Political Notes.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5887, 19 July 1890, Page 2

Political Notes.

St OTJE PAELIAitENTABY BEPOBTEB.] [BY TELKOBAPH.) Wellington, Last night. SUPPLY INTERJECTED. The motion for going into Supply t night was intercepted by Mr Tanner, wh moved, " That, in the opinion of this House, it is undesirable tbat a general election through effluxion of time shall take place before the next census is taken, and that the Government be requested to bring in a Bill to give effect to this resolution." He said that unless some other provision were made the Parliament would expire by effluxion of time on October sth next., which would be an exceedingly inconvenient time for holding a general election, seeing that shering would then be going on all over the country, but the more important reason was that if the election took place before next April, theyjmust be held under a distribution of seats based upon the popuj lation of five years ago. Mr Hobbs seconded the motion. The acting Premier said ha agreed to a certain extent with Mr Tanner's amendment seeing that there had been a great increase in the population of the North Island, but at the same time the Government did ; not see their way to accept the amendment, and they would vote against it. ■,"•■ On the motion being put it was negatived by 64 to 6. rUBLIO WOBKS STATEMENT. The Publio Works Statement will be brought down on either Tuesday ox Wednesday next. Probably followiug the course adopted last year, the Statement will merely be laid on the table and taken as read.

In answer to a question put by Mr Fish this evening, the acting Premier ■ denied distinctly that his statement of the previous day that the labor Bills would not be gone on with till satisfactory progress was made with the Estimates was intended as a threat. The Government, he added amid applause,, intended to pasa these Bills this sessionThey are, it may be mentioned, four in, number, viz., the Truok Bill, BuildingLien Bill, Employers' Liability Bill, and the Factories and Shop Bilk.

FEDEBAL COBFEBENOE,

The motion, " Resolutions for the appointment of delegates to the approaching , Federal Conference" will be tabled by the Colonial Seoretary next week, and opportunity will be afforded the House for discussing the question* . '

irACQUABIE ISLAND,

The Tasmanian Government hay& no obiection to the proposed transfer 'of jurisdiction of Macquarie Island from Tasmaniato Now Zealand, and the necessary resolutions to give effect to the transfer wili be> before Parliament iv a few days. . ,

X.UKU WOHM.

Enquiries made by the Stock Department show that lung worm in young sheep seems to have been occasioned by over stocking.

NEW I'IiTMOTJTH HAEBOB BOARD

The now historical advanoe for the payment of the New Plymouth Harbor Board'sinterest gave rise to a "breeze" in the House this afternoon.

Mr Seddon set the ball rolling by asking , the chairman (Mr Maoarthur) 'of last session's Public Accounts Committee whether that Committee sanctioned the advance, and if co, why such, decision was not aot down in the records of the Committee's proceedings as reported to the House.

Mr Macarthur declined to be "drawn," seeing that the matter was partly involved in Mr Hutchison's charges, which were nowbeing- enquired into by a committee. A general discussion ensued, in the course of which it appeared that at the Committee's meeting the " previous question." was affirmed by a large majority as against 11 proposal that the advance be not made. From what took place this afternoon, however, there was clearly a misunderstanding among the members of the Committee as to the meaning of carrying the "previous question." ■...-. ... ■ ■

The Hon. Mr. Ballance informed the House, that the whole of the Committee acquiesced iv the making of the a-lvance, though somo of them might have been reluottint.

The Hon. Mr. Larnach and Mr. Percival stated that the '' previous question " wasintended to havo ouly its ordinary meaning,, tho latter adding that the Committee declined to take any responsibility, and that tho Premier took upon himself the fu!L responsibility. THE ELECTIONS. The new Parliament cannot meet untJT at least sevonty-two days after the present. t Piirliament expires, viz., October 6. Registrars cannot be appointed till the newdistribution of seats comes into force, and they are allowed thirty days to make up the rolls, and the write are not returnable till forty-two days thereafter. CIYIIi SKEYICE EETBENOEHENr. Aa I advised you it was his intentionMr. W. P. Reeves ie moving for a Ecyal Commission to enquire into the general and local administration of this colony with a view to further retrenchment in the Civil Service. He wants the Commission set up shortly, with instructions that their report be laid before the next Parliament, if possible, at the beginning of the first session. AMALGAMATION OF DKPABTMBNm, Ministers were taken to task thfe afternoon for neglecting to fulfil a promise made m IbSB that the Native Department and that of tho Colonial Seoretary would be amalgamated. The Nativo Minister explained that tho Government had not yet seen their way to make the amalgamation promised. The expense ofthe Native Department proper had (ho added) been considerably reduced. 1 here was, he thought, some possibility of affecting a reduction in the expenditure by •he amalgamation of the Native Land and Justice and thia was now under consideration. It was also con-. templated to trasfer- the purohase of native.„ lauds to the Lands Department. TITO NEW I BOUNDARIES. Tho work of tho Boundary was criticised to-nigßit by Mr Seddon, who charged them withi having made some alterations iv their llioundariea after once fixing them without tJeing moved to do so by petition, and also Commented upon the position of ■ Dr. Hislclp, who, he argued, ought to have rosignecft his Commissionership immediately hie son became a Minister. Parliament had diveeteal itself of the duty of fixing , tho boundaries tvith the object _o£: putting the matter beyond political influence, but it could scai ely be considered. so when the father of on of the Ministers assisted iw r.bo work. - . Tho Colonial Secreta 7, "» his reply,. dealt iringerly with the s object, and_went tittle further "than to state that Bt iiislop.

