PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7384, 9 August 1889, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

[Bz Telegraph.] [from oub special corrsspondknt.] WELLINGTON, August 8. The afternoon Bitting tod&y was in great part occupied by a long discussion upon the proper procedure to be taken in reviewiug the case of a prisoner condemned to death. It arose out of a question asked by Mr Hutohiaon as to the course which had been adopted in Chemis' case. Great interest was displayed on the subject by members, and the Premier, Sir George Grey, Messrs Ballance and Hutchison took a prominent part in the discussion, whioh lasted till after five o'clock, when the matter dropped. lam informed tnat an understanding prevails in the I lobbies that £he discussion was a nuld form of stonewalling, tlia chief object being to pat off the further consideration of Mr Hislop's Oamaru Harbor Bill. This has been accomplished, and by the same ■ 4pj|#»ns the indefinite postponement of the ©nehunga and Devonport Cemetery Bills lias been effected. jf- The whole of the evening sitting has jipeen occupied with a discussion of the KMuaicipal Corporations Acs Amendment jfßill and Auctioneers Bill. Mr Fish did most of the talking, and made a very vigorous attack upon the firs 6 mentioned BUI, which he characterised as an attempt to get power by a side wind lor the Christchurch Corporation to erect gasworks. The Bill passed the second reading in spite ,pf his philippics. I Rumor says that the Public Accounts vDonunittee and the Premier are not gkltogether in accord on the of {Investing trust funds. The Committee chad a meeting this morning, when, so jgpossip says, they had a very animated dispcussion with the Premier on the subject, Masting for an hour or more. The Premier Bcomplains that he cannot find investments gor the trust funds. The Committee, on rahe other hand, are said to he of opinion pthat the securities for the Oamaru Harbor tmoard loan are not adequate for the inISrestnient of national funds. W It is understood that the stonewall this Igafternoon was an expression of this sentifnnent. if Mr Joyce has given notice to ask the to give this House an assuranoc Bthat the Government will take no aotion Hagainst District Judge Ward in hie official gelations with the Government between Hjtow and until the House has had an oppor|||inity of considering the same either this Session or at the next session of Parlia|%ent. m Dr Newman intends to move that there I»e laid before the House copies (1) of the eetailed surveys of the suggested railway worn Stratford or Eltham or Ngaire to LSTpper Mokau; (2) of the reconnaissance murvey of the proposed railway routes Krom Wellington city to Island Bar. E_Mr Moat wants to know whether the ■Postmaster-General will confer on settlers ■residing at a distance from money order ptacee the benefit; of the postal note system, I so tar as causing postal notes to be sold at all Post Offices in the same way as postage stamps. Mr Moat intends asking the Minister of Education whether, considering the improved financial position of the colony, he [will place on the supplementary estimates a small amount to be distributed as a eubaidy to public libraries. Mr Seddon is moving in the same directionSir John Hall left for the South to-day. Sir Geo. Grey has caneented to address a .public meeting here on the land tax question, the object being to form a " single ■tax" Association. '■'■■ Lobby gosssip saya that the •*one man one vote" clause in the Representation Bill is certain to be struck out in the Upper House. It is said, on the other hand, that Legislative Councillors, however much they might desire to do so, would not venture to run counter to the express wish of such a large majority of the Lower House. If they do throw out the clause, members to whom I have jpoken say the Lower House will insist iipon its reinstatement. The Public Works Statement appears to be' viewed favorably by members, but it does not create interest, Sβ it distributee so little plunder. ■ . ,; , The Public Petitions Committee has reported on the petition of Jas. Donaldson, Christchurch, to the effect that he has received all the compensation for loss of office as gaoler to which he is entitled. The petition of Henry Nunweek and others for legislation to check the spread of codlin moth has been referred to the Government. The Waste Lands Committee, reporting on the question of prospecting on pastoral holdings outside mining districts, state that, as the Minister of Lands has replied to a question on the eubject in the House on 17th July last, they have no recommendation to make.

Mr Boss has given notice to move that a return showing the estimated cost per lb for carriage of mail matter by the San Francisco Service based upon (1) present subsidy, including bonus (2) subeidy of £15,000, without bonus (3) subsidy of £10,000, without bonus; also, cost per lb of mail matter by the direct steam mail service including bonus, be laid before the House. ' '•

Mr Ward intends to move this session for the absolute discontinuance of the subsidy to the San Francisco mail service. Any subsidy for mail service to be paid to the direct steamers, on the basis of weight carried. /

Mr Downie Stewart gave notice , to-day that he would move, when in Committee on the Trade Marts Act, an araendnient making it an offence for anyone $6 Use any word, mark, or sign tending to mislead, the public >&c to the real manufacture of goods or place of manufacture. The object of the amendment is to prevent imported tweeds and other goods from being sold as locally made articles. It is understood that at present a quantity of shoddy material is passed off as of colonial manufacture.

The Colonial Secretary, in 1886, said that he would enquire into the matter of reducing the costs in connection with obtaining probate of willa where the amount of the personal estate did not exceed the sum of £300. This- matter was brought under his notice by Mr Valentine, who has again drawn his attention to the matter, and is asking what relief the Government intend to afford to the public in this direction. In this colony it generally costs something like £20 to obtain probate of a small estate; whilst in England it only costs about £2 ss, including all charges. As much as £40 has been charged here to obtain probate even when the estate only amounted to £100 or leas.

Yesterday the Premier refused Mr Larnach permission to set up a Committee to enquire into the circumstances connected with the Ward-Hielop correspondence; intimating that suck a proposal would be regarded as a want of confidence motion.

To-day the Hon. J. N. "Wilson gave notice in the Upper-House to move tomorrow for a Select Committee to enquire into the Ward-Hislop correspondence. - A number of notices to ask questions on the subject were given in the Lower House this afternoon.

The Military Settlers' Land Claims Committee have decided that the services of the Forest Rangers for three months should be recognised by the colony. The Committee has also decided to recommend the eiaoins of land for Volunteers who took service prior to the repeal of the Act of lS7u, which entitled them to land scrip.

rnaOM OUB COBBtaSPOJIDBIOT. 1 WELLINGTON, August 8. Mr Oliver tells mc he thinks o( moving in the direction of prohibiting pa&pew and those in receipt of charitable , aid from voting. At the last general election a notorious agitator, named Jock Graham, put flfty inmates of the Otago Benevolent Institution on the Caversnam toll, and conveyed them to the polling booth.