Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 205, 30 August 1893, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

THE LIQUOR QUESTION AGAIN.

BELLAMY EXEMPTED.

THE CLUB CLAUSE SLIGHTLY AMENDED.,

RATING OP NATIVE LANDS,

(BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL REPORTER.),

Wellington, this day. A little flutter was caused yesterday afternoon among those members who have Bills of their own before the House by tlio I'remier's announcement that for the remainder of the session Government business would take precedence on Thursday evenings. Henceforth private members' day, which has for some time back been looked on as rather'a farca will bo reduced to the length ot an afternoon's Bitting. Although members' who have come pet measure to put through may feel disappointed at this decision on the part of the Government, tusra 13 nob' the least doubt that the course about to be adopted is a wise one. As an almost invariable rule no business of any importance is accomplished on Thursday. The House on thab day merely amused itself, talking for taiking's sake, and bickering nnd joking were-the order of the day. When Mr Seddon gave notice of the Government's intention to curtail private members' opportunities, the Hon. Kolle.ston, Mr T. Mackenzie and others seized the occasion to pass some remarks on Bills in general. The Leader of the Opposition, glancing at the Order l Japer—which fairly bristled with Bills—expressed himself at a loss to know how the Government intended to get through them, or even a tithe of them. Mr Seddon' assured him that if members would only tako off their coats to the work a great deal could be, dona. He aroused hostile cries, however, when he said • that members had nob shown bo, greab a desiro to get on with work as ho would havo wished, and had to modify his statement before the Opposition would bo pacified. An alluBion to the rabbit pest, coupled with an assertion by Mr Rolleston, backed by several of his supporters, that the land administration of the Government was responsible for the spread of the rabbit pest, brought the Minister for Lands to his feet. He indignantly repudiated the attempt to make tho Government responsible for bunny's depreciations, and rabbits were dropped, and THE LIQUOR CONTROL BILL ■ was taken up. Tho business before the House was tho consideration in Committo of certain amendments and new clauses. The afternoon was young when the Speaker first put tho question that the House go into Committee to consider these amendments. Ib was close on the dinner adjournment before the stage of Committee was reached. Time after time did tho Speaker put thab question, only to bo followed by some member with an amendment which he wished also to be considered. Then would follow speeches, and, if the member were inconvincible, calls for divisions, ringings of the bell, and locking of doors; and, if the member still were immovable, divisions themselves. Thus tho afternoon was passed, till it was getting near to live o'clock, and bhen tho motion to go into Committee was carried. Tho Sergoant-at-Anna took the maco from the table, and the Speaker left his seat, and Mr Joyce, in the absence of Mr Guinness, took the chair. After that, business went on briskly, nothing of moment taking place till clause 19 was reached. THE CLUB CLAUSE. This was the clause subjecting clubs to the provisions of the Licensing Act. It contained in prominent Italics tho.uo few words about tho inclusion of Bellamy's, which were inserted, half in jest, when tho Bill wa3 last in Committee. The first business wa3 to excise those objectionable Italics, and ib was accomplished after a division, the numbora of which wore 31 and 24. Then followed attack after attack in the form of amendments on the clause as a whole, bub nothing important came of them excepting thabbhe words making club 3 subject'to regulations re closing of bars at eleven o'clock and Sunday trading were struck out, and, after a very long discussion words were inserted making them subject to the same provisions as if they woro licensed houses. This having been done, and a now clauso or two were dealb with, the Alcoholic Liquor Sale Control Bill passed through Committee. A faint clapping of hands was heard, the Premier rose, and with a sigh of relief, pitched the copy of tho measure aside. Mr ijoyco reported It to the Ho'uso, Mr Sorldon moved its third reading, and then thabtho debate be adjourned. These motions carried, the House took up Mr Ward's

