NOTES ON PARLIAMENT.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4400, 21 September 1871, Page 3

NOTES ON PARLIAMENT.

We have had the statement at last, and its conclusion was welcomed with an universal sigh of relief. We had been so led to expect increased taxation, orations of so funereal I character had been pronounced over the future grave of the Ministry which was to ! burden us with income and property taxes, and the Opposition were so strung up ready to do battle to the utmost in resisting their imposition, that it was almost with a feeling of disappointment that the news were heard that, after all, we were not to suffer as we anticipated. As to the speech itself, I think, the best praise which can be given to it is that the Evening Post calls it a failure. However, as it does not fall to the happy lot of everyone to read the Evening Post, I may enlighten your subscribers more by telling them that it is universally looked upon as a complete success. It wag a frank manly address, concealing nothing, and appealing to the good sense of the country, and was throughout vigorously cheered. The first thing taken in hand was the deficit, which, you have 3 een, reaches up to the nice Hum of £136,000 ; but this is attained by considering the £60,000 overdraft of two years ago as also a deficit. Mr. Vogel tackled this at once, and his plans for paying it off have ere now been before you. All his proposals met with cordial assent : the establishment of a new political board of works is looked upon as the right thing ; and the announcement of a positive success in that most deficient branch, the Defence Office, elicited loud cheering. Beie I may say that extravagance was a mild term compared with what had been used regarding Mr. McLeans doings ; and the news that in neither Defence nor Native Affairs he had come up to his vote took most hearers by surprise. To say that the Opposition were taken aback is to leave a great deal to the imagination. Mr. Stafford was evidently on thorns the whole time, and looked anything but pleased ; and it is currently reported that one of the most bitter opponents of the Government, though formerly an "out-and-out" supporter, leaned over his desk and whispered, " They have cut the ground from under our feet." The strongest proof of the good reception the statement met was found in Mr, R. Wood's speech, who later in the evening declared that he thought, if Government brought in a bill to abolish provincial institutions altogether, they would carry it. There is a slight modification in the scheme of railways, as none are proposed to be made at first which will not pay their expenses. So short lines through centres of population are supposed to be intended as a start. How will the Council like the proposed diminution of their august body, and the first step towards becoming a local Board ? One very fair thing has bten done by provinces being relieved of the burden of payment for services, such as part of the Militia and capitation grants, which are now taken as General Government charges. The general feeling is now that the Ministry is perfectly safe, and that all opposition of any dangerous character is thoroughly disarmed. That taere will be passages of arms in committee is but to be expected ; but there is no break in the Ministerial harness large enough to admit of a lethal weapon. On the Highway Boards Empowering Bill there was considerable debating as to the status to be occupied by Maori lands, as the owners of these object very much to paying taxes. Mr. McLeod took the opportunity to allude to the distribution among the Highway Boards of the grant of £12,400 • whereas Mr. Gillies told him, much to Mr. McLeods apparent wrath, that he was an ill bird to foul his own nest, having been in the Provincial Council when the division was agreed to. Thereon came an indignant "I protested against it." The question affecting the (ratability of Maoris who own land js one which may yet give sometiouble. Mr. O'Neill's motion to reduce the gold duty to Is. was defeated ; not however before it brought up most of the gold members, who seemed to have views diametrically opposed to each other. As each says he represents the ideas of his constituents, there must be much diversity of opinion among Southern diggers. It was during this debate that Mr. Shepherd, commonly known as the "Smiler," who has had one or two amusing letters m the JSvenmg PoM devoted to his evident admiration of the ladies ' gallery, was called to order by insinuating that a biul well known in Australia — the laughing jackass — had been acclimatised in the House.— [Correspondent.]