Wellington Gossip.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9146, 1 September 1892, Page 4

Wellington Gossip.

[BY TELEGRAPH.] (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, Wednesday, SECKET DESPATCHES. A rather heated debate took place in the House this afternoon over a question pnt to the Premier by the leader of the Opposition. Mr RollDston asked whether the Government had been consulted in any way in regard to the appointment ot a successor to Lord Onslow, nnrt if so whether the Premier wonld lay all the correspondence with respect to it on the table ? Mr Ballance said that there had been no correspondence at all on the question except a private letter sent to the AgentGeneral. Mr ltolleston inquired by whom it had been sent. The Premier answered, "By me." He theu gave a somewhat leDgthy explanation of the matter, during the course of which he also replied to Mr G. Hutchison's question of the previous day, and said that the Government had not cabled Home any message with re spect to the division taken in the House last week on the subject of the correspondence between the Governor and his Ministers. As regarded the appointment of a successor to Lord Onslow Mr Ballance said that the ouly understanding bad been one arrived at with Lord Ouslow, that two names should be submitted to the Government before the new Governor was chosen, and a promise rande by the Colonial Office to Mr Perceval that the name of tha Governorelect wonld be submitted to the Government before being decided on. Neither promise, however, had been kept, aud the first intimation the Government had had of Lord Glasgow's appointment was through a Press telegram. Ha asserted that, notwithstanding Mr Rolleston's contention, the Government had a perfect right to refuse to lay confidential communications on the table. Mr Rollestou warmly replied to the Premier's assertion, and utterly condemned the practice of sending secret letters to the Agent-General, which the House was not permitted to sec. Sir John Hall was still more emphatic in bis condemnation of the conduct of tbe Premier in moving in each an important matter without any oiGcial correspondonce which thß Parliament of the country vaa entitled to peruse. Sir George Grey also attacked the Government for the manner in which they had treated Lord - Glasgow, who, he said, was now in a most unhappy position, having no advisers or mends to consult with. Sir George expressed his deliberate conviction that as soon as Miuisters found that his Excellency refused their advice they were constitutionally bound to resign. Mr Seddon was the Minister put up to reply to Sir George, and ho created mnch laughter by expressing himself as deeply pained by the member for Newton's remarks. He then tnrned on his former friend and patron by reminding him that he himself had had a similar difference with the Marquis of Normnnby and, had not resigned. Sir George, bowever, retaliated by faying that in his case he had recommended to Lord Normanby the name ot one gentleman who was afterwards appointed to the Council, bat that the present Government had not submitted any name to hi 3 Kxcellenoy, which to his ruind was decidedly improper. This neat retort ot the veteran knight was received with loud cheers from the Opposition benches, aud the matter shortly afterwards dropped. A CURIOUS CLAIM. A pptition has been presented by Mr W. Kelly, the member for tbe Ea^t Count, of a somewhat peculiar character. Thn petition is from Mrs C. M. Bnckworlh, of Whakatane, prajiag for coinponMition for the services of her father, Mr Falloou, who was killed by the natives whiln asleep on board the Government cutter Kate, off Wbnkata-:e Heads, on the 10th of May, 1865, while on his way to Whakatace to riise a native contingent for Government (service. The coufi<citiou of the lauds around Whakatane robbed Mr Falloon of lunds to which he wad entitled, and as compensation for this, and in consideration of her father's death while on Government duly, Mrs Buckworth asks for £500. The pelitiou has becu referred to the i'ub'ic Petitions Committee. THE BUYUE EPISODE. The proceedings in the Hoose yesterday with le.-peet to the reception by the Government of the report on Mr Bryce's petition are thus characterised by" the Press to-night:— "True to the iguoble instincts which prompted him to drive his erstwhile bc>om friend from the House by tho aid of his subservient majority last session, the Premier yesterday afternoon by the aid of the same majority hnrked the evidence tuken before the Public Peti'inn* Committee on the petition of the Hon. John Brvce, When the committee presented tneir report there was no evidence attached to it, ss there most certainly should have been considering the large amount oi public attention which the Bryce incident baa attracted. Mr G. Hutchison moved that the report be referred back to tbe committee with an Instruction that the evidence ehonld be attached to it aud thus placed on record, We presume that tbe Premier was ashamed of himself for his conduct last sesbion, and that that was the reapon why ha whipped up his majority to prevent the damning evidence from appearing on the public records of tbe colony. The Hon. Mr Ballanco'may bug himßelf in the fond delusion tnab this painful episode in his career has now been finally disposed of, but if ho docs so be will be woefally deceived. It will rise up in judgment agains: him at the next general election, and will haunt him like an avenging spirit till b°. finally sbuflles off the coils of political life." NATIVE MUNICIPALITIES. The clauses proposed to be included in tbe Native Land Purchase Bill to establish tbe committee system of dealing with tha lands of the natives, provide thit whenever the number of owners in any block of land shall exceed tea if a ■majority of two-thirds in number shall apply in writing to the Registrar of the ■ Native Lands Conrt for the district in which snch land U situated, asking that a committee may be formed for tbe management of sued land, it shall be tbe duty of the Registrar to convene a meetin got the native owners at their principal ksingafor tho election of the committee, which shall consist of not less thin three n i rmore than nine members. The elec■.icushall be by poll. Upon the formation o Jthe cjiumittee tha owners of the block shall become a body corporate. Kvery lease, mortgage, transfer, or other document aff'.'ctingland shall be valid if signed liy a majority of the committee, but the signature mu-t be affixed in the presence of tbe Commissioner of the district, a Native Land Court Judge, or a Rtsident Magistrate. Tiiere is a probability, however, that Sir George Grey's hill, niter it has advanced a certain stage, will be Uken np by the U.ivermnent, and iw it embodies the committee system the clauses dealing with the subject «ill not be proceeded with if that bill becomes law. THE fcSfIMATES. A discussion lostiug feveral hours took pace to-uicht before a ?ingle item of the estimates was passed. Mr Seddou was in charge of the Colonial Secretary's Depurtmenti, the Premier having beeu absent from the Har.se all the cvnniug, and a few Opposition members toil ; ilia greatest delight in a little mild raUluuon on tue Minister for Public Works. That honorable gentleman when in opposition was generally regarded as tbe champion stonewaller, who has session after session kept unfortunate Ministers who were piloting their estimates through ihe Hon.io seated at the committee table for many a weary hour by Ma (Mr Seddon's) obstructive tactics. One member threatens to keep the debate going till 3 o'clook iv tue morning before he allows a, vote to pass, but it is hardly likely that he wili nllo* his hostility to Mr Seddon to go so far as that. The vote that provoked the met lengthy discussion to-night was the item of £100 for the salary of the PostmasterGeneral, which nobody for a moment gri^dges to Mr Ward, on the contrary hia excellent administration is generally recognised. The ODposition contend, however, that the calory should be brought down by bill, as was promised by the Premier last session. EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY. Tho Labor Bills Committee of the Legislative Council have made some important amendments in the Employers' Liability Bill. Clause 4, as it went up to the Council, limited the liability of the Railway Commissioners as employers under the Act to a total sum of £500. This has been altered to a liability not exceeding that sum in each case. Clause 5 has been altered so as to give a workman recourse against his immediate employers, aa well as against the original employers, or againstihe Bnb-contractor as well as the contractor, bud any one claim can be made. Clause 6is amended bo as to provide that in case of the woik man of one employer being injured by the workman of another employer, on recovery of compensation from such employer thr Jattsr employer shall be indemnili'i by bis workman whose negligence caused t' i- iiij.irv. No I ir^er cuni|>e»s<ttion Hi- n £fOO l- tn bi> recovend iv -my t-in^lr. m-h. (•')••■ 'M ,1.-,rv rt-i'-iL'' ••ce ;i ih>. |nr' of v ' i-i rh li 1 I. (■ ••„■.. ■'. ■ vtOKKMKV'S LlfiN BILL. Tub Labor Biils Committco of the Council are still engaged in codaideriog tho Workmen's Lieu Bill! Several cJanges are likely, I hear, to nndergq material revision/ For instance,

