Political Notes.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5612, 24 August 1889, Page 2

Political Notes.

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Wellington, Last night.

old soldiers' claims.

The Defence Minister informed Sir George I Grey this afternoon that the Government hope in a day or two to introduce a Bill giving effect to the report of the Naval and Military Settlers Committee. friendly societies. On consideration of tho position of friendly societies, and on consulting with the Officers of societies, the Government havo concluded that a commission would be a more suitable body than a. select committee lor enquiry into the solvency of 'those bodies. They are now deliberating us to the desirableness of appointing a commission to investigate the matter iv the recess. . MAEEIAGE WITH DKCKAfcUD irUBBANJj'tj BBOTIIEE. Prompted by tho touching letter he has received from " A Broken-hearted Mother" on the subject, Mr Lawry urged the uuvernziiurit to-<la.y to xjejet f.eM«iorj for legalising of marriage with deceased husband's brother. The Miuintor of Justice I said he did not know that tho Government j oauld promise to introduce a measure, but they would consider the matter. (" Oil i" and laughter.) LIIOISLATIVE COUNCIL. A batch of Bills were advanced a stage in the Legislative Council to-day. Tho Ngarara and Waipiro Further Investigation Bill was committed and reported with amendments, tho third reading being fixed for Tuesday next. Tho Land Transfer and Orimukutea Title Empowering Bills were also committed and reported. The Savings Bunk Amendment Bill and tho Auckland and Onehunga Native ilostelries Bill were reported without amendment, read a third time, and punned. Tho amendments made by the House in tho Shipping and Seamen's Amendment Bill were agreed to.

