POLITICAL NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5240, 8 June 1888, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

[rARLIAMEUTBT EHPOR-EE]

Wellington, Last night.

FINANCIAL DEBATE,

The debate to-day livened up very considerably, and evontually became decidedly •warm, Mr Goldie opened tha ball, and made out a very Strong case neainst their tendency towards the centralisation of tho - :ed_oation''. administration in Wellington. Mr Tanner niade another reproachful speech from a Free Trade point of view, but said that as he would rather be flogged with ■Whips than by scorpions he would support the present Government. Mr Allen followed in a very forcible speech, which provoked a violent onslaught by Mr Fish upon the momber for Dunedin East. > Mr Scobie Mackenzie replied to Mr Fish in a scathing and trenchant reply, in which he expressed regret for the necessity that for onoe ho should be personal. He attribiited Sir Robert Stout's defeat to tho fact that Mr Fish confessed to having prayed for divine interposition to secure.his return. It ■was possible, he said, that Mr Fish might be right when he said Mr Allen would be a politioal i failure, but he trusted that he ■would never havo to say of him that ho was a moral failure. Mr Fish writhed undor tho caßtigation. Mr Maokenzie subsequently 'explained it. was the opinion of older members that he went too far, and said ho"withdrew any alWon not of a political nature. ' Mr Fisher mado a very good reply to the attacks of tho Free Tradera.-'and Mr Walker kept the debate going till midnight, when Mr Duncan moved an adjournment till tho following afternoon. TB_B'CHINESE QUESTION. After a chequered career the Chinese Immigrants Amendment Bill has finally passed the Legislative Council. The Attorney-General mado a strong appeal m favor- of its passage, and said that if tho bill was thrown out it would be the signal for the flooding of the colony with Chineso, who would only have Now ZeaUud out of the Australasian colonies to come to. Tho division list was as follows :— Ayes, 16. Barniooat Morris Dignan S lchmol _ a Grace Shephard. - Johnson Stolen ß Kenny _? in T Lahmann SM 10, McLean Whitukor Miller ■ Whitmoro Noks, 8. Brett f ollou Hart |? 0 " an , d . Martin Shnmski Fharazyii n -i • —The amendments made by tho Oouucil in the bill include tho exemption of Chinese ■war vessels; (is well as Chineso leaving Hong Kong before the 10th June, from tho operation of the Act, and removal of the disqualification on Chineso as voters at elections, . '

SHEEP RETURNS

Tho sheep returns of the colony, made up to the 31st March, 18S7, were laid on the table of tho Houso to-day. Mr Walker complained of tho extent to which the returns had been allowed to fall into arrears, and the Minister for Land promised to look into tho matter and endeavor toplaco the present year's returns beforo Parliament before tho end of tho session. It appears that the number of sheep in, tho colony in March, -1887, was 15,155,626, as "gainst 15 174 263 a year previously. On March 31st of the present year the number of infected sheep was 64,743 all of which were on three runs in the Marlborough district.

DEPRIVED OF SPEECH,

A "cironmstanco of a singular nature (says the Post) has caused considerable talk in Kaiwarra during tho past few days. On Saturday weok r. man named Edward Iginilden, lmng in that township, who was for some years employed as » porter by Messrs "Wilson and Richardson, drapors and Clothiers, but who has latterly been in the eervice of Messrs H. P. Davis and Co., rreneral butßttera, Queen's Chambers, was instructed by the latter fhra to go to Pahautanui with a quantity of goods Ho wont out to Paramata, by tram, _nd :i was walking along the road towards Pahautanui when ho met a man who made some remark to him. Ig-S-ulden. endeavored to make somo reply, but, to his horror, ho discovered that ho had lost tb<? power to speak, and he has remained dumb ever since. His seuso of hearing is _ good as over, but ho cannot speak a word and is obliged to make himself understood hv writinc: The man has placed himself under the caro of Dr. Kemp, who, it is to be hoped, will succeed in restoring tho lost power. Igguldon is a married man with a family.

TREE TRADERS AND MINISTERS. Sneaking of tho financial debate, the Post considers the Free Trade speakers have had kood reason for the reproaches they heaped .fn Ministers. Tho article soys:— I'ho &yXme_t will find the cup of their Immiliation is not yet full, and thoy will vet have to bear further reproaches from tho friend* they have betrayed, and praises from those whof though they love not traitors, are'quite willing to profit by treason.

