PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 44, 20 August 1892, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

« THE STOCK TAX REJECTED. When tho Stock Bill wa3 bofore tho House, the Speaker pointed out that it proposed to introduce taxation in tho form of tho cattlo tax, in addition to tho sheop tax, and, tho Bill not having boen introduced in Committoo, it would bo jiecosaary to refor oknse 48, which contained tho provision for tho imposition of tho tax on sheep ana cattlo, to Committeo of the Whole, to obtain lca-\o for its introduction. When tho Minister for Lands brought tho clauso boforo tho Committoo of tho Whole, yostorday, it wat thrown out by 33 to 25. Tho Minister thereupon said that he would not go on with tho Bill, as ho considered that the Houbo had rofused loavo to introduco it. Great prossure had boon brought to bear upon him by the stook-owners of tho colony to introduce tho moaßuro, and it would be on account of thoso who had voted against it that thoy would bo denied it this session. Mr. Rolleston Baid this was n> display of temper on the part of the Minister which ho could not be congratulated on. Tho committeo had not refused leavo to introduco the Bill, but loavo l to introduce a form of special taxation which thoy considered obnoxious, just as thoy had. considered tho oyster tax obnoxious, and b because thoy exorcisod their right to- do this, they were threatened by tho Minister with the withdrawal of an important administrative measure. Tho Premior said tho Leader f of the Opposition was making a great noieo 3 over his first small triumph this session. Tho oommitteo had tho right to rofuso lcavo to introduco the Bill, but tho Minister had also tho right to drop it and tako his own i course when ho was treated with such scant " courtesy by tho Houbo. Tho Minister had taken the right course. Mr. Hamlin donied that they hod been guilty of discourtesy. Some members now became anxious as to the effect of their votes, and Mr. Palmor in particular wanted to know exactly what the position was, but at this stage tho dispute arose botween Mr. G. Hutchison and the Chairman of Committees, which led to tho member for Waitotara being reported to tho Speaker as disorderly. Ihp rest of 1 tho afternoon was taken up in discussing the iposition, and it was not till after the 3 dinnor adjournment that the House got into - Committee again. When progress was reported tho Minister for Pnblio Works moved 3 that tho clauao bo ro-oommittod for further consideration, but on Mr. Fergus objecting a that tho orders of the day must be taken at 1 7.30J tho Speaker ruled that this was so. . The Minister for Lands wanted the Speaker to say what was the position of tho Bill, and the Speaker promised to lot him know later on. ' THE JIANAWATU BAIL WAT COMPANY. 3 Tho Mto Z Committee were occupied yesterday with tho petition of the Manawatu Railway Company for tho balance of their land grant. This was a potition presented last year, and tho reinstitution of whioh Mr. Fisher Bocured. Under tho Railway' Construction Act of 1882 tho company was entitled to land to the value of 30por cent, on tho cost of construction, provided that did not exceed .£SOOO per milo. Of this tho company have only received 19 percent., and it asks for tho remaining 11. 'Die Government state, that thoy havo exhausted I the Crown lands available near tho lino, and c have therofore nono to sa'isfy the claini. > Tho company "urge that this is not their conoorn. Tho Committeo hoard ovidenco i and considered the potition from 11 to 1, and then adjourned until Wednesday. G jottings. r Government tako Thursdays from private j members after noxt woek. |_ Tho Premier's motion to nmond tho c " Standing Orders comes down on Tuesday. 0 Lady Glasgow was present yostorday 0 during tho Hutchison-Rocs incident. Tho Public Works Statement is now boinff y prepared, and an announcement rospeoting 0 it is to bo made noxt wcok. [. Mr. Bruco wishes men engagod in bushfelling contracts to be exempted from the Truck Act. Mr. Lawry is asking that a bonuß bo paid Mr. John Lundon for hia services in ostablishiDg tho North Auckland villago Bottleincnts. Mr. Bruco yesterday presenteda potition from James Blackmore for a military land grant. Tho Premier says tho Railway Commie. r sionors aro prepared to givo largo conccs>r sions to engine driTers and stokors desiriug r_ to vote at elections. ' Mr. Saunders discoursed on tho Haro ? System at 1.30 o'clock this morning. Ho wanted it applied to tho four cities. Tho Premier said it would never come, and reported progress because tho Member for ,'. t-elwyn wanted to dobato it thoro and then. Port Chalmers fishermen, finding themselves blocked in tho Victorian markot by a duty of 5s por hundredweight on imported d fish (equal to Is 6d per dozen), ask for a bonus of id per 1b on cured fish. The Petitions Committeo do not recommond the refund of duty on timber used by Messrs. O'Connor and M'Kensio in tho „ staiths at Westport, and the Ngakawau railway bridge. j. Words of wisdom from Mr. Taylor — d " Chinamen may be rather obtrusive in earu,j ing a living, but lam bonnd te say, Sir .that down our way wo have somo vory intelligent „ Chinamen. Why, Sir, thoy voted for Me !" 