POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 7344, 17 October 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[From Oor Pabmamentar? Reporter.! WELLINGTON, October 15. A No-confldencc Motion. It is considered practically certain that* whatever the proposals of the Government are found to be when they are brought down on Friday week, on the following Tuesday there will be a hostile motion from the Opposition; It is said that with Mr Ballance's following, added to that of Sir Julius Vogel, forty-two members can be relied on to vote in a division against the Government. It is probable that as soon as the Financial Statement is delivered the Opposition will hold a meeting to consider who should be the moving spirit in any adverse motion. It is asserted that the Opposition think it undesirable that any such motion should be moved by any ex-Minister, and this feeling is strengthened by Sir Julius. Vogel'a speech in the debate on the Address-in-Reply. The Government party do not appear to be bo confident of the result as they were when the Cabinet was being arranged. Reduction of Members. It is certain that an endeavor will be made this session to have the number of the members of the Lower House reduced from the period of the expiry of the present Parliament. It is understood that Ministers intend in one of their policy measures to propose a reduction to seventy-five, while a Bill, of which Colonel Frase'r has given notice, aims at a reduction to sixty. The passage of a Bill reducing the number of members from the expiry of the present Parliament would prevent members from taking any action which would ensure a dissolution, as so doing would undoubtedly ensure the happy despatch of some of them.

Electoral Reform. The question of electoral reform is receiving considerable attention at the hands of members. A large number of questions bearing upon the subject have been given notice of, possibly as a result of the experience of the recent elections. Mr M'Kenzie has given notice to ask whether the Government will consider the propriety of appointing postmasters registrars where practicable. Mr W. P. Reeves is to ask whether arrangements will be made by which eleotoral rolls may be put in proper order and condition within the next six months; and Mr Ward is to ask whether the Colonial Secretary is aware of the unsatisfactory manner in which the electoral rolls of the Colony have been compiled, and if he will take whatever steps he may deem necessary to improve the system. Mr Reeves, however, introduced an clement of humor into the matter by giving notice to ask whether provision will be made for electors voting by telegraph. Mr Seed's Retiring Allowance. Mucli was made during the elections of the fact of a retiring allowance having been paid to Mr Seed and of three other officers being employed to do his work. The matter was referred to Mr Goldie by the Auckland Financial Reform Association, and his inquiries show that the whole affair is a mare's nest. The men who are doing his work were already in the Government service, and they get slight advances in pay, while an extra clerk at LIOO is also employed. When these sums are added to the retiring allowance of L66G, the whole amount shows a saving of about L 75 per annum on LI.OOO a-year which was paid to Mr Seed, and a large saving when the pension expires.

An Auckland Caucus. A meeting of the Auckland members, convened by Sir G. Grey, was held to day. There were present—Sir G. Grey (in the chair), Messrs Hobbs, Thomson, Lawry, Fraser, Cadman, Kelly, Peacock, Jackson, Monk, and \ Goldie. Sir G, Grey stated that he had called this meeting together to 1 ly before them a matter on which ho thought concerted action should be taken to remedy what he believed to be a very serious wrong. It appeared from what he said that the Government propose to take Point Resolution, at Auckland, for defence purposes. Mr Kissling, who held a long lease of the land in question, resisted it very strenuously. He seems to have made it clear to the Governmentthat, if he could be assured of obtaininga freehold for the major portion of the land held by him under lease from Stephens Orphans' Trustees, that he would make it easy for the Government to acquire it at a small cost. The Government, who only required for their purposes three-quarters of an acre, had arranged to take the whole five acres under a special Act of Parliament on the plea that they required the whole for defence purposes, although their intention was to return to Mr Kissling, as soon as the Act passed, four and a-quarter acres of it, so that Mr Kissling by this move obtained over LI, 100 in cash and the freehold of the four and a-quarter acres for being deprived of three-quarters of an-acre of leasehold land, whilst the Trustees received only some L6OO for the whole freehold thus surrendered. Sir George Grey feels very strongly upon the subject, and is determined to take steps to have the Trustees removed, if possible, and to have the land outside of that absolutely required for battery purposes returned to the Trust, from whom he contends it should never have been taken. The ' Star's' article on the question of the connection of the main line with Stratford instead of being continued through to Maryborough was talked about, and it was agreed that an early opportunity should be taken to reropen the whole question ; that in these days of retrenchment the fact of something like LSQO,OQO being saved by the alteration would carry weight, and would probably enable the Auckland members to get *he alterations desired. Railway Employes' Grievances. The grievances of railway employes are engaging the attention of a great many mnmhers of the House, and notice is siven

I every day of a number of questions deilinj with them. Several questions are to b< asked immediately the House resumes. Foi instance, Major Steward wishes to know whether in cases in which the men are still fit for their work the Minister will relax th€ ' arbitrary rule which requires the dismissal ; of all railway employes when they reach a certain age. And whether railway employes temporarily incapacitated by sickness are entitled to half pay or to any compassionate allowances during the time of such sickness ; and if not, whether the Ministers will take suph steps as may be necessary to enable such half pay or allowance to bo given put of the amount accumulated to she credit of the railway service fine fund.—Mr Duncan is to ask the Minister of Works if there have been instructions issued to the gangers on railways to pause platelayers to work more than eight hours ; and if so, if he will cause such overtime to be discontinued, except in cases of emergency. —Mr Hutchison has a motion which reads as follows—" That in the opinion of this House it is desirable that the forty-eight hours' weekly task pf the lines men in the Government railways be sq arranged as to terminate at noon on Saturday, subject to such conditions as may be necessary for the public safety." Mr Moss says that the circular laid on the table of the House respecting raijway ememployes communicating their grievances is not the one he referred to, but he cannot proceed further unless he has a copy of the objectionable document; and the Government say thpy knpw nothing abput any other order. OpTOBIJR 17. A Loner Cabinet Council. Ministers are fully alive to the serious responsibility they have undertaken in the present crisis of our affairs, and are earnestly considering the matter of their financial policy. Saturday night's Cabinet meeting lasted till close on eleven o'clock, and they will sit late in solemn conclave every night this week, so that the Premier may, if possible, make his Statement on the House reassembling on Friday week. His Excellency's Advisors arc observing strict reticence as to their intended proposals, a Ministerial ukase haying gone forth to that effect. It is, however, understopd that very drastic retrenchment will be the trump card of' the Financial Statement. Their chances pf retaining their seats during the session are decidedly promising, and the Protection question is generally regarded as the only rock on which they can come to grief. _ My own individual opinion is that if there is a change of Ministry, it will result from internal differences rather than from external causes. Oft on a Holiday. Members are off on furlough, and the lobbies now present quite a gloomy appearance. Some have repaired to their homes, others are inspecting Mr Ballahce's village

settlements iu the Wellington province, while a goodly number proceed to Napier under Mr Carroll's charge. The Ministerial Residences. # T l iough the Cabinet have not yet considered the question of dispensing with the Ministerial residences, I learn that two of them are averse to continuing these costly institutions, and will advocate their immediate disposal. Probably the Premier's resident in Tinakori road will be continued, but the other are likely to go. Personal. Mr J. Aitken Connell, the " tactician " who is on his way to Dunedin, is spending the day with the Auckland members into lobbies. He is intensely amused at Sir J Vogel's reference to himself in the debate on the Addreßs-in-reply. Diptheria has made its appearance to an alarming extent in the Hutt, and Mr H. S. Fitzherbert, member for the district, has lost two of his children within the past few days. Great sympathy is felt for him.