POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3752, 25 July 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[by telegraph.]

[VKO-I OUI! OWN COHI'.ESPONDENT.] Wellington, This day. The Native Land Company's Bill which came in with a flourish of trumpets, and was spoken of Avith bated breath, and Avritten of in terms mysterious and vague, has gone out like a penny dip. Tho bill has been scotched, not by the representatives of the people in tho Assembly—O : dear no .' they wore favorable, why I know not—but the Press, by sitting on it, has thorough y killed it, and last night saw it decently shelved, as I anticipated would be the case. There is n general concensus of opinion that the District Courts should be abolished, but Mr Conolly last night said he Avas not positive that he would introduce the bill for that purpose this session, as there Avere other important measures to be considered, as probably the session Avould not be a verylong one. Mr Conolly further said, if this Averc carried out. it would result in a large saving in the Estimates, and do away with much bad hiAV, which, in the end, is very

cxpcnsiA-e. The House yesterday afternoon had but a scanty attendance, members and reporters alike'being away at the football match, and the result of the match Avas gravely announced to the House in the middle of the debate on tho annexation question Avith as much solemnity as if there had been a declaration of Avar between France and England.

The annexation debate Avas once more adjourned. This time the report is to be dh-ided into resolutions, so that one may be rejected Avithout imperilling the Avholc of them.

Good progress was made with the Estimates last night, though strong dissent Avas taken to what Avas termed an evasion of the law by appointing a former member of the House to be a "police magistrate. The first year no salary Avas paid, but of course the salary appears on this year's Estimates. The principle was strougly objected to, that it was evading the Disqualification Act. Mr Sheehan hit the nail on the head Avhen he said that the only Avay to reduce tho Estimates was to reduce them in gtnbo, because the moment individual salaries were attacked members got up and said the individual in question was badly used, not- half paid for his services, and, instead of being reduced, should bo increased. The Post last night is responsible for the statement that Ministers are already considering what measures shall be to drop this session, so as to have the session brought to a close at the end of August. My own opinion is that the bills are not far enough advanced to admit of such being done.