POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 55, 18 October 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(q-wn UJRBESPONBENT.) Wem-isotos, last night,

Mr Kelly, member fur Tauranga, h is been appoint d Chairman of the Native Affrira Committee.

It is iumored that the Government have under consideration prapos Is for abolishing Land Boards, and doing the work entirely through the Government office in the various districts.

At a meeting of Membe-s interested in the Native L nd question, t ere were present Messrs Brice, Wilson, Russell, Beetham. Monk, Tanner, Mbate, March mt, and Carroll the last named being iu the chair. No definite resolution was come to, but the question was fully discussed, and the feeling of the meeting was th it the present system had the eff ct of ying up the lands from settlement and le Ito corruption. It was tacitly agreed to support Mr Carroll’s motion for the union of the races.

Tin m >ving of the Address-in-Reply provoke! the first debate of the session, and also, though unexpected by either side of the House, the first division of the new Parliament. Briefly, it may be said 'hat the mover of the Address-in- Reply, Mr A. Grah im (East Coast) and the seconder, Mr A. T McGregor (Akaroa), acquit ed themselves with credit in their respective miiden speeches. The following letter appeared in the Press : —

Sir— As so many of the present members have, in .he r election speeches, advocated the total abolition of the Native Department, it now appears probable tint th s most de irable saving will be carried out. From the light that has lately been let into the inward working of the Depirtmen , I think it has rightly been styled by one of the Auckland members ;>s - ? the hotbed .of jobbery and corruption, ■’ and if. the new Ministry succeed in sweeping away the wh le Department, they will undoubtedly de erve the thanks of the e lony, bur. if a remnant is left the same old jobbery will continue, perhaps under another name, and we taxpayers will still have to pay hitfh salaries, travelling al owances, etc., to officers of a Department that is now acknowto be puriec ly useless. Let ns hope the new Ministry will make a ole m sweep, and thereby effect real retrenehment.