POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 6951, 10 July 1886, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Our Special Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 9. Mr Carrington and .the Legislative Council. The item which I sent you a couple of days before Parliament, to the effect that Mr .F. A. Carrington, of New Plymouth, had refused a seat in the Legislative Council, received confirmation this afternoon. Answering Mr Buckland, the Premier said the true facts of the case were these : He was personally prepared to recommend his colleagues to advise the Governor to call Mr Carrington to the Council if the latter was willing to aecept the position, but he was not. Privilege. The privilege matter in relation to the rejection by the Legislative Council of the Gold Duty Abolition Bill came up for consideration this afternoon. Mr Pyke had given notice that he would call the attention of the House to a question of privilege in relation to the rejection of the tax remission Bills in another place, and, acting under Mr Speaker's advice, he now introduced the matter by moving for the appointment of a Committee to search the journals of the Council to learn what had become of the Bills. The Premier moved that the debate be adjourned till Tuesday next, owing to the shortness of the notice given.' He considered it unfair that in so important a matter as a struggle between the two Houses on a constitutional question the sanction of the Government should be Bought before the facts were clearly grappled. Mr Seddon suggested that an adjournment till 7.30 to-night would be ample, and mentioned that it had been stated in one of the newspapers that the Government were on the side of the Council in this matter. The Bill was only negatived in the Council by one vote : and one member of the Government, though within the precincts of the building, abstained from voting. After further discussion, in which the goldfields members played a prominent part, the Premier's motion for adjourning the debate till Tuesday was carried by 36 to 27. The Caversham Industrial School. Dr Burns, medical officer of the Look-out Point Industrial School, reports as follows : —" In furnishing my annual report, I have much pleasure in recording that we have experienced another fortunate year as regards the sanitary condition of the School and its inmates, one death only having occurred in the School out of an averagenumber of 160. This was a boy aged twelve years, a delicate, scrofulous child, whose general condition had often caused anxiety, and had induced me some months previously to send him to the Dunedin Hospital, from which he returned to us apparently improved. No other serious illness occurred during the year. I have partieular pleasure in record ing this pleasant state of affairs, as my duty compelled me frequently to put on record my opinion that what illness we had resulted from the attempt—well meant, but impracticable—of combining the Foundling Hospital with the-Industrial School, andnoiv that the boarding-out system has taken the place of the latter department, all children under ten years of age being now placed out under proper regulations with private families, I see every reason hope that, epidemic illness apart, the 'children will continue to enjoy the same immunity from sickness and display the same robust health and high spirits which now characterise them." Civil Service Reform BUI.

The Civil Servants, with their sisters and their cousins and their aunts, mustered in force to-night to watch the progress of the Civil Service Reform Bill through committee. , There was a great deal of discussion on the clauses relative to a 5 per cent, deduction for a superannuation allowance, and fixing the maximum leave of absence -at three months, but both clauses were retained. The Premier promised Colonel Trimble to introduce an amendment modifying the clause fixing the fourth standard of education as the messengers' qualification. In the next clause (making the fourth standard the qualification for police, defence, or prison officials) an amendment was agreed to providing an equivalent to the fourth standard. The Premier promised that he Would, if possible, abolish the Examination Board, and make arrangements with the Education Department to undertake the examination; and also that he would consult his colleagues as to whether they could supplement the retiring allowance fund. The clause was amended so as to provide that no sum accruing to the superannuation fund should be attacked for debt or seiEed in the event of bankruptcy. In clause 12 the Premier said he would alter the clause so that in the event of the commission of a crime the fund would go to the family of the servant. Clauseß, 5, 9, 10, 17, and 18 were postponed. The prevailing impression was that clause 17 (providing for the appointment of a Royal Commission to. report on the cost of living) will be withdrawn. The Defence BUI. In Committee on clause 17 (persons exempt from serving on militia), Mr O'Conor moved to insert after the words "General-Government officers." the words "and couftty government officera." —Mr Bryce moved to strike out the words "secretaries and under-secretaries" from exemption in the clause.—The clause was postponed. On clause 51 (penalty for officers failing to attend annual inspection), Mr Guinness moved that the penalty "be L 3 instead of L 5, but the amendment was lost on the voices. —Mr Donald Rbid pointed out that it was a cumbersome method to provide that fines may be recovered in Court. A commanding officer should be authorised to inflict and recover fines without taking volunteers before Courts.—The Defence Minister moved to strike out the words "in any Court of competent jurisdiction," which was agreed to. Mr Lake asked Mr Ballance for a definition of the term " permanent militia," in part 4.—The Minister explained that it was intended in future to call the Armed Constabulary by the name of "permanent militia. ■ The men were enrolled under the Constabulary, Act.

