POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 72, 26 November 1887, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

(OWN CORRESPONDENT.')

WnxmaroN, yesterday. A petition from Gisborne in reference to land settlement has been referred from the Land. Board to the Government. Mt Carroll’s emending Bill, relating to Kitirii Committees, has bean introduced and read a first time. The motion of which I previously informed you, having for its object the “gagging " of the blatherskites, was brought on, but some of those to whom it referred succeeded in getting the proposition talked out. The Hunding Orders Committee, however, have to Consider a suggestion of a somewhat similar iiature from the Reporting Committee. Sir George Gray said, in reference W Ur Samuel's motion, that members' liberties were being filched away one by one. The member for Taranaki, Mr Marchant, is trying to got the control of native reserves Withdrawn from the Public Trustee, and to have them placed under the control of the grantees themselves. On the motion of Mr Monk it has been agreed to prepare a list of bonuses paid to Civil servants and others. The Government are going to bring in a Bill to deal with the land claims of old soldiers, the Post says that Sir Julius Vogel's plan Of campaign is to waste time, and carry bus!Sees over the Christmas holidays. Hori Bopiha, a Napier chief, who accompanied Tawhiao to England, is here with the Object, it io understood, of trying to work up opposition to Mr Carroll’s equalisation notion. Sir George Grey warmed up in the House On Tuesday night, on the Midland Railway question, strongly denouncing the whole affair, and also those who were aiding th® project as enemies to their country and to their raee. He said the Government were

putting men on poor land, on conditions which required them to live there for their natural lives, but which land could never be their own, while they gave to a company Billions of acres without restriction—freehold land ih which the very gutter children in Wellington had an interest. A Wellington correap ondent writes: —There is no truth in the rumour that Sir J. Vogel has been appointed managing director of the Midland Bailway Company, and that he goes jo England on a visit in connection with its finances. Sir Julius is rather indignant that the canard should have been started. The Hon. Randall Johnson has withdrawn his motion to question the Government with respect to the Gisborne Harbor Board nominees. The matter is to be brought on again in a different form. The Gisborne Harbor Bill does not come on for its Second reading until to-day. The Midland Bailway proposals took up Considerable time last night, the discussion lifting until this morning. Ultimately the proposals were agreed to, with slight altera, tions. Clause 2 only gives the colony power to retain so much of the 750,000 acres re. served as may be required for bona fide mining purposes. Clause 3 provides that the colony shall be safe from any money guarantee. The company may be sued in the colony in the event of litigation. The company is compelled to let two contracts to the value of £60,000, one commencing st Springfield Ind the other at Bellgrove.

LATER. GISBOBNE HARBOUR BILL. BEAD A SECOND TIME. WstxmoTosr, last night. The Gisborne Harbour Bill was read a cadond time after a short discussion, several members objecting to the proposal to pay the Overdraft out of the loan money. GOOD SENSE PREVAILS. The Opposition, at a meeting to-day, determined to help the Government to get through all the business by Christmas.

Mr Monk has been interviewing the Minister for Public Works with regard to the extenbion of the North Islahd Trunk Railway. The Minister of Works has agreed that tenders will be called for almost immediately for another section beyond the contracts already tn hand, so as to taks the railway right into the village of Kaukapakapa. An attempt is being made by Mr Monk to get the portion of land known as the '• Stark purchase " not required for harbour defence * handed oVer to tile borough of Devanport as an endowment. He has a question on the Order Paper to the Minister of Lands on ths subject. A return laid on the table in answer to a motion of Mr David Goldie, brings rrtit the interesting fact that the Property Tax Commissioner received in excess of salsry during the hast two years ending 30 h of September, £l4O in travelling allowance, and £lOO in bonus ; ths Deputy t ommfrsioner, £127 in travelling allowance and £75 bonne. The payers of property-tax wil smile at this. r Mr Fulton is going to draw attention to the prevalence of glove fights, and ask the Government if it will take steps to atop tbMßs Bir Julius Vogel has challenged several members to resign and test public opinion, by contesting their seats with him. It is stated that Mr Robert Thompson is quite willing to accept the challenge and afford the electors of Marsden a choice between Bir * Julius Vogel and himself. The discussion which took place regarding the concealment by the Government of their intended policy is likely to lead to strange results, the particulars of which we are not at liberty to divulge at present beyond saying that they are in the direction of taking out of the hands of the Government the control of the policy of the colony, and placing Ministers in the position of merely carrying out a policy dictated to them by the House and watched over by Parliament.—Post.