PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 297, 22 December 1897, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

NOTES FROM THE GALLERY.

(By Telegraph.-Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day. RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION BILL. In the Legislative Council to : day, the Government Railway Classification Bill was finally passed. VICTORIA COLLEGE.

The Hon. W. Montgomery reported that the conference that had taken place between the two Houses on the Victoria College Bill had resulted in all the amendment! made by the Council being agreed to but Clause 36 had been amended to provide that the scholarship should be open to persons from all parts of the colony, hut when a student gains a scholarship he must receive his education for two years in a secondary school within the Middle Provincial District. The report was agreed to. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. When the House resumed at 2.30 yesterday in committee on the supplementary estimates, Mr Pirani's amendment to report progress was lost on the voices. A Ion" and .somewhat disorderly discussion too^ place on the item £500 payment to Reuters Telegram Company for special telegrams, Mr George Hutchison alleging that the expenditure was incurred tor political purposes. The Premier, however, explained that the money was to defray telegrams sent through the Company to the Agent-General. Another item of £500, bonus to felt industry, was eh alien god by Mr Pirani, and an amusing dispute arose as to the material of which felt is manufactured, one honourable member declaring it was wool, another being equally positive it was cotton, a third swearing it was hair, while Mr Pirani, who moved that the item be struck out, was ready to stake his political reputation that it was thistles. _ On a division the item was retained by 25 to 21. Mr Pirani, apparently nettled at this rebuff, re-opened the tloocigates of talk by repeating his motion to report progress, with a view to compelling the Premier to include in the Estimates the cost incurred by Sir Walter Buller in the Horowhenua case. From this ensued an unseemly personal wrangle, in whicli Messrs Piram, Stevens and others participated. Mr Pirani, who has suffered during the session from chronic Horowhenua on the brain, was proceeding to quote the evidence in the case, when the Premier protested, pointing out that it was irrelevant to the question before the House, but in spite of this and the Chairman's ruling Mr Piram meandered along. " I think the hon. member has gone far enough," remarked Mr Guiness, but evidently Mr Pirani thought otherwise, and ignored his ruling. The motion to report progress was lo3t on the voices. Again Mr Pirani, who was evidently on the warpath, wanted to know why the Magistrate at Palmerston North did not receive an increase of salary, characterising the reply of the Minister of Justice as ♦'humbug" and "bunkum." Another long wrangle ensued in which the name of Judge Kettle was dragged in. NATIVE LAND COURTS. On the item Natve Land Courts Mr Pirani asked the Premier if he intended to abolish the Courts. The Premier, " Yes, as soon as I can do so consistently with the public interest." HALF-MANNED SHIPS. Mr Hutchison moved to strike out the item £50 for shipping master and examiner of masters, Wellington (the Under Secretary for Defence), alleging that many ships leave .the port only half-manned. He said he was ready to admit that the officer might be familiar with military matters, but it was a howling satire to imagine that he had any knowledge of nautical affairs. While vessels often left the ports undermanned no notice was taken or it unless by a mutinous crew, and they were specially put in irons. The Premier said the Government was censured because it would not at the dictation of seamen appoint four officers at an extravagant outlay. The efficiency and fairness of the officers at Wellington were universally approved. Mr Hutchison, resuming, referred to the appointment as a "swindle," Whereupon the Premier sprang to his feet exclaiming,." I don't know, sir, when you are going to do your duty !" "I must ask the Premier to withdraw that remark," said Mr Guinness in stern tones, while Mr Hutchison also withdrew the word" swindle."

Mr Crowther said so far as he was aware there was no complaint in Auckland as to the discharge of the shipping masters' duties.

The item was retained by 22 to 20. VOTES FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES,