Mr Guinness moved to strike out clause 77 (officers and men shall not be entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly). Mr Bruce hoped Ministers would not agree to the motion. It was a dangerous power to put in the hands of a military force to allow them to vote at elections.—Colonel Trimble also opposed the striking out of the clause, on the f round that a body of men could be marched own to vote at any time.—Mr Hursthouse pointed out that the six months' qualification would prevent that. The Defence Minister gave as an illustration the Parihaka campaign, when 900 men would have been enabled to have voted had they had the qualification. Mr Bryce hoped the Minister would stand by the olause. It was

very questionable whether armed forces 1 ■hould be allowed to take part in the politics of the country.—The clause was retained on _the voices. Clause 00 (militia not to be called out to leave the district) was struck put. In clause 115 Mr Guinness* amendment to make six months the limit in whioh an action may be brought was negatived on the voioes. Progress was shortly afterwards reported. The Criminal Code Bill. On a proposal being made for taking the Criminal Code Bill In Committee, several hon. members urged that in view of the importance of the question, and the length of time that would be taken up in Committee with so voluminous a measure, consideration should be deferred till next session. Mr Downie Stewabt said that members were exhausted with the good work already j done—a remark which provoked ironical oheers.

Mr Samuel thought the House should wait to. follow the lead of the Imperial Parliament on so important a question. Mr J. W. Thomson considered it unfair to expect members to deal with the codification of the criminal code unless a week was devoted to the matter in Committee, He was of opinion that the matter was of so important, a nature as to throw into the shade the. Public Works and Financial statements. The Premier hoped that the House would permit the Bill to be pushed on this session. He pointed out that it was not a consolidation measure framed by the Government; but that it had been prepared by one of the ablest criminal Judges in the world, and the greatest authority on criminal law in England. Sir G. Grey, replying to the latter remark, said that Judges were generally the worst law makers, and that fact had been frequently recognised. Mr Seddon moved that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee of this House, to confer with a similar committee appointed by the'Legislative Council. Mr Montgomery ridiculed the idea that a late period of the session had been reached, and pointed out that the House had been sitting less than two month's. Mr Fulton strongly urged the withdrawal oLthe Bill, and the introduction of a shorter measure, which should merely deal with'the raising the age of consent and providing for, the better protection of female children. Eventually the motion for the committal of the Bill was negatived, on a division, by 33 to 30, and Mr Seddon's amendment was lost on the voices. Thus two Bills, on which the Minister of Justice had spent some considerable time, and had taken a special pleasure in fathering, were rejected at one sitting. - The Government were very much annoyed at the opposition to' the Criminal Code Bill, and the Premier went so far as to accuse Sir G. Grey of defeating the intention to pass the clauses en bloc, through Committee by a trick. Sir G. Grey replied very warmly, and asserted that the Premier had slandered him. If the Bill had gone into Committee strong exception would have been taken to the flogging provisions, and, to the enormous powers given to the Judges as against juries. Jottings. The cable intelligence received yesterday that H.M.S. Miranda was to be withdrawn from Australian waters for the purpose of being dismantled prompted Mr Allwright to ask the Government without notice if they would communicate with fie Home Government with the view of having that vessel handed over to New Zealand as a trainingship. The Premier replied that he had anticipated the question by cabling to the Agent-General on the matter. The Premier declines to accept all the amendments made by the Council in the Charitable Trusts Extension Bill; and on his motion Messrs Downie Stewart, Samuel, and himself were appointed to drivw Tip reasons for dissenting from the amendments made.