1 — which sottlod it, of course. y Mr. M'Loan wanted a rotnrn of the valuo T of all lands upon which a land tax might be c impo3od— oxcluding tho lands of tho Crown, a natives, and publio bodies, but including mines and private railways. Now ho has it, and tho total is .£63,723,895. G, A. M. LnfE, resident engineor of j the Ekotauuna-Woodville K&ilway Workf, having received notice that his services will 0 not be required after the 31st.4nstant, wants ii an enquiry into tho canso, or a transfer to '? tho Working Railways Department. :* Tho ratepayers of Caversham have a ?' grievance Thoy wanted a wator works '¦ loan— 3l6 votes wore recorded for it and 20 ir against, but the loan was lost bocauso of tho majority of those on the roll being necessary, and now thoy are petitioning the House to o amond the Municipal Corporations Act. d The present law makos persons who havo o occupied unclaimed lands for 20 years its d owners. Tho Unclaimed Land 3 Bill docs >r not alter this, bnt makes lands unclaimed for 12 years revert te tho Crown. The Minister for Labour told Mr. Fishor yesterday that tho Labour Bureau have had no general complaints of hardship from tho men. Complaints were recoived respecting tho case at tho Tiraumoa chronicled by a correspondent of the Evening Post, but steps were at once taken to relieve tho men, who had been blocked by an impassable road. 'i Mr. O'Conor wanted to know yesterday 8 who was "the deceased husband's brother r Bill" that Mr. Palmor referred to on the Order Paper? The laughter of the Honse '1 prevented any explanation of tho gontlcn man's identity. " Mr. E. M. Smith evidently has his oyo— 8 tho ono not on ironsand — on tho Upper ¦ House, and is preparing for eventualities. Ho is asking the Government to permit 0 Councillors who resign to retain tho title of 0 "Honourable," the free railway pass, and 6 tho library piivilegcs. When Mr. Palmor moved the first reading of his Bill to legalieO marriage with a de1 ceased husband's brother yesterday, Mr. * Fergus said as thero was a blook in the Printing Offlco ho hoped this Bill would not be printed. Mr. Palmer said he knew he could not got the Bill through, but ho wanted it printed bo as to reach the second roading. It was agreed to print, i Mr. M'Lcan ropeated the oft-told tale of I tho Wellington oloctiou to au unapprocmtive House in tho small hours of this morning. It was to illustrate the neodlessnoss of a holiday that he rocountod how 6757 doctors '' had come to the poll on 15th January—" tho ' largest number that ever voted in any city lin Now Zoaland, sir !" Mr. Shera said they had heard about this Wellington election 1 ad nauseam. Ho was heartily sick of it, and he thought other members were too. In tho early days of Hawkes Bay. Edward I S. Curling purchased a property and died, j leaving it heavily involved in dobt. Hw , brothor in England, Robert Curling, toot . oyer the estate, paid all the debts, and ex3 ponded largo sums in developing the pro- ) perty, but never came to New Zealand. Mr. 3 J. C. Andrew is now petitioning the House r through Mr. Hogg on behalf of Mr. B. - Curling, against tho payment of absented t tax, as the latter claims that he is now so f old that to compel him to come hove wouM I be " dmigelaua to lifo," uud he ca'.w 0 ' : " traverse half the globe "lo avoid the te* ; "unless prepared to dio and become n>- - corporated with the soil of New Zealand to compltto th.9 circuit."

,r business has beon put through 0I ff the past week than during the rest of dnnn? tli° P bu t it is the opinion of those the se3sl IJfi ' ato judge that tho session h % l_s< Tintc . the second week of October, " C taSi«^ in tY f fo.P°,^ to shorten *¦ «nf elections, last night, the Premier t l9^ the English borough elflctions, in in , s - ta i?rt» writs are returnablo in seven days. nn fie Minister for PnbHc Works thls TBash Bailway, Southland. The xr-ta promised to consider the matter. The debate on the constitutional bearing c »i n differences between the Governor and " fiten "expected to occupy Tuesday and ;•• i mAhv Everyone, from Ministers to V ff° C r y common-en, isabsolutely bursting S erudition on the subject and musty ' « Ion" undisturbed on the Library 'helves, aro becoming bright from much ''^Siniater for Publio Works promises havo full enquiry made into the need for hrioVe over tho Rangitikei between Kuri- I <l ™Lm and Moawbango (Inland Patea). I