POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1898, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND NOTES.

PEESONALITIES IN PARLIAMENT. The Minister of Lands yesterday moved, " That a Select Committee be appointed to ascertain whether all or any of the allegations reflecting personally on the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, or his relative, the late Nathan Seddon, made by Mr. Hutchison, member for Patea, in his speech in the House on , Tuesday, the 23rd ultimo, are in substance true or false; the Committee to consist of Messrs. Rolleston, Dnncan, Duthie, Ward, Massey, Morrison, Sligo, Graham, and the mover." Mr. Wasoa moved, as an addition, that the Committee should also enquire into the charges made by the Minister of Lands and Mr. Ward against Mr. G. Hutchison. Later on he withdrew the part of his amendment referring to Mr. Ward's charger, it being understood that these charges had been made in Committee, and not reported. The amendment was negatived by 33 votes to 26. Mr. Pirani then moved to strike the name of the Minister of Lands off the Committee, and substitute for it that of Mr. G. J. Smith. The Committee as so constituted' would command the respect of the Housa and the country, but as at present it wouldl not. Captain Russell urged that both Mr. Ward and the Miuister of Lands, in view of their attacks on Mr. Hutchison, should decline to act on the Committee. Mr. Pirani's amendment was negatived by 33 votes to 27. In the course of the debate which followed, Mr. G. Hutchison said he thought that extraordinary circumstances justified what he had said in the Financial Debate. He believed there had been suppression of facts and other evils, due to the Premier's tactics, and he desired to show by antecedents what the Premier's methods were. He made no charge whatever against the right hon. gentleman's relative, and had alreacty denied that he did. He had not withdrawn, aad would not withdraw, the statements he made during the Financial Debate. Mr. Hutchison proceeded to refer to what he termed the slanderous statements made against himself by the Premier and the Minister for Lands.^ Regarding the charges that he (Mr. Hutchison) had made, he believed he was in a position to demonstrate the truth of these before any fair tribunal, but not before a Party Committee. What else was this Committee ? Why, if his charges were substantiated the Premier would have . to resign. And -was this Committee likely to place the Premier in that position? He had bean quite willing to let the matter drop after the Financial Debate, but the Premier had revived it, and it was not now going to be dropped. At his own time and in his own place he would deal with it. The Premier said it was a case of one member assailing the character of another, and then refusing the chance of allowing the charges to be disproved. (Mr. Hutchison — Oh ! no.) He (the Premier) was not the first Premier | attacked by Mr. Hutchison in this way. | Sir Harry Atkinson had suffered at his hands in the same way. Mr. Seddon proi ceeded to go into the charges iv detail, denying absolutely that there was the | slightest stain either on himself or his dead relative, and declaring that this could be proved. If the public men of the colony were to be traduced in this way what' were they coming to? After further explanations by the Premier and Mr. Hutchison, the motion of the Minister of Lauds was carried by 3S to 20. THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE. The San Francisco mail service was again before the House yesterday, Mr. Putbie bringing the matter up and reading thefollowing telegram which he had received concerning the mail arrived at Auckland yesterday :— " Me 'Frisco mail — Much indignation here at delay Onehunga. Mail arrived here 6 o'clock this morning, reached , steamer Takapuua 18 minutes past 8. High tide 4 past 8. Blame evidently rests Union Company. Postal Department | prompt. Something evidently wrong." The Premier said the Department had informed him that the captain of the Union Company's steamer either could not or would not leave with the mail when it was put on board. He (Mr. Seddon) regretted that this delay had occurred again. It seemed to him that the time would shortly arrive when they would have to consider the question of some better means of communication. It might be that the boat was advertised to sail at a particular hour, or tides might not suit. The matter, however, would have to be seen to. THE GAMBLING EVIL. A largely-signed petition was presentee to the House yesterday by Miv Duthie praying for legislation in the direction b: suppressing tha gambling evil. The text oi the petition was as follows :—": — " Your petitioners consider that the evil of gambling is now eating into the heart of our colonial life aud that it will spread if steps are not

