POLITICAL NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5258, 29 June 1888, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

[PAItLUMENTABY EEI'OIITER.J

Wellington, Last night, CHALLENGING A JUDICIAL DECISION.-.' . . .

Just before the dinner adjournment to- ! day Mr Lance asked the Minister for Lands without notice whother his attention had been called to the following Christchurch ! telegram which appeared in that morning's | paper:—"At the Supreme Court to -day Mr Justice Ward quashed the conviction of A.. ', Waohsmsiiin, manager of the Hopefield station, who had been fined £50 hy.Mr C. Whitofoord for not having made sufficient > exertions.to clear certain sheep from scab. There were 4000 sheep in the flock, but it L -'was' not shown that all were actually infected. The Judge held that it must be I ■ shovra that tho sheep were actually and , not merely technically, scabby." He said ( that this ruling upset a decision whioh had r been.in force fo:: ten years, and to say that i overy sheep in a flock must be infected , before a conviction could obtain seemed to . him perfectly adioulous.! The Hon. ":Mr i Richardson replied that he had noticed the l decision in tho morning paper, and recognising tho importance of it he had caused . enquiries to bo'made, with a view of ascertaining whether the report was a correct 5 one. If it were it was clear sorno amend- ' incnt of the Sheep Act waS necessary, j beowuse it would be impossible to get a con-I '• viction in any case, for, as everybody knew, ' ! it could not be shown that every sheep in a f flook was • infected. 'As he had stated, 1 enquiries wero being made into the correctness of the report as to His Honor's ruling. ! A LAPSUS LINGU2E. > A palpable hull was committed by Mr ■ Levestam this afternoon. Speaking to the > distillation .question, •he convulsed the:, t House by emphatically declaring that the s whiskey brown lin New Zealand a few years \ ago was, the finest imported into the 3 colony. 1 * FREIGHT ON FRUIT. :'A deputation of memhers to urge on the. • Minister for Works the importance of rel " ducing the freight on fruit is being arranged 3 byMrPyke. Already sixty members have 7 signed a communication to the Hon. j Mr; 8 Mitehelson, couched in the. following a terms:—"Wo havo to request you to " receive a deputation of members on Monday *' next to urge the expediency of greatly • re--0 ducing the railway rates for fruit. :'As' 0 many of us may bo unable to attend, wo " desire to say that we are heartily iv accord with tho view.-i of the gentlemen who will c form the deputation.' In our judgment, _• one of the best forms of protection to our (. fruit-growers would be the conveyance of q their fruit at liommal rates.''"- A. meetin-jar' n is to bo held to-morrow forenoon to appoint ,(. the deputation. .t THE AWARUA'S SEALING CRUISE. The sealing cruise of the Awarua and the cbnnection therewith of Mr Joseph" Hatch, t ox-member for Invercargill, aro now en- , s gaging the attention of Ministers. They £ are making enquiries in respect to the case r of illegal sealing at the Auckland Islands, p but, of course, do not feel warranted,in [, stating what steps --they are taking. As r the Minister for Marino points out, informations must be laid, except in the case of misdemeanor, within six mouths of the '• commission of tho offence, and the circumr stances of the Awnrua's expedition render - it extremely doubtful whether a prosecution, r if instituted, would bo successful. The f Government recognise tho importance of r tho seal fisheries in the South Island, and tl will use every endeavor to have them pror perly conserved. . - . 1 CLUBS IN HOTELS. o . ■ - ■ . > The Government find that it is impossible: to give effect to the resolution recently passed by the Houso us to-.tho. immediate cancelling of the charters of clubs who hold their meetings in hotels, uuless«>an evasion of tho Licensing Act is proved. It is not; ' intended in future to grant licenses to clubs , which have their meetings in licensed ~ houses. r >'■...-.