was originally appointed a Commissioner by the Stout-Vogel Government at a time when his eon was a member of the Houso. Mr J. McKenzie subsequently stated that after the Waitaki constituency was marked out the district was canvassed in the interest of a certain gentleman, and us the result the boundaries were " Jerrymandered" in revision to suit a particular interest.

Mr Fish also stated the district of Port Chalmers was so altered in revision by the inclusion of the borough of Ravensbourne ac to make it a pocket borough for Mr Mills, and that it would cost an opponent £400 or £500 to fight the Union Steam Shipping Company. The Hoa. Mr Ballanoo added the Boundary Commission had done their work in the North Island very badly, not so much from political bias as from downright ignorance of the population and configuration of the country. At a later stage of the debate Mr T. Mackenzie eloquently defended Dr. Hislop from the charges hurled at him by tho Opposition, stating that that gentleman during his thirty-five years' association with the colony had conducted himself in a most estimable manner, aud had risen Bttadily by his own merit.

THE ESTIMATES.

Consideration of tho Estimates was resumed to-night with the Colonial Secretary's Department, aud sufficient indication was given before the House rose of a determined attpmpt towards further retrenchment. The first item attacked was the salary of the Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to the Cabinet (£500), in •which, on Mr. John McKenzie's motion, a reduction of £50 was affirmed by 49 to 21. On the item messengers and office-keepers (£4300) Mr. Fish moved a reduction of £279, the amount of the increase made on last year's Estimates. On a vote being takou 31 members wentinto each of the lobbies, and the amount was retained on the Chairman's casting vote, whereupon Mr Rhodes moved to reduce tho item by £5 as a proteat against the increases made, which was carried. When the Audit Office was reached Mr Ballauce said that this was a department in which a substantial reduction could be made. As a deputy auditor was being appointed, he could very well take the work of the chief clerk, and £400 could be saved. Besides, tho Agent-General's London office was overmanned, and the vote for contingencies was too large. He moved to strike off £1300 representing the salaries of the chief clerk, and the audit officer in London £400, and £500 from the item of £2500 for travelling expenses and contingencies. Finding the reduction whs likely to be carried, the Colonial Secretary moved to report progress in order to consult with tho Auditor-General, which, was agreed to. This day. SIR EOBERT STOUT. Overtures have been made to Sir Robert Stout to stand for the Buller seat, Mr O'Conor, tho present member, offering to retire in his favor and assist him at the poll. It is also said that should Sir Robert decide to re-enter Parliament he may accept the offer. LTOIStATrVE COUNCIL BILL. There are now threo amendments on the Order Paper of the Legislative Council given notice of in connection with Sir George Whitiuoro's Legislative Council Bill. Tho Hou. Mr Shrlrnski moves that no person sh.ill bo ouininoned as a member of tho Couneii till the number i* reduced tc less than thirty-seven, mid thereafter no one shall be summoned if tho appointment would increase the members beyond that number, virtually fixing the Council at thirty-scr/en mombere. Ho also moves that no otic shall be eligible as a member of thf, Council unless ho has previously been a member of tho House of Representatives. The Hon. Mr Reynolds will raovo a new clause by which members appointed for life who may have served ten years shall, in thu event oi their resignation, retain nil the privileges to which they were entitled as members other than tho honorarium ; that is to say, thov arc to retain for life tho title of " Honorable" und their railway passes. The third amendment is that of the Hon. Mr Wilcon, who would provide that after ten years' service membership iv tho Council .shall ceaso.