Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 224, 19 September 1894, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

NOTES mm THE GALLERY

(BY SKLKQKAPH. —PARLIAMENTARY RE

rORTEE.)

Wellington, Tuesday.

A PROLONGED SESSIONr At an early sbage of bhe proceedings Mr Mitchelsbn, by an unnotified question, elicits a piece of imporranb information from the Treasury benches—a piece of information which we are all very glad to hear. It concerns the close of the session. Mr Mitchelson has been running his v eye down bhe terrible list of Bills, and, like everyone who has done bhe same, he cannob believe for one momenb that, work as hard as we may, there is tho slightest chance of our getting through them. He therefore wants the Premier to tell him what day has been appointed for the "slaughter of the innocents," and which measures are to be sacrificed. Such a questioa always raises a smile in bhe House. The prospecb of roburning home bo one's family, and bo one's conabibuency, crowned wibh all bhe honors which an arduous session generally confers, is dear bo the average legislator's hearb. Even bhose who have cause bo fear bhe cold or averted glances of an elecborate which feels ib has been deceived in ibs choice, look forward bo the end of bhe bime during which bhey have laid themselves open to misrepresentation and condemnation. The Premier is smiling when he rises to reply to Mr Mitchelson, and ab bbc outset of his reply he bakes bhe liberty to play wibh bhe evidenb anxieby of honourable members to be home again. From what honourable members have themselves said, he is under the impression that they are quite prepared to sit in this Chamber until Christmas. " Oh, yes," cry ironical gentlemen. '• Yes," says the Premier, " I understand they are quite willing to stay till the Order Paper is cleared." He goes on to say, amid much laughter from the Opposibion, bhab he is nob aware bhab there is one Bill on the Order Paper which ib would nob be for the good of the country to pass. Firsb, bhere aro bhe policy Bills, particularly those of them affecting finance ; they musb firsb be gob through. He sees no reason why they should nob be disposed of bhis week. Then bhere are bhe Native Land Courb Bill and othor imporbanb measures which he would like bo see pushed forward. The Licensing Bill he would like bo see tackled early next week, so that it may be sent upsbairs bo bhe Lords, who are ab presenb among the unemployed. Those measures well advanced, the Premier thinks he will be in a position to say whab Bills can be sbruck off bhe Order Paper. He hopes to be able bo give the House some .definibe information on this point aboub Friday week. As to the great day, tho day when we shall shake the Parliamentary dust off our feeb, nob even the Premier knows ib, or feels compebenb to prophecy anybhing jvery definibe about it, but be thinks if we work well we may look forward to say good-bye to Wellington aboub the Becond week in October, without any sense of having left uudone anybhing which it was our duty to have done this session. Ab bhis hopeful vaticination the House ■miles again, and listens to the Premier assuring Mr Mitchelson, in reply to another question by tbab gentleman, thab every opporbuniby will be afforded the House of debating bbc proposals concerning bank amalgamation. In a third question, Mr Mitchelson repeats a question which he haß more than once broughb up in bhe House. He wishes to have Cusboma returns monbhly inßbead of quarberly. The Treasurer, as usual mosb pohbe, Bbatos thab the Governmenb have no inbention of issuing monbhly reburns, for bhe reason bhab bhey do nob consider such a. system a good' One. NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY. The member for Eden has to content himself by asking a fourth question. Ib is bhab the Premier in bhe Public Works Sbabemenb should announce the decision of Governmenb respecting bhe roube debermined on for bhe Norbh Island Main Trunk Railway. Mr Seddon points out thab the queation of route is not before the Government. What they have to decide ia the amounb of money which will be available, and ibs allocation. As to the roube. Ib is hia intention to move thab the reporbs of the engineers be referred to tho Railway Committee, who have now sufficient information ab their disposal to be able to come to some more definite conclusion regarding the route than the Selocb Committee, thab were previously appoinbed, were in a position to do. The prospects of the North Island Railway do not grow sensibly brighter. Afber this promise we can hardly expecb very much from bhe Railway Committee. A GRAND NATIONAL EXHIBITION. The other day I quoted in full a question which E.M. had given notice of, in which he urged the Government to make special provisionfora "Grand National Exhibition" to be held in 1900. E.M. now asks his question. # The Premier replies to ib, and takes a most sensible view of the matter. In bhe firsb place he expresses bhe opinion bhab bhe safest way to promote arts, manufactures, and industries is to make the country prosperous by settling people on the land. The money which E.M. suggests should be seb aside annually for this exhibibion, Mr \ Seddon believes would be far bebter spent x on roads. At the Bame bime, be by no means wishes bo discourage bhe exhibition. He quite recognises ibs importance, i but he thinks it is quite time enough for tho Governmenb bo come forward wibh help when the people have taken the initiative ;! thab ib is only whon people bake bhe firsb step in a matter like this thab there is much prospecb of ib becoming a success. E.M. is disappointed. He evidently had a faint hope that his scheme would meet with a warmer welcome. COMMERCIAL RECIPROCITY. That prosperity which he believes could be secured by an exhibibion, Mr O'Regan considers can bebter be attained by establishing free trade relations between New Zealand and the Australian colonies. He would therefore like the Premier to at once communicate with the Governments of the Australian colonies with a view of holding an intercolonial conference for the purpose of adjusting trade relations. The Premier, after stating that former advances on the part of the colony were coldly received, intimateß tbab New Zealand is quite prepared to co-operate should the other colonies display any deaire in thab direction. > THE CHEAP MONEY SCHEME. After questions, the debate on the Government Advances to Settlers Bill is. resumed, and a very tedious affair ib proves. Ib reminds one of the old simile of thrashing straw. Nob a new idea sees bhe lighb during bhe afternoon, and hardly an old idea appears in any other better clothing than ib has worn since ib became familiar to the House. Mr Monbgomery leads off, and bakes up his full half hour in a speech to which he has evidenbly devoted some care. He fails to make ib inberesting, however, notwibhstanding bhab he draws abtention by attacking Sir Robert Stoub's criticism. Suffice bo to say that he is an admirer and supporter of the measure. - Mr Duthie, at besb a tiresome speaker, If ollows, and he does nob -liven us one whit. His is a mosb thoroagh-going denunciation cf the Bill, and unconsidered deuunciatiob {

