POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 5762, 27 August 1881, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

A. parliamentary telegram to t\io 4 Xiyttclton Times’ says:—“On the motion of Mr J. C. Brown, the Goldfields Committee yesterday agreed to amend their report by urgently recommending the Government to purchase six diamond-drill boring machines for the uso of county councils willing to undertake tho control and management for the purpose of prospecting, also that .the whole Department of Mines from the Minister downwards be reorganised. The petition of the Beaumont settlers to Oxieml ihi rail wav to that place has been received by Mr Bastings for presentation. Parliament will not accede to the request, and the Government will not recommend it,” Clause 15 of tho Licensing Bill, ns sent down With amendments from the Council, provides that u the Governor, on the application or the owners of any block or area of Native land on which no publican’s license has been hitherto granted, may, by proclamation in the ‘ Gazette,’ declare that no licenses shall be granted within such block or area, and it shall not be lawful for the Licensing Committee to issue any license to take effect within any block or area so proclaimed.” No power is given in the Bill to revoke this provision, and legal opinion given is to the effect that, if orlco brought into effect, it is irrevocable. The clatiso is Understood tp have been framed by Georgo M'CuHoch Reed with the special view to its application to tho proposed East Coast settlement speculation. Should the latter be successfully launched, it seems probable 1,000,000 acres of land will be brought under the operation of the clause,— ‘ Lyttelton Times.’

[From odb own Cobbespondent.]

WELLINGTON, AtTCftrST 27. When half-past twelve came it was plain, from the manner in which tho Ministerialists came crowding into the House, that Mr Hall was going to make a statement or to take some action, if he could. Some of the members had an idea that tho Government were going to Cftity cm tho debate, cs Mr Shrimski called out “Go on, go on ; don’t stop now.” Mr Hall made one of what is known as his emphatic speeches, free from illtemper, but full of injudicious phrases such as ‘‘ wicked Waste of time and words.” Hie Neison men Jeered loudly. Mr Sail was out of the House when Mr Loves tarn finished at 12.40, and Mr Hurst rose and acted as the meuiurn of detention, putting a question until the Premier came back. Among all tho incidents of the short half-hour after tho end of Mr Levestam a speech tho most remarkable was the short speech of Mr Hurst house —Major Atkinson’s relative. He denied that any wicked waste of time had tdke,n place. That the Government would yot se*} tho error.of their pnd do them justice ho fully believed. _ They might not do this at once—perhaps not in a week or a fortnight—but when they had been sufficiently schooled by wisdom and, argument they would coma to thliir senses and dti iheil' first Works, Mr Rolieston spoke very quietly, saying that therm was no other base but that of population on which representation should rest; but he was chaffed sotto rwc with there being no population basis in the Bill, while tho schedules attached to tho Bill, which boro no evidence of populationbasis, Were being considered. Mr Swanson s advice, for ab the people to go homo and go to bed and sleep ovSr tint realtor, whs kindly taken and acted upon. Although Mr Hall told members that ho would re-commit the Bill to excise the leasehold qualification, they will not take his word, fearing that to re-comrait a means of escape Would be provided to evade the obligation. Mr Whitaker, it Is said, drafted tho clause for Mr Sheehan, but with wlrat purpose is unknown. It is hinted that the clause is brought down to embarrass tho passage of the measure, which Mr Sheehan is reported to dislike. Both the Wellington papers have now declared against the Bill.