PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 144, 19 June 1891, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(BY TELEGRAM. —OWN REPORTER.)

Wellington, this day. EXTENSION OF THE FRANCHISE. The nroposal to extend the franchise to women 'has, in the present House _of Representatives, an overwhelming majority, and the more ardent supporters ot this reform express themselves conudent thus the Electoral Act will be po , m ended during the present session. A card has been carefully pricked, with the result that 44 members arc found to be in favour of extending the franchiso to the gentlor sox, and among tho most ardent supporters of the proposal aro the Premier, Sir George Groy, Sir J. hall, BBfl Mr Bryce. THE GOVERNOR'S PRIVILEGES. Despite insinuations conveyed by a question put ky Mr Ta y lor > ib app ears ciiiit nothing unusual has happened in regard to tho privileges extended to Lord Onslow with reference to the Government steamer ■Hinomoa, or the use of the Government Vrmtinz Office. The Premier has informed f he inquiring member that the HineBoa & been placed at His Excellenev's disposal, as she has been placed at the disposal of former Governors. With reference to the printing of the ball ■programmes, he said that when large balls were given at Government House at Wellington the cards were printed at the Government Printing Otfica, the Governor findin" the cards, but when His Excellency was in other parts of tho colony he bore the expense of the cards and printing also. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID. It has been brought under the notice of the Government that there is much dissatisfaction throughout the colony in congeauence of the unfair distribution of the costs of charitable aid, some local bodies being assessed to the extent of one-third of their whole revenue. Tho Premier agrees with those who demand reform in this respect. Ife says the Acb requires consideration and amendment, but he will be unable to fro into it during the present session owing to pressure of other business. Attention will be given the matter during the recess. GOVERNMENT INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. The Premier, having boen urged to con - Sent to the appointment of a Royal Com" mission to inquire into the working of the Government Insurance Department, has replied that he is unaware of any occasion for taking such a step. If anything is found to bo wrong tho power of inquiry is given to the Audit Department. If he suspected anything of tho kind he would ask the auditor to make an inquiry, but is satisfied that at present there is no necessity for incurring tho expense of a Royal Commission. AGRICULTURAL AND DAIRY INDUSTRIES. The desirability of assisting dairying and fcther industries has been brought under the notice of the Government by. Mr T. Mackenzie, who has pointed out that although we export over £300,G00 worth £f dairy produce ab tho present time, (there is great room for improvement. In reply, the Hon. Mr McKenzie stated that a good deal has already been done in the Birection indicated by the appointment faf an expert, and as this gentleman

tas been unable to overtake tho work tho

(Government propose to ask the House to /employ two other experts during next ' Bummer, bub not for the whole year. The are endeavouring to encourage Ifche establishment of email dairy factories throughout the colony, and will aflbrd every possible aid, but cannot undertake to Establish peripatetic dairies as suggested by one member, on account of tho expense involved.

REWARDS FOR GOLD DISCOVERY

; The Hon. Mr Seddon proposes to introduce a claude in his Mining Bill making- it compulsory on local bodies to adopt regulations providing for the payment of rewards for the discovery of payable goldfields, and in the event of the local bodies refusing to pay the amounst so earned, giving power to the Colonial Treasurer to deduct the same out of their goldfields revenue. ! FIRST OFFENDERS PROBATION.