— •" C— ■"■ " ■""* ■■■—'■ '■ I the bill in its present shape provides that i a contractor shall not be entitled to ro ] cover from his employer until all his subcontractors have been paid. It is held (lam told) that thia would encourage collusion between employers and sub-contractor to keep the contractor out of his money, which could easily be done nnder tbi3 provision. Thus a direct inducement is held out to blackmailing. I hear tint one experienced contractor who gave evidence stated that such a provision would have disastrous effects, and it is likely to be struck oub. A clause will probably be inserted enacting that any person preferring a vexatious claim nnder this Act shall be liable to indemnify the person against whom such vexatious claim was made. The provision that a landowner shall be liable on account of buildings erected on his land will probably be modified in the direction of requiring his previous consent in writing to the erection of the building, else no liability. A DROLL SCENE. When the House was in committee to-night on the estimates, after Mr Seddon had been peppered with queried for a long time without giving any answer, Mr Fish at last puta very direct questioD, ob which the Minister said laughingly that he would go und iuquire. He theti, amidst much laughter and applause, left the table and went to consult the Undersecretary of the department that was then under discussion, who was sitting behind tiie Speaker's chair. Mr Seddon then returned to the table and made a statoment. This did not satisfy Mr Fish, who pressed a further inquiry. On Mr Seddon 'ailing to reply Mr Fish said ho would himself go and inquire in the same quarter that Mr Seddon had previously applied to. Mr Fish was londly applauded as he returned to his peat and was at once addressed as "The Hon. Mr Fish," and as-ked to explain the moot poiut, bnt ho replied slily that the result of his inquiries had been nil. KEDFEBN, ALEXANDER AND CO.'S SUSPENSION. The person whose death and withdrawal of capital is alleged to have caused the suspension of the well-knoivn London firm of Kedfern, Alexander and Co, was Mr Philip Vanderbyl. He wns the principal partner in tbe firm, and was also concerned in several colonial institutions which are also connected commercially with the firm in question. The late Mr Vanderbyl wbb formerly a London physician of great eminence, and the author of several medical books which are regarded as standard werks on the subjects treated. Ho relinquished his profession to become a London merchant. He was very wealthy, and a very able man of business, and sat in Parliament for some years for a Somersetshire constituency. Messrs Redfern, Alexander and Co. were the London house of sdujo important Now Zealand firms, as well ai agents for individuals, and a good deal of anxiety is felt hero until further information is received. JOTTINGS. It Is the intention of Mr George Hutchison to propose when the Land Bill is in committee an amendment giving the option of freehold on completion of improvements under the lease in perpetuity. There is a likelihood that the Codlin Moth Bill will uoo be proceeded with beyond its second reading, even if it goes as far as that stage.