Wellington Gossip.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7931, 21 December 1887, Page 3

Wellington Gossip.

' (BY TELEGRAPH.)' [FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday. ' GOVERNMENT BY BALLOT. Major Steward's great scheme for rente- . dying the evils of party government finds little favor with either side of the House, and the whole thing is regarded somewhat in the light of a joke. The Press to-night is pretty rough on the member for Waimate over those voluminous resolutions of which he has 'given Notice, ; . It, says:— "-The spliest thing that has been done this session by a long way, and that is saying a good deal, is the meeting held yesterday, under the .presidency >of Mr Steward, the member for Waimate,' to consider a scheme for constitutional reform and. party procedure. How men occupying a public position can deliberately make such fools of themselves passes our comprehension. We' do ' not expect very much wisdom' from Mr Steward. He has always been a bit v of a ' crank,' and his -incorrigible propensity for drawing up dismal resolutions' on 'every conceivable subject, the length ef which is in an inverse ratio to their depth, has for many years been a severe -trial to all who have had anything to do with him in public affairs • yet this particular development of crankiness is rather astonishing, even coming from him. So long as Mr Steward's party were in pewer, or appeared to have any prospect of getting into, power, there was no stauncher party man and no more ardent admirer of the party system of government than Mr Steward." After referring further to the Parliamentary career of the member for Waimate, the .Prew continues : ." He forthwith draws up a series of resolutions as long as his arm for amending the' constitution, and proceeds .to call a meeting of malcontents ' and weak - minded * eccentrics to " ' ' consider ' his precious proposals. These misguided people say thev'have purposely postponed this action till the close of the 1 session go that there might be no suspicion of a party move.- -Are .they really so stupid as to suppose -anybody will be deceived by such a clumsy subterfuge? Of course they hare no intention of trying to upset the Ministry this session. That is past praying for. But it does not need more than half an eye to see that their meeting is merely a ruse, the ebjeet of Which is to disintegrate the Ministerial party next session, in the hope of something turning' up for those who do not quite see their way. under existing arrangements.- We are glad to notice that only two or three members on the Government .side made the mistake of attending the meeting, and if they have" any sense they will sever themselves from the movement as soon as possible." A THREATENED STONKWALL. The Premier's intimation this afternoon _, that he intended to drop the Crown and - Native Lands Rating Act Repeal Bill was warmly cheered by the West Coast members, who this morning threatened to stonewall all business if the bill was proceeded with. Now that it lias been abandoned 'they will offer no further obstruction, and the business of the session is expected to.be finished by to-morrow mjml, the prorogation taking place either da-^JChtirsday or Friday. The repeal of the <25<wm and Native Lands Act means the taking away' from the West Coast a. large portion of County Council revenue, and^n- consequence the members for • that locality are deadly opposed to it. Mr Graham, the member for Gisborne, although he! is a strong supporter of Ministers, was fully prepared to offer the warmest opppsitkm to the bill, as by the repeal 01 the Act. the Cook and Wairoa counties would be deprived of revenue to the amount of about £2000 a, 'year. . The/evilday. is/however, only put off for a few months, as Major Atkinson stated this afternoon that it would be introduced early next sessien, and, as there is a large majority in favor of it the biU is certain -to be carried. - ; - •v : , ■ WASTE LANDS. BOARDS. s ' As I anticipated last night) it has been arranged by the conference of the two Houses on the. Land Bill, as a compromise, that. the. Land Boards should continue in office until the end of- next session and no longer, so that before that time it will be necessary to effect new legislation on' the subject. The travelling allowance to.membera of the Boards will, however, ,be reduced, and legislators who .are members , of such bodies will not be exempted from the provisions of. the Disqualification Act governing their allowances as members of Land Boards. THE EDUCATION VOTE. MrOrmond assures me that the alteration made in the education vote will not affect the position of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, as the Board will be able to pay' all salaries as at present under the new arrangements. RAISING THE SCHOOL AGE. ; The Post thinks the decision of the House last night not to raise the school age is a matter for regret. Had Ministers been a little firmer they could have carried their point, and £26,000 a year . would have been saved, not only without itvthe slighest degree impairing the usefulness of the education system, but with manifest benefit to the young children of the colony, who certainly should not be sent to the ordinary State schools before they are six years old. COPPER ORE AT WOODVILLE. Mr A. M'Kay, assistant geologist, has reported the result of his examination of the outcrop of copper ore discovered by Mr Price, a settler in the Maharahara block, ten miles north of Woodville. This outcrop is at an altitude of 2200 ft on the eastern slope of the Ruahine range. The copper ore was first discovered in the creek bed, and traced up to its source. The ore occurs as a band of hematite, or ironstone rock in red chert or quartz vock, the thickness of which is not yet hilly shown in the cross-cut that has been made. The bulk of the lode band, as exposed, consists of the hematite with scarcely a trace of copper, but in the upper part thin streaks and veins of copper pyrites (chalcopyrite) appear in the iron ore, and occasionally nests of the subsulphide (chalcolite), specimens of which, brought by Mr M'Kay, yield 4178 per cent, of copper. The rock is also intersected by joints lined with filius of green carbonate (malachite) and nest 3of native copper, all of which minerals are, no denbt, derived by decomposition from the copper pyrites. Large masses of the pyrites were found in the creek bed, a specimen of which, reported upon on June 4th, contained 21-2 per cent, of copper. The presence of this ore is a very favorable indication of the permanence of the lode and its extension in depth. The geological formation in which the ore occurs is the same mineralised rock that flanks both sides of the main range from Tarawbiti to the Mauawatn Gorge, and is I now - shown to extend Into the Rnahine range. At this point it djps to the E.N.E. at a high angle, and consists of serpentine slate and chert overlaid by black slates, . and underlaid by jasperoid slates. The age of this formation is probably! triassic judging from obscure fossils in limestones thab occnr near Eketahuna. Its characteristic feature is the occurrence of diabaaic igneous rocks as intrusive dykes, along with the amygdaloids and breeccias- . that carry- various ores of copper, manga-\ jiese, ana other metals; and in some cases

gold, in the form of dendritic scales, associated with zeolites, that have been deposited by steam in the joints of the rock. THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS. There is much speculation as to the names of the gentlemen who are, to form tließailway Board to be appointed under the Government Railways Bill. Amongst others spoken of as probable commissioners is Mr Hannay, who for_ some years past has held the position of Assistant General Manager of Railways. There is no doubt that Mr Hannay"s appointment would be an exceedingly popular one, his ability and general fitness for the office being admitted on all , aides. A ROTORUA. PETITION. . The Public Petitions Committee reported to-day on the petition of Patrick M'Croy, of Tikitere, who prayed for relief in consequence of losses sustained through theTarawera eruption. _ The committee reported that the petitioner had no claim on the colony. ' ANOTHER PETITION. The Native Affairs Committee reported to-day on the petition of Ann Robertson, of Rdtorua, who asked for relief for losses incurred in prosecuting Robert Graham . and Alexander Campbell in an old standing land dispute. The committee reported that this was apparently a case of great hardship, which should be referred to the Government for consideration.