A COMI'LAINT. Complaint wits, made to-day by Mr Duncan that tho time at which telegrams are despatched and received are often marked on the messages only in letters which are unintelligible io the public. The Post-master-General explained that letters were used by the Department because the)' were more i-anily transmitted than figures, but I the time wins aliso supposed to be indicated by figures, though ho knew that the operaiorn were careless in tho matter. However, he would havo attention called to the'negligence, and the best way of checking it would be for those who received telegrams not properly marked to complain to the officer, in charge. loud cham.ky's IIKCOVEEY. Both branches of tho Legislature have received from tho Governor communications conveying his sincere thanks for cheir congratulations on Lord Cranley's recovery, and for tho consideration and sympathy manifested towards himself and Lady Onslow throughout the course of their son's dangerous illness. JUDGE WARD'S EXPENSES. If it turns out when the Christie-Ward action has been finally disposed of that the action has been frivolous, and without cause, the Premier says the Government will bo bound to recommend the House to provide for the payment of Judge Ward's expenses. ALLEGED VOLUNTEER IRRIiQULAEITIES. The Defence Minister told Mr. Valentine this afternoon that.a confidential comni unication had been addressed by the Defence Department to the officers commanding the districts, but he was not aware of its contents. He was, however, informed that there was nothing in it that reflected upon tho volunteers. PARLIAMENTARY ____."_ MATCH. Our Parliamentary rifle team to compete against the other colonial Legislators will be constituted af follows :—Messrs. Anderson (Bruce), Carroll (Eastern Maori), Duncan (Waitaki), Hamlin (Frankiyn Soulh), Rhodes (Gladstone), Verrall (Ashley), and Ward (Awarua). The match takes place on Thursday next. AGE or CONSKNT. There was some discussion iv the Council to-day over the proposal -made by the Government to raise the age of female consent to fourteen years. The Hon. Mr. McLean contended that the age should be raised to sixteen years, and tho Hon. Mr. Oliver moved that the age be fifteen. This amendment was lost, and eventually progress was reported, leave being given* to si I again. NEW ZEAIAND-AUSTRALIAN CABLE. It was stated by Mr. Ward this afternoor < that an offer is i_ the hands of the Gjvernment for the sale of the New ZealandAustralian cable for £150,000, besides an independent oiler to lay another cable foi less than that sum. The hon. gentlemai: quoted figures to show that the profits oj the Eastern Extension Company from th( cable would represent 10 or 12 per cent, interest on £150,000. Ho urged that ai: offer should be made to obtain a roductior of the present cable rates, and iv tho eveul of the Company declining to adopt a more reasonable tariff, tho Government should negotiate with the sister colonies for the laying of a second cable. Tho PostmasterGeneral undertook to give tho matter his attention in tho recess, and renew the efforts that were made a couple of yean ago when the Government discontinued the subsidy. Enquiries would also be made as to the desirableness of laying a now cable, but he was afraid there was not much likelihood that assistance would be given by the other colonies. TUB NATIVE HILLS. There are now iv Wellington about half a-dozen native chiefs from Tarnnalu, whe have been delegated i»y their people to consider tho Bills relating to [In- Maori race. They havo petitioned Kr leave Iv attend at the bar and address the House, giving theii reasons why tho Bills should be delayed til] the natives have had time to become thoroughly acquainted with their provisions. Tho Native Meetings Bill, they say, fills their hearts with fear and alarm, and would inflict irreparable irjurj- upon them, while it is contrary to the treaty of Waitangi — under which tho natives were given all tho rights and priv iieges of British subjects— and also to the Constitution Act. A WARNING TO CIVIL SERVANTS. The Civil Servants whose practice of out-of-door photography for gain was brought under the notice of tho Government by Mr Joyce, are residents in the North and parts of the West Coast districts. The member for Lyttelton explained that his purpose in broaching the subject was to ascertain whether other public servants were at liberty to supplement their incomes by undertaking private work. The Premier slid he was not aware that tho practice was earned on, nor did ho think it advisable for tho Government to make enquiries. If the hon. gentleman know of any public servants who were not doing their duty to the Government, he should report them, and if it was found that they were transgressing the rules, action woulii bo taken. A LITTLE DIVERSION. The members for Marsden aud the Bay of Islands, who havo hitherto been like Damon and Pythias, have on two or three recent occasions been found on opposite sides in discussion. This afternoon, in a debate on the Auckland village settlements, this was again the case. Mr W. C. Smith chaffed them upon the dissolution of their partnership, and said that the hon. member for Marsden, instead of moving for returns of tho knives and forks and scrubbing brushes used iv the Ministerial residences, as he formerly did—(laughter)—had now turned his attention to tho unearthing of the village settlements mare's nests. Mr Taiwhanga subsequently likened the two northern members to two dogs ("Oh!") fighting over a bono (laughter) that really belonged to somebody else, because the village settlement laud belonged to the Maoris by right. OCEAN MAIL BKKYICES. A return has been sent to the House, on the motion of Mr Ross, showing the estimated cost per lb. for the carriage of mail matter by the San Francisco service upon (1) the present subsidy of £25,000, including bonus, (2) a subsidy of £15,000 without bonus, and (3) a subsidy of £10,000 without bonus. Tho cost of letters under the above headings is (1) 18s 8-87 d per lb, (2) 10s 0-7Sd per lb, and (2) 7s 2 ; 52d per lb. That of books is (1) Is l-31d per lb, (2) 7"GSd per )b, and (3) 5-12 d per 11); and that of newspapers (1) _-44d perlb, (2) 2-,">6d per lb, and (3) l'7ld perlb. Tho cost of carriage by the direct service under the present subsidy and bonus (£19,061) is 25s Il7d per lb for letters, Is 5-83 d per lb for books, and 5.01 d per lb for newspapers. The estimates are based on the quantities carried by the different routes last year. NEW ZEALAND HISTOKY. The Minister for Education stated to-day that he understood there was a want of a thoroughly good history of New Zealand, and he promised to consider Mr Seddon's suggestion that a bonus should be offered as in tho case of New South Wales for the production of a work on Australia and New Zealand with special prominence to. this colony's affairs. RAILWAY EMPLOYES. About £1-100 had at the end of the financial year accumulated at the Treasury in fines levied upon railway employes, which is intended to be used as tho nucleus of a Hiihl_ to mako provision for railway employes in periods of illness or di-üblc-im-pt. A Hallway Bill was to Lave been introduced this session, in which provision to this effect would have been inserted, but it will now have to stand over till next year.