The Government have been urged to kmend the first offenders probation so that its privileges may be extended to prifeonera who may deserve some mitigation of sentence for good behaviour, but they aro toot so disposed. The Minister for Justice points out that the intention of tho Probation Act is rather to keep people out of gaol than to get people out of goal once put there. He also draws attention to tho luct that prisoners sentenced for periods of over three months may have their terms of imprisonment reduced as much as 25 per QUARANTINE CHARGES. Serious fault was found with the charge 3 toade for quarantining , imported stock in the House yesterday afternoon by the Hon. Mr Rolleston. He complained that at Canterbury quarantine station a valuable dog had been lost, and that tho charges taiade for quarantining dogs generally wero excessive. With regard to the sheep quarantine the charges were 6d per day, and he thought ib very unfair to impose such a fae ivhcn sheep could be grazed on private Yuns for lid per week, in reply tho Hon. llr McKenzio stated that the whole question was now under the consideration of the Chief Inspector oi Stock, who was iiiukiug inquiries, and upon his recommendation Dew regulations will be submitted to tho Stock Committee. MIKING ON PRIVATE PROPERTYMr R. Reeves yeeterday aftsrnoon charac' terised charges made by owners of certain laud for permission to mine for gold as excessive and absurd. He urged the Government to introduce a Bill to provide for mining on private property. He was informed by the Minister for Mines that ib is not the intention of the Government to introduce such a Bill. This was, he said, a Very large question. The right of the State T>o the royal metal had been the subject of a decision given by tho Superior Court 3 at iiome, but ab tho same time we have made provision under the existing law for resuming; lands proved to be auriforous, and in die -Mming BiU shortly to bo introduced 30 , ln , ten ? efl t0 Provide for tho taking of such lands in the same way as land is now ■ :aken ior public works, and usinn- tha same .Machinery to ascertain tha amount of compensation payable. DENTISTS AMENDMENT ACT. The second reading of Mr Palmer's Dentists Amendment Bill was carried without discussion, and tho BiU committed for Inursfiay next. Under the present ■Bill dentists in Auckland have to go to Dunedin for examination after having qualified themsel/es by three years' apprenticeship, and by practising part of tnab time, but if they do not pass their examination within the following year, they nave to go over the whole programme de mvo. The amendment proposed by Mr •lamer will do away with this difficulty and enable candidates to go up for examination at any time. ARE MINORITIES REPRESENTED ? v.?, nee c labour representatives, Mr Mills, made a rather good reply to the assertion made in the course of the debate on the Electoral Bill that minorities wero nob represented in the House. Hβ Eaid it was t{uite true he did not represent the minority In liis district, but there wero gentlemen on the other side of tho House (the Opposition) who did represent minorities, and he was glad to see thab the people oi the colony had very clearly defined that? the

Tories and their representatives in Parliament were in tho minority, Later on Mr Buckland took exception to this conclusion, assorting that the members on bis side of the House represented not only thoso by whom they were elected, but also those whoss support they did nob obtain. Though frequently referred to as a Tory, he claimed to bo a truer Liberal in reality "than the greatest radical on ths other side of the House. ELECTORAL BILL. "~'.;o debate on tho Electoral Bill ha 3 now extended into tho third day, although very littlo fault is found with the measure. Membera seem of ono opinion. In tho course of the debate two very good speeches were mado by Messrs T. Thompson and Buckland. Tho former oxprasssd general approval of tho Bill, and promised to support it; if some slight amendments wore agreed to. lie disapproved of the amalgamation of the city electorates, but dissented from the viows expressed by some of the other members that the ballot did nob givo the greatest secrecy. A Few well-pub observations in donuueintian of the committees for canvassing electors, and the desirability of making such committees illegal, ware received with pretty general approval. On the subject of extending, the franchise to women, iio-.vover, while r.ofc doubting their ability to exercise the vote intelligently, he camo to the conclusion that they did nob want the franchise, and would not support the proposal. In the course of his speech, Mr Buckland urged that if thoy were to have one man one vote there should be a residential qualification only, with a view of preventing a person from recording; votes in town and country districts on tho same day. ! To strongly urged tho necessity that exists for purging the rolls, and contended that tho rolls should bo closed at least ten days before the issue of the writs. Mr Bucklitud favoured female franchise, and said that the franchise should also be extended to young- men over seventeen. He also condemned canvassing and amalgamation of city constituencies. The debats was concluded by the Premier in a very able speech, and the second reading was passed.

FLOATING BOGUS COMPANIES. The Hon. Mr Seddoi), in moving the second reading of tho Promoters' ani Directors' Liability Bill, combated t!io assertion that the Stato has no right to interfere in the direction in which the Bill goes, and said it was the bounden duty of tho Stato to guide capital into legitimate channels, especially in regard to mining veatuios. Ab tho present time, ho said, the more fact of a mining venture being connected with New Zealand was enough to indicate the manner in which ib would be received, and the samo remark would apply to the other colonic;!. Ventures haci boon placed on tho London and colonial markets that would not have been so placed bad there been Buch legislation as he now proposed, and ho hoped no more " vrild cats " would bo heard of in tho goldfields of this colony. There was very little discussion on the proposal for second reading, which was passed on the voices. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. The Standing Orders Committco to-day made several important amendments to the rules, v/ifch a view to provent waste of time by obstruction. In connection with tho Governor's speech, the Lower Houso dispensed with the document, it merely being laid on the table, and a reply was ordered to bo sent. Motions for adjournment of tho dobate or of the House eanr.or, be mado before all the questions have been disposed of. Tho Speaker may require ten members to stand up beforo granting any adjournment, tho object being to prevent measures being technically shelved. Bills will puss at the third reading, without tho question being pub, and local Bills will be committed by tho Local Bills Committee instead of by tho Committee of the v/holo House, unless a special order is made to tho contrary. Motions ior printing returns must be submitted to the Printing Committee with a view to preventing unnecessary expense. JOTTINGS. The Colonial Secretary proposes to introduce a Trustees Acb end Partnership Act in tha Legislative Council. The second reading of the Legislative Council Reform Bill ha 3 been adjourned till Tuesday for the convenience of those Opposition members, who propose to discuss tho Financial Statement. The debate thereon has been deferred till Tuesday. Sir Geo. Grey presents a petition from Revvi, asking for an alteration in the grant made to him by the Government.

