PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXII, Issue 161, 10 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

fpnoM onu own noßßßSPrtsnrsT.] Wellington, July !l, Considerable consternation was oansdl thin afternoon hy the report of the PisIrict Railways Purchasing Commiltfp, wliieh has been looked for with so much interest hy the TTnnse. The faces of hon. memhers wore quite a study while the reliort was being read by Major Campbell, the Clerk of the. House, and it was received m ominous silence. The report itself is substantially the same as I wired yon yesterday was likely to he brought down ; hnt yon will receive tha full text of it m your Parliamentary budget. 1 1 is unnecessary to refer to it farther at present as the whole affair is to come before the House for discussion on Wednesday next. The proceedings are expected to be morn than usually animated when the report is considered. The Opposition held another meeting to-day, hnt nothing of any importance was done, except the usual report as to the progress of business. T hear that they are determined m future not lo aMow matters to be bnrked, as some imes hap __ pens if no one is appointed to move that^ particular papers be read and printed. Mr Macandrew quoted a few inter-eating statistics last night when moving the second reading of the Public Aivaicea on Land Bill. He said that last year there' wore 39,000 mortgages registered m the Colony ; of that number 32,778 were under dCI.COO, representing £10,500,000 ; besides this were £7,000 for sums of £2,000. He contended that if the money had been raised by the Colony there would have been a saving of £300,000 to £400,000 per annum after the payment of 1 per! cent. The bulk of the mortgages was held hy the Loan and Agency Companies throughout the Colony ; the greater poition of the money being raised m England, ami the interest was as much as S and 0 per cent, and even higher. • Major Atkinson has not relinquished his intention of moving m the Representation question. He intends takiug some action on going into Committee of Supply, cither with a view of moving for a reduction m the number of members, or m some other direction. The rumor I sent you some time ago aa to Mr Carrington being about to be called to the Upper House turns ont to have a good foundation. The Premier this afternoon said, m reply to Mr Buckland, that he was personally prepared to recommend his colleagues to advise tbe^f (lovernor to call Mr Carrington to the Counoil. if he was willing to acoept the position, but he was not. Another of Mr Tola's little Rilla was sacrificed this afternoon. On the motion for committal of the Supreme Court Reporting Bill, which the Minister for Justice defended so warmly on its second reading, the voices were unmistakably against him but he called fora division and wa,3 beaten by a largo majority. The Criminal Code Rill also brought m by Mr Tole is very likely to share the name fate. It provoked an animated discussion this afternoon, and memhara on both sides urged the Government to withdraw the Rill for the sension. Sir George Grey has presented a petition from the Wairau District Charitable Aid Hoard, praying that certain subsidies be not withheld. He has oho presented a petition from the Wairau Ttrad fioard that certain subsidies now dun may not ha withheld. The District Hail ways Pur.-.haßing Report has again been the subject rf discussion ia the [louse tonight. Mr Peacock, who had been referred to by the Premier as being impiioa'el m ihe matter as well ai Sir J. Yogel and Mr^ Steward, made a. personal explanation,^ taking exception to the Premier's state- f infint, aud said he was surprised to hour he had made such reference to him as he had done. Mr Peacock went ou to inform the House that he had carefully refrained last session from taking any part m the District Railway Purchasing Hill, and desired now to state that he neither initiated nor took part m th« conducting of the Rotorua Railways Debentures Sale, nor did ho directly or indirectly participate m any .profit resulting therefrom, fie appealed to tha Chairman to state whether the Committee intended by their report to n fleet upon him. Mr Thomson, Chairman of thft Committee, twici rose for the purpose of spoaking to the question, but was ruled out of order as other business was under diflcuaßion. I hear Mr Thomson wished to say that the Committee had no intention of reflecting m any way whatever upon Mr Peacock, and that, on looking at the resolution m which Mr Peacock's name was mentioned, he did not think it bore the interpretation put upon it by the Premier. My prediction early m the evening as to the fate of the Criminal Code Bill, another Goveihment measure, had been fulfilled, as it was thrown out to-night by a majority of three vqtep. Mr Tole warmly defended the bill, but the House would not consent to its proceeding any further. ' :