PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1373, 31 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

(HY TELEGRAPH.) (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDKNT.)

WELLINGTON, July 30. Last night and today the House has been considering the Hospital and Charitable Institution Bill. The main features of the decisions of the committee were the refusal to constitute new districts save in very exceptional cirenmstauces, and insistence on towu and country paying equal contributions to support of hospitals and charitable aid. In connection with the subject, Mr. Macandrew has given notice of motion, which 6ets out, among other things, that in this colony, replete as it is wish every element of comfort and wealth, the existence of 60 much idle capital in the form of unemployed labor, and heavy burdens that are being imposed towards providing lor charitnblo aid, are anomalies which do not reflect credit upon the Legislature, and which demand the most earnest consideration of tbe House ; (2) that thi granting of an adequate area of land on the sole condition of beneficial occupation to every man who is able and willing to work would, t 0 a large extent, reduce the number of unemployed ; (3) that placing of suitable blocks of land nfc the disposal of municipal councils, county councils, or district road board?, as the case mny be, to be by them nßsigned in small allotments to ablebodied men. Tho entire cost and responsibility of providing for the relief of the poor within their respective boundaries would grently tend to diminish and ultimately all but extirpate pauperism ; and urges the Government to take action.

Replying to Mr. Newman, who asked whether any, and if any, how much, land hns beeu given for the track of the North Island Main Trunk Railway (1) by Wahanui, (2) by other Mnoris, the Native Minister snid no land has been given by Wahanni or any other Mnoris. Wahanui was not jet m position to give lund, as the Native Land Court on\y met 3'esterday to consider Ins claims.

The Public Accounts Committee reported re purchase of Stalk's property at the North Shore, Auckland, that Government were justified in paying for the propeity the price they did, nnd that the weight of evideuce went to bhow that the property would not have bceu obtained for a less amount in a compensation court. The voting on each resolution wns ayes G, noes 5. Miijor Atkinson did not vote, iv onler that Mr. Holinea' vote wn'oht foswe effoct, Iho member Cot Cmibtchurch South beiDg unable to be present, in consequence of au accident he met with yesterday. Mr. Moss said ho would have voted ngaiust the resolutions if he had had a vote, but as chairman he had not. Both the Ministers (Vogel and Ballance) voted for the resolutions.

The Post says it is believed that when the schedule of the Loan Bill again comes before committee, Ministers will propose to insert au item of .£173,000 for works hereafter to l>o allocated, thus making up the original ninount of a million and a half, aud replacing the nmouut of the items struck out. This will be a most uuwise proposal ; if Miuisters are unable to say for what thpy want money, they should not boirow it. It would be much fairer to allocate the money in tins way : i'.">o,ooo ench to the Ota»o Central, North of Auckland, and Napier-Palmerston lines, nivi .£20,000 contingencies ; the latter amount would aflord an ample margin. If £175,000 is left unallocated to particular woiks, it will bo iv order thnt directly or indirectly it may be divided between Canterbury Rail Westland, whether it be devoted to repiotluc tive woiks or not.

It is rumored thnt Sir G*>oiye Grey is taking Ingnl advice as to the possibility of taking le^'fil proceedings dining the iccoss against Mr. Steward for a bre.ich of t lie Disqualification Act iv connection with tlie district railways debentures case, and against Mr. Stddon, in connection with the Kumaia sludge channel matter, winch was ventilated last session.

Iv reference to R. S. Thompson's petition for consideration on account of his wife having been deprived of her lund iv New Plymouth and on the Waimat3 I'laiup, the Native Affairs Committee regrets that tlie matter lins been reported qq pvev(ous(y, kvh( \l\^t. tdey tw\s wo f\\vifopv recomm^uilntion to m<ikf>.

July3l

Tlieie was another long fight over tbe Loan Bill scliedulo last night. Tho Government proposed to make tip the amount to a million and a half by inserting an item of £175.000 for unspecified linos in the Middle Inland. To this there wore two clashes of objectors — those who considered that tho pledge would bu broken as to reduction of amount of lon i) in case of .deletion of any of tbe onginal allocutions, and those who held that it would be exceedingly dangerous to place £175,U00 in the banda of the Government for unspecified works, wbich might be held out as inducements to secure political support. After a long, and at timeß personal debate, a motion to insert this item was negatived by a majority of two, and Government accepted the position aud agreed thnt the loan should be a million and a half, less tho £'175,000.

In consequence of the time taken up in discussing the Loan Bill, Sir R. Stout threatens to ilrop the Representation Bill, as he is iiMxioiiß to closo tlie session next week.