one mighb say, for ib would seem as if Mr Duthie bad bound himself by oath to see nothing good in the measure before he seb eyes on ib, and bad faithfully kepb hia vow. After abusing bho Bill from beginning bo end, he concludes with an appeal to the Treasurer to withdraw ib.

From Mr Hogg, of Masterton, comes some unexpectedly moderate criticism of bhe Bill. He is altogether in favour of the principle of tho measure, bub he thinks ib mighb be less elaborate, bhab much less money should be borrowed ab firsb till we have "experimented a little, and tbab advances should on no accounb be over £500. Sebblers who have properbies on which they can raise £5,000, aro nob people who need help from bhe Government, thinks Mr Hogg. Mr Buick finds faulb wibh the Bill on the grounds tbab ib is nob bhe measure everyone was led bo expecb from whab was said in bhe Financial Statement. He quite agrees thab struggling sebblers should be helped, bub he does nob agree wibh bhe class which ib is proposed to help or the way in which ib is proposed bo help bhem. To begin with, he does nob believe in assistance being afforded bo leaseholders ; he objects bo money being borrowed ab 4 per cenb., thinks thab 50 per cenb. of the value of property should be the limit of advance, and, wibh Masberton, holds thab £5,000 loans are far too much.

Mr Willis, expressing surprise ab the position taken up by Mr Buick, compliments Mr Hogg on that gentleman's opinions, which opinions Mr Willis iB quite in accord with.

The sonorous, tedious Meredith waxes explanatory ab bhe early parb of his speech, and does nob riveb bhe abtention of bhe Honse any more than his predecessors of bhe afbernoon have done. Of all bhe speeches delivered to-day his is bhe mosb enbhusiasbic 6spousal of bhe Bill, and all bhab"ib contains. Ho concludes on the stroke of 5.30, and when wo meet in bhe evening Mr Bell gets on his feeb. He reveols himself nob as an unbiassed critic, bub as an enemy of bhe Governmenb. He endeavours bo throw suspicion and contempt on bhe measure. Ib is destined bo failure. In bis eye this cheap money scheme is beseb with difficulties. The work of the valuers will be mosb arduous, bhey will have bo be exceptional men, and most careful men, who can weigh well the fab years wibh the lean. There will be the greatest difficulty in collecting interest ab stated times, bub, putting this chief difficulty aside, there will be, in Mr Bell's opinion, losses all round, loss on getting money from England, loss in taxation bhrough decrease in privabe mortgages, losses in working expenses. Thus ab greab lengbh Bell.

