POLITICAL NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5227, 23 May 1888, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

[PARLIAMENTAEY REPORTER.]

Wellington, Last'night. ; t " FOREIGN PARCELS POST. r The Government propose to bring in a t bill this session with the object of extending ] to New Zealand the same advantages in re- 1 gard to the foreign parcels post as are j possessed by other portions of tho British c dominions. Sir John Hall has been urging the matter on the attention of the Government. FISHERMEN'S GRIEVANCES. j Mr Mills has taken in charge the i grievances of fishermen with respect to the i regulations gazetted last session regarding 1 the meshes to be used, and the size and ( weight, of fish to be taken. He has had ] several interviews with tho Premier, who i will deal with tho matters complained of • when the lisherics Conservation Bill is uzider consideration. THE GREYMOUTH COLLIERY. I understand that the Brunner and Wallsend collieries at Grevmouth have been amalgamated, and that both will now be | carried on under Mr Kennedy's management, the Union Steamship Company undertaking tho whole freight. It is thought that the amalgamation of these two coal companies will tend to great strides in tho development of foreign trade. YOUNG N.Z. PARTY. The gathering of young colonial legislators which took place hist evening may possibly lead to tho organisation of a Young N.Z. Association throughout tho colony, in the objects of which pv>!ifics would form only a part. Tho idea of consolidating the intellectual ability of the colony in some such way as it is done in Australia was mooted at the meeting, and met with a favorable reception. MORAL ELEVATION OF THE COLONIES. Tho petition of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was presented by Mr Peacock yesterday afternoon, praying (1) for legislation to empower Magistrates and Judges to prohibit the publication of details of law suits when tho interests of morality suggest necessity for their suppression ; (2) for the supervision of the system of licensing the totalisator and the repeal of tho provision which sanctions race courso sweepstakes of loss than £5 ; (3) that licensed victuallers shall be liablo to punishment for permitting gambling when they or any of their employes aro present when games aro carried on; (4) for tho suppression of pugilistic exhibitions. EDUCATION RESERVES. Mr Goldie intends to ask the Minister of . Lands whether ho is awnro that there are very large areas of land, supposed to contain in all over 100,000 acres, of an estimated ; value of £116,000, which have been vested by Act in school commissioners for primary i education, still unloosed ? If ho is so aware, will ho inform tho House whether every legitimate effort has been made to lease it, . so that tho strain upon tho consolidated j revenue for educational purposes might bo relieved f . USELESS EXPENDITURE. i The expenditure entailed in tho procuring I of gold railway passes for menibcrs has ; aroused the ire of Mr Taylor, the honorable member for Sydenham, who intends to ask tho Government whether, in tho present I financial position of tho colony, they feel [ justified in spending something Mke £300 . in providing appendages to members' watch-guards in the shape of frie passes, wdieu to many working men me out of ' employment, and when even tho zioor mes- [ sengers' pay is being reduced ? Mr Hobbs ■ has also forwarded a strongly-worded pro--1 test to tho Government on the subject. t GOVERNMENT LAND PURCHASES. r The quantity of land purchased out of t loan which is still in the possession of the j Government is as follows:—Auckland, t 1,962,826 acres (ill of which was purchased t from the natives, except 8705 acres); Taranaki, 453,468 acres; Hawko's Bay, 64,600 , acres; Wellington, 1,318,451 acres (of which f only 800 acres woro purchased from others r than natives. > AN AUTHOR'S GRIEVANCE. J Mr Gilbert Rock, a Dunedin author, who j is about to publish a novel and drama in tho colony, petitions the House complaining that ho is deprived of the adequate reward 3 of his labor by the importation of work 3 done by less highly-paid hands, aud as he is prepared to publish other books to supply the demand for reading if inducements offer, , he modestly asks that Parliament shall - impose a protective tax upon all imported f literature! • DISTILLERIES IN THE COLONY, i f Agriculturists in general will bo intei rested in a petition which was presented v yesterday on behalf of tho Tokomairiro . Farmers' Club, asking for the removal of i) tho restrictions which now stand in tho way . of tho establishment of distilleries in the ■ colony. It is urged that tho value of tho c imports of the products of distilleries amount s to an enormous sum every year, very much i- of which might be retained in this country ; x and that, as grain of an iuferior sample 1 answers for. distillation us well as the best, 0 their establishment would be an enormous j advantage to farmers. Tho country would secure for itse'f tho bulk of the profits incidental to the culture of gram, as well as tho profit on the manufacture of tho spirits s which is now imported. ', PASTORAL RUNS IN THE SOUTH. s The following aro the details of the pas- . toral runs in the provincial districts of the . South Island, tho licenses of which will oxa pire between the Ist January, ISB9, and , the 31st December, IS9o:—Canterbury, , 2,835,819 acres, returning a rental of i £48,248 ; Otago, 986,233 acres, £31,827 ; Weslland, 280,120 acres, £313; Nelson, 1 70,567 aci-cs, £167 ; Marlborough, 62,259 ) acres, £184 ; Southland, 12,550 acres, £83; . total, 4.238,548 acres, returning an annual rental of £80,825. .THE ABSCONDER FORWOOD. f It will be recollected that the case of ' Forwood, tho absconding Auckland solicitor, was mentioned last session by Sydney Taiwhanga, aud to-day ho renewed Ins , question with respect to tho steps taken by [ the Government to bring hira back to this ; colony, and deliver him up to justice. The • Minister for Justice said that he had been , in communication with tho Victorian Gov- [ eminent on tho question, and there was a medical certificate, dated February 28 last, i showing that Forwood was suffering from , Bright's disease, and that ho was unfit to bo removed to this colony. The medical i men were doubtfi.l whether he would be ablo to recover sufficiently to undertake the . journey to this colony. THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Mr Moss intends to give notice of motion for a comprehensive return of new appointments made to tho publio service since the Ist of January, and of the trn isfers of public officers from ono provincial district to another, together with the salaries before and after such transfer, aud tho number of years previous service in each case respectively. Ho also asks tho costs for travelling expenses in each easo of transfer, and for a further return of persons discharged from tho public service siuco January last, their years of service, und the compensation paid tliezn. PAYMENT OF JURORS. Common jurors who have had to serve on civil ca.ses extending- over some days will be pleased to learn that it is the intention of Ministers to make provision whorebv adequate payment will in future bo made in such cases. The Minister for Justice has informed Dr. Fitchett that it was doubtless the intention of tho Legislature that common jurors engaged in civil business should bo paid ten shillings per day for their services, but tho judges had interpreted tho Act too strictly in saying that the payment should be for the whole case. Tho Government intended proposizzg an amendont this session which would remedy tho matter, CODLIN MOTH PEST. Tho ravages of tho codliu moth havo become of such an extensive nat.ire that immediate legislation has been fouad necessary. Accordingly tho Cabinet h ivo prepared ii Codlin Moth Bill, which embodies the legislation of the Tasinaniau Government, that island being one of the greatest fruit-growing countries in, Australasia. Not only has tho disease attacked our apples, but it bus. now spread to the pears and plums, and the fruit-growing industry has sufi'ered so greatly that legislation of a positive and absolute kind his become necessary. Instead of making tho law < pormissivo and optional, it is made compulsory, so that if legislation will smmp out the codlin moth it is certain to be stamped i out. i The provisions of the bill, the socond 1 reading of which was moved by tl o Hon. Mr Fisher this afternoon, are that teuit di#- I (riots aro formed co-terminous with the i boundaries of comities und borougas, that owners in districts free from the disease 1 have to pay one farthing per tree a id those in districts where the moth is prevt lent one ,t halfpenny. . A levy is not to be mi do more than once a year, except where ;t is found that this will prove insufficient fpr ' ho purpose of eradication. The bill-was approved < of by Hovoral ho;i. members, but it was 1 objected to that owners of oiehf.rds hnd c not been consulted, and their vievs ascer- £ tamed. s The Hon. Mr Fisher, in reply, i<dd thai orchardists in various parts of th i colony j J had submitted their suggestions, so it could | * not be said that they were ignorant of the ' I