IMMORALITY IN WELLINGTON. The evidence in support of the petition for the suppression of immorally »n Welling__'*_■concluded to-day before the Public PeSs Committee,.mi the deliberations _theCommittaeweredeferred L The major, y „ witnesses have suggested that m order to remedy the evil complained of the Contajriou- Diseases Act should bo brought into force, and the age of consent be raised to 16.

DISCOVERER OF THAMES GOLD. The agitation for the payment of tho reward for the -discovery of the Thames Sol-field is not yet at an end, for Mr George „ark-On,oneof the origina shareholders of the famous Shotover claim ParKam-nt to-day for a reward of _0000 for having found the first payable auriferous lo_b_ in "the "district.

SHOP HOURS BILL. ,Witb the object of ascertaining; how tho Shop Hours Bill, introduced by >Ir Joyce, will affect the various retail businesses in wKSm_.fi representative of the Evening PostwalteduponWeral prominent retailers. Nearly he wLle of tho gentlemen inter__wed expressed their decided approval of tCSSta of the bill in tho abstract but Opinion seemed to prevail that the _lure P would deal -t^"^ _ev3-al bus ncssos, and that it wouw De 5-S amend it before it became absolute law.

JOTTINGS. To-night's financial debate should read well in Hansard. . , Mr Peaoock has returned to his political presented a petition to-day praying for the abolition of the totalisator. P MrS-obie Mackenzio gave Mr Fish a Boathing tongning to-night. Mr Fisher predicts that New Zealand will jsoon be in as good a position as South of telegrams are coming to Juv-d Birainaftho Codlin Moth Bill. Mr Vincent Pyke is exercised m mind be•cause there has been no return of persons __wnedh_ theriv,-rsof the colony for the to TbSa__r- of Canterbury are potitionincr to have agricultural implements and binder twine admitted freo of charge. __r_tutohison is urging the Government to lease 10,000 acres of education reserves kiTiwanaki. ~ , . I_o Cabinet intend to consider whcthei the San Francisco mail service shall bo coiitinued in the present depressed times. Mr Joyce has presented a petition from Dunedin in favor of the Shop Hours Bill, bearing nearly six thousand signatures. Mr Goldie saya if a direct issue between aTCODertytoxand a land and income tax "arises, ho would vote for the latter without regard to party consideration. The Land Transfer Act Amendment Bill, ■wiioh involves no principle, and merely nrovides for a more convenient method of Sealinst with land transfer, has passed its 'Aecond reading in the Legislative Council. This day. INSPECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS, &c. The sppointment of Lieut.-Colonel in tb-JDlitJaand Inspector of Volunteers has _L conferred on Captain Hume, Inspector 3 Prison-, and will be gazetted next week The __-- will b° pnrelv honorary, and when Captain Hume F .ys his vi«to to tho wisonsin the various parts of the colony U lill take advantage of the occasion .to ihoroughly inspect tho volunteer companies _,dputthc officers through thoir facings. Ho entered the Imperial -service in ISoO _n_ in 1874 was appointed Captain of the $„ Secondßattalion of tho Royal Highlanders (Black Watch).

TARIFF DEBATE. The debato on the tariff will extend wel l_te___ week The Freetraders say thoy ___£r^«the Customs Duties Bill.

CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT. It will be recollected that when Mr Seed retired from tho secretaryship of the Customs Department surprise was expressed that the Stout-Vogel Government ignored the claims of Mr McKellar, Collector of Customs at Wellington, and had appointed __ Glasgow, his junior,, to tho position. A change has now been determined on, and Mr McKellar will bo made Secretary to the Department at a salary of £600 a year ■while Mr Glasgow becomes Collector at Wellington at £550. It is understood that tho changes aro being made at the request •of both gentlemen. : ___SSRS FISHER AND MENTEATH. ■t_« Hon Mr Fisher professes to bo %_S^»i««» to A ht ___a___r& _bia own district, and the memborfor Te _v-r_Tks of resigning to give him an Opportunity of doing so.