POLITICAL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3755, 28 July 1883, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

[by telegraph.]

[from our own correspondent.] Wellington, This day. The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill, to bo introduced shortly bjr tho Government, will bo neither tho sensational nor radical meamiro that many seem to imagine. Perhaps those who imagine it was to be such were taking a line out of the book—or rather bill —of Mr DeLautour, and so thought the Ministry were objecting to a, private member forestalling them. The bill now being revised and drafted by tho Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court (Judge Macdonald) is a very conservative measure, having no penal clauses, but providing pecuniary penalties for infringement of the bill. Its principle is to discourage all transactions in native lands till the title has been ascertained. There was a large number of members of the Assembly in the Council Chambers yesterday to listen to tho debate in the Council on the proposal to do away witli tho honorarium as regards members of tho Council. The debate was sharp and decisive. Colonel Brett moved the previous question, and, speaking under great excitement, said the proposal would cause him for ever to bid farewell to that Chamber, as ho was ashamed to acknowledge he was a w poor man, and could not afford to do without his salary. He said Mr Pharnzyn only came there to look after his correspondence, and have his afternoon's siesta. There will likely be a lively discussion over tho honorarium this session. It is proposed, I understand, that the members of tho Assembly shall receive three hundred guineas for their services, and tho question has yet to bo decided whether such increase shall also apply to the Council. Some members of tho Assembly think tho other House should be loft out in the cold altogether, while many members will oppose any increase to them. A number of issues arc thus opened up. The Council cannot amend tho bill, but they can reject it absolutely. So now the question is—Will tho Assembly provide such, or will they have both alike, or will they pass their own for three hundred guineas and tho Council for two hundred guineas? Should the latter be done, will the Council accept this differential rate, or will they consider such an invidious distinction derogatory, and reject tho bill ? As Ido not deal in philosophical problems, but only in practical politics, I leave the matter at its present stage, without expressing any opinion as to the outcome. For a real, neat, clever, back-handed slap to a politician last night's Post is par excellence. Mr Wright moved in the House for ""Borne railway returns, ostensibly to refute some figures that appeared in tho Post last week, and that journal now retorts that his figures were muddled, he having deducted a largo sum from one side without crediting tho other side with it, arid then viciously n.drlß:—" Not bad for the would-be Minister of Railways." lam inclined to think tho newspaper on this occasion scored, and scored heavily, at the expense of the member. Business in tho House is being hurried on with at a great rate, so that there may be an early closing of tho session, provided that — but that always comes in—nothing unexpected occurs to cause delay. Good solid work has been done this week by a mere handful of members.