Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1887. THE SESSION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXIII, Issue 225, 25 October 1887, Page 2

Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1887. THE SESSION.

4 When, in the early part of the year, Parliament was dissolved and the constituencies were entrusted with tho elfction of a new Parliament it wbb in a manner tajitly understood by the old Parliament that there would be very little work for the new Parliament to do in its first session. Most people agreed that there shonld be very little new legislation and it wa3 thought the newly-elected Parliament might well confine its attention to the consideration of two questions only, viz, the question of our financial condition with a view to retrenchment in our public expenditure and the question of revising the tariff with a view to stimulating trade and commerce, developing our latent resources and enoouragiog our local industries, No doubt these two questions will now be fully considered by the new Parliament though at first there was a disposition on tho part of the Government to shirk the latter. A proper consideration of these two questions alone would see the Seßsion far a tvanced into the month of December, and if members want to eas their Christmaß dinners at home there will not be time to do much other business. Undoubtedly there is much other business to do and as we have no doubt that a fairly good Chriptmas dinner can be produced at Bellamy's we do not Bee why the business of the country should suffer becaus3 mprubers wish to return to their homes. We are not advocates of lengthy sessions as a rule, hut the present is an exceptional time in the history of tbe Colony, We are entering upon an era of professedly sound and economical administration, and it is the duty of members to see that our financial and administrative functions of government are put in thorough order. This can only be done by the full ooqeideration of tbe politics by woich all the public departments of the State are governed, and if this full consideration and examination is to. take place Parliament oannot get through its labour3 under three or four months of the date on which the Financial Statement is delivered. This is not a very cheerful prospect for anyone, we admit. But that must pass ; the work mast be done. Even already, sufficient has been made public in the Speech from the Throne, in notices of motion by members, and in the introduction of Bills to furnish a fairly lengthy programme. On Friday, or the Tuesday following, we may expect the Financial Statement embodying the proposals of tbe Government for retrenchment, &c. The debate on the Budget and its proposals will hardly bi over by the following Friday, if, indeed, a want of confidence debate doe3 not follow. If the present Ministry survive the declaration of their policy, it will be wall on towards the middle of next month before they can have cleared the way for the introduction of their policy bills, and, if in these should be included a Customs Duties Bill providing for a revision of the tariff, the question of Protection versus Freetrade will be raised, and a lengthy debate, probably again involving the existence of any Ministers that may be on tbe Treasury Benches, will ensue. Then the Speech from the Throne promised certain reforms in the administration of the land. If that promise is carried oat there will be leDgthy discuseions on the ordinary land laws (" ordinary " in contradistinction to the Native land laws which it is promised are to be amended, and this question will occupy some weeks of itself), and tbe various methods of settling the laud. The champions of the deferred payment sy3tem will wage war and argument against those favorable to the perpetual lease system, and the principles and administration of the homestead and village settlement systems will be thoroughly dissected. Mr Hobbs will want several days to himself to preach of corrupt administration in connection with the Auckland Village Settlements, and will again relate to the House the iniquities of Mr Ballance and that odious person London ! In connection with this question of the settlement of the land, several others, such, for instance, as resuming actively the 1870 immigration policy of Sir Julius Vogel, the nationalisation of reserves at present held as grants in aid for the purposes of a particular Church, and as endowments for the purposes of higher Education, must be introduced, and these subjects will require a few days each for settlement, Then there are very strong indications that we are Lo have another " Bible in Schools " debate, whilst the questions of defence (and scandals connected therewith), railway reform, the Midland railway, and tl>9 route of the North Trunk line, will all occupy considerable time. Postal matters will also require attention, and the debata of two years ago on the abolition of tiie San Francisco mail service will probably be repeated, for if the Government do not propose the abolition of the service at the termination of the present contract it is almost certain that Borne pure-minded patriot will do so, if only for the sake of a little " divarsiou " from the Auckland members. Then the goldfield members have oeveral little matters to talk about — and when Seddon and his brigade commences there is no telliDg when they will stop. They are bound to have it out with the Government tor abolishing the Mines Office as a separate department and they will again demand a reduction ia the duty on tbe export of gold. The Bankruptcy and Divorce Laws are eugaging the attention of Messrs Samuel aud Hutchison respectively — and lawyers both — whilst Sir G. Grey has his usual budget of reforming bills already on the Order Paper. The qursfcioo of rebuilding tb© Wellington

Poßt Office is likely to be warmly debated, and there is every chance of some spioy work in connection with the Westport Harbor and scandals therewith alleged. Of Harbor Bills there is the usual number,New Plymouth, Wanganni, Napier and Gisborne stilt being anxioos that the Colony should throw its money into the ooear for their amusement. Without rtferriog, therefore, to other local bills, private members bills, notices of motion, provable debates on the reports o f Committeeß eta, etc, we think our readers will agree witb na that from the indications as given above we may expect a lengthy and Stiring session.