POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9868, 21 October 1897, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

[By Telegraph.]

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRKSPO-TDE-IT.) WELLINGTON, October 20. THE NEW MEMBER.

Mr Sligo, the newly-elected member for Dunedin City, made his appearance in the House thie afternoon, and was duly sworn in. He was conducted lo the Speaker's chair by the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Scobie Mackenzie, and, after taking the oath, was greeted by enthusiastic applause, in which several of the Ministerial following joined. On bis returning past the Ministerial benches Mr Seddon asked to be introduced to the new member, and, this ceremony having been duly performed, the quartet remained for a minute or two chatting as if they were bosom friends instead of political foes. Subsequently Mr Hogg, on the Government side, who had known Mr Sligo nearly a quarter of a century ago in Dunediu, paid him a high compliment as an old colonist of high character and standing. THE POLICE INQUIRY. Mr Allen, in the course of an exceedingly clever and closely-reasoned speech on th c Financial Statement, referred in scathing terms to the administration of the Police Department. He twitted the Government with having, in spite of themselves, to sot up a Royal Commission to inquire into the scandals alleged in connection with the police force throughout the country; and following this up with the observation that the Minister in charge of the Department was to be brought before this Commission and tried, he declared, amid hear, hears from all parts of the House, that any Minister of spirit, before submitting himself to that humiliation, would have consulted his own honour and dignity by ceasing to hold a seat on the Ministerial benclie3. The names of Messrs Beetham (Christchurch), Northcroft (Wanganui) and Bishop (Kaiapoi) are suggested by members as suitable men to act on the Police Commission. Mr Beetham, as a very impartial Magistrate, is suggested by most of those I have spoken to. Mr Meredith suggests Mr Bishop. There is a pretty general consensus of opinion that the Commissioner should accompany the Commission, but that .he should not act on it. The Premier says no one has yet been selected for the position. 160 QUESTIONS. Before the resumption of the debate on the Financial Statement, Major Steward drew attention to the fact that there were no fewer than 160 questions on the Order Paper, and he wished to know whether the Government would, if they persisted in refusing to answer them in the House, print their answers on the Order Paper, bo that members might know what replies Government had made to their questions. Captain R,ussell also appealed to the Government to dispose of these questions. The debate on the Financial Statement was not a no-con-* fidence debate, although the Premier appeared to be treating it as such. The Premier suggested there should be a morning sitting for the disposal of these questions, but the suggestion was received with marks of disfavour, whereupon Mr Seddon remarked that matters must therefore take their ordinary course. Mr Scobie Mackenzie pointed out that the Orders of the Day, including questions, took precedence of ail other business. The Speaker, however, said the House had made the rules and could at its pleasure overrule them. This particular rule had been repeatedly ignored, as as a matter of convenience. Mr Mackenzie attempted to raise the point again as a question of privilege, bub the Speaker would not listen to him and, ordering him to sit down, called on the next order of the da} 7 . There is a good deal of comment on the action of the Speaker in this matter. Standing Order 95 says that an urgent motion directly concerning the privileges will take precedence of other motions as well as of the orders of the day. It waa under this, no doubt, that Mr Mackenzie was going to move that the privileges of the House had been invaded by the continual and prolonged postponement of the questions, and that, with a view to restoring the privileges, Standing Order 78, which prescribes the order of business, should for the future be adhered to. The Speaker, it is alleged, was out of all order in deciding on a point before he had heard what it was. BLUNDERS IN THE BUDGET. A serious blunder appears to have once more crept into Mr Seddon's Budget, a mistake of no lees than £100,000 having bee,n made in adding certain figures under the heading of Ways and Means of the Loan Accounts. It will be found on page 7of the Statement, Public Works Fund. The balance under Ways and Means, 31st March, 1897, is £157,363; proportion of £250,000 Aid to Public Works, &c, Loan to be received, £125,000; and the total is given as £382,363, whereas it should be £100,000 less. It is a strange coincidence that this blunder and a former one both occurred in connection with the same department. I have not yet seen any member who haa followed the item up. Mr Seddon says he had noticed it, but it is strange that he had not drawn attention to it or attempted to make a correction. I believe there is another mistake of £10,000 in the Budget regarding lands. COMMITTEES. Mr Joyce has been elected Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee A to L, Mr Meredith of the M to Z Committee.