged Sir John Hall to introduce a Bill giving effect to his proposal, j Mr Blake Bbrenuously opposed the' amendmenb, urging that there was nob one good woman in bhe counbry who wanted an extension of the franchise. ~---•■•■. | Mr Fish declined t<j go this far, but, nevertheless, opposed bhe amendment strongly, picturing scenes of discord and social discomfort thab musb ensue on women being drawn into electioneering excitement. Mr Fulton referred to the question as one thab dealb with the social well-being of tbe community, and said the extension of the franchise was the natural righb of women. :?_. On the question going to a division shortly after midnight, the amendment was carried by 37 to 11. Mr Seddon moved to insert the word '* married " before women, bub a further amendmenb was ruled inadvisable. r~_>-**m AUCKLAND NAVAL RESERVE.^! Tho Naval Reserves Vesting Bill waß read a second time in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. This measure provides for authorisation of tho Registrar of the Auckland Land District to give a certificate in fee simple of certain land in hisdisbrictto apersonwho may be authorised by the Governor, for use of Her Majesty's mail service. ~,.-- --r THE ESTIMATES. The prolonged debate thab book place in the House of Representatives last evening on a motion to extend the franchise to women prevented any further progress being made with the estimates, the consideration of which has now been deferred on several occasions by the introduction of what may be termed extraneous, or rather unexpected subjects. The House will get into committee ab 2.30 this afternoon, and then the balance of the Land and the whole of tho Mines Department will be disposed of. ..... **f THE OTAGO CENTRAL. The Government were taken to task by Mr Pyke yesterday afternoon on the subject of the Otago Central in the House, and tho Minister for Public Works, in reply, gave some interesting information on this subject. He staled thab the Government had come to tbe conclusion that ib would be entirely futile to propose anything further to the House with regard to the Otago Central this session. Tho House, he said, waß wrong in the action which ib took lasb year in rejecting the Obago Central Railway Bill, and Government were of opinion thab bhe line could be made reproductive, and the large expenditure which is ab present lying unproductive oughb bo be carried to the distance provided under tbab measure. The amounts raised specifically for this railway amounted to £525,000, the expenditure had been £461,025, and the amount still available was £29,939, bub bhab was all under conbracb, and would complete the railway bo Middlemarcb, which is the end of the Strath Taieri Plain. Mr Pyke: Whab has become of bhe balance ? Mr Fergus: I suppose ib has been misapenb on other works. SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S CLAIM. ' ■ Papers relating to Sir Julius Vogel'a proposed Buib againßb tho colony, which, like all other suits againßb bhe Crown, is in the form of a pebibion, were.laid on bhe table of the House yesberday afternoon by the Hon. Mr Mitchelson, who intimated thab he would consult tho House in reference to the subject on Friday. The Hon. Mr Larnach asked why the Wellington Crown Prosecutor had accepted Sir Julius Vogel's retainer. The Hon. Mr Mitchelson replied that leave had been given by the Govornmenb. The late Government had granted Mr Bell permission to acb for Sir Julius Vogel, and he had been so acbiag ever since. When thia petition was presented to him for service on. tho Solicitor-General, Mr Bell asked the Government whebher bhey would have any objection to his conducting the case, and they had replied in tho negative. Mr Fisher rose to speak, and had gob bo far aa to Bay " The acceptance of the petition by any Crown Prosecutor in this colony was a most improper proceeding," when he was interrupted by cries of " Order," as there was no question before tho House, and the subject dropped, ■■■.''■■' THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. "Z In the course of a lengthy report on the dairy industries of New Zealand, Mr John Sawyers, dairy instructor, says : "I have given considerable attention to the conditions of shipment necessary on accounb of the varying temporabure bhrough which dairy produce has to pass. If the cool chambers were properly constructed so as to allow of ventilation for the egress of bad odours, also for tho free admission and circulation of pure dry air, with at tbe same time easy control of the temperature, they would be of essential service; but so faras I have seen the cool chambers at presentin use are defective in respect both to ventilation and control of temperature. It is a matter of first importance to the dairy industry, and if discussed, I should be glad to Offer a few suggestions, which, if applied, I think would produce a more uniform temperature. Another disadvantage under which the industry labours, is the present excessive ratoa charged for cool chamber, bub I think this difficulty will shortly be overcome by a combined effort on the part of the producers. I may also observe that as butter and cheese have to be forwarded long distances in the railway, trucks, it would be of great advantage_ if these trucks wero covered and specially ventilated, 60 as to protect the produce from the influence of tho outside atmosphere. Ab presenb ib occurs bhab after a long railway journey the produce arrives at the port of shipment in a more or less heated condition." Mr Sawyers also refers to the desirability of having some standard for the classification of dairy produce. The industry he says is not on such a satisfactory basis as might be expected, resulting chiefly from want of knowledge of many of those engaged in the manufacture and from want of co-operation-in bho interests of the factory of the eebtlera and milk producers. JOTTINGS. Mr R. Thompson presents a petition from twenty-one ladies of Whangarei, praying for the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act. Mr Cadman presents a petition from the shareholders of Tapu Mining Association praying that thirty men's ground in respect of which a Crown grant has been granted to James Campbell as a homestead settlement, may nob be alienated from tbQ goldfiald*..or, fctutK limit, " ' "'

Tho Manchestor Unity Lodge of Oddfellows', of Hawke's Bay, petition the House to take steps to remove certain blemishes and aspersions made upon tbe Friendly Societies of the colony in the annual reporb on Hospitals recently presented by Dr. MacGregor. Mr Cadman presents a petition from the agricultural leaseholders in Ohinemuri, goldfield, asking for an amendmenb of the Selecbors Land Revaluation Acb for the purpose of giving them certain relief in regard to their selections. j