■'■ A TAX ON BACHELORS. ■ i, In enquiring whether the Government y wpuld consider the advisability of imposing i. a tax on bachelors, Mr Bruce, who is yet - uumairied, this afternoon expressed the opinion that bachelors lived in a state of luxury, and therefore ought to be taxed. " Tho Premier dissents from this view, and P speaking with the authority of a benedictof long standing, ho gave it as his 'I opinion that instead of a haohelor's life being one of luxury, it was moro like leading the life of wickedness, and ought to n .be mado penal. The Government, he added, had no intention of raising further taxation „ at the preseti t timo, but should thoneces- . sity arise next session, the wrongs of leadg ing a bachelor's lifo would receive cone sidoration. Dr. Fitchett raised a laugh by suggesting that in the event of a Bachelor's j Bill being introduced a clause should bo 8 inserted exempting those who were engaged . at the timo. . , NORTH ISLAND RAILWAY ROUTE. y The " battle of the routes " next session 0 in connection with the construction of the 0 North Island trunk .railway promises to be s a very lively one. Wellington people have h taken the intention of the Auckland members n to bring in a bill to repeal the present Act o very much to heart, and tho Post to-night says that the Aucklanders will find it impossible to do this. Any attempt to move in that' direction would, if necessary, be resisted in the Law Courts. LOCALOODLES SUBSIDIES. The Hon. Dr. Pollen is on Tuesday to j move, " Tha* in the opinion of the Council, it is not advisable, in view of the financial condition and obligations of this colony,, that any portion of the public revenue derived from the Customs duties should be ir appropriated or sot apart permanently, or for a definate period,- to provoide subsidies for local bodies." I, RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS. » Tho Minister of Pubb'o Works took oc- » casion to assure the House this afternoon l * that thero ia no truth in the rumor pub- " lishecl,in the Evening Post that it is the 3 intention of tho Government to appoint Colonel Trimble (of Taranaki), Mr E. G. a Wright (of Ashburton),. and Mr Nicholls " (of Dunedin) or any of them as Commis--0 sioners on the proposed Railway Board. 0 .SCAB IN SHEEP. i Tho Minister of Lands declines, in view - of the outbreak of scab in the north, and a the inability of tho department to stifle tlm - disease in the northern part of the South 1 Island, to refer, the reorganisation of the c Sheop Department to tho Stock Committee. I He sees no reason for such a course, but f expresses his willingness to receive rocomo mendntions for the improvement of the :• Dapartment from the committee. Mr 0 Walker, who is moving in the matter, V threatens to bring up, the whole question 3 before tho close of tho session. r WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND WOMEN 1 AT LICENSING ELECTIONS. r These were tho principal themes of dist enssion to-night, when the House was in f committee on Mr Steward's Licensing Com- , mittees Election Bill, the object of which is 3 to provide for tho triennial election of t committees. Tho original hill escaped I alteration, but after it had been reviewed 1 Mr Fulton moved the addition of a now I clause to make all adult females who have i lived six months in a district to vote at. . elections. After a long oifoussion tho > second reading of the clause was agreed to t by 36 to 27, but Mr Fish, who arrived at E this stage, offered a vigorous opposition, s On tho motion that the now clause bo added ; to the bill, Mr Seddon moved as an amendment that it apply only to married women* '. Mr Fish again took up tho disoussion, and Stonewalled until the time for the supper i adjournment. Only ten members were present whou the House resumed. Mr Hamlin therefore loft the chair and reported the absence of a quorum to the Speaker, who declared tho Houso adjourned. ANIMALS PROTECTION ACT. Mr Lovestam's Animals Protection Act Amendment Bill, which is intouded to enable local bodios to fix tho license fee for selling gamo n't'any sum not oxcoeding five s-hillings, was read a second time to-night.. Mr Fulton intends to endeavor to add a new clause when iv committeo, with tho object of preventing the wholesale slaughter of nativo ducks for purposes of trade. BAILIITS AT ELECTIONS. The Minister of Justice informs Mr Kelly that tho R.M. Court bailiffs aro not subject to tlie Act whioh forbids civil servants from taking part in political proceedings. Ho thinks, however, that it i» exceedingly improper that they should join • in political iiovements, and promises to tako steps to prevent a recurrence of any case brought under his notice. ABSENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS. In prosecuting his efforts to unseat certain Legislative Councillors because they wero absent from their duties for a lengthened term without leave, tho Hon. J. N. Wilson is acting with great persistency. To-day ho mo rod for tho appointment of a ; select commi tee to enqmro and report whother Sir F. Whitaker, the Hon. R. ■ Pharazin, tho Hon. R. Oliver, and the Hon. j G. M. Waterhouse are disqualified from sitting and voting in the Council. Tho Speaker (Sir W. Fitzherbert) said that th.ro was a difficulty iv put- t ting the mot "on as it stood on tho Order- j Paper, as it was opposed to tho Standing c Orders. There was a proper mode a of procednre, and that was that an address s be presented t<> His Ercellenoy the Governor I to reoommend tho appointment of a scleot -\ v committeo to .'enquire into tho matter. The f ( -Hon. Mr Wi!