Wellington Gossip.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7928, 17 December 1887, Page 2

Wellington Gossip.

— » (BY TELEGRAPH.) * [FK6M OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.} Wellington, Friday. THE WESTBORT HARBOR QUESTION. Nearly the whole of this afternoon's sitting has been taken up by a discussion over the report of the committee on the Westport Harbor Board's, proceedings. The committee was appointed owing to the deadlock that has occurred in the Board through the extraordinary Hostility displayed by Mr O'Conor, the member for Westport, to Mr Napier Bell, the engineer to the Board, which culminated in the

resignation of the engineer. The position assumed by the chairman was well defined during, to-day's discussion by Mr Larnachf :\Vho said that Mr O'Conor's conduct as chairman had been tyrannical, both towards the engineer and the Board, He also .said that the honorable gentle man wanted to run the whole concern, and to be chairman, engineer, and ganger, *• all in one. The discussion arose this , afternoon in consequence of the committee refusing- to attach the evidence- to the report brought up by Mr J. B. Whyte, the chairman . or the committee. He explained that they did not feel justified in appending the evidence taken, as it was very damaging to the reputations of private persons who had no possible opportunity of defending themselves. This . opinion was also expressed by several other members of the committee, but Mr O'Conor persisted in his motion that the report be referred back to the committee in order that it should be brought up at a fnture day with the evidence attached. Bespoke for nearly an hour on the whole question, and in doing so attacked the late Ministry, and Mr Lnrnach in particular, for their action in connection with the matter. This roused Mr Larnach, who slated in the driest manner that Mr O'Conor came to him last year in his office in Wellington, and said he had been . a consistent supporter of the Stout- Vogel Government, but that if the Minister for Mines (Mr Larnach) did not support him (Mr O'Conor) against the Harbor Board engineer he would turn against the Government. Mr Larnach added that he then told Mr O'Conor to go to "another place," and amidst roars of laughter from the House, he added that he was not troubled with Mr O'Conor after that. Mr O'Conor, during his speech threatened that if the House refused to agree to his amendment referring the report back to the committee, he would take some other means of getting the evidence in Hansard, but as it, would occupy at least six whole numbers of that interesting publication, the Reporting Debates Committee will bare - something' to say in the matter. The amendment was at length rejected on the voices, arid Mr O'Conor saw it ■was hopeless to call for a division. ■ ' AN ALL NIGHT SITTING. The House is now in .Committee of Supply discussing the public works estimates, and another all night sitting is almost a certainty, as Ministers aredetertermined, if possible, to' push the estimates right through before the House rises. ■ . .•...• . THE LOAN PROPOSALS. Several of the Ministerial party are dissatisfied with the loan proposals, but they did not feel justified in voting against the second reading of the Loan BUI. Mr Mills, the leader of the Young New Zealand party intimated this afternoon that they would be prepared to move for a reduction of the loan by £260,000, and the Government'will probably.agree to this, as the Premier has more than' once stated that - he would consent to reduce the loan if it were after careful ■ consideration decided by the House to dispense with, certain" wqrks.for the present, „,,/■ ;' , ■ [ FICKLE, FORTUNE'S CHANGE. . • A . little '.incident 'occurred last -night which \s decidedly illustrative of the remarkable decline of Sir Julius Vogel's popularity. The debate on the Loan Bill at, Sir Julius Vogel's owa request was adjourned till half past 7 p.m. in order that 'he might continue his speech without a break,- but' on the House resuming at half past 7 there was not' even a quorum ■ present to listen to the' speech or a man who not many years' ago swayed the destinies of the .colony in an extraordinary degree, and.whose every word -was eagerly awaited by an expectant House. The bell had to be rune. for* a quorum last night before Sir Julius could resume his speech. - Further comment is needless.' THE NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD. The committee report that the result of their investigation', shows : (1.) That the New Ply month. .Harbor Board will have great difficulty in meeting the interest charges after the next half-year's payment falls due (Ist May, 1888), and that unless some change is made as regards .the land administration it will be' unable to do' so after the Ist of November next. (2.) That the difficulty arises almost entirely from the large extent to which land has been disposed of during the last two or three years upon the deferred payment and perpetual lease systems, to the consequent diminution of cash sales from the proceeds of which the board are by law en-' titled to receive 25 per cent. (3.) That the Board is unable to raise any larger sum by way of - rate than at present, the full amount of rate authorised by law, viz., Jd in the £1 on the capital value being now imposed. (4.) That this rate— equal at present to about Is 3d on the annual- value— added, to other local rates, .presses with great severity on the settlers, and is calculated to seriously retard settlement. . The committee are of opinion that the difficulty might be to some extent decreased by raising the landing charges, but that after this is done the Board will still be unable to provide for its ' annual charges, notwithstanding the" heavy rate at present imposed upon the; lands of the district. The committee consider that it niay.be. possible to deyise some measure of relief without entailing any additional burdens on the colony, and they recommend that this report, and the -evidence attached thereto be referred to the Government with a view to proposals to that end being; submitted to Parliament. CAPTAIN. PREECE'S WAIROA VISITS. A return •showing the, cost, of the visits of the Resident Magistrate ,ab Napier to Wairoa for the last three years , was .presented to the House to-day on the motion. of Mr Graham, the member for the East Coast. The following are the respective amounts :— IBBS, £46 15s 3d; 1886, £60. 4s 9d; 1887, £58 19s 9d ; total for the three years, £166 19s 9d.' . THE HORACE BAKER'S PETITION. The Public Petitions Committee reported this afternoon on the petition of Mr Horace Baker, of Napier, who complained that he was discharged from the. Civil Sesviee of the colony without proper' notice and without the usual consideration of three months' salary in lieu of notice. The report is that the chairman has been directed to adopt the report of the Public Petitions Committee of the 2nd of June, 1887, on' the case, namely, "That the> committee having investigated the case is of opinion that the petitioner has been fairly dealt with, and has no further, claim against . the colony." The 'committee further re-" commended that in the: dismissal of' officers from the public service no allowances should be'granted to them beyond those that are provided by law.STATE FORESTS. It appears from a return laid on the table relating to the position of the State Forests Department that the total revenue received by the. department from State forests since the appointment of the present chief conservator ion the 16th of December, 1885,Jia8!beerr£6580, and the expenditure £12,003: The outstanding liabilities for. works in progress amount to £1.195. The. revenue of the department for the year ended 31st March, 1886, was £38,741, and this is said to be capable of indefinite expansion, The revenue obtained from State forestshasfromthe firstafforded a snrph;s_ after defraying all cost of ad- • ministration, but the formation of plantations has involved considerable outlay, which will necessarily be unremunerative for a few years. The balance of expenditure over revenue has been' met by the issue of debentures fo the amount of £5000, under the authority of the State Forests Act, 1885. CAPTAIN KUSSELL'S DEPARTURE. Captain Itnssell intends leaving Wellington en route for England on Monday next, and leaves Melbourne by the s.s. Massilia on the 29th instant. As I previously informed you. the member for Hawke's Bay intends being back in Wellington in time to resume his Parliamentary duties nextsession. Mrs Kussell returns from England with him. SPECIAL TOWERS AND CONTRACTS BILL. Ministers are as yet nridecided whether this bill will be introduced this session, but the probabilities are that there will not be sufficient time to prepare it. THE MILLION LOAN. The speech made by Mr Mills this afternoon was the result of a meeting of ' the Young New Zealand party, at which a resolution was passed that an attempt should be made to reduce the loan to £750,000. The Opposition also had a sitting, and passed a resolution that they would not propose any reduction in the loan as brought down by the Government.