PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1937, 23 May 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES

(by telegraph.) (from our own correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, May 23.

The proceedings were commenced in the House yesterday by a wrangle over the Loan Act just passed. This arose out of a remark made in the Council by Sir F. Whitaker who pressed the bill. He then said unless the bill is passed "we must file our schedule" the construction placed on this, was that unless the loan was floated the colony would repudiate. In fact that statement from one who is at the head of the Bank of New Zealand, as well as Attorney-General together with Government influence and undisclosed arguments, were brought to bear upon members of the Lower House to induce them to vote for the bill, and added some force to the remark, so that eomethin}} like a panic real or assumed took place. The matter was referred to immediately the House met by Mr. Lance, who appears to have become a leader of the Opposition, asking, as statement was made byAttorney-General, thatif the Loan Bill was not passed' the colony would have to file its schedule. Sir H. Atkinson repeated the words used by the AttorneyGeneral, and explained that what Sir F. Whitaker meant was that the Ministry bad obtained advances to be repaid out of loan, and that if the bill were not passed it would have to file its schedule, the reference being more to the position of the Ministry tban to the position of the colonial finances. The explanation was not regarded as quite satisfactory, for, if it were granted that this tvas the meaning of the Attorney- General's reference, the fact remained that he had expressed himself with great clumsiness on a most delicate subject. In the

debate which ensued, the Opposition members urged the suspension _of" all. business till the Financial Statement" has been brought down. Sir H. Atkinson, in the course of the debate, declared that i the sole reason why the Government bad been in baste to repair tbe error of last session was that- tbe English financial authorities urged them to float tbe loan at once. ~ The" House" then proceeded' to Kasiness, nothing very important being done. The Electoral Bill was down for its second reading, but the Government-were-re-quested to postpone it, as members were not sufficiently acquainted with it to debate it, and this was agreed to. The Standing Orders ohanges were again frustrated for want of the necessary quorum. At 9 o'clock it was proposed to adjourn, and then the Opposition got on their hind legs because there was no business to be gone on with, and after 'an hour's talk the House adjourned. Tbe Financial Statement is being pushed forward, and until it is down there will be no disposition to work shown.

Mr. Marchant has given notice to ask the Government: — (1) What is the present position of the Punkengabu and Mangamingi blocks adjoining tbe Ngaire swamp, and if they are still in tbe bands of tbe natives, and whether tbe Government will acquire them for settlement purposes ? (2) Whether, having in view tbe great success that has attended the use of firewood in locomotives on the Manawatu Company's line, the Government will order fair test of it on the New Plymouth-Fox ton line.

In replying to questions, it was staled that the Government were organising a police superannuation fund; that provisions would be made for paying the common jurors a jury fee for each day when a civil case extends over more days than one; that the Government would take steps to extend to New Zealand the same advantage in respect to foreign parcel post as the one possessed by other portions of the British dominions ; that a large number of applications for the office of Railway Commissioner had been received foom Home.but the Government had been advised that none of them were fit for the position, and further enquiries are now being made; that the Government were considering the question of giving effect to a resolution passed by the House relating to tbe proceeds of tbe totalisator, and would give a definite reply in a few days.