PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Press, Volume XXVI, Issue 3391, 17 July 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[FROM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, July 15. Tho Otago men are dead agaiust the proposed vote to the Superintendent*. ~ The Auckland members held a caucus this morning, when Sir G. Grey, Messrs £usk and Bheehan, were appointed a committee to confer with the committees from the other provinces. Mee&re Whi taker and Macfarlane were proposed, but rfjected. bir G. Grey strongly urged economic administration, and more justice to Auckland. The meeting also discussed the Californian service, and the feeling was strongly in favor of the Bay of Islands being made the port of call ; of the discontinuance of the coastal service; (he abandonment of Fiji as a calling place; and if America declines to subsidise, the abandonment of the service. The determination of the boundaries of counties is to be left to a Belect Committee. The Times this morning states aothoritatively that Sir Brandon will vote with the Government as against separation in any shape. The principle of the Counties Bill appears to meet with acceptance, but the details are generally voted to be very crude. Iα committee on the Rating Bill on Friday uigbt, the ayee who voted.for Mr Button's amendment re taxing unimproved land were —Messrs Seymour, Andrew, Carrington, Stout, Clark, Williams, Wood, Waeop* Burns, Hislop, Scato-j, Hodgkinaon, J. 0. Brown, Murray, Sir G. Grey, Mesei* Lusk, Sir G. Donglae, Montgomery, KuaeVH, Thomson, Delatour, Sharp, Henry, Fisber, Batff, and Batton. Mr Stout then proposed, as an addendum to the clause — "Provided always that in valuing the leesimple the value shall ba guided by the annual selling price and not by the provisions of any Waste L»nds Act." Thie was carried by 36 against 33. Various amendments were afterwards proposed, among them being one in favor of an optional acreable rate, propojed by Mr Wood, aitfl ultimately the clause was passed in this thape :— rateable value of any propeity oicana "the rent at which each property would ; |et |xom year to year, but ahaU ift" »*

-case be less than five per cent on the value of the fee simple thereof. Provided also that every person occupying the waste lands of the Crown or other Crown lands for pastoral purposes shall be rated only in respect of the annual value having regard to the tenure tinder which the said lands are held provided always that in valuing the fee simple the valuer shall be guided by the actual celling price and not by the provisions of any waste lands Act." After passing clause 10, progress was reported and leave obtained to sit again. A message was received from his Excellency the Governor covering the Financial Arrangements Bill. The Hon Bir Jnlius Vogel moved its introduction and first reading, and in doing so stated that in refer■ence to the Counties Bill the Government were not wedded to the boundaries as detailed in the schedule to the Bill. As to one part of the Financial Arrangements Bill, he might state that when abolition was proposed originally it was intended to compensate Superintendents for loss of office; but last session it had not been deemed desirable, in the heat of debate, to propose compensation to Superintendents; but this year it was proposed to give Superintendents compensation to the amount of say two years' salary :from the revenues of the provinces, which the Government thought would be more •acceptable than from the colonial funds. The Bill was read a first time, and the second reading made an order of the day for "Tuesday next. The House then adjourned. After the 10.30 adjournment, MrSheehan, ■member for Rodney, took the oaths and his seat. In the Council yesterday Mr Hall gave notice of his intention to move for the production of a receipt for £1000, given in 1874 "by Mr Smy thies, after which the Council adjourned in recognition of the loss the -colony had sustained through the death of Sr Featherston. The members for the West Coast of the Sonth Island with the Hon Messrs Bo oar and Lahman, waited upon the Premier today, and had an interview lasting over an hour. The eubjecte referred to were waterrates, harbors, railways, roads, and county boundaries. The Premier was understood to -say that, the proposal was to make over -water races to local bodies, with power to -continue them if necessary, Government reserving the right to compel their maintenance. For the Mikonui race £19,000 additional, and no more would be proposed to any company undertaking its construction. Greymouth and Westport harbor works, as previously" agreed, were to be considered colonial works. Hokitika should endeavor to procure an endowment, and follow the example of Wanganui. It was not proposed at present to provide for the Grey and Hokitika railways. The boundaries of the counties, of which some members complained ■were open to amendment. Mr Wakefield is on Tuesday to aek the question whether the Government have any Information as to the whereabouts or movements of the murderer Sullivan, and if there is any probability of his returning to New Zealand. A statement recently published,'that the Son Mr Waterhouse will support a scheme for financial separation, is staled by the Post to be absolutely false.