The Hon. Mr Tole's pet measure, the Supreme Court Reporting Bill, was rejected this afternoon. On the motion for its committal, Mr Samuel objected to the measure on the ground of the increased expense that must be entailed by the creation of a new department in the public, service. Mr J. W. Thomson also expressed a hope that the Minister of Justice would not go on with the Bill. Mr Bryce said the effect of the debate on the second reading had left the impression on his mind that the measure ought not to be gone on with. Mr Tolewas the only other speaker, and he denied that it was sought to establish any new department. The adoption of the Bill would cheapen the judicial system by the despatch in the conduct of the business. The motion for the committal of the Bill was negatived by 34 to 26, and the Bill was thus virtually killed.

The Opposition held another meeting to-day, but nothing of any importance was done except the usual report as to the procress of the business. I hear that they are determined to allow no matter to be burked, as sometimes happens if no one is appointed to watch the reports and papers presented. The Public Accounts Committee will sit all day on Monday for the purpose of examining witnesses from Auckland relative to the Stark purchase. This matter is now engaging the attention of members on all sides of the House, and there is but little doubt that a Royal Commission will be the outcome of the present inquiry. The petition of the Rotorua sufferers was again under consideration by the Public Petitions Committee to-day, when it was decided to take the evidence of Mr Boscawen, besides that already heard. A decision will be come to on Tuesday. Mr Humphries writes to the ' Post' regretting the decision of the Union Insurance Company not to make any payment to M'Rae, and contending that his repeated efforts to save the hotel from destruction at least entitled him to a bonus.

Mr Wakefield made & capital speech to-night fin defence of the Civil servants'; and Mr Kerr, who followed, created a great deal of amusement by reminding the House of the rumor published in the papers to the effect that the member for Selwyn intended to stand for Wellington at the next election, at the same time adding that it was well known that the Civil servants were pretty tliick in Wellington. Mr Wakefield indignantly repudiated the insinuation that he was influenced by such a consideration. It has been decided at a meeting of the Opposition party that on going into Committee of Supply Major Atkinson shall move " That, in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that a Redistribution of Seats Bill shall be passed this session. Mr Fulton " brought down the house" to-night by a remark of a somewhat peculiar nature. Referring to the claims made by the relatives of deceased Civil servants, the hon. gentleman asserted that he himself had been pestered by the widow of a late Civil servant before he got up in the morning.— (Interruption.) "It is quite true," continued the hon. gentleman, " and she asked me to do something for her." An important clause has been added by Government to the Destitute Persons Amendment Bill, which passed through Committee to-night. It provides that putative fathers of illegitimate children are liable for all the expenses of maintenance of those children in charitable schools, even though lump sums of money may have been paid to the mothers or their friends to cover all costs of rearing the child. Mr Dargaville scored one against Mr Downie Stewart during the Criminal Code Bill discussion to-night. Mr Stewart was referring to the desirability of referring the measure to a Select Committee, when Mr Dargaville interjected "of lawyers." Mr Stewart retorted that the hon. gentleman who had interrupted would not be of much assistance to them, when Mr Dargaville replied, amidst laughter, " No; law and equity do not ro well together." Mr Wakefield intends to ask the Government if Mr Arthur Clayden is an emigration agont in the omploy of the Government, or if thoy arc aware that he makes it a practice of saying such is not the case, and of stating that he is a voluntary promoter of emigration to New Zealand.

The prorogation is expected to take place at the end of this month or the first week of August. The Police Force Bill was further considered in Committee.

The second reading of the East and West Coast Railway was carried, in the Conncil by 25 to 3. Sir F. Whitaker, Mr Johnston, and Mr Chamberlain said they were opposed to the line; but they woult now incur the responsibility oi rejecting the Bill. Sir

Frederiok predicted that there would yet U difficulty over this line, and Mr Johnston that it would be foisted on the Colony. There was a Protection debate in the Council this afternoon. It was raised by Mr Chamberlain, who w>s supported by Mr Bathgate, Mr Williams, and Captain Fraser. The Hon. Mr Stevens, Mr Acland, and Dr Grace spoke from a Freetrader*! standpoint, and on the motion of the first, named the previous question was carried by 28t012. XJ In the Council a petition was presented from the Baptist Union praying for the un; position of more stringent measures for the protection of girls and young women.