«m accepted tho ruling of the j Speaker, and intimated his intention of adopting the fiourso recommended. CROWN LANDS TENANTS. . p Quite a host of deferred-payment settlers o recently petiti mod for a re-valuation of*their a lands and a re-adjustment of thoir financial e< position with tho Government, and the <•< Waste Lands Committee, to whom their U

, !rlJ&in'n^fh'alh ■'■.bef<Sre'-&rliamen^ ■recommendation-lomaker!;;!!^:^ ') ■-. >.;. '^^ft^ft^fsYSTE^ !!/, Sinio'the village homestead vwas introducedin up land to the extent; pf,;j!fJ.!4'}l 'have been 233 ,61 have abandoned'their ■hbldinj^.-:!;i'^t't]ii6'i •present., .time -.975-. of ..tho/origi:i'in':sflej ' still retoin their hoMings, whh-h" 30,107. 'acres.f, .The! .amount! in' 'arrraraWrfjjiffi'S March 31stlast was£->70.! -%;;\-y. :^r^: ':■ / ft'v ,•_ The'- Fisheries- Conservation-. Actj is ;i comprehensive mensurC iN'hcntly: ihtio-ISS!>S:S ■lluceft by tho Minister foi Marine, is »pfcV;>«is|os<:i bo peresv-ered./witlv this sessiofvtbji!; -the rece's* the .Government matter' of. fresh *' water fishing tofttheY!Ao-"§;fetfp clirnatisation Societies and others It is hoped that these 3 "bodies; will -and make suggestions /to? the Goyeriiiiieiifcraft? on the subject. -.-•.. i '-~. ■-•.•'!;-:,'■'•:. : .';.'.-!:-:.' v-:- : £-'?;SSi:"SI

. . RE-ESTABLISHMENT' dF..DIS-,-;i ; .-.'•j' ; ' !. ■■■■''£ .. Judging* by the ; spirited discussion which'-"took!'•■ place:.'this afternoon, a majority -.-of:: tlfo /Honwa'ifavorably" disposed to', of distilleries. The .discussion"arose through fihi a reply by the-Premier to i .tKo^ l ililobt;.thnt«s# : '.p the Government could, not :hold il '.'ou^i r auT'SV;»£:S hopes at the present time of doaliiig . witli the question. • Some;'; years .ago^idistilleriesf'slfe} were established in the'colouy}'ahd:tho''.cx'4./-^i ! periment'did not -'.prove : u- successful ■'oneViit'pi. Thereupon Mr Kerr/Suggestodrthat; " i^tii!!aJ3ji;ifr.»;;, : i : view, .-'to' ■■; aiding •■ ■ the < ; .. fannin<r4-:c6m-!*f£-Cp nmhity' the Government should 'aftord'tsbirief&Ctv'i encouragement to the.distillation, and pointed out that if tho system afc time; hi ; v«_>gue in Scotland, viz.,: that spirits distilUd, in. the'place we're- :: iS3i;ii:» : J: ; ex : tp,hp :- ported, no complaint could, he ! made ground-that tho residents.!of ! ; thb,' : were being injured by being: supplied. with|s«s* an inferior v honie-niade"article.:!.Meßßrß : T.|fe:Jj' MoKenzie, Valentine, ;Sj Feldwiok,'. 06wani'''aud-' ; othersnirgeds'that^& encouragement .should be given :!tctf tilling industry, and it Dunedin made ■ whisky andgin -.werei.-qfj th©!s : S':! : 'iS« very best..:quality.-. ■• Opposition" to':|ne"";rei|||f;!fe enactment of the ! Distillation "'Aot; camefrom Messrs McGregor,'Hobbß,- : i3kildieV , 4niS ,^S-: i t - < Anderson. The! member for ■ Akaroa-'v'saidijjj.-jf Wi that ho'-.spoke': with some authority on tii|g'. : J- ; "--. subject, having had chargo of the tilling establishment in distinctly of opinion that to Act would be a mistake;:!:! 'The' ; gentlemen pointed now went on, and thought ttot the re^'f|i.( x - establishment of distilleries wouldtond an increase of the drinking habite'of thP4s*.if; ; people.; M' - Blake took advautagetof tiKssi '4$ opportunity to deliver thoHoiial atenipe.ranea; S S & \ lecture, in the course of which^e^sai^'thai^&aif'i- 1 though a former,-he should ■■jlf disgraced were ■ho'!-;-l«;..- ! entertain"! r thSfef'■< idea that - he. was.maldnp money, at the ex%Sfflki£ pcnso of the misery and degradatiori drinking habits caused. ferial explanation-was forthcoming;'/bnK^3St' doubtless tho Cabinet .will into consideration during the reocasfi^'::^J,'SSff?| ' : ;"'"':•"''. ,RAILWAY%IOKJE^^^ : -.' Tho' idea Dr.:'Fitehett ; a view /.to ■im^^^Xj^^ i r^ acquainted with the charges! for! travelling'f^ti ■■&. the price of journeys i ßhoiUdabe"^ , pria'te^: l onSr^; : | the, railway tickets, does not find, the. Government. .lTiey-:tbiaki:lhAt'&''tii&|S?p|| P2? hn S' -.'of fares at, tho irailway afford sufficient publicity, • and '■ as-;tfr-'the* #wi suggestion that ■ railway..