taken to suppress it. With the object of checking the evil your petitioners priiy that your honourable House may be pleased to pass legislation— (1) Making it unlawful for newspapers to publish betting odds; (2) illegal ising the totalisator ; (3) prohibiting the issue of permits for art unions." MINISTUKS' TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES. The travelling allowances and travelling expenses of Ministers for the year ended 31st March, IS9B, were as follows :— Eight lion. R. J. Seddon (exclusive of the trip to England), £141 Us 7d ; Hon. J. M'Kenzie, £373 12s ; Hon. A. J. Cadman, £272 Is 3d ; Hon. W. Hall-Jones, £316 12s 6d ; Hou. T. Thompson, £225 Ms 6d ; Hon. W. C. Walker, £232 Is; Hon. J. Carroll, £418 7s Bd. MB. FITZGERALD AND THE VACCINATION CASE COSTS. Mr. W. C. Pitzgerald, chemist, of this city, recently petitioned the House praying that tho Government might reimburse him the costs he had incurred in the recent vaccination case brought against him in the Supreme Court here. The Ato L Petitions Committee, to which the matter ■was referred, preseentcd its report yesterday as follows :— " The Committee finds (1) that the petitioner has had to defend an unwarrantable civil action in the Supreme Court, in which his ability as a public vaccinator was assailed, and that judgment was given for the petitioner with costs; (2) that from the evidence given before the Committee there was not a shadow of proof to show that the petitioner was incompetent or wanting in ability to discharge the duties of a public vaccinator; (3) that in the civil action in the Supreme Court the plaintiff was a man without money, and the petitioner cann©t obtain from him the ' costs awarded by the Court ; (4) that in the interests of the public generally and of its public officials, the petitioner should be paid out of the public exchequer all moneys properly expended b}- him in defending the action in the Supreme Court ; (5) that the Crown Solicitor should tax the costs and moneys out of pocket payable by the petitioner, and the Committee recommends that when so taxed the Government should pay the same." In the discussion of the report, Mr. Taylor protested against the colony being called on to pay "the costs of legal ictions in this way. As there were signs of a long debate on the subject, the Premier moved the adjournment of the debate. To give effect to tho report of the Committee, he said, would be to establish a dangerous precedent. After a good deal of talk Mr. , Seddon fixed Wednesday week for further ■ consideration of the report, and on this understanding the adjournment was agreed to. / A WELLINGTON PETITION. p Mr. J. C. Young, of this city, recently petitioned the House praying that in addition to the compensation allowed him on retiring from the Government Life Insurance Department he may be granted four months' pay (£80). The M to Z Petitions Committee reported yesterday that it had no recommendation to make. THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR AN OLD AGE PENSION. Clause 8 of the Old Age Pensions Bill, which has occupied the attention of the House for so long, was adopted in Committee last night. The clause is one of vital importance, as setting out the qualifications necessary to entitle, a person to receive a pension, and as it tvas impossible to follow with any degrees of accuracy the many amendments to it moved and negatived or affirmed, the clause as finally passed is given below :—: — "No such person (that is a person of G5 years of age and upwards) shall be entitled t3 a pension under this Act unless he fulfils tae lollowiug conditions, that is to say 1. That he is residing in toie colony on the date when he establishes his claim to the pension ; and also 2. That he has so resided continuously for not less than 25 years immediately' preceding such date ; provided that continuous residence in the colony shall not be deemed to have been interrupted by occasional absence therefrom unless the total period of all such absence exceeds two years ; nor in the case of seamen by absence whilst serving on board any vessel registered in and trading to and from the colony if he establishes the fact that during such absence his family or his home are in the colony ; and also, 3. That during the period of 12 years immediately preceding such date he has not been imprisoned for four mouths, or on four occasions, for anj r offence punishable by imprisonment for 12 months or upwards, or during the period of 25 years immediately preceding his application been imprisoned lor a term of five years, with or without hard labour, aud dishonouring him in the public, estimation ; and also 4. That the claimant has not at any t'nne for a period of six months or upwards* if a husband, deserted his wife, or without jusfe cause failed to provide her with adequate means of maintenance, or neglected to. maintain such of his children as were under the age of 14 years ; or, if a. wife, deserted her husband or such of her children as were under that age ; provided that, if the pension - certificate is issued, the pensioner's rights thereunder shall not be affected by any disqualification contained in this subsection unless the fact of such dis- , 'qualification is established at any time to the satisfaction of a Stipendiary Magistrate. 5. That", he is of good moral character, and is :l ud has for the fivj years immediately preceding such date been leading a sober \md respectable life : and also 6. That his yearly income does not amount to £ 52 or upwards, computed as hereinafter pro vided ; and also 7. That the net capitali tal value of his accumulated property does, not amount to £270 or upwards compute A and assessed as hereinafter provided ; and -also S. That he has not directly or indirectly deprived himself of property or income in order to qualify '.or a pension ; and also 9. That ho is the holder of a pensioncertificate as hereinafter provided. a detective's petition. A petition was presented to the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. Wilford on behalf of ex- Detective James Gantle.y, who vas ri'cenily retired on account of ill-hoalth from the Pp lice I'orce on compensation, for an iucroasp d bum of £73. The Government has paid Mr. Gantley £73— six months' com pens' ition, and he claims 12 months', £J4ti. He sets out in his petition tlaat he lias so rved 13 years, and has received in one year alone Sl'.'Ai for rewards for good work, and asks Parliament to deal with him as thov ha\e wil,h others.