He is followed by tbe crack speed talker of bhe House, Riccarton Russell. Ho combats Mr Bell's criticism for half of his time, and ia as enbhusiasbic in his support of the scheme as the member for Wellington was againsb ib. Still, he does hold opinions of bis own which are nob in perfect harmony wibh bhe expressed provisions of bhe Bill. He considers we should be very particular nob bo allow the unearned incremenb to enter in as an element in assessing the value of security, that 36J years is too long a time to allow for repayment, and that the Bill should only apply to first mortgages and to Buch improvements, in the case of a leasehold, as have been made by the borrower. Again, he thinks that, bhe Board should be unanimouß in bheir approval before a loan can be granted, and that there be a review of mortgages every ten years. In concluding, he declares in his ultra emphatic manner, that he looks on bhe measure as one thab will either make or break . bhe colony and the Liberal parby. When he sits down he is he is applauded in a manner thab shows bhab bis vocal force has nob been expended in vain. He has assuredly wakened up bhe House, and forced bhem to bake a keener interest in the proceedings. In addition to bhis good effecb, ib is to be feared that he has produced another by no means so good; he has awakened the emulative spirit which sleeps so lightly in that Chamber, and more than one member who had made up his mind to be silent now contemplates a speech. Happily, the uprising of Mr Crowther checks that spirit, if it does nob completely kill ib. Mr Crowther attempts no criticism of the measure—which, he says, no one can tell whether ib will prove a success or a failure till it bas been tried, but what we all can tell, says Mr Crowbher, ia bhab bhere has been too much time spent over thia second reading already. Let us geb inbo Commibbee, says he, and spend no more time arguing and giviog an opporbuniby to loquacious members, from whom, he intimates very plainly, wo shall bear again and again, and at greab lengbh in Commitbee. Having preached to this effecb our ex-Mayor puts into practice his sermon and sits down.

The effecb of his rebuke is ab once evidenb. No'one rises, and bhe Speaker calls on Mr Ward to reply; bub jusb as bhe Treasurer has gob as far as "'Sir,'' Messrs Maslin and Allen are on bheir feeb, and bhe Treasurer sibs down. Mr Allen gives way to Mr Maslin, who considers bhe scheme too big, and says he would like a limit pub to the borrowing permitted under the Bill, and lending also. Only very small sums should be lent, he thinks, and no money should be lent on town properties or land in cities. If this precaution is not observed the State will develop inbo a huge money-lending institution. Mr Allen regards bhe scheme as one of offering inducemenb bo sebblers bo borrow, and offering inducemenb bo bhem bo pay bheir debts. If it ia to promote settlemen b ib will be necessary bhab bhe money should be advanced to those who have not effected any improvements, and that he holds would be a mosb dangerous proceeding. He holds bhab if a man has good security to offer he can easily geb money ab six per cent, and on bhab ground he contends that [the measure can do litble good bo sebblers. In "somebhing like a prophetic strain," he predicts the magnitude to which the borrowing proposed in the scheme will grow. It will soon overshadow the railway loan, aaya he, and in a few years it will rival our present public debt in size. The Patriarch of tbe House entirely objects to the principle of the Bill, as a reversal of the policy laid down by Mr Ballance two years ago. The presenb Governmenb, he Eays, came into office on the understanding thab bhey would supporb bhab policy, and as he bad come into the House on the same understanding, he cannob give hia allegiance bo bhis measure unless be goes back to his constituency and learns ibs opinion. Then follow quotations from speeches of the dead leader to show that his policy was distinctly and emphatically one of non-borrowing. Mr Ballance, says Mr Saunders, laid ib down as an axiom bhab bhe future of bhis colony depends on our adopting a self-relianb policy, and refraining from going to the English moneylender. We have forgotben bhab axiom too speedily, sighs Mr Saunders, and are entering once more on the road to borrow, which leads bo destruction. We are entering on a policy which is a return to Vogel and all bis works, and the leasb of bhe consequences will be that the English moneylender will raise his charge for interest. While holding this view, Mr Saunders is nob ab all blind tjQ the difficulties which beseb the Treasurer, and make ib necessary for him bo borrow, still he bhinks thab if Mr Ballance had been alive bhis borrowing would nob have been spoken of. So much for bhe financial aspect of bhe question. As to its land settlement aspect, Mr Saunders considers bhat bhe scheme is an entire reversal of bhe policy laid down by Mr Ballance, for ib is suggesting encouraging both - freeholders ' and leaseholders bo geb rid of bheir estates by mortgaging, TbisX.leadß him.. talk of

