POLITICAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10703, 12 July 1895, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES.

'[rsou our own correspondent,] WELLINGTON, July 11. THE COLONIAL TREASURES. The general opinion here is that Mr Ward has greatly improved as a public speaker since he left the colony. I hear on good authority that to-morrow evening he will take an opportunity of explaining to the House the truth as to the statements alleged to have been made by him in regard to the three millions of unpledged securities, and will also reply to his detractors generally. The evening is likely to prove a very interesting one. Mr Collins to-day conveyed to the Hon J. G. Ward the hearty congratulations of Mr M’Millan, president of the Ballance Liberal Association, and Mr president of the Canterbury Liberal Association, on behalf of these societies. When Mr Ward took his place in the House this afternoon about three o’clock he received a hearty round of applause from the Government side of the House, but in which only one or two Opposition members took part. PRIVILEGED CONFESSIONS, The Hon J. Macgregot’a Law of Evidence Amendment Bill provides, among other things, tor cancelling the provision in the present law which makes confession to Catholic priests and medical men privileged. MR VAILE’S SYSTEM. Mr Vaile, of Auckland, is again petitioning the House to be permitted to practically apply his stage system on some suitable section of the railways of the colony. UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS. The Asiatic and other immigration restriction Bill provides that the master of every ship arriving in New Zealand having on hoard a greater number of Asiatics than one to every two hundred tons of snch ship shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £IOO for each Asiatic carried in excess. A prohibited person under the Act includes every contract workman, imbecile, idiot, insane person, habitual drunkard, every person likely to become a charge upon public charities or funds, every person suffering from any contagions or. infectious disease, and every person who has been adjudged guilty in any country of any offence involving, if such offence had been committed in the colony, imprisonment for not less than twelve months.

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. The report of the administration of the Advances to Settlers Act shows the following results in the different provincial districts: —ln Otago there were 576 applications for loans, amounting to £254,441, of which 160, amounting to £58,080 were refused; in Canterbury—2s2 applications for £88,246, of which 66, for £20,775, were refused; in Wellington--401 applications for .£192,170, of which 77, for .£35,135, were refused; in Auckland--323 applications for £113,108, of which 99, for £35,992, were refused ; in Taranaki—--205 applications for £88,798, of which 32, for £16,044, were refused; in Hawke’s Bay —122 applications for £43,993, of which 36, for £11,713, were refused ; in Nelson —6l applications for £26,120, of which 40, for £13,420, were refused; in Marlborough—s2 applications for £28,012, of which 20, for £11,305, were refused; in Westland—24 for £B3CO, of which 2, for £350, were refused. THE HOUSE AND GAMBLING. A short shrift was given by the House of Representatives to-day to the gambling Bills brought before it. When Mr Mills rose and moved for leave to introduce the Bank of New Zealand Estates Company Assets Special Realisation Bill he was answered with a thundering volley of " Noes.” A division . was taken on the question, with the result that the Bill was strangled at its birth by 49 votes to 13. The Premier and the Hon W. P. Reeves voted with the majority, the Hons J. M’Kenzie and J. Carroll with the minority, while the Hons J. G. Ward and A. J. Gadman were absent. There was much jubilant applause on the part of the majority when the result was apparent. The temper of the House was no less'unmistakably shown when Mr Lawry soon afterwards moved the second reading of the Bill introduced by him for the purpose of legalising racing consultations. His earnest speech on behalf of the measure as a fair, just and politic one, was greeted with a running fire of bantering comment and ironical laughter. Members showed no disposition to debate the proposal, and on the question being put, Mr Lawry’s was the only voice heard in favour of the Bill, which received the happy despatch without the formality of division. GOVERNMENT AND BANK. Immediately after t he (ate of the Estates Company’s Lottery Bill was decided, Mir Collins gave notice to ask the Minister on Tuesday whether, in view of the emphatic opinion expressed regarding the proposal, the Government would he ; prepared to take over the assets, of the Bank of New Zealand, and, if necessary, transform that institution into a State bank. Mr G. W. Russell will, on the same day, ask the Government if it will bring down proposals for relieving the Estates Company of such lands as are suitable for immediate settlement, giving 8 per cent debentures in exchange. Rumour alleges that some such proposal will have to be carried into effect, in order to conserve the colony’s interest in the Bank, and it is argued that to do so would be consistent with the Government policy with regard to the Bank of New Zealand, and, therefore, likely to receive the sanction of Parliament.

DEFAULTERS, The recommendation of the House Committee to exclude certain ex-membara from the precincts of the House on account of their King defaulters at Bellamy’s, was explained in the House to-day to refer to two former members for Auckland City and Insngahua respectively. The names of these ara freely mentioned in the lobbies, but the member for Eiccarton wishes the Chairman of the Committee to announce them publicly eo that a stigma may not rest undeservedly on other exmembers for these electorates.