Wellington Gossip.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9145, 31 August 1892, Page 4

Wellington Gossip.

* : [BY TELECUtAPn.] (FBOM OUK SPECLVL COHBESPONDENT.) Wellington, Tuesday. NATIVE AFFAIRS. In; tend of merely putting a question to Government as to a municipal or .orporate system by whioh the natives night manage their own affairs, Sir George Grey has decided to bring down a bill upon the subject. He intends to introduce a bill to enable the natives to establish municipal institutions iv their own settlements, and to make provision for the management of their tribal estates. Tbe system adopted will be somewhat similar to that of a European municipality. Any settlement of natives may be declared to be under the provisions of the Act. and a corporate body estatlished which shall have powers akin to those of a European corporation iv dealing with local native affairs. They shall be able to make bye-laws and to regulate local taxation. Sir George Grey tells me that the bill will also contain a provision enabling such a municipality to prohibit the sale of liquor within the district under its jurisdiction. The most important power, however, given to these bodies will be that of dealing with native lands, which shall then he purchased only by public treaty with the native corporations This will be a return to the committee system. It will in fact be more, since the mnnicipal councils will have larger powers tban the committees with whom Sir George Grey dealt in purchasing native lands years ago. He is strongly in tavor of such a plan by which all sales shall be conducted openly and in accord witb the wishes of tbe majority of those interested. He says that if the bill becomes law the Native Land Courts will of necessity cea°e ; their occupation will be gone. This he considers will be a benefit to the Maoris. The principle embodied in this bill was discussed at a large meeting of native chiefs (iucluding Major Kemp, of Wanganul, Henare Tomoana, of Hawke's Bay, and Wi Pere, of Gisborne) held at the Parliamentary Buildings tbis morning. Sir Georgo Grey, who was present, was addressed by Major Kemp on behalf of the meeting. Major Kemp urged that the Native Lands Purchase Bill now before the House should be postponed, bs tho natives considered it imposed unfair restrictions. It was also arged on Sir George tbat the Native Land Court should bo abolished, and that native committees should bo established for the management ol native affairs. Sir George Grey expressed great sympathy with the chiefs in regard to several of the objects whinh they wished to attain. He suggested that each hapn should bavo tho opportunity given to it ot becoming a corporate body with power to manage nil its own local affurs, and that there should be annual conferences of tho representative men er governing bodies of tho Maori people. In that way colonial legislation might ba beneficially inlluenced in the direction of advancing the welfare of the native race, and of bringing the two races into closer and more helpful unison with each other. Sir George also expreised the opinion that it would be to the advantage of the nitives to revert to the Treaty of Waitangi, and to pell no land exnpt to tho G-Jvernment. Tho meeting thanked Sir George for his ndvice, THE DAIRY INDUSTRY BILL. The Agricultural aud Pastoral Industries Committeo went throngh the Dairy Bill clause by clause and mado several important alterations and amendments in clause 4, which gave power to inspectors to enter factories, creameries, farms, buildings, &c. Tbo committee struck out the words "farms nnd bnildings." In clause 6, by which a dairy in certain cases may be deemed a factory for the pnrpose of export, and permitted a person manufacturing 1500 pounds of pare milk per day to mark bis produce "factory made," tho committee reduced the quantity to 1000 pounds. (The brand "factory" secures a better sale in England than the brand " dairy.") Clause 7 provided that all cheeso and butter bad to bo branded on both sides, nnd also that every cose or package had to be branded in two places witb a trade mark ; the committee provided that there should be only one mark on tbe cheese and ooe on the package. Clause 10. providing that tainted or sour milk should not be supplied to a dairy, factory, or creamery, was struck out. The committee also struck out the latter part of clause 21, that portion providing that any informer of an offence should receive half the fine imposed. THE BRYCE EPISODE. A great deal of time was Bpeot to-day in discussing a report of tho Petitions Committee, announcing that they had no recommendation to make as to the petition of the Hon. John .Bryce, siice the Bubject had already been dealt with by the House. An attempt was made by Mr George Hutchison to have the evidence produced, ile said that on the llth of August it was resolved unanimously by the committee that the evidence should bo brought down with the report. That was rescinded on tho 27th of August after a notice of motion given by a Minister of the Crown, Mr Cadman, a motion which was voted upon on strict party lines. Those voting for the rescinding ot the previous motion were Messrs Cadman, Houston, J. W. Kelly, and E. M. Smith, aud those against it were Messrs Allen, Blake, Moore, and Swan. The chairman, Mr C. H. Mills, then gave his casting vote for rescinding tbe motion. Mr Mills declared that there had not beea the slightest pressure by the Government as to how the matter should be dealt with. Mr Cadman also said that there had beeu no question of party in the discussion. He did nob think ib fair, however, that ex-parte evidence should be laid before the House. After a long discussion it was simply ordered tbat tbe report should lio on the table. WESLEYAN METHODISTS BILL. Tne committeeot the Legislative Council to whom was referred the Wesleyan Methodists Church Property Trusts Act Amendment Bill presented n long report on that bill to-day. They find the pre* nmblo proved, and they "think that the standing orders have be m complied with, although they admit that this may be open to so.ue doubt on the score of insufficient publication, aud they refer tbis point to the Council. Touching the proposal to extend the three years' term, the committee hold that tho bill as printed is uot in accordance witii tbe authority delegated hy the Australasian Conference, the highest governiug and legislative body of the Wesleyan Church in these colonies, inasmuch as instead of extending the term of mioljterial location to live years only an indefinite duration ia left open under clause 3, which the committee have accordingly struck out, U9 involving a broach of faith with the Australasian Conference, and ns taking a large number of Wesleyan Church member* by surprise. The committee have inserted a new clause, fixing the term of itinerancy at five years, which was the term approved by the Australasian Conference, nirl providing that such extension shall bo determined in each cisc by the Conference by a majority of two-thirds of those pre^i-nt. THE BANKRUPTCY BILL. The Statutes Revision Committee of the Legislative Council reported to-day on the Bankruptcy Bill, Among the principal alterations recommended by the committee are thefollowing:— (l.) A provision (ot which I advised you last week) appointing an Official Assignee for each Supreme Court district, with a deputy at each office of tbe Court instead of an Assignee at each office of the Court. (2.) A provision that if a husband within two years of his bankruptcy places improvements upon land belonging to bis wife, or purchases land in ber name, or finds money for such purchase, tho Court moy reqnire the wife to refund the money so employed to such an extent as will (with other assets in the estate) enable 203 in the £1 to be paid to the creditors. (3.) Two ' months aro allowed instead of one for proofs of debt to be lodged. (4,) A new sub-section is ndded to clause 125 requiring a bankrupt to apply for his discharge within fonr months of hia adjudication. If after being notified by the Assignee to do so he fails to take steps for bis discharge he may be com- ; niitted for contempt of Court. If the bankrupt be unable to pay Court fees these may be remitted or paid out of the estate. (5.) An Assignee may appeal to ' the Court against any deeMon of the ' Auditor-General as to the audit of ! accounts, and the Judge may decide tho dispute. (6.) The supervisor's remunera- . tion is increased from IJ to 2J per cent on ' tbe first £1000, and fiom Ito IJ per cent ■ on the next £1000. Tbe other amend* ' ments aro verbal or inconsequential. THE PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY. \ The annual report on the Parliamentary Library states that the issue of books to | members not resident in Wellington had | cost £22 4s for boxes, and that very little | injury to the books had resulted. Thirty* i four members availed themselves of the i privilege. During the past year 734 new books were purchased. Over 450 works i aro reported as missing. Seven ex-mem-bers of Parliament are debited with 1 volumes taken out from two to ten years i ago. Of these members four are dead, some doubt attaches to ooe case, and in ' another instance the report aays, "He i-j ] not dead ; he bas many times beeu re- I quested to return or replace those works, . bat has never given any sort of answer _ hgyond a verbs! denial of any kuowledge i