the evil of settlers borrowing. The men who have succeeded in this country, says he, are those who have strenuously foughb bheir way, and endured all manner of privations while they abstained from mortgaging their properties for one penny. He goes into a recital of cases he himself knew in bhe early days of the colony. By this time the good effects of Mr Crowther'a litble speech have been quite dissipated, and member afber member rises brimful of balk, and boils over. After Mr Saunders comes Mr Earnshaw, following much in the same lines as the Patriarch. The keynote of aIK-'he has to say is struck in the assertion that neither Governmenb nor members has any righb to bring down any measure involving borrowing until such a measure has been submitted to their constituencies. He also comes with a suggestion, which is that bhe Government should give its money bo the Insurance and Public Trusb Office, to be lent oub in small sums in the ordinary course of their business. I

Wi Pere rises about the firsb laugh of bhe evening by expressing the opinion that the benefits of the Bill should be extended to natives. He speaks very earnestly on this matter, declaring that he will consider it a greab injustice if the Maoris are nob allowed to share in the privileges of the Bill. Towards tho close of hia speech he becomes indignaDb, and speaks withoub resbrainb of the injustices which have been heaped on his people by Europeans. He is inclined bo believe bhab ib is the wish of the House to make the laws as complicated as possible for tbe Maoris, and to reduce them to a state of poverty. Mr Buchanan proteßbs his desire for bhe good of small setblers, bub will nob hear of an increase in our debb, while Mr Thompson is equally inimical to the measure.. He holds thabit will in no way benefiboldsetblers. Nob five per cenb. of bhe setblers in oldestablished districts like his own will come under the provisions of the Bill, he declares, as ib applies only to those who hold their properties under the Land Transfer Acb of 1885, and bhe expense and trouble required to bring the older properties under bhab Acb is too greab. In Mr Thompson's opinion ib would be bebter for bhe Treasurer to drop bhe measure altogether, because ib would come out of Committee in such a state bhab ib would be impossible for bim to recognise ib. Like so many others, bhe member for Napier is rather favourable to the principle of bhe measure, bub opposed bo its details. He would like bo see small borrowers aided, bub thinks there is no necessity to lend to the extent of £5,000.

Mr McKenzie strongly supports bhe measure, while Mr Carncross bakes exception chiefly to tho £5,000 limit.

After supper Mr O'Regan enters into a wholesale condemnation of tho measure, maintaining tbat ib haa no resemblance whatever to the policy laid down by Mr Ballance. The Bill will havo, he says, a stimulating effect on land settlement in the same way as protective duties may be said bo stimulate manufactures. Settlers will be tempted to take up more land than they can work, and to produce more than they can find markets for, and the end of the scheme will be disaster. One poinb which our singletaxer dwells on is whab he terms the intention ol the Government to tax the security on which they are proposing to lend money. This conclusion he arrives at by consideration of the proposals embodied in bhe Taxing on Unimproved Values Bill baken in conjunction with those conbained in the measure before tho House.