On class roads and bridges Mr Bollard charged the Government with punishing Eden district because its representative was not of the right colour. The following items were omitted from those wired yesterday'morning: Roads and bridges, Matakata'ka Cutting, Raglan, £100; Waingaro-Ngaruawahia (additional) Raglan, £100; Mangakahia, Block. 4, Whangarei, £200 ; Warkworth bridge (additional), Rodney, £50; Waiuku, Pukekobe (additional), Manukau, £150 ; Wark-•worth-Kaipara Flat and Tauhoa (additional), Rodney, £50; Kaiwaka-Mangawai (additional), Otamatea, £50. THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY. Under the services in excess of rates on railways, Mr Lewis drew the attention of the Premier to the fact that there was a sum of ninepence set down for construction of works on the Marton-Te Awamutu Kail way. Mr Crowther : " Oh, that's all they're spending on that end of the railway." The Committee having gone through the Estimates, they were reported to the House. TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, An amendment to strike out £100 for technical education was lost by 9 to 28. On the item in the general Estimates £6,600 for technical schools buildings, etc., Mr Meredith moved that the amount be struck out, the Technical Education Bill not having passed. The Premier regretted that this had occurred, and read the new clause wired to you yesterday, which he proposed to the opponents of the Bill, but they declined to accept it. Mr Pirani, who also expressed regret at the loss of the Bill, said he thought the compromise offered by the Premier was fair. Mr Fraser wanted a pledge from the Premier that he would not spend the £6,500 set down for technical school buildings, as it could not at this stage be removed from the estimates. The Premier replied that he would not strain or evade the law. Mr Meredith accordingly withdrew his amendment. THE CLOSING DEBATE. After the supper adjournment, on the motion for third reading of Appropriation Bill, Mr Hutchison (Patea) made a speech, reviewing the policy of the Government, especially in regard to land administration and settlement, criticising the measures of session. He said the Premier's Old Aae Pensions went out of the House with the discreet woman, and the pair lost their way at the other end of the lobby, and he could not Bay what tnelr relations were afterwards He stigmatised the Hurowhenua Bill as

the crowning folly of the session, designed to prevent the judgment of the Supreme Court, which was now nearly ready for delivery. He accused the Government, whilst working the Labour Party for all it was worth, of showing insincerity and indifference as regards Labour Bills. He perorated with, " The Government did nothing and did it badly." Mr Pirani charged the Ministry with assailing the independence of the Courts of Justice, from which point of .course he launched forth intoanotherlongdisquisition on the tiresome Horowhenua case, which has been discussed ad nauseum. Mr Hogg followed, but his only contribution to the controversy was that at any rate there had been a great deal of hard swearing in the Horowhenua case. At half-past one the House presented a striking appearance. Nearly half the benches were empty, and on the rest members reclined at full length asleep, whilst speeches were being made for Hansard from the back cross benches.

Mr Stewart looked wearily over the figures placed hors de combat on the political battle field. Only an occasional long drawn sigh of weariness or a smothered groan of protest indicated that there was any remnant of interest in the debate. After the telegraph closed Mr Stevens declared that Mr Pirani used in his speech brief supplied by the solicitor who was to have appeared at the bar of the House on behalf of Sir Walter Buller.

The Premier replied in his best form. The Appropriation Bill then passed, and the House rose till Friday. JOTTINGS. The House resolved, on the motion of Mr Stewart, that ten copies of Hansard in future be supplied to members in accordance with the recommendation of the Reporting Debates Commitee. On the motion of the Premier the House approved of the endowments set aside for primary education in paper No 26. Mr Massey's question on the Order Paper asking the Government whether, with a view to encourage the tourist traffic, they will thoroughly advertise the curative properties of the Rotorua Thermal Springs throughout Great Britain and the Continent of Europe was not put. During the discussion on the Reserves Endowments and Crown and Native Land Exchange Sale and Disposal Bill, rather a long-winded title, Mr Lewis, who had opposed the Bill, sarcastically remarked that he had altered his mind in regard to one clause relating to the gaol at Tauranga, which, he thought, might be necessary. " Yes,"said Mr Crowther drily, "he hopes to find a home prepared for him in Tauranga." When Mr Hutcheson asked the Premier to inform the House for what purpose £500 was set down in the Supplementary Estimates for the felt industry, Mr Pirani got in another of his little jokes. "He wants to know," said Palmerston in his cheeky style, " how you felt over the loss of the Technical Education Bill."

In Committee on the Lands Reserves and Endowments Exchange Bill, Mr Rolleston strongly opposed the measure, and moved that progress be reported on the ground that it was late in the session to give it due consideration. Deaf to appeals and offers to compromise, the Opposition stonewalled the Bill. Mr Rolleston's motion to report progress was negatived on the voices. The short title was passed and progress reported on the motion of the Premier, which kills the Bill for this session.