THE ESTIMATES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9168, 30 July 1890, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

THE CUTTING-DOWN PEOOESS. • [By Telegraph.] [from our own correspondent.] WELLINGTON, July 29. ; The business of the House baa been rather lively. Shortly before the dinner adjournment Mr Smith was selected' by the Speaker as one of half a dozen member* who rose with a view to “ catching the* his eye/’ Mr Smith had an amendment, ,■ the object of which was to exclude the 1 Post and Telegraph Department from the operation of the ,£50,000 reduction. The' Colonial Secretary, who got up to express the mind of the Government on the matter, 1 did so very blankly and inconsequontly, [ perhaps very fittingly. Captain EuseeU Is : rapidly accustoming himself to the ways of a Cabinet Minister, and he is becoming quite skilful at saying nothing. IN THE EVENING Mr Fisher continued the debate with much vigour, and was especially severe on Mr Monk and others who, while crying “retrenchment” everywhere, assisted'to put the Colony in for i 550,000 expenditure' over the Kaihu Valley railway. The; indignant Mr Monk followed with ait 1 equally vigorous denunciation of Mr Fisher, whom he likened to “a person who had just been liberated from ja place where his sanity was in question.” Much fun was caused also by Mr Monk's mournful 1 complaint that Mr Fisher had left the Chamber without staying to hear hia statementa refuted, “though,” he said, “that: shows that the hon member has no shame.”; * Later.on he encountered the Speaker, who sternly ordered him to withdraw the quotation he applied to Mr Fisher, “measureless liar,” which, if ■. I mistake not, the late Mr Sheehan once applied to a gentleman who is now in the House. Very soon afterwards Mr Smith’s amendment, to the wording of which several members of the Opposition took objecton, was lost on the voices.' House went into Committee of Supply, : and then THE REAL BUSINESS . . of the evening began. The exclusive Skinflints, who had been manifestly uncomfortable about Mr Smith’s amendment,! started work on the Estimates with appetites sharpened by the, taste of audit blood on Saturday morning. The SegistfarQeheral’s salary, iJSOO, they did not care to reduce by JUOO, but Mr A, Thompson threw out a suggestion to cut iJSO off, and the Colonial Secretary, being appealed to, replied that he would rather not see the vote reduced at all, but that “ half a loaf was better than no bread.” The House straightway took half a loaf, or ,£SO, from the Eegistrar-General. The discussion on the Agent-General’s vote was remarkable for Sir G. Grey’s declaration that the Agent-General was an Unnecessary offlciaL.