WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6301, 14 July 1882, Page 3

WELLINGTON GOSSIP.

fc [by telegraph.] [from our special correspondent.! Wellington, Thursday. It is not yet finally settled whether the Opposition will move a want-of-confi-dence motion this sessiou or not. A rumor was afloat this morning that Mr Dargaville linteuded moving a hostile vote on Friday, but on enquiry I learn that thia is not correct. The present intention is to wait till Mr Pilliet's arrival, as the Opposition count on his vote. I understand it will be definitely decided I next week what course is to bo pursued, and whether the position of the Government will be assailed during the present session. Mr Rolleston, afc the request of Mr Smith, has agreed to insert a clause in the Land Bill which is of special interest to the deferred-payment settlers in the Seventy-Mile Bush. The clause is to the effect that those settlers who have completed their improvements and carried out all the regulations except the one relating to residence should be allowed to pay up the balance of their payments in full, and receive their titles. Mr Smith has also interviewed the Minister for Public Works to request him

when he was issuing a fresh scale of railway charges to reduce the freight on firewood, posts, and timber on the Hawke's Bay line of railway so as to enable the Seventy-Mile Bush settlers to compete with sea carriage. Mr Johnston promised his favorable consideration of the request.

A dispute of a very undignified character is at present going on between the two Houses. It arose in this way : Col. Brett moved in the Upper House on Tuesday that the police should be instructed to prevent the use ot obscene language on wharves by'drunken and disorderly persons. Mr Scotland, another member of the Upper Chamber, when speaking to the motion said tbat obscene language was common enough in other places besides wharves, and suggested that the motion Bhould be amended so as to prevent the use of obscene language by members in the Parliamentary Buildings. Mr Dodson brought the matter up in the House yesterday as a question of privilege, but the Speaker ruled that the member for Wairau could not refer to it as it concerned a member of the other Chamber. Mr Dodson Jappears determined to have the question ventilated, and he put a motion on the order paper to-day to the effect that the expressions complained of were untrue, and were a libel on the people of New Zealand and their representatives. It has since transpired that Mr Scotland's remarks were meant to apply to members of tha Upper House, and not to the " popular branch of the Legislature." A smart passage-at-arms occurred last night between Mr Hursthouse and Mr Fish during the discussion on Mr Hutchison's motion that £1000 should be given to the Education Boards of the colony for encouragiug technical education. Mr Fish, speaking to the motion, accused Mr Hursthouse of being opposed to everything in the Bhape of progress, and said that no doubt the reason why he opposed the new loan was because he represented such a poverty - stricken district as Motueka. This was too much for Mr Hursthouse, who roße at once, and went for the member for Dunedin South in real earnest. .He told him,' amongst other things, that he (Mr Fish) bad yet a good deal to learn, to which Mr Fish retorted that he could learn nothing from him. Mr Hursthouse then, amidst cries of "Oh, oh," recommended Mr Fish to go to a night school to learn technical manners, and said that although members differed in opinion that was no reason why they should be discourteous to each other. This of course brought Mr Fish to his feet. He said he had not the slightest intention of being discourteous, and regretted if he had been so. Mr Hursthouse's feathers having become smooth by this time, the matter dropped. Mr Swanson has presented a petition from 413 citizens of Auckland protesting against the removal of the Native Laud Court from Auckland to Wellington. Mr Thomas Buchanan, brother to the member for Napier, is about to leave Wellington for Melbourne to take charge of the branch of the London Chartered Bank in that city. Mr DeLautour was proposed for admission to the Bar this morning by Mr Travers before the Chief Justice and Judge Richmond. A long argument ensued between the Judges and counsel, objection having been taken to the fact that whilst Berving articles with Mr Rees, Mr DeLautour was on several occasions detained in Wellington for a considerable period performing his Parliamentary duties. Their Honors finally reserved their decision on the question of Mr DeLautour's eligibility for admission in consequence of such absences. About 30 members of the House were present in Court to witness the proceedings. The Post to-night, referring to the Public Works Statement, says : — " Of the Statement itself it may fairly be said in general terms that its construction was so clear, comprehensive, and practical as to win for Mr Walter Johnston high credit. This is freely recognised on both sides of the House, but we must confess to feeling much disappointed with the proposals of the Government. Only £1,650,000, little more than half the new loan, is proposed to be devoted to railway construction. Of this limited sum something like £400,000 is set down for local and branch lines ; only £10,000 for the Auckland-Taranaki section of the Auck-land-Wellington line ; and not one penny for the important link of 14 miles which is needed to connect the Napier-Woodville line with the Wellington-Manawatu and the Wanganui-Auckland railway, both at Palmerston. This connection through the Manawatu Gorge, between Napier and Wellington, Wanganui, Taranaki, and Auckland, ia one of the most important sections of the trunk line in the North Island, and as the total cost is estimated by the Government engineer as under £90,000 it is unaccountable that it should be thus ignored ; especially after the pledge given by Mr Walter Johnston to his Manawatu constituents, and after what recently passed between the Government and the joint deputation of Wellington and Napier members. This omission is a great blot on the Government scheme, and a gross injustice alike to to Wellington and Wanganui districts. We hope our members will take care that it is speedily rectified." I