ot them." Of the seventh case the report says : "He promised to pay for this, but I has not been heard from for nine . months." Three present mombets have taken out books from three to eloveu years ago, and tbe report says:— i " Repeated applications have failed to obtain tho return of theso books." Tlie | librarian trenchantly condemns the present building and appliances. He says, "The buildiug simply cannot auy longer accommodate tho books. Already tbey have overflowed into two other rooms outside the library, and both theso rooms are now fnll." Ho adds : ' Some we have even had toburvin the miserable den -whicli serves as n. library otorovoom, and some lie about on the floor of an old worm-eaten, rain-stained room in the old wing. In some cases it is impossible for anyone but the librarian to find a book j the task will soon be impossible even tor him. By-and-bye a book asked for will be found, if nt all, only by some happy accident. Hundreds of volumes are falling to pieces, and a rapid and steady process of destruction is going on. The air is hot and vitiated. There is no librarian's room, no woikroom, no adequate storeroom, no cataloguing room, no smoking room away from the books, no safe, no strong room, no indicator, no delivery counter, no clcset room, no exhibition case for new books, no library telephone, no staff lavatory, no call-bell. The staff is inadequate, and the detective appliances cause excessive waste of time aud labor, A new building is an absolute necessity." THE PLUM MER CASE, The Minister of Justice, Mr Cadman, has received a telegram from the Mayor of Auokland, stating that he bas been petitioned by 180 people to call a meeting to consider the Plummer case. Ho n<ks to bo advised as to what course he should follow. Tho matter is to ho bronght before the Cabinet to morrow, and Mr Cadman will then reply announcing their decision. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT BILL. The Waste Linds Committee reported to*day on the Laud for Settlement Bill, recommending that tho bill should proceed with amendments, one being to make tbe debentures issued under the Act a chnrge on the consolidated revenue, and the other limiting the area to be held under the Act by any one person to 320 acres, MR G. S. COOPER. The petition of G. S. Cooper, late Undor - Secretary for the Colony, for further consideration on account of his long and faithful services, has been referred by tho Petitions Committee to tho Government. THE CHEMIS CASE. I understand that Mr Richardson, ns ex-Minister of Justice, gave evidence before the Petitions Committee today touching the Cbemis case, and that he expressed very freely his conviction that Chemls had been wrongfully convicted of the Kaiwara murder. Mr Richardson, aa I am informed, contended that the stabs found on the body could not possibly bavo been inflicted with the weapon produced, and that the shot wounds could not hava been caused in tbe way alleged, as was proved by the ancle at which they mast have been fired, In fact, Mr Richardson's evidence was, I am told, most strongly against the conviction ot Cbemis. THE AUCKL-VND-WELLINGTON RAILWAY. The Premier announced tn-day that whllo an Imprest Supply Bill would ba moved for In the afternoon the committee for ordinary supply would be afterward proposed when the Electoral Bill had been dealt Mtb. This, it was recog nised, had been resolved upon in order to give an opportunity for the discussion of the amendment recommending that a committeo be nppointed to consider the Auckland - Wellington railway question. However, the Electoral Bill was not passed by the committee until half-past 12 o'olock iv tho morning, and new business could uot then bo brought forward. THE GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS. The question of which I Informed yott last night, whether the Government bad telegraphed to Mr Perceval tho result cf Ihe discussion regarding the Legislative CouDcil correspondence, was asked tonight by Mr G. Hutchison when the Imprest Supply Bill was announced. The Premier said that general supply would be moved for when tho Electoral Bill had been disposed of, and the question would then be answered, Mr Hutchison again pressed the question, ! and Sir George Grey said be thought tbat the Government would be delighted to answer ib. Tbe Premier, however, declined, pointing oat that he had promised to reply on going into Committee of Supply, In reply to Mr Rolleston, however, be said he would give the answer to morrow. Tbe Government, he aaded, were quite prepared to reply to the question. _________