PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1372, 30 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(BY TELEGRAPH.) (FROM OUR OWN COEKKSPONDENT.)

WELLINGTON, July 29.

TJi« House eat till 4 o'clock lbi» morning, beiug iv committee on the Loan Bill.

Previously it hiul read a second lime the North Island Railway Loau Reslric tion Bill, which earmaiks the money to be raised under the special Act, but appropriates £100,000 of the million for the purchase of native land, <md provides that land so purchased shall be reserved in suitable blocks for the endowment of the Education Boards, Hospital and Chiritable Aid Boards, and other institutions in tho North Island ; the reinaiuder of Innds purchased to constitute a railway reserve, the proceeds of which should bo applied from time to time towards the coosti action of the Main Trunk Railway and of branch railways, trninw.i}-?, or roads in connection with the railwny. There was great objection to any of the muds being applied to the purchase of lnnd, and, though the bill wns read a secoud time without opposition, there will be a fight in committee on this point.

Then the House went into committee on tbe New Zealand Loan Bill, and there were great fights over the scheduled lines, to which the money to be borrowed was to be allocated. The first onblaught wns to be made by Mr. Sutler on the vote of £77,000 lor the Grr-ymoutliHokitika line, but that was retaiued by 40 to 34. Tlieu Mr. Hur^thouse propose 1 to strike out the £50,000 for Helensvillo line northwards, '{but could only find a dozen s-ipporters. Mr. A'lwii^ht was more fortunate iv striking out £63,000 for the Westport - Inaugabua line, the voting being 41 to 32, and the rest was carried ou an amendment to strike out £08,000 for tli© Blenheim-Tophonse line by 50 to 22. Then arose a point on which, evidently, members were not iv agreement. Sir 11. Stout, iv his Bpeech on ihe second rending of the b\f(, ilnUnclly stnled thnt if the items in the schedule were struck out, the total amount to be borrowed would be proportionately. This statement obtiiued several votes for the second reading which wouH not otherwise have been given. Sir J. Vogel had also ma'lo a statement which was accepted by some members as a repetition of what had beeu said by Sir R. Stout, but, when the reductions referred to weie umtlp, Sir J. Vogel wished to report progress, in order that the Cabinet might dctcrmino to what purpose tho mouey saved should be appropriated. This roused tho economists who thought llmt the result of striking out lines from tli" 6cliedulo wou'd be a reduction of the amount of the loan. The announcement also put on tbe gui vivc members who have nothing, or, as they believe, too little under the bill as brought down, wanted to participate in the re-division iutended to be made by the Government. Tho debate graw warm, and principles were forsaken for pereonaliti s. Finally, progress wns reported, the allocation for the purchase of rails, etc. having beeu first reduced by .£20,000, making tbe total reduction £175,000, the Government having to decide whether the amount of the loan shall be reduced by £175,000, or whether thi-i shall be divided up, and when their decision is announced, auimated debate mny be expected.

The Goverment have not fixpd any da} T for tbe consideration of local bills, so that it seems probable that no mort will be heard of the Harbor Bj.inl Bill this session.