RATING ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

In his clear, agreeable voice, the Troasurer explained, first), the main characteristic! of hid measure, and then gave tho House a brief explanatory precis of tho provisions of each individual clauso. He explained thab it was his intention to refer the Bill to a special Committee after ib had passed its second reading, and that thoso portions of it which dealb with native affairs would be passed over to the Native Alluira Committee. The most important change with regard to local rating contained in the measure, he said, and one that was made for the first time in the colony, was the proposal to make native lands contribute a fair share to local taxation. Ibvva3 not intended to make this provision general in application, and exceptions would bo introduced to make tho departure fall easily on thoeo natives afibcto-J by it. He had reason to believe that those concerned in the change were in favour of it, bub the Dill contains many other provisions than tho one on which stress has been laid. Mr Ward did not neglect to point them out. He atkod that any gentlemen having criticisms to make would bo brief that evening, and reserve their fire until the measure came back from the Committoo appointed to consider it. Mr Buchanan at tho outset of his speech boro this request of Mr Ward's in mind. Ho would not (ha paid) make a lengthy speech, seeing that an opportunity would be afforded of criticising tho Bill hereafter Tho honourable gentleman broke his promißO shamefully. He forgot all hiu"«'ood intentions oi being bnof and treated a nob very full House to an exhaustive survey of tho weak and unworkable points of tho Bill. ABheeawibhu paw it through Opposition spectacles, which, to judge by Ins doNripA». PJ senteditii. a very distorted fora indeed. Tie resetted that the Government pro™lri to nlnco tho burden of valuation on P° ii „ o He regretted that tho S,S to boon unimproved value.; [ndeS was evident ihat ho regretted imicLu, iv Richardson was KssSf ON UNIMPROVED VALUES ourselvoo. fj r *l» iU H and then louncherl

through? One third of tho amount would have furnished ample work for members * during the session, bub no ! the Govern- I went must havo their Bills. Thov were a iiill-run-mad Government, said Mr Fish. Altogether different was Sir John Hall's style ot expressing his displeasure with the bill bub that' displeasure was hardly the ;ess evident. He, however, varied his oblecbions with many suggestions for improvement of the measure. Kapa and iaipua confined themselves to those portions of the Bill which alfecb the natives. Both were strongly opposed to' rating native land, and both wore bitter against the Government. Kapa, in the latter past of his speech was especially so. Hia employment of those similiea which mosb naburally would arise in the mind of a native gave a freshness to what he said. HOW KAPA WOULD TREAT THE BILL. Ho told the House he would treat ib as a fowl. Ho would wring its nock, for he considered ib a hateful measure. The proposal to refer ib to the Native Affairs Committee was nob much to his mind. That Committee had too many Bills to deal with. As ib was they could not mend a measure which was bub another cti'qrb to degrado the natives, and to take awaV'from them the last ehrod of authority they stiLl possess over their lands. That degradation was going on rapidly, till for his part he felt he WOULD RATHER EE A CHINAMAN bhan a Maori. He was certain, was Kapa, thab if he were a Celestial ho would geb better terms from the Government. Taipua, on much the same lines, and at much greater length, delivered his opinion, giving, as Mr E. M. Smith who followed him said, ono side of the picture. E. M. gave the other ; though he was by no means entirely favourable to the Bill, yet he was quite agreeable to the proposal to tax native land, and promised the Government h.13 support in passing the measure. The second reading was carried on division by 30 to 9, and the Kongo rose at 1.45 a.m. OUR COUNTRY ROADS. Those who are woll acquainted with (lie state of our country roads during (he winter will ccc tho forco of Mr Houston's roquesb that the Government, in granting money for road purposes to local bodie?, will arrange for work being commenced in the spring, and not, a3 at present, in the beginning of the winter. The Minister of Lands admitted that if reads woro made or repaired in the spring, tho work would have all summer to become consolidated, but he pointod out that tho Government wero not in a position to grant all monoy ab ons period of the year. Besides, by requiring the work to be done at one season, Mr McKenzie hold that a great many men would bo deprived of employment at other seasons of the year, when they were most in need of ib. ■ THE SALVATIONIST CASE. " Captain " Kerr of tho Salvation Army, who was sentenced to a lino of £0, or one month's hard labour, for playing a cornet in the streets of Milton, has not, as many heio imagined, been pining in durance vilo for an illegal exercise of hia musical faculty. The Hon. Mr Reeves told Mr Taylor yesterday afternoon that Mr Korr had never been in gaol, and might not bo sent, and that in the meantime tho Department of Justice had sent to the Magistrate for a report of the case, ■which was expected to arrive to-morrow. AN AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. In other Australasian colonies tho Agricultural Departments periodically iasua a journal providing information of value and interest to the agricultural community, and Sir John Hall wishes that our Govornmonb should tako steps to issue a similar publication. The Minister of Lands announced in tho House yesterday that; correspondence had passed betweon the Government and Canterbury Society with tho object of makincr their journal into ono for tho whole colony, but nothing had resulted, lie quite recognised the value of such a publication, and would be glad to open up fresh correspondence on tho subject. The whole matter was under consideration of his colleague?, and he trusted before long it would doubtless be sottled. JOTTINGS. Mr McKenzie, of Clutha, though loud against a number of Bills this sesaion, intends to ask Government if they are going to bring down a measure dealing with bush firing. Tho present empty condition of various Governmenb residences in Wellington has induced Mr Buckland, from economic motives, no doubt, to put a question on the Order Paper, asking Government what; they intend to do with these buildings. Moved by that paragraph in the police report on the prevalence of baby-farming in our midst, Mr W. Hutchison will ask the Minister for Justice whether he proposes to introduce any legislation this session to deal with what appears to be a prowinfj evil. Tho Roads Validation Bill and Noxious Weeds Bill No. 2 are two now Bills given notice of by the Minister for Lands. Ib is reported that Captain Russell has been asked to became a candidate for the Napior scab ab tho general election, and that soveral of Mr Swan's supporters have joined in the request. Captain Russell states that he has received no requisition, bub he proposes to again stand for his present consbituoncy. The Industries and Manufactures Committee is likely to recommend thab the Governmenb should oiler a bonus for the invention of improved machinery for preparing flax. Thirty-seven settlersand others interested in a main road between Warkworbh and Whangarei, have petitioned thoGovernment to have something dono in tho matter, and suggest that tho best line of road is by Mangaripa Valley and Mangawai, Waipa At the request of MrHamlin, the Minister of Justice has promised to take into consideration tho advisability of procuring a permanent price of land ab Pukekoho for a house for tho local constable. The Postmaster-General, in reply to Mr Lawry who was solicitous that young ladies in tho general post offices should havo the Fame number of holidays us their sisters in the telephone department, informed tho member for Par noil thab it could not be done Ho explained thab there was only one woman in charge of the telephone department in Auckland, She was an old servant of tho Government, and, as;, her duties were very arduous, she had .been granted a month's holiday. All othoi female employees gob tho same as tho men. More native petitions havo been received expressing hostility Co tho Native Land Pur--S^aus*. lotbi.lLofWh... paroi, and John Mutheaon McKay, of \Vdpu, who constitute the Board 0 Reviewers in those disbrictn nndoi the Land and Income Tax Assessment Act 1891 have petitioned tho Government for payment of certain fees which they allege to bo duo to thorn for services rendered. Taipua is going to ask the i Minis er in charge of native affairs if he will take immediate steps to relievo the great d,s ress existing ab present among the Lower Waikato natives, which has been caused by recent heavy flood'-. . , The member for Waitomaba.s determined that ib shall nob be for want ot asking if^the Government do nothing for the Runu^ge this session. On Thursday lie will wkif the Governmenb intend to fix n time for the House to discus, the pumfields report and "they intend to introduce any lectio In regard to tho gumfields and gumdiggers before Parliament closch. To-day Mr E.M. Smith w.UM; the U f vernment for a return of the amount of 1 money added to the upeeb price for roads in