contents of the bill, and ho assured the House that tho measure had. been framed with a view to being effective, and at the same time economical. This was in reply to the objection that the machinery in connection with th'> bill would mean the setting up of another department. The second reading of the bill wns agreed to on tho voices, and its committal fixed for tomorrow. OLD SOLDIERS' AND VOLUNTEER CLAIMS. The Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteer Bill, the second reading of which was agreed to to-night, is the same measuro that passed the Houso last year, but was blocked in the Council by the close of the session. It is designed to give relief to old soldie"B and to volunteers who had given their .services to the Crown, and whoso claims had been favorably reported on by the commissioners appointed by the Government. In the discussion that took place Major Hamlin espoused the claims of Colonel Nixon's men, saying that they had been defrauded out of their grants owing to their commander being killed on the field of battle, and they thus being deprived of this testimony that "they had served as tho Act required! ' , The Minister of Defence, in reply, said that thcro wore about sixty of Colonel Nixon's men in the colony, and if it could be shown that they were entitled to land grants it would be right for tho House in its clemency to es tend such grants to them. THE PROCEDURE RULES. As was anticipated would bo the case ( tho Opposition absented themselves from the House before the procedure rules were reached, and as there was without them nothing like the necessary number of members present to permit of the Standing Orders being suspended, the question could not be put. It is now understood that tho Government will not persevere further with their proposed reforms. RAILWAY COMMISSIONS. The Government have been advised by tho Agent-General and therailway authorities at home, to whom the question of the appointment t-f a Ghief Railway Commissioner had been referred, that nono of the applicants art fit to hold the position, therefore they decline to make any recommendation. Private enquiries are still being made with a view of securing the services of a suitable expert. There has been some gossip in tho colonies relative to the probability of a commercial Board. NO WORK TO DO. At nine o'clock to-night Mr Hisiop moved the adjournment of tho debate on the Electoral Bill, on tho ground that members had not yet had time to consider the measure. The order-p»per was thus exhausted, and the Ouposition attacked the Government for not providing the Houso with work to despatch. The Government party retaliated by accusing the Opposition of burking discussion on the procedure resolutions by absenting themselves from . the House, and the Minister for Education asserted that e?en tho Electoral Bill was postponed at the urgent request of the Op- " position. i