POLITICAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10095, 22 July 1898, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Te-eoraph.) (from ocr special corrkspoxdhn..) WELLINGTON, July 21. A STONEWALL. The lengthy discussion on the Elective Executive Bill last night was not the outcome of the exceptional interest of members in the Bill, nor is it to be accounted for by the fact that anyone bad anything particularly new to say on the subject. It wa3 an excellent stonewalling Bill, and gave the Premier a splendid opportunity of blocking the next measure on the Order Paper, Mr McNab's Divorce Bill, which slipped through Committee all too quickly for some members a few nights ago. Mr Seddon has consistently opposed this measure f.oin start to dniah, and with the assistance of his followers la.l night very materially lessened its chances of becoming law, inasmuch it will have only about one more opportunity of coming up. The Opposition look no part in the discussion, as one of their number, Mr Wright, had a Bill lower down on the Order Paper, and it was hoped that if the discussion was kept within bounds Mr Wright's Bill might have a chance. Their silence, however, did not meet with the reward it deserved, for the Bill was not reached, it being against the rules to commence any new business after midnight.

THE ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE PROPOSAL.

Major Steward does not deserve much sympathy regarding the very decisive defeat of his long-cherished Elective Executive Bill. In 1896 a friendly Parliament agreed to the second reading of his bill, notwithstanding the strong opposition of the Ministry, on the casting vote of the Speaker, but Major Steward did not have sufficient backbone to resist pressure brought to bear by the Premier, and sold his friends by fixing the committal of the bill for a day which he muse have known would be occupied with the debate on the Financial Statement. Major Steward thus practically killed anc 1 buried his own political progeny, and the disgust engendered by his weakness doubtless proved a powerful factor in converting his majority of one in 1896 to a minority of thirteen on the present occasion. Quite apart from this, the present Parliament is not nearly so favourable to the reform proposed by Major Steward as the Parliament which came to an end in 1896. ASSETS REALISATION ; POARD- . Mr Duthie is to ask the Colonial Treasurer whether he has observed that the loss on the book cost" by the sales of the Assets Realisation Board to the 31st March last is shown to be £140,656, as against £300,907 realised, and that a comparison, in as far as is possible on the defective information supplied of this year's sales, with those reported on the 31st March, 1896, appears to show a marked inccease in the ratio of loss, and whether he will refer the question of the position and prospects of the realisation of these properties to tho Public Accounts Committee to elucidate and fully inform the House. He also wants an explanation or correction of the apparent error in the manager's report to the Board, where the book est of properties sold is shown as £468,996, the sales as £309,907, and the deficiency as £140,655, instead of £159,089, the difference between these suu_3.

JOTTINGS. Mr J. W. Thomson to-day presented a pecilion from the widows and orphans of the men killed in the Raitangata mine explosion in 1879, asking the House to enquire into all the circumstances connected with the Kaitangata fund. The widows have received notice from the Public Trustee that their allowances are to be reduced by one-third from September Ist next. If it is found that Mr Millar cannot get his Liquor Bill through, 1 have good reason for stating the Premier will take it up as a Government measure. Mr Duthie will ask the Colonial .Treasurer whether he 13 aware, that the full amount of £476,000 Treasury Bills, specially authorised in 1893 to be issued to redeem the Imperial guaranteed debentures, are still afloat, Avhile the Treasury now only holds £400,000 of these debentures, and further, how the proceeds of the debentures sold are held, or why an equivalent amount of Treasury Bills has not been redeemed ?