LATEST PARLIAMENTARY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1889, 15 September 1885, Page 2

LATEST PARLIAMENTARY.

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(FBOM OT7H SPECIAL CORKEgPONDENT.)Wellington, last night. In the Legislative Council, proclamations have been presented constituting the counties of Ohinemuri aud j Patpngata. The Public Revenues Bill and Property Assessment Bill were read a third time aud passed in the House of Representatives on Friday night. The debate was resumed oh the reduction in estimates, and after a long discussion, Mr O'Callaghau's motion that the reduction should not apply to roads or bridges was lost on the voices. The motion was then put, "that in the opinion of this House, the Government should redncethe estimates of Public Works expenditure by a sum of not less than £500,000." Tlio discussion resulted : ayes M«, noes 29. The House then went into Committee of Supply, and reduced the estimates on railway votes by some £400,000. These included the East and West Coast Line, Otago Central, and North Island trunk. The estimates will be gone on again with tonight. : From enquiries I am afraid the votes for road work in your district, over which yaur member took such trouble, will not now be carried, as the recent action of the Canterbury Bailway party is to stop all public expenditure this year. It is satisfactory to state that Mr Grace voted with the noes. Thig afternoon a Committe of Enquiry into the alleged breach of the "Disqualification Act by Mr Seddon exonerates him from tho charge. Sir Julius Yogel said he regretted to state that there was no chance of carrying out the San Francisco service with Auckland as terminus for anything like the price which was contemplated by thefxesolutiou of the House. Government were now negotiating for services either with Sydney as terminus, the vessels running between Sydney, Auckland, Honolulu, or Frisco; or. service terminating at Sydney and running as far, as Honolulu, there to connect with very fast steamers running fortnightly between Honolulu and San Francisco. They were in correspondence on the subject with the Government of New South Wales, and negotiations were still going on but he was not in a position to tell the House anything definite. Government would, however, consider it necessaiy to submit the matter for consideration of the House before incurring any expenditure.