Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 175, 26 July 1893, Page 4

Parliamentary Gossip.

FISH VERSUS STOUT.

ALL ABOUT A RAILWAY.

A SERIOUS CHARGE,

(BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.)

WnLLixGioy, this day, Behold another Parliamentary wee ,

gun, and the Financiv. debate slir,„s nu sign whatever of approaching a conclusion. How worthless are political prophesies. Lasb week ib was confidently foretold by some bhab bhe close of Friday would witness the lasb of bhose geyser displays ia bhe way of tr.lk which havo chiefly characterised the debate since its commencement. Ib is now clear bhat bhose who entertained such ideas wore either perfectly oub oE touch with the prevailing spirit of the House or totally ignorant of its capacity for Bpeech. There are Bovonty-four members in the Houso of Representatives, They all more or less either wish to speak or believe that their constituencies wish them, and thoy have all, in varying degrees, the faculty for continuous talk. No one can plead ignorance of these facts. 10 is, therefore, somewhat asbonishing that anyone could have predicted the conclusion of a debate which gives such unexceptional opportunities for large discourse, when nob half tho members had bad a say. Our liouao ia NOT A DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION, the description pushing Joe Chamberlain applied rocenbly bo the Gladstonian Government. "Ob no! there is noth "f: of the deaf and dumb institution—especia»«y u«' the dumb—about the Chamber where ourrepresentatives assemble." The Government, anxious to get on with tho business ot the country as quickly as possible, made a laudable attempt ab the opening of the session to push forward the debate by set- ,

ting aside que.oious of minor importance which load tho Order Paper, and which tako up several hours every afternoon, bub a portion of the House, led by certain opponents of tho Government, refused to allow bhis course, and aftor a little resist-'_ ance bho Governmenb waa forced to yield, and permib the debabe bo co.ibinue in iba usual and wearisome way. Ib is now certain that, we shall have another week of Financial debabe. "To - morrow and tomorrow " the petty pace will creep along; members getting more and more weary as the days pass, and probably the House will be fortunate if it manages to start in tho first week ot Augusb wibh bhe Financial debate vanished from its Order Paper. Yesterday afternoon the questions on the< Order Paper wore all peacably disposed of before four o'clock. ATTACK ON SIR ROBERT STOUT..' Two Bills having boen introduced, MrFish, of Dunedin, rose and moved the adjournment of the House, in order to explain, fully the position of the Fernhill Rail way B respecting which he had at an earlier part, of the afternoon asked two questions. In the latter of these queries, Mr Fish asked, tho Premier whether he intended to introduce legislation this session providing for paymenb of compensation to the person or persons claiming ownership of bhe Fernhill Railway, Groen Island, recenbly taken possession of by the Railway Commissioners j whether any person or persons had mudtj any claim on the Railway Commissioners} for compensation or payment in consequence of their taking possession of the eaid line; what was the amount of euch claim, and would he inform the House of tho namo of the person or persons who mado such a claim. Tho question promised', to bo of little interest, and although thai member for Dunodin introduced in a longspeech a strong attack on Sir Robert Stout, ib did nob belie its promise. Indeed, aa. Sir Robert Stout said in reply to Mr Fish,, the matter looked very much as if it had. beon iubroducod simply that bhe member for Dunedin mighb have an opportunity ot" casting aspersions on the character of the? uiomb6r for Inangahua. Whatever MrFish may have intended it is cortain thab he treated the House for over half-an-hour to a series of vehement accusations againsb Sir Robert Stout. To explain these accusations in their entirety would necessitate going into a full account! of the history of the Fernhill Railway, and as such a history could hardly be of much interest to Aucklanders, tbo majority of whom havo nover heard of the line, I need, nob repeab Mr Fish's remarks. Briefly, thai railway was built aba cost of £8,000, thoi company borrowing £5,000 from the New Zealaud Mortgage Association. After' somo years the Hon. Mr Logan bought thai railway, and to do so borrowed money from Sir Robert Stout's firm. This firm, therefore, holds a first mortgage over the line.. Some time ago the line, at the suggestion) ' of the Commissioners, was taken ovor by* the Government, and now ib is proposed ta re-invest ib in the private owner. Thatr owner, says Mr Fish, _b Sir Robert Stout. And the member for Dunedin not only hinted, but even wont to the verge of asserting that ib was ab Sir Robert's instigation and for the benefib of thab gentleman that the Government had acted and was intending to act. In his Btrident and decidedly displeasing voice he characterised the affair as one of the greatest jobs that had been perpebrated. He said bhab the member for Inangahua had kepb himself out of the: mat-tor, and had employed dummies, and. Ib would be a shameful thing thab he should havo any preferential advantage as a. credibor.