- tickets Vshpifld' l M*? Sim sold at places ..of-business, Vtaey! that .on holidays and are run the' dimculty; : '«f increased trafHoMmet-byainaUtioietßtan ■beinggreeted, 1 ..-. -.:, ; /;- : !.',,(',:;;'. :?:#,^^^^l^^pS, '■- : printing, office Mr budding is admirably' l - purpose, required.J It is"well-.'lighted^and^ ventilated, and is heated'by air process, which secure an ture of about sixty degrees in every The electricerected under the -advice andf : supermten-;M* denco of Dr. Lemon, and will^he-Maoy'for l '$<£$ testing in a fow:-.^8. ; power of each lamp is oandleS and^?" "''■■ -'"i provision is throughout the.buUdirig: -;The and ■. -boilers:- ''were; : -:-ma^faoto^ Messrs Cable and-Co.,"' it. - is. : .satisfactoiy-!to'-'leara"^JJ>i^ir^' i undergoing- .-- tho-; .;usual! : !'!'it^^% : ia3eV'*'P have proved to be in every to the requirements :.of tithe! deplitttinen^v*'^ l During tho past year work of ifcha : -value "<&;£&&$ £27,393 has been executed by'iluai ment. The cash receipts' ■from advertisements, and! the;-. sale : -~' of official r publications, amounted to as agmßti#-# £1578 for tlie previous year. ■ Inviewof th*-l>3S5 tendency of the paper market' in! it is recommended that an, appreciable duotion be made.in the number of copied%:i "8* now lirinted of Pariiamentary' papers, gazettes, and! that the: free isssue be our--tailed. It! is noteworthy.'that'Vibtbria'as'» ;: f ; -$S rule issues half the number -'usually ; in this ! The average number of employes in the place has been 14 §.;':'; "fir ft- li^f

THE DISPUTED HONARARIUM. ,L Tho Council have affirmed that certain, members resident near Wellington wero perfectly justified in drawing £25 for expenses after tho last session of Parliament, that tlie demand of tho Government for tbo repayment of the money was pre- v mature, and that it is a matter of regret that these ! sums had been repaid until tho ' right of the Treasury to such repayment had been tested in the Supreme Court. It was resolved that it is the duty of tlie Government to prevent the possible recurrence of transactions of so undesirabls a character by introducing a bill making suoh amend- s ' mentinthe Parliamentary Privilege* Act of last session as may effectually remove all '' ambiguities; real or imaginary in that Aot. ' . The resolutions wero opposed by tho Attorney-General, hut were carried" by 20 ' to 6. J THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. .With respect to the petition of Mr J. P. Oakes, .who claims rewards for various alleged disooveries of gold, the GoldfieldsVsJ, Committee have reported that, havingpassed a resolution limiting the period for claiming rewards for discoveries of gold to twelve moni hs from tho dato of such discoveries, the Co-nmitle* cannot entertain tho petitions. ' . OYSIER LICENSES. Mr Lawry is to ask the Government if they willtake into consideration the advisability of compelling oyster gatherers to obtain a license at tho Customs, such, license to bo cancelled should the holder be'convicted of : theft or of taking oysters from v - closed grounds without permission. *-' ! V NEW BILLS. The following new bills have been given '"'/ notice of:-Hon. G. F. Richardson, tho State Forests Act Amendment Bill, tho Puhoi Settlers Bill, Public Bodies Powers - " Act Amendment Bill; Hon. Mr Hislop, Counties Boundaries Bill; Hon. E. Mitchelj son, tho Epsom and Mount Eden Recreation - i Ground Bill; Mr Walker, bill to amend the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Aot. j 1885, ' , JOTTINGS.' i -■•'■' -^ As tho Fisheries Bill is a comprehensive consolidating measure, it is not intended to deal with it this session. . Mr Pyke is anxious to know what steps the Government intend taking with a view to granting the franchise to womeu. 1 Mr McKenzie is asking the Government to offer encouragement for the cultivation of wattle. It is estimated that tho amount of extra taxation imposed last night by the amended , schedulo to tho Customs Duties Bill is close * / on £25,000. C*sP" Tho Hons. Messrs Pharozyn, Dr Pollon, - Hart, MoKenzie, Potcr, Swan son, and *"' Milter aro tho committee appointed by the Legislative Council to enquiro into the working of the totalisator. Tlie Imprest Supply Bill lias passed through all its stages iv the Council. The proceedings of the Chinese Conference, forwarded to you yesterday, have been laid ou the table. It is not intended to deliver any Mines Statement this session, but the mines report will be presented next week. Tho .Government admit that concessions of duty were allowed to people importing carriages, furaituio, &c, for private use, but thoy say there was no infraction of the law.