Wellington Gossip.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7542, 13 August 1886, Page 3

Wellington Gossip.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] (BY TELKGRAI>H.) Wellington, Thursday. WASTE OF TIME. It appears to bo quite a recognised thing this session that the adjournment of the House must bo moved at least once a day in order to ventilate grievances of members!, and scarcely a day passes now without such a motion being made. Today was no exception to the rule, and it led to tiie usual half hour's discussion of an excitedcharacter. It arose through Mr Hobbs, the member for the Bay of Islands, asking the Government whether they intended to pay Mr John Lundon's expenses in travelling through the electoral district of the Bay of Islands explaining the details of _ the special settlement regulations. He said that his reason for putting thequostion was that MrLundon had been going about among his (Mr Hobbs) constituents telling them what lie had done for them in the past when be (Mr Lundon) was their member, and stating that lie intended to stand again at the next election. Mr Hobbs said he was not at all afraid of Mr Lnndon's candidature, and he intended tofvlit him, but he thought it was a very improper thing for tho Government to- encourage electioneering of this kind withthe country's money, as it was well known that Mr JLumlon was on very intimate terms with the Ciovcrnnionr. He simply wished to let the House know what was going on under the sanction of the Government, as he thought tho provisions of the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act were being violated. Mr Eallanco said that Mr Lundon's expenses were paid, as lie was so well acquainted with the district. Mr Ballance also .mid that Mr Lundon'* efforts bad caused hundreds of people to sign their names for the purpose of taking, up land under the special settlement regulations. Mr Hobbs then moved tho adjournment of the House, winch led to an all-round discussion, in the course of which several members condemned the practice complained of by Mr Hobbs, >Sir

George Grey said that a return should lie prepared, showing the number of persons who were employed by the Government in this manner, to which Mr Ballancc said he would not object. Mr J. B. Whyte made a few good-humored remarks, in the course of which ho said ho remembered Mr Lundon saying, when he was a member of the House, that his way of getjing into the House was by putting his friends on the roll, and plenty of them. He (Mr Whyte) also remembered that Mr Bryce )iad"abont 1878 been sent up to that very district to investigate some case of wholesale roll-stuffing in which this same Mr Lundon was concerned. Mr Whyte trusted this was not what Mr Lundon was doing again now while in the pay of the Government. Mr Hoblis wound up the discussion by stating that lie took great interest in the settlement of people on the land, and he bad no objection to Mr Lundon addressing meetings in Auckland, but he did object to bis going through his (Mr Hobb's) electorate at the expense of the country, professedly explaining the land settlement regulations, but in reality electioneering, for Mr Liindon did state at his meeting at Herd's Poiut that lie intended to be a candidate at the next elections. The matter then dropped. THE REPRESENTATION BILL. The Representation Bill is some distance down on the order paper, and "supply" is before it, which makes it highly improbable that it will be reached to-night. The most contradictory reports are afloat with respect to the bill. The latest is that the Cabinet are disinclined to force the bill, with a majority of only ten in favor of it. The Registrar-General . also has just reported that the census returns will not bo completed till the end of the year, so that the Government think no greatadvantage.will be'gained by keeping members in Wellington to tire out the opponents of the bill. The latter .now express themselves confidont of being able to defeat it. Another rumor was afloat today to the effect that if the Southern opponents of tho Representation Bill would vote for the Government on the proposal to re-commit the District Railways Bill, in order to restore the £8000 struck off the cash payment to the Waimea Company, the Government would then drop the Representation Bill for the session. wrecks. . It appears from the report'of the Marine Department that no less than 85 wrecks or casualties to vessels occurred on the New Zealand coast, and were reported to the Marine Department from the Ist of April, 18S5, to the 31st of March, 1886. Of tho wrecks twelve were total losses. Later, pressure. A number of Government supporters waited on the Premier and informed him that if he persisted in forcing on the Representation Bill they would be compelled to go into opposition. The Premier stated that lie was personally anxious to carry tho bill, but he would not desire to do so in antagonism to the wishes of his supporters. It is considered likely now that the bill will ho dropped.