SIR ROBERT STOUT IN REPLY,

Sir Robert Stonb received bhe member for Dunedin's accusations and insinuations with a smiling countenance, which, instead of turning away the wrath of bhe harsh orator, infuriated him still more. Whea Mr Fish had ab lasb empbied himself of all his store of personal denunciations, ho gave way to hia opponent to reply. This Sir Robert did briefly. Air the outseb he said bhab he was glad bhafc the matter had come before the House. Far better this than thab ib should ba talked about in tho lobbies, coupled with all sorbs of insinuations made behind his; back. This latter course was tho one Mr Fish had proferred to adopt for the lasb few weeks.. He regretted thab the time of bhe House should be wasted by a member caßting a slur upon anobher, but when he remembered such things as bribes, cheques, and members of Harbour Boards it did. nob much matter whab come from Mr' Fish. He mighb movo that, "The wrte issued by bhememberfor Dunedin againstone' Walber be laid before the House, and bhab a Commibbee be sot up with a view of determining whether the honourable gentleman was fib to sib in bhab House." Mr Fish, knowing whab many readers of this cannoO know, viz., bho personal allusion bo himßelf conbaiued in these words, boldly called out, "And I will second such a motion with pleasure." Sir Robort then went on to state the exac. ; position of tho matbor, and explained how his firm in the ordinary course- or business had becomo firab mortgagees of' the line. Mr Fish, he said had spoken of certain claims as boing unsatisfied and had mentioned thab of Harail and Grey. Theea gentlemen had no claim whatever. If tbey had any claim against him they could suehim. Ho was not in the habit of taking, advanbage of the Bankruptcy Court, liko some others he could name. To tha numerous aspersions Mr Fish had cast on his character Sir Robert Stout did nofc reply, bub ho reminded bhe House thab such personalities cast no slur on a mao unless they emanated from a pure source. Ho suggested, in conclusion, thab an impartial committee of the Opposition shoul*

be appointed to enquire into the whole matter.

THE PREMIER'S STATEMENT

Mr Seddon assured Mr Fish thab none excepb legal representatives of those who bad a claim on the lino would get anybhing from bbc Govornment, but thab at presonb there were no claims of tho nature etated by Mr Fish before the Governmenb or Commissioners. He was quite prepared to have the Bill for re-investment of the line in owners referred to a Committee. Mr Richardßon, from Opposition bonches, amid a little titter from the body of the House, slowly, sadly, and significantly said that he had no thoughb thab there was anybhing in the matter which had occupied a great part of the afternoon till ho heard the Premier speak, and lefb ib to be inferred t hab since the Ministerial utterance he (jhoughb a greab dealof ib. MR FISH AROUSED.

Mr Fish, who had meanwhile sat silent under the burden of Sir Roberb Stoub'a stern reproof, rose again, and attempted to shake himself clear of it. The member for Inangahua, he oxclaimed, with bitter sarcasm in his voice, posed as a high moral gentleman and had treated him (the member for Dunedin) in a de haut en bas fashion. Thon followed torrents of virtu peration, mingled with explanation, from the lips of the irate member, who concluded by challenging Sir Roberb Stoub to take any steps against Mm he liked, and assuring bhe House tkat he had no porsonal motive in bringing up the subjecb of the Fernhill railway. So the matter concluded, and Parata, bhe member for the Southern Maori district, rose to give his opinion on

MR "WARD'S BLUE BOOK. Sensible Maori that he is, ho did not follow the example of many predecessors in the debate in introducing personalities, athough, had he been so fond of bheir use as soms of our represenbatives, he mighb wibh impunity have done so, as he was speaking in his nativo tongue. He showed also in another direction a wisdom that is too often conspicuous by its absence when his while brethren address the House. He kept himself to whab be understood, and did nob attempt any lengthy discussion ou matbors that lay beyond his province. Speaking of the proposed Native Legislation he rogretted tbab bhe nabives had boen kept in ( bhe dark so lotfg as to tho Government's intentions. Ho thoughb that tbe Government had been forcod to take steps towards rating native lands by the action of local bodies. Ho complained that rates had nob always boen expended in the districts whore they were collected, aud hoped that if native lands woro taxed, income dorived from them should be spent for benefib of the natives. Parata had not a very l.vge House to speak to, and perhaps ho' felt bo some extent tho lack of the enthusiastic reception which would no douM have been hia had he b_en addressing a native audionce. Members are nob very demonstrative even when a moderately interesting speaker holds the floor, unless his utterances bo in a violently abusive style, and even an eloquent speech heard through the medium of an interpreter ia very apt to fall flat. Parata called attention to thia absence "Of demonstration in a jocular manner thab won him a hearty round of applause. The afterBoon was stormy, and tho winds without wero howling round the ventilators at the top of the Chamber, every now and again making them clatter with a noise which made several members look norvoosly aloft. It so happened that one of these noisy interruptions took place just as the member had finished whab he considered a very telling phrase, he looked aloft, and said that ho supposed he must regard that noise in tho nature of applause. The House responded with hand-clapping. Parata. speech closed with tho dinner adjournment. When the House assembled in the evening the galleries were crowded. . ;■ THE PREMIER,