tho North Island, and what part of that sum was expended for road work up to the 31st July, 1893.

Mr Buckland this afternoon jogged the Premier's memory about the erection of a court-house near the police dwelling and lock-up at Otahuhu,'and asked whether provision would be made for the work in the Public Works Esbimatea.

The endowments made by the General and Provincial Governments for hospitals in Auckland are monopolised by ona institution, says the new member for Thame?, and he intends to ask tho Government to set apart a portion of tho 250,000 acres of land mentioned in section 88 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885, as an endowment for the Thamos and Coromandel district hospitals.

Mr Kapa wants to know what steps the Government intend to tako with reference to tho potition of Major Kemp and the Federated Maori Assembly of New Zealand, praying the Governor and the Govornmonb to grant them the powers conferred upon them by tho Treaty of Waitangi and the Now Zealand Constitution Act, 1552, and whether the Government will tako any 3teps in tho matter during this present session to give effect to the prayer of the petitioners.

Replying to a question addressed to him by ilr Meredith, tho Minister of Education, said that he quite agreed with thab genbloman in thinking that the requirements of Education Boards in the matter of pupil teachers' examinations were excessive, and promised that he would do his best to get tho Boards to modify their regulations. Mr Meredith's suggestion was thab there should be a system of annual cxaminabion questions for pupil teachers, on the same principle as at present provided for the teachers' and civil service examinatious, with a view of having a uniform system of examination, and thoreby removing the anomalies thab exist in our present system. Ho further asked the Minister to modify the pupil teachers' syllabus, either by diminishing the number of subjocta, or by lowering the standard of requirements for pass, as the prosent demands on our young teachors are excessive, and calculated to permanently injure their health.