Mr Massey, although as anxious as any-' one that farmers should be helped, cannot supporb bhe measure, which he is cortain musb bring evil in its brain which will quite outweigh all the advantages ib promises to give to setblers. Mr Duncan af Oamaru, a farmer himself, and a representative of a great farming districb, speaks with unqualified praise of tho Bill, and points oub the wisdom of many of its provisions. The remarks of bhe patriarch of the House have up to the present remained unanswered^, One who has claims to be considered a patriarch also, now takes the task in hand, contends thab although bhe policy of Mr Ballance may have been bbc besb bhing for the time at which ib was formulated, ib by no means follows bhab ib is bhe besb now. The principle of politics is bhe principle of adaptation, says he. He considers that it is time we held out a holping hand to thoso struggling settlers who have for years pasb beenground under the heel of usurious money-lenders. To some ofthe details he takes exception, notably to the proposal to advance loans to setblers up bo £5,000. Mr Pirani is going to vote for the second reading of the Bill because he believes in the principle of ib, bub from bhe way he speaks we may anticipate many amendments from him when bbc measure is in Committee, for, to begin with, he does not believe in Government valuers or Governmenb) lawyers. Then there are a dozen different flaws which tbe sharp eye of the member for Palmerston has detected, and bo bhese he endeavours bo draw bhe abtention of an inattentive House. Mr Pirani's idea of aiding sebblers is thab bhe Government should etablish an office in bhe colony and in London, and appoinb agents to bring together settlers willing bo borrow and lenders in England willing to advauce money. THE TREASURER'S REPKK. After Messrs Paraba, Hall, and Major Harris have supported the Bill, aba quarter pasb bwo bhe Treasurer rises bo reply. Some members, he says, have a very wrong idea of whab bhe Bill contains. Dr. Newman, for example, is quite incorrect in alleging bhab ib is a copy of bhe Victorian measure, and as for Capb. Russell's opposibion, Mr Ward confesses he cannob understood the .difficulty admibbed by Captain Russell in discussing bhis scheme when he proposed himself tbab twenty millions should be borrowed for cheap money for farmers aba bime when bhe amounb of mortgages was £5,635,000, and money was to have been borrowed at 6 percent. In reply to Sir R. Stout's statement that there would be a greab annual loss on bhe scheme, he declares bhab figures prove bhere will be a profib to the colony of £8,000 in 15 years. The only departure in the Bill from the proposals shadowed forth in the Financial Statement is the introduction of the leasehold. The Government expect to get money ab 3 per cenb., and do nob inbend bo pay more bhan 3_ per cenb. A provision as bo 4 percent, has been inbroduced. Ib may be necessary bo raise temporary debentures. As to tbe suggestion raised by so many thab the £5,000 limit of advance should be reduced, the Treasurer considers thab a debatable poinb, and is prepared bo discuss ib in Commibbee, bub he poinbs oub that if bhey deprive bhe Lending Board of power of securing sound, solid invesbmenbs obher than small investments, they will weaken bhe board very much indeed. He is also prepared to consider bhe proposal that Parliament should be consulted year by year, bub in respecb to thab he again points oub that by making bhab change in the Bill they will seriously impede the working of bhe scheme. In conclusion, he lays special sbress on bhe fact thab solicitors and valuers employed under the scheme will do the whole of tbe Government business. The only material expense will be thab involved by the employment of valuers, and he looked upon those officers as more important than solicitors under this Bill. Ab 2.45 bhe Treasurer concludes his reply, bhe second reading is passed on bhe voices, and the House adjourned. THE TRAMWAYS BILL. By a new paragraph added to theinterpretation clause of this Bill, *' undertaking " is defined to include all rights and privileges held in connection with tramways. .The City Councils of Wellington and Dunedin J

have pointed oub bo bhe Governmenb that j bhe effecb of bhis addition Would, be that local authorities in compulsorily purchasing tramways would have to pay for the value of the concession granted by such local authorities. SHOPS' HALF-HOLIDAYS, The Labour Bills Committee of the Council continues its labours on this subject, Ib has added hairdressers bo bhe list of bhoße exempbed from half-holiday provisions, bub haß decided bhab " railway' bookstalls must close.. _. f - ( - JOTTINGS. Mr Allen wishes binder bwine placed on bhe free list. Mr Buick is going bo aßk bhe Governmenb bo have a leafleb on the eubjecb of footrob prepared and disbributed among sebblers. _■ ... , Whab he berma " absurd and ridiculous boundaries" of presenb elecborabes haa induced Mr Mills to ask the Government to bring in a measure nexb session providing againsb bho same boundaries boing perpebuabed when new districts are allocated. The same member wishes an increase m the amounta voted for primary scholarships, while he would have, them thrown open to all children attending elementary schools in the colony/ - ''' " . Somo time ago Mr Larnach spoke in favour of applying a graduated system of taxation to properties of higher value than £210,000. Ho now intends to ask the Colonial Treasurer to give the matter his consideration, together with the propriety, and fairness of relieving taxpayers of payment oa mortgages under graduated tax. On Friday Mr G. J. Smibh will ask bhe Government whab decision bhey have arrived at in connecbion wibh bhe reports and recommendations of bbc Tariff Revision Commitbee. ... Mr Cadman is still in a weak condibion, and bis progress bowards recovery is slow, Ho is still confined bb his room andl bed. and is under careful medical care. When I called yesberday, I was told that he had slept very indifferently during the night, and was in such a state that there is no prospect of bis being able to resume his duties at an early data. _ We learn from Mr Reeves thab the Sbabe farm is now in a very satisfactory condibion. Thero are 15 families on bhe farm, and three more will shortly beX settled there. The Treasurer informed Mr Pirani tbat the Government had no intention to remove the import duty on grapes. Ib would be mosb inadvisable be said, in view of bbc facb of bhe ravages of phylloxera. Mr Massey asked bhe Premier yesberday, " If he inbended bo give effecb bo bhe promise which he made bo a deputation of sebblers ab Warkworbh, when he told them that Government would either bake over the main road Or provide funds for the local bodies to do the work.." In replyj Mr Soddon denied thab be had ever" made any such promise. Whab he did say was bhab bhe Governmenb were prepared to bake bhe mabber into consideration. In addition he said that the Governmenb were aware that there were some districts where ratepayers could not keep the roads, and that if certain monetary proposals to be dealt with by the House during the session were passed, the Minister of Lands might be enabled to deal with such cases. The Minister of Education thinks it might be a good bhing bo have an inebriate asylum in the colony, bub he does nob see where bhe money is bo come from Mr Bolb gave notice in the Council yesterday afternoon thab bo would move an amendmenb to the Shop and Shop. Assistants Bill, to the effect bhab when bhe local body decides on any obher day bhan Saturday for the half-holiday, a shopkeeper may, by giving nobice bo the inspector, give his employees a half-boliday on Saturday. This is the same amendmenbbhab he unsuccessfully endeavoured to introduce in the Labour Bills Committee. ( Mr H. A. Walmsley'potitions Parliament for compensation for loss of certain land at