'who ro.e to address the House, bad, therefore, a very respectable audience, lie began by saying that he did not think thab wibhin the memory of any member ot that House bad a Premier boen placed in tho position in which ho himself now stood. He had to reply to the OpposiI tion's criticisms of the Bu-got before tbe 1 Leader of tho Opposition had Bpoken. That genbleman had handed over the position in the debate, which belonged to himself, to his colleague, the member for ' Ellesmere. Ib was, therefore, to Sir J. Hall .specially ohab Mr Seddon had prepared to address himself. Both the member for Ellesmere and he of Waitotara, the Premier reminded the House had twitted him with a want of courage. (Hear, hear, cried George eagerly.) Admitting the imputation, Mr Seddon turned towards that supercilious one, and in a voice shaken -with indignation rebuked him. If he had been guilty of cowardice, he cried, he would never have occupied the position he now did. Casting bheso and other imputations behind him. the Premier shortly referred bo bhe length of the dobato, which he conbended did not appear to him to have been ab all prolonged beyond a reasonable bime. The debabe was :& moeb important one, that was bho lasb session of Parliamenb and members wore naturally anxious to epeak to their constituencies. Tho debate afforded them that opportunity. It was an appeal to the ■people. As to the complaint that ib was being unduly lengthened out, he said thab he had seen quite as much timo devoted to a speech from tho throne. Neither had he seen any degeneration io the character of the debabe. With a few exceptions it had been conducted in a very orderly fashion. Perhaps bhe Premier was corrocb in saying this, as be was undoubtedly right not bo refer, except in one caso, to tlio unseemly intorckango of personalities which, though ib has amused the House, has dobracbed very seriously horn the dignity of tho assembly. The solibary reference he made waa to the Fisher-McLean Bquabble. Ib creabed for somo time-after its occurrence such com-

menb bhab be probably felb compelled to mention ib. Ho therefore did ao, bub briefly, merely remarking thab he conißidored Mr McLean was justified, in the parb ho had baken up. Returning to the Budget, the Premier said he be, lioved he was correct in saying that ib had hardly been touched, but thab bhe reception ib had received from the House was mosb gratifying, If the speeches made within the last two weoks, when it was uuder discussion, were .analysed, ib would be found tbab fully bwothirds of those who had spoken were

ABSOLUTELY FAVOURABLE to Mr Ward's Blue Book. During tho

opening portions of Mr Seddon's speech the Opposition showed an inclination to disturb and a wish to disconcert ■■the speaker. Mr Buckland especially, vho probably is getting careless of the finer points in Parliamentary ■etiquette,, made frequent and nob very iraleranb interruptions, bub Mr Seddon's "forcible manner over-ruled tbe occupants of the benches opposito him, and they settled down to liaten quiebly to a speech Which occupied close on threo hours. During tho first hour the Premier had hia Vide full in replying to the accusations which for many days pasb havo been showered down upon him. Firsb thero was that great one ahoub BOGUS LIABILITIES °f which wo heard so much when Sir John Hall was addressing tbo House. He did lot deny, as he has never denied, using the terra when referring to certain monies alleged by Sir Harry Atkinson to have bean owing by the Grey Government in 1879. On bhe contrary, with greab vehemence ho asserted tbab he was able to prove that tbey were nob liabilities at all. fleaaid he could nob bide from his eyes bho,

