PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 260, 9 November 1897, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day. A MAORI APPEAL.

The outcome of the recent meeting of natives at Papawai, Greytown North, last month, is that a printed manifesto called "TePuke ki Hikurangi" has been addressed to tlie Premier. After referring to the Jubilee Reign, and expressing most fervent loyalty to the Queen, it proceeds to quote from a memorial which was lately sent Home, pointing out that while the tiibes have sold sixty millions of acres to the Government and private purchasers, only 5,000,000 acres remain in possession of the tribes. In the memorial reference was alsp made to the fact that the Waitangi treaty guaranteed to the natives_ the right to their lands. A letter is quoted from Mr Chamberlain acknowledging receipt of a communication of the 13th May from Wi Pere and others congratulating the Queen on her Jubilee Reign, and stating that the portion of the communication relating to Maori land questions must be referred to the New Zealand Native Minister. The Wairarapa document reminds the Premier that he on a certain occasion warned the natives against becoming landless through indiscriminate alienation of their lands, and advised them to merely lease them, and not to sell another single acre. The document goes on to say, " This is a right word, it is also our word to the tribes, but we have no mana to enforce it, therefore we pray that a Bill may be passed to absolutely prevent the sale of land to Europeans or the Government, and to reserve for all time what remains in our possession as a dwelling place and subsistence for ourselves and our descendants." ! THE LATE CHIEF MESSENGEB. Revell, late chief messenger at the Government building, whose name was before the House when the estimates were being discussed last week, informs the " Rangitikei Advocate"- that when he resigned, niter being called. npon to apologise for having in the course of his duty ejected Mr Jackson Palmer from Government j building, during the dinner hour, a diffi- ! culty arose about his retiring allowance, | and Mr Seddon requested him to withi draw • his resignation. Having partly j made an arrangement for commencing fanning he refused to do so. He subsequently obtained his retiring allowance, and says that he considers he has been treated fairly. A CONTRACTOR'S GRIEVANCE. John McLean and Sons have before tlie House just now a petition arising under somewhat peculiar circumstances. They took a contract from the Public Works Department for the making of a tunnel 28-J chains long at Makarau, on the HelensvilleNorthwards railway, the contract price being £26,616. Prior to calling for tenders the Government had borings made which showed the class of country to be sand rock, and calculations were made accordingly, but through a deviation made in the specifications from the course originally proposed the contractors ultimately found they had to deal with troublesome clay, necessitating alterations by the engineer iin the construction of the tunnel, and the method of working insisted upon by.the overseer in opposition to the contractor's remonstrances, it is alleged, caused the collapse of a considerable length of brickwork, with the result that the ground right through to the surface, a distance of 100 ft, was disturbed. The Minister for Public "Works declined to make any concession while the contract was still subsisting, or to relieve the firm from further prosecution of the work, but promised that if the contract was completed it would meet the firm with equity and justice. Expensive experiments had to be made before the,diih"culty of water backed up by clay could be successfully carried through; but ifiswas done at enormously increased expense, involving heavy loss to the contractors, who therefore now resort to the House for ledress.

DETECTIVE HENDERSON'S CASE.

In accordance with the recommendation of the Petitions Committee the Government have agreed to grant a magisterial inquiry in the case of Detective Henderson.

AUCKLAND WANTS,

Mr Holland is canvassing the Auckland members Avith a view to holding a meeting of the Auckland Representatives m both Houses to discuss matters affecting Auckland, particularly the San Francisco mail service, the proposed Government grant of £1,000 in aid of the Auckland exhibition, and repairs to Government House. Sir G. M. O'Korke and other leading Auckland members are in favour of the proposed meeting, which will be preliminary to a deputation to the Premier. The meeting will probably be held this week. BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.

Considerable indignation exists amongst Auckland,and especially Waikato, members in consequence of Mr Monk's determined opposition against the beet sugar petition now before the Petitions Committee.