TH3 TINAKOIII KOAD EESIDENOE. Last session tho House passed a Public Reserves Sale Act, to provide for the sale or other disposition of the Ministerial residence in Tinakori road, Wellington. In answer to enquiry by Mr Goldie what had been dono in this connection, tho Premier to-day re- .^H plied that considerable effort was made during the recess to get a reasonable price k l for the house, but they could not realiso w*"'*'' their reserve, and they were not prepared to sacrifice it. They had since received an offer to havo it mado over as an endowment for a Wellington University. The proposal seemed a very reasonable one to the Government, for Parliament would soon have to provide for such a University. (Cries of " oh! oh!"). Sir Harry said ho had expected tV hear cries of " Hear, hear !" not "Oh!oh !" The Government had made no further efforts to sell the residence, and they felt that they conld noth;iv.i found a purchaser. If it had not been for the extraordinary turn things had taken this 'session, the Government "would have brought in a Bill dealing with this Ministerial residence in the way Ministers thought was the right one. KUSLUIA SLUDOE CHANNEL. Soyeralhours wereoocupiedto-day withthe consideration of a report from the Goldfields Committee on the Kumara sludge channel, in whioh the Minister of Mines is censured for committing the colony to large expenditure (said in the lobbies to be £6000) in connection with the channel without first consulting Parliament, which was in session ut tho time. It appeared from the discussion that the report was hurriedly arrived at at Mr. Swldon's instigation, and on the motion of the Minister of Mines, it was refemi b*ck to the Committee for further , MuaiitirMUm.

MR. BALLANCe's TOBN OP COAT. Tlw action of Mr. Ballance in connection witli the Owsrp Central Railway Bill hue %. naturally iiicwiaed Mr. Pyke, who intends f on Monday night to give notice of his " inanition to move " That this House has no eonliduiice in the leader of the Opposition." It is said that Mr. Soobio McKenzie has expressed his intention of seconding the motion. Should an opportunity be afforded of discussing tho question, hon. members will be handicapped in being prevented, in accordance with tho rules of the House, from quoting from speeches made by Mr. Ballance this session in support of their assertion, that he has turned a complete political somersault. ' WESTEEN ATJSTEALIA. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply to-night Mr Seddon rose to move his resolution re responsible government for Western Australia, but withdraw- ifcjon ths Premier undertaking to move for a commiU / toe to deal with the question, , / NKW ZEALAND COAL. Thereupon Mr Guinness moved an amendment to the effect, " That, in the opinion of 1 his House, thetimelias. arrived when the Government should give encouragement to the development of the mineral resources of tho colony, and With that object invietv they be requested to .instruct all 1 epartmenta undfT its control to use native coal, instead of inrported aoal, and also request the' Railway Commissioners to give preference to native coals on our railways." The Minister for Works said the amendment was one which could well be accepted by the Government, as in every instance they had instructed the officers of the various Departments throughout the colony to purchase •• local coal. Nothing, but native coal, he added, was now used on our railways. Ihe amendment was unanimously adopted. WABD-HISLOP COHJnTTEE. Evidence was given before the WardHislop Committee to-day by the Hon. Mr Larnach, who was examined as to the value of the land which was mortgaged by Judge Ward to the Colonial Investment Company, and by Mr Filleul, clerk of the Oamaru Magistrate's Court, who generally substantiated the Colonial Secretary's statement as to what took pluce between them in the street at Oamaru. I understand that Mr McDonald, gaoler at Oamaru,-will be the next witness. The Colonial Secretary will teuder himself for examination in a day or two. He was never averse to giving the Committee any information they might desire, an intimation to that effect having been made to the Committee on the'opening day of their deliberations, but ho merely objected to being, present thi oaghout their tattings, or to appear in the role of a prosecutor.