sad picture, as he called it, of 1579. To that picture, for such time as he mighb prove hia aubhoriby for the uae of tbe berm " bogus," which had raised tho ire of the Opposition, Mr Seddon directed the attention of members. Having done so, he had still tho criticisms which thegenbleman opposite bad passed upon his speeche?. Mr Seddon is a voluminous speaker. He is nob infallible, nor are the reporters who take- down his speeches. In his case, as in that of hundreds of other statesman, it is most eaay for the Opposition to discover discrepancies in speeches delivered in half-a-dozen places, under all sorts of circumstances. Such discrepancies mean nothing, and ib is rather significant when an Opposition comes bo regard them as an El Dorado. It is a clear sign thab bhey have a very poor case. Still, ib would nob have done for bhe Premier to leave the accusations of members on the left regarding thoae speeches unnoticed, and he did nob. Volumes of Hansard and of newspaper clippings were lying in fronb of him, and to these he made copious reference, as one by one he meb bhe charges of inconsisbency which had been hurled againsb him. Afber having put himself right in the eyes of the House, Mr Seddon turned to the moab-imporbant parb of his speech, bis

REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT

POLICY. Ho touched on all bhe great questions of the day and repudiated the adverse criticisms of his opponenbs. Mr Seddon next endeavoured to convince thoso inconvincibles opposite bo him of bhe wisdom of the measures tbe Government had introduced, .or intended to introduce. He gliowed that tho taxation proposals of the Governmenb were alike fair bo bown and country. He told the House thab a grave injuctice was being done both to natives and Europeans in allowing large areas of land belonging to farmers to remain unoccupied, and he assured members that the natives wore nob averse to their lands being rated. He explained the difficulty of the opposition he had occupied with regard to the Railway Commissioners, and pointed oub tbab to adopt the old contract sysbem, instead of getting work done by co-operative labour, a* ab presenb, would mean a return bo borrowing and squandering. So long as public works were carried oub on the present system there would be no necessity for tho hugo loan* of the past. Referring to tho Cheviob estabe, bbc Premier said thab the law providing for the purchase was in force before he came into office. It was recommended by the Commissioner ot Taxes—nob bhab he regretbed or felb ib necessary bo defend their action in purchasing the estate. The Premier has perfect faibh and indeed mosb of bhose who have seen the land support bim in his opinion. Mr Seddon concluded a very long address amid loud cheers, which were renewed when the

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION rose to his feet. Aa it was close on 10.30, the hour for supper adjournmenb, Mr Rolleston did nob begin his speech, bub asked the Speaker that it might be deferred until the Uoubo meb again. The Speaker consented, and tbo members dispersed into the lobbies, where they discussed tho Premier's speech and sundry other things which the House supplies.

Mr Rolleston made complaints about bhe lengbh of tbe Premier' 6 speech, characterised ib aa fall of much balk aboub nothing ab all, and sbraighbway proceoded to deliver himself of an oration almosb equally long, and nob particularly remarkable for condensed wisdom. From a pile of foolscap dark with notes he drew texts by hundreds for denunciation and woeful piedictions of almost everything appertaining to tho Government. Every fresh abtack, however manifest its failure, was hailod as a victory by his applauding adherents, and the voice of the Middle Party was by no moans unheard. During the course of his long and wide discourse, he had two passages at arms with tho member for Inangahua. Yet, -hough the labter is no puny antagonist, ib was not he bub tho Premier with whom the leader of tbe Opposition thirsted to do , battle. That gentleman took the attacks no quietly thab Mr Rolleston was betrayed into an allegation thab broughb Mr Seddon to his feeb with an appeal to the Speaker. The allegation, deliverod in a deep and almosb horrified voico, was that there haa been a silent, secret, surreptitious FALSIFICATION OF PUBLIC RECORDS on the parb of tho Premier, This grave charge, fortified with such an array of mysterious alliteration, produced quite bhe desired sensation. The speaker baited for a reply to the appeal, whilo the Opposition noisily supported their leader till Mr Seddon was forced to resume his seat, bub his companion in arms, Mr MacKenzie, leaped into the breach, reminded Mr Speaker that he had not given bis ruling, and protested againsb snch insinuations againsb his honourable friend being allowed to pass unchallenged. The Speaker bhereupon declared bhe language was inadmissible. Mr Rollesbon heard, bub did nob seek bo withdraw the expression nor to retire from an attack which he considered had proved eminently satisfactory. Having, 03 be thoughb, roused bhe Premier's abtenbion and ire, he metaphorically closed wibh him by challenging the latter to have an inquiry later on. Ho won the laughter of his adherents by referring to Mr Seddon'B excuse that he was asleep when the explanation of bhe so called discrepancy in bhe accounts was aßked. "My opinion is," said Mr Rolleston, " thab ib was his conscience thab was aaleop," and then, by a happy iubuition, he addod, bis belief is tbab ib is "a sleep which knows no waking." In bhe 1 concluding passages of bis Bpeech_ ho übtered some carefully prepared libble phrases, every word of which ho had culled wibh choicest art. Of course they wero " agin' the Governmenb." Then, recollecbingi thab ho had nob dealt a blow ab the Minister for Educabion, he ask6d, with well feigned ignoranco, whab that gentleman has done. One o'clock is already past, and the gentleman who ab bhe outset of his speech had accused Mr Seddon of taxing tho patience of members in the earlier part of tho evening was still addressing a sleepy, diminishing House. By 1.25 he had reached his last sentence, which was an appeal to the working man, whom the Governmenb had, he deplorod.shainefully— no, "shockingly," was his word—deceived. Had be been guilty of similar conduct to thai of those opposito in this matter, ho would have hanged himself. With a reminder from Mr Seddon thab he was prepared to submib to an investigation of tbe alleged alteration of the public documents to tho Public Accounts Committeo, coupled with an emphatic denial thab any such alteration took place, the Bitting came to an end. OAMARU LOAN BILL.

