LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 248, 17 October 1894, Page 5

LATE PARLIAMENTARY.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY,

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

(BY TELEGRAPH. —PARLIAMENTARY RE-

PORTER..)

Wellington, this day. When the House meets at 11.3,0 an Order Paper with ,fifty-eeven. questions on it lies beiore members. The suggestion of the Premier that the House should go straight) to the orders of the day. mid leave questions for a future occasion is taken exception to by Captain . Russell' and Mr George Hutchison. Both these gentlemen protest against questions being shelved on several days successively. ; The Premier replies that it has only boen done in order that business may be accelerated. The Council is waiting- lor bills, says he, and too sooner they get them the sooner the session will come to a close, which he understands is what members most desire now. , Captain ftussell gives way, and we attack the orders of the day. The Wilson • Land Bill, which recalls memories of the Poverty Bay massacre, pasties its second reading after a brief explanation from the Minister for Lands ; and after a similar explanation from the | Minister for Mines, the Mining Act Amendment Bill follows it. ,-i •. ~ THE LICENSING BILL. On the Speaker 'putting the second reading of the latter measure Sir Robert Stout endeavours to obtain from the Premier some idea of what Bills the Government intend to strike off the Order Paper. , In the course of his remarks he draws attention to the fact thati the Licensing Bill stands twenty-seventh on the list, with a decidedly downward tendency. Mr Seddon promises that he will soon i make known what measures are likely to be dropped tbis session, and laughingly tells a laughing. house that he hardly sees what the Licensing Bill has to do with the Mining Act Amendment Bill, unless it (be that there may be come necessity for deep sinking to rind it, POST AND TELEGRAPH BILL.1 | Over the Post: and Telegraph Department Bill, which provides lor a Board of Appeal for Civil Servants, and alteration in the salary schedule, there ia considerable discussion. Mr Duthio takes exception to the high salaries paid t6 cadets; which he holds is the causa of the Civil Service being beseiged. These'salaries are out of'proportion to others paid. Mr Guinness suggests that the appeal court should be composed of a Stipendiary Magistrate with one officer appointed by the°Postal and another by the Telegraph Department. , Mr Kelly objects to Assistant SubInspector Rose, who ■■ is many years the iunior of Mr Logan,- being placed on a similar footing with that gentleman, and this objection it> urged by several members. Sir lv. Stout thinks there should be one Board of Appeal for the entire Civil Service, and to act under the* Industrial Conciliation Bill, to do all the work of the State, in fact. Major Steward points out' that the officers of the Postal and Telegraph Department are very much better off than those in the railway service, while Mr Earnsbaw thinks that thore is too much regard paid to the salaries of higher officials. The Treasurer, in reply, goes exhaustively into the working 01 the department;, and defends the main points of his Bill, and promises to make an amendment in it) when the measure is committed so as to substitute on the Board of Appeal another officer for the Secretary of the Posfi and Telegraph Department. The Bill passes itx eecond reading. I PROPOSED SUGAR BONUS. The House then goes into Committee to receive the Bill foi Encouragement of Production of Sugar, which is introduced by message from the Governor. MrEarnshaw objects to the introduction of this measure, and calls for a division, tfej result of which is that he is defeated by 4® to 15. The House then adjourns for lunch.