PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hastings Standard, Issue 57, 2 July 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

IN HOUSE AND COUNCIL. [By Telegraph.] (From oii'r Special Correspondent.) Wellington, this clay. The amanuensis system promoted at the instance of the Government not having proved satisfactory, the Reporting and Printing Debates Committee recommend its apolition, and suggest the appointment of three additional members to the Hansard staff, who are, however, to be appointed on probation. The Committee further decided adversely as regards the Premier's suggestion that the Hansard staff be placed on the floor of the House. Satisfactory assurance was_ given yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Lands that the Government, were using every effort to have the completion of the census returns facilitated with a view to the immediate redisIribtition of seats. This seemingly disposes of the assertion frequently made of late that it was intended to bring in a Bill to increase the representation by three additional members for the North Island, and leaving the South Island electorates undisturbed. The Minister of Railways fell foul of the Speaker yesterday afternoon for saying that Mr Pirani was spoken of in the Government Buildings as a "Paul Pry." Sir Maurice O'Rorke said it was unbecoming of a Minister of the Crown speaking that way of a member of the House. The Minister of Lands says that while Government do not intend to assist the Middle District University with a land endowment, it is possible they might at some future time assist with a grant of money. Mr Foster's engagement with the Assets Realisation Board enables him to accept other positions, and he is also acting for the Bank of New Zealand Estates Company. The Premier is, however, of the opinion that no man can serve two masters and that Mr Foster should be only an officer of the Realisation Board, so Mr Maslin, who had question, was informed this afternoon. One of the matters which will engage the attention of the Banking Committee is the reported partnership in a southern industry between a prominent member of the House and an official of high-standing in the bank's service. The matter is the subject of a good deal of attention in the lobbies just now. Ministers have no idea of again reverting to the single electorate system for the centres of population. The Weights and Measures Act of 1868 provides only for the inspection and stamping of iron or brass weights, no provision being made for delf weights. Mr O'Regan is introducing a bill to remedy this omission. The sitting of the Legislative Council only lasted half an hour yesterday afternoon. The following measures were introduced by the Government and were read a first time :—New Zealand Institute of Surveyors, Seal Fisheries Act Amendment, and Supreme Court Act Amendment Bills. The second reading of the Hon. Mr Feldwick's Municipal Corporation Act, 1880, Amendment Bill, the object of which is to give municipalities the same pow T ers as county councils in respect of closing and diverting roads, was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Under the Local Boards Constitution Bill, which the Hon Hall-Jones has charge of, the methods of selection of local boards are materially altered in case of hospital and charitable aid, river and harbor boards. The districts are to be subdivided into as many subdivisions as there are members to elect, and the electors within each subdivision shall elect one member. Members of Education Boards are in future to be elected by -persons now

entitled to elect School Committees. Each educational district is to be subdivided into nine subdivisions, and the electors within each shall elect one member, and as far as practicable each subdivision shall contain the same number of School Committees. The elections are to be held on the fourth Monday in April, simultaneously with the elections of members of School Committees, and by the same meeting of electors candidates are to be nominated in writing fourteen days before the election, and the list published seven days before. In the course of his speech 011 the Address-in-Eeply, Sir Robert Stout alleged - that the Ministry interfered with the course of justice, and instanced a case in which two policemen who were dismissed from the force on the grounds of immorality, had been refused a certificate of good character by the police on applying for a publican's license, and at the instigation of the Ministry, the objection was withdrawn and the license granted. On Sir Robert Stout's motion, all correspondence on the subject has been laid on the table of the House. This shows that Colonel Hume wrote to Inspector Emerson that the action looked like persecution and hounding down a man who had paid the penalty for his offence, being dismissed. Inspector Emerson had written that Lawless,.the applicant, had been discharged for immoral conduct, and on this Mr Stanford, S.M., of Palmerston North, had refused a certificate. Later on, Colonel Hume wrote to Mr Stanford, at the request of the Defence Minister, inviting his attention to Lawless, and trusting he would take it into his favorable consideration at the licensing meeting, and on the same date Constable Drake, of Danevirke, received instructions to raise ho objection to the application at the annual meeting. The Elective Executive v. Party Government is one of the growing questions of the day, and the debate on Major Steward's Bill in favor of a change to the former system occupied the House from 7.30 p.m. till 1.80 this morning, when a division resulted in twenty - three for and twenty - three ' against. The .Speaker gave his vote with the ayes, so that the Bill might go into Committee. This is the first time on which the principle of measure has been affirmed, though it 1 has been before the House a number of sessions. Major Steward's friends | are quite jubilant at the result. Two or three past opponents of the measure have declared their intention of abstaining from further opposition, as the Premier's recent attitude towards those of his followers who have differed from him in other questions than those of policy, should of necessity change the system of government. At the next meeting of the Bank of New Zealand shareholdsrs, Mr Paul Coffee, of this city, acting on behalf of a number of shareholders, will move " That it is not of interest to the Bank that Mr Watson, president, and Mackenzie, manager, be retained in their present position."