PARLIAMENTARY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XX, Issue 2548, 29 June 1892, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

The Financial Statement

Wellington, Tuesday.— As the Budget cannot be submitted before Friday, it is premature to give any forecast, but the surplus shown will be so large as to be very much in excess of the fondest anticipations, and will show the colony to be in a very favourable .condition. There will be sufficient money to carry out works that are absolutely necessary throughout the colony, aud with the exercise of economy the Government will be able to still pursue their self reliant policy, of which the Minister of Works is so proud. No Borrowing. There is a very general impression that the Government have resolved upon borrowing at a very early date within the colony, and it will be one of the pleasant sessional surprises to find that Ministers have no intention of borrowing either outside or inside New Zealand. If the idea of raising a loan within the colony was ever actually contemplated, it is now satisfactory to find that this resource can be avoided. , Registration of Electors . One feature of the Electoral Bill just introduced is that whereas an elector might previously be registered in any one of half-a-dozen districts in which he held property, he will now be allowed to register in only one district, and will be compelled to vote in that district. The Labour BureauAmongst the Bills to be introduced by the Minister for Labour will be a measure to arm the Labour Bureau with certain powers for colectmg statistics as is done by similar institutions in England, America and thf Continent, and this no doubt will be one of the most valuable functions of the Bureau. Female franchise. A new light has suddenly gleamed on the dissolution question, through the discovery that the Electoral Bill provides for women's franehiee. It i.pointed out that if this passes into law an immediate dissolution becomes constitutionally imperative, in ordoi that large numbers of people newly enfranchised may have a speedy opportunity of being represented in Parliament. This consequently would form a sound constitutional grounr for claiming a dissolution, iiuoiout says that the Ministers' application to tbe Governor will be bat»ed on thisground.

Roraima, the curious flat- topped, wallsided mountain in British Guiana, which wat first ascended in 1884, has been more fully examined by Messrs. Cromer and. SeyJer, two British orchid collectors. The summit is covered with fantastically worn rocks and numerous lakelets joined by natural canals swanniog with water beetles. Many nevv orchids and other plants were found, but animal Ijfe ia scarce,