POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3152, 4 August 1881, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

LBY S-MtfSAJPfl.}

(FROM OtTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.;) W-Jt-iINffTON, August 4. The petition presented to the House of Representatives by Sir W. Eox yesterday is signed by the following members of the council of the Wellington District Law Society against the Law Practitioners Bill introduced by Sir George 1 Grey •—Messsrs Allan, Edwards, Quick, Reid, and Bell.

' Mr J. B. Fisher has given notice that it is ' time that a school of medicine and surgery be established, and facilities provided for " colonial youth to qualify within the colony ' for the practice of medicine and surgery. A leader appeared in yesterday's Times : on the Law Practitioners Bill containing the, following insult to the press :—" The ; majority of" men who would avail themselves of the provisions of the bill would be a most undesirable class, law clerks (ignorant of everything bufc law, and with but a narrow conception of that), politicians whose only present profession is politics, auctioneers, commission agents, and pressmen, who, with an aptitude for acquiring a temporary and superficial knowledge, could easily cram' for an examinatioiij but whose advice on questions of law' would be absolutely worthless, would swamp the profession, and under the cover of their admission to whafc has hitherto been supposed to be a trained class, prey upon the public," This has elicited a bitter reply in the Post, and it is understood that pressmen generally will take up the matter. The writer of the article is supposed to be some lawyer, who, not possessing sufficient brains to earn a living afc his profession, sneaks on the skirts of the press, and partly through the ignorance of a member of the.' Times staff, and partly through the general carlessness observed in the office obtained admission for his article. Every pressman in Wellington, whether directly engaged in his profession, or having a seat in the House, or otherwise occupied, is indignant afc the slur thrown upon the profession of journalism, and is determined to resent ifc bitterly. The question has been raised as to whether the Times pays for contributed articles, or receives payment for allowing articles to appear in its | columns. Altogether the matter is regarded as the most disgraceful thing in connection with journalism that has ooeupred in New Zealand. The Civil Servants throughout tho colony will be glad to learn that the ten per oenfc. 'deducted from the July salary will be returned. Mr Hall said this would be done "if the House permitted ifc," and ifc was quite evident that the Houso was in the humor to do so. Major Parris' alleged business connection with Hone Pehania has always been looked upon with suspicion, more especially since such large land, awards have been made to the latter by the West Coast Royal Commission. Yesterday Mr Rolleston, in reply to a question on the subject, alleged positively that no such business relations existed. The matter is to be further ventilated. There was an immense waste of time .yesterday in the House over the Weston's Flogging Bill. From the first it was evident it could not pass, yet the debate was prolonged until 2 a.m., when it was thrown out on the second reading by 23 to 19.

In further loans the Crown Agents in London will not act for this oolony. This is in consequence of a despatch from Earl Kimberly pointing out the inconvenience of the Crown Agents acting for colonies having responsible government, they having been appointed to transact the business of Crown colonies only.

The securities held by the Publio Trust Office on June 30 last amounted to £102,315. The nominal value is apparently wellfounded.

There is a rumor of another wanfc-of-con-fidence motion within a few days, and ifc will probably be directed against the financial proposals of the government.