A little preliminary debate that arose in the Honae on the subjecb of the Oamaru Loans Consolidation Bill was portentous of troublo ahead. In the course ot bhat measure the opening nobe of war was sounded by Mr Rhodes, who was nob prepared to support a Bill which, for bhe first time in the history of tho colony, proposed to confiscate tho rights of bondholders. Sir R. Stoat referred to the importance of the proposal which was to reduce tbo ratos of interest payable to bondholders by one aod two per cent., and though additional security was offered under tho Bill to the bondholders the matter required consideration. The Premier and the loader of the Opposition agreed that tho matter was one of momenb, and thab ib wos advisable to adjourn the debate in order to allow members an opportunity of studying bhe questions involved, Mr Fisher said thab bho acblon oi Sir J. Lubbock and obhers in London bad raised this question to a poei-

tion not merely of one affecting tbe interests ol the bondholders, bat as having a bearing on the credib of the colony in England. The member for Oamaru, who has charge of bhe Bill, offered no objection bo the adjournmenb of the debate, but believed no good end would be attained by doing so. The debate was accordingly adjourned till Friday, and ib was resolved bhat, meanwhile, the reporb of bhe Commibtee on the Bill, and a letber from a lady bondholder, produced by Mr Rhodes, be printed and circulated among members, A debate of some length may be anbicipated, and Mr Duncan has hard work before him bo pilot the Bill through the shoals and rapids that may be ahead. THE FATAL PRIZE-FIGHT.

Mr J. M, Shera broughb bhe ■ recenb alleged failure of justice at Auckland in connection with the fabal prize-fighb before bhe Houso again yesberday. He aßked the Minister for Justice whebher bhe labber had placed before the Attorney-General the faebs of bhe case, and suggested that a new indiebmenb should be prepared, Mr Reeves expressed himself .very doubbful if a new indictment could be drawn up, and informed bis questioner that the police had received instructions to take steps to suppress prize-fighting. LAND SETTLEMENT.

The Minister of Lands has promised that the Government will introduce a Bill during the present session, and will endeavour to have passed an Amending Acb enabling tho acquisibion of land, nnder bhe Land for Settlements Acb, compulsory upon bhe payment of the full and fair value.

During the year it appears, according to Mr Hall-Jones, that the Governmenb have only been able to acquire aboub 1,000 acres of suitable land.

In reply to Mr Hogg, who asked yesterday whether the Government would be propared in future in making advances to settlers on tbe security of permanent im provements, to place bhe Governmenb leaseholdorsupon bhe same foobiug as freeholders, and whether they would be prepared to give the preference to the claims of selectors who are bringing thoir land into cultivation, and aa vet are receiving no return from their labour and expenditure. Mr Seddon replied thab tho Government had to exercise great care in dealing wibh such matters, which required to be serionsly considered. It was not probable that anything would be dono in the direction indicated by Mr Hogg. NEW ZEALAND STOCK, "Inwbab quarter?" askod the member for Wsitobarn yesberday, " has bhe £120,000 3$ per cenb. inscribed stock been sold ab bho satisfactory prico of 95J as stated in the Financial Statement?" George pub a meaning emphasis on bho "sold ab aatisfactory price of 95J." Mr Ward unmercifully wounded the somowhat polished questioner by putting on his question a construction of which it was q-iito capable. Ho bclievod, or affected to believe, that George by "quarter" meant " quarter of the year." He answered accordingly, amidst laughter. The member for Waitobara, somewhab asbonished that his English could be mieundersbood, resumed his soab, saying that ho would ask the question at a future time. FIRE BRIGADES. When tho member for Maßterton yesterday asked thab in future legislative provision should be made for the support of firo brigades by means of subsidies from bho Insurance Companies' fund, or by allowing brigades to participate in bhe value of salvage, he,was told tl\at the matter involved a great principle, bn. that there would ba an opportunity of discussing tho question wben the Municipal Corporation Bill came bofore the House. JOTTINGS. The Treasurer does not see his way to remove the import duty on fencing wire, nor seoing a number of concessiona mado to farmers lately does ha soo the necessity of reducing the pnblic revenue to the extent the abolition of the tax on wire would involve.

