Parliamentary Notes.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2760, 30 June 1894, Page 2

Parliamentary Notes.

[Special.] (by telegraph.) WELLINGTON, June 29. A STATE BANK. A bill designed to materially aid a large financial institution will be put through all stages of both branches of tbe Legislature to-night. The measure will be in the direction of tbe establishment of a State Bank, and will, it is reported, place the finances of the oolony on a sound basis. DUTIES OF JURIES. Important alterations with respect to tbe duties of juries are proposed in the bill which the Colonial Seoretary is submitting to the Council. Special juries in all cases are to be abolished, and provision is made for enrolment of Maori juries. The following new rule is to apply where juries are unable to agree : — " When a jury shall, after deliberating for what the court considers a reasonable time, by their foreman intimate to the Judge presiding that they cannot agree as the verdict to be given, the court in its discretion may discharge euoh jury from giving a verdiot. j The proceedings may thereupon be taken ; anew, as if no trial or enquiry had been commence! before a jnry so discharged." NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR. Mr MoGuire asked the Colonial Treasurer what action the Government proposed to take in order that justice may be done to the long- suffering settlers in the Taranaki Harbor rating district, and will tbe Government make restitution to those unfortunate settlers for tbe 193,278 acres taken out of the New Plymouth Harbor endowment? In asaing the question he gave a short history of the matter. The Colonial Treasurer, in reply, said that in the new Rating Bill come relief to the settlers in the New Plymouth Harbor district would be proposed. Mr McGuire wanted to know when the bill would be brought down ? Mr Ward replied within a week. Mr McGuire said that ha trusted the relief would be of a substantial nature ; that the settlers in the harbor district were suffering under an injustice, whioh it was the doty of tbe Government and the House to redress ; that he would, in consideration of the promise, not on the present occasion move tbe adjournment of the House in order to go iully into the subject, and therefore would hold over tbe important matter for a week.