Mr E. M. Smith aeks if the Governiuenb intend to introduce a Payment of Members Bill.

The Government aro to be asked to-day if they intend to ofier a bonus for the iindrovemenb of flax-dressing machinery.

Mr Palmer is moving with a view to have peclarations mado prior to the issue of judgment eurnmonaes taken before cierka of tho R.M. Courts.

The Aliens Act Amendment Bill and Military Defence Secrets Bill are two measures of which the Hon. Mr Seddon has given notice. Mr Harknoas is inquiring if it is the intontion of the Government to establish a police superannuation fund. Mr Meredith wants a reduction made in tho charges for the inspection of steam engines employed in local industries. The attention of the Government has been drawn to the fact that the Glenmark estate of 75,000 acres of agricultural land can be acquired for settlement purposes. The Inebriates Home Bill introduced by Mr Shera has for its object; tho establishment of a Home in which drunkards will be treated medicinally and to abolish imprisonment for drunkenness. Mr Parata has boon informed by the Minister for Marine that the sealing season will be open from tho lsß July for two months. ' If on. Mr Seddon says that so far aj tha Inspectors' reports go, thoy show very deplorably the state oi aifairs in regard to the accommodation on sheep stations.

Two now Committees have been sofa up, one to consider ail tho Bills specially dealing with the revisions of law, and the other to report upon the question of the introduction of electric lighting in Parliament Buildings. The motion of Mr Dubhie on a return of intestate estates administered in the last ten ver.rs by tho public trustee, and for all correspondence with auctioneers on the subject, has been agreed to on the understanding thab anything of a confidential nature may be kept back. The Minister of Lunda is to be asked if he wifl, in tho Land Bill, provide that all primary education reserves be administered by Land Boards, and made subject to the land laws of the colony. ~..., The Government are to be asked if they will amend the law sr as to more effectually chock the adulteration of beer and other articles of food which are either sold or manufactured in the colony. Mr Kelly asks the Government it they intend to repeal the Thermal Springe Act, and have the lands of that district made available for settlement under the present land laws. Mr T. Thompson wants the Railway Commissioners to nave the wages lisbs posted in all offices and workshops under their control, so that employees may know tbo rate of pay they are entitled to. The Governor is likely to ba asked to move the Admiralty to alter the regulations affecting tho admission of youths to veEsela of the Australian Squadron, co v* to enable one or two of the vessels to be recruited from young New Zealandere. A certain impassioned orator observed in tho House last ovening: ,. The women of

this country have wills of their own." '■ Hear, hear," moaned several sympathetic members, and laughter prevailed for some

minutes. Mr Jackson Palmer has received a telegram from Davonport, asking that penny postage bo permitted in that borough ab once. The member for Wtiitemafca proposes to move in tho matter this afternoon. Mr It. Thomson has been elected chairman of the Waste Lands Committee, aucl Mr Saunders chairman of tho Public Accounts Committee, both being nominated by tho Government. The room in the Bouse formerly occupied by .Sir Julius Vogol is being fitted up for Sir Georgo Grej', who is now staying at the Club Hotel. . .. Mr Cadman has broughb under the notice of the Minister of Mines the Reliance Gold Extractor, a new chlorination procoss workable at a cost of 5s per ton. It saves 93 per cout of tho gold from refractory ore without wasting, Mr Cadman considers it may be of great valuo to the various Auckland mines- , In committee on the Dentists Bill Mr Lawry will move an amendmenb providing for the appointment of a Board of Examiners at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin to examine and grant certificates for practice.