The Dunedin Grain-shed Hall Trustees Empowering Bill, and tho Rohspotal Investigation Titles Act Amendmont Bill, wore read a second time yesterday.

Mr Mibchelson has been granted a week's leave on account of urgenb private business.

Two petitions from Dunedin bearing 2,427 and 1,013 signatures respectively, were presented by Mr Pinkerton, praying bhab Saburday bo fixed aa the compulsory half-holiday for shops.

As Sir George Grey, health still continues precarious, he has beou granted further loavo of absence tor a week.

A large number of offers of land continue to be mado to the Government under the Lands for Settlement Act of last session. Tbeße include offers from tho Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury districts, and some v/ill be considered at nexb sibting of the Board. In tho majority of cases the areas offered aro of small exbenb, bub ono offer from Auckland covered between 7,000 and 8,000 acres, and one from Wellington is of 1,200 acres. The Auckland offer was declined, as the Commissioners did nob consider bhe land suibable for settlement.

A return prepared on the motion of Mr Fisher, shows tho total cost of tbe legal proceedings in connection with tbe appointment of Mr W. B. Edwards as Supremo Courb Judge to have been £1,320 3s 6d. The number of sheepskins exporbed from bho colony during the year 1892 was 2,206,816, of which 396,837 were with wool. The member for Christchurch will tomorrow ask tho Minister for Justice whether he will introduce legislation providing for th 9 regisbration of all persons acting as privabo bailiffs in order that there may bo some guarantee as to the character and antecedents of those armed with such extensive powers of seizure. He who keeps watch and ward over" the Garden of New Zealand," Mr E. M. Smith, wishes to know if the Government will give a pound for pound donation to a fund to be subscribed by the people of Taranaki for the purpose ot rewarding Mr Thomson for hia daring capture of the highwayman. Mr W. Hutchinson thinks some means might be devised by the Government to prevent tho large sums which aro transmitted to TatborSairs, Sydney, being sent from tha colony to be lost in gambling of a ruinous character.

Mr Fish is evidently working hard to flubtor tho Ministerial dovecot. He says he intends asking the Premier this afternoon whether there is any truth in the following paragraph which appeared in the "Evening Post" newspaper on Monday bbe24bh insb., viz, "The sbory runs thai an intrigue is being cairied on bo easb Mr Seddon from bho Premiership and the leadership of bhe Liberal parby in favour of Sir Roberb Sboub, Seddon being compensabed by an appointmenb aa Chief Commissioner of Railways for five years aba salary of £1,000 a year," Mr Fish is not gifted to any oxtenb with humour bub he can porpebrabo a joke occasionally when his angor is especially roused. Ib will be pointed oub by Mr Lawry this afternoon thftb the agricultural and pastoral interests have no direct representation on tho Auckland Harbour Board. The member for P«.rnell will ask the Governmenb to takff steps that the3o interests shall in future have a fair representation. In response (lo Sir John Hall's request, a return will probably be issued shortly showing the number of assessment nobices for land bax issued bo companies and persons, bho number of cases in which they have been objected to, the number of cases in which such objections havo como before a oourb of review, bho number of returns of income made by companies and persons, and a statement of tho steps which have been taken to teat the correctness of such returns of -.v-vmo, cither by bringing the

cases before a reeident magistrate or other' wise.

At a meebing of the Public Accounts Committee bo-day Mr Shera was elected chairman.

Mr Crowther'a familiar face met me in the lobby , to-day. Our worthy Mayor will abbend a meebing of the Central Board of Health which mil be held to-morrow. He expects to be kept in Wellington on Conn* cil business till Friday.