Waihi. ■'■"■■■■' Mr Mitchelson intends to ask the Minister of Lands on Friday what is tho amounb now owing to the North Island Main Trunk Railway loan for monies used for the purpose of acquiring native land under the provisions of the North Island Main Trunk Railway Application Act, and if bho Minister will out ot the £250,000 that ia now annually for a period of three years to be devoted to purchase of native lands, repay to the credit of the North Island Main Trunk Railway such sums of money as have been baken irom ib under the abovenamed Acb, and bhus enable a provision bo bo made upon thia year's estimates for furbher construction of the railway for which the loan was originally " earmarked." Mr Kelly presented a petition to the Houso yesterday from Adam JBlliobb, of Waitekauri, praying that be. may be granted freehold properby in exchange for leasehold land he now occupies, a title on the latter being now extinct. Mr Jeffrey Hunter, of Mangakahia, near Whangarei, has petitioned Parliamenb for the leasehold of a piece of land in consideration of services rendered by. him in forming and keeping in repair a road in the district.

Mr Massey wisheß bo know if the Governmenb have baken any steps bo ascerbain through the Agent-General or the colony's representative ab the Canadian Conference the cause thab has so disastrously affected bbc gum industry. The Railway Committee have considered the petition of Patrick Quinn, of Drury, asking for compensation for services rendered, and reporb bhab the petitioner should apply in the firsb place bo bhe Railway Departmenb. The Public Petitions Commitbee have recommended bhabcerbain petitions praying bhab Offences Againab bhe Persons Acb may be amended, should be referred to the Government for consideration.,

The Public Portions Committee have referred the petition of John and Ann Morrison, of Kaukapakopa, praying that the Governmenb should survey bheir land, bo Waste Lands Committee.

The same Commitbee reporb that bhey have no recommendation to make on bhe petition of N. Wm. Sharp, of Kaukapakapa, who prays thab an Act may be passed compelling owners of sections to cub down brees interfering with their neighbours.

Special settlers ab Whakatane have petitioned the House bo construcb a braffic bridge over bhe Whakabane River. Among the visibors behind bhe Speaker's chair lasb nighb was Mr Johw Hastie, the Secretary of the Auckland National Association, who is here in Wellington for the benefit of his health.

According to a return laid on the table, 1,546 persons arrived in bhe colony during bhe monbh of Augusb, and 1,708 lefb. Of the former, 976 came to Auckland and 910 deparbed from thab porb. Wellington receivod 290 newcomers, while 537 lefb thab city. Among arrivals, 866 came from New South Wales, while 1,353 lefb for bhab colony; 302 came from tbe United Kingdom and 78 departed thence, and 215 arrived from Victoria, againsb 174 who wenb bhere from our shores.

Lasb evening the members of the St. Thomeß' Dramatic Club gave a performance in aid of the funds of the Sunday-school. Tbe piece was a comic opera entitled " The Sultan's Daughter or tjp-to-Date in the East," written by Mr C. W. Robinson, of Ponsonby, on whom it certainly reflects very greab eredib. The various characters were all taken mosb successfully, bhe mosb prominenb being perhaps the impersonations cf Miss Cunningham (who sang mosb effectively), Mrs Robinson and Mr J. Watts. Twoduebs were skilfully rendered during the evening by Misses Hampton and Armstrong. - - " .......