POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. BY TELEGRAPH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, June 25.

North Otago Times, Issue 7176, 26 June 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. BY TELEGRAPH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, June 25.

Very strong; sympathy is shown by the House with the idea of re-opening the whole question of old soldiers claims, and settling it once and for all. One of them (Lieut. Colonel Stapp) is already recommended by the Public Petitions Committee for a lump sum of L 750 in recognition of his services. In discussing the matter this afternoon a general chorus of approval of a proper acknowledgment of the claims was raised, and there reas^ot a dissenting voice. The PreqJ^PFepeated his promise to refer the question to a committee, and undertook to bring in a Bill dealing w ith all the claims already recognised by last year's committee or by the Waste Lands Commissioners. Any other claimants ought, he said, to petition the House again. A warm feeling has been aroused by a little collision which took place last night between Mr Scobie Mackenzie and the Minister for Educatiou, the latter haviug interpreted some re -narks upon the connection of the Reeves family with land speculations as a reflection upon his late father. Mr Reeves is an exceedingly rensitive man, and feels the matter keenly, and he talks of bringing it up again in the House, though Mr Mackenzie h\s frankly acknowledged he meant no reflection upon the deceased Councillor, but only referred to what he understood was the speculation of a family syndicate. An impression is gaining ground thab the Government are prepared to vary their financi'il proposals in the direction of decreasing the amount of exemptions upon land improvements by imposing a lighter income tax on trade and commerce, and I have authority to say there is reason for it. The intention is to exempt improvements more and more as the condition cf finances will permit. The taxation Bills are as yet being kept back, but these alterations will be made in them when they do appear. The object of the Indecent Advertisements Bill, which Mr Downie Stewart is introducing in the Legislative Council, is to prohibit writing or exhibiting in any public place obscene or indecent matter, or publishing improper advertisements. The Premier has received the following ttlagram, signed by Mr Vincent Pyke on behalf of the Dunedin Chamber of Com merce : " The public hero are shocked at the selfishness and rapacity of the Manufacturers' Association, in re the income tax. The financial proposals are approved of generally. An all round income tax, irrespective of the scource whence it is derived, is most favorablyjregarded." Mr Joyce's Licensing Act Amendment Bill simply provides for a direct veto power on the part of ratepayers to prohibit, through the ballot box, the issue of any hotel licenses. The regulations in regard to the quarantining of imported dogs are at present very stringent, and Mr Perceval intends to move in the House that the Live Stock Committee shall propose such reasonable modifications as they may deem expedient. The increase of postal notes from LI to Lo is provided for in the Hou, Mr Ward's Post Office Act Amendment Bill. The Cromwell portion of Mr Fergus 1 constituency have telegraphed that they consider the proposed tax of Is in the £ on commercial income excessive and unfair in its incidence as compared with professional and salaried men. They urge the hon. gentleman to strenuously oppose it, and to bring all available influence to bear to prevent it becoming law. The Hon. Captain Fraser is to be accorded a military funeral on Saturday, Four Otago representative gentlemen from each branch of the Legislature will act as pall bearers. When the Legislative Council Reform Bill is under consideration in Committee by the Upper House strenuous eflorta will be made to extend the term of appointment from seven to 10 years, and to give the Council power to elect their own Speaker. The Colonial Secretary anticipates that both proposals will be defeated. The papers in the Edwards' case have boen forwarded by the Crown Solicitor to the New Zealard agents at Home (Mackrel and Co.), and it is expected that they will reach the Privy Council within a couple of months. Ministers have no intention of asking Parliament to vote Mr Edwards any salary till the case is finally decided, as they are still of opinion that the appointment was unconstitutional and that no necessity existed for an additional Judge, In connection with this matter, Mr Palmer-Jackson intends to enquire whether Mr Justice Richmond —a brother-in-law of Sir Harry Atkinson — who was granted, a year's leave of absence, did not sit in judgment on the Edwards case, though only nine months of his leave had expired. The whole matter of the Edwards case is sure to be ventilated on the floor of the House when this question is put. The unpleo-sinl incident which marred Wednesday nights debate was rehabilitated this afternoon by thb Minister for J\iuca,tion, who demanded to know what it war Mr Scobie Mackenzie had really referred to vu the previous night. Mr Macki'ii/ic said he regretted, as much for Mr Reeves' sike as for any other reason, the position into which he was being forced His informant (a most reliable poison) had mentioned to him certain laud transactions understood to have been made by a Christchurch syndic cate, and Mr Reeves' father happened to be a member of it That was no concent of his (the speaker's) whatever. Mr Reeves denounced the landowners of- the c-jloiiy— i.ot alone those who bought for speculative purposes, but even occupicis — as " social pests," and he practically admitted th it his late father was an occupier of land, thus including him among the social pests. Ho understood that the syndicate to which he hid referred to bo a ! syndicate practically of a certain family. I At this stage Mr Ree\es wished to move the udjournment of the House, but as it i wis proposed to lise on account of Capt. * Fra->er's doath, he desisted on the understanding that he should have an opportunity of returning to the subject. It was feared that at 7.30 there would be a bitter scene, and there was a suppressed buzz of excitement about the lobbies during the rest of the afternoon ; but, fortunately wiser counsels prevailed, and the matter was hushed up before the Speaker resumed the chair. Accordingly f at the evening sitting Mr Reeves said he had no wish to add a needless word, and all he wanted to do was to make it clear that he had never had any personal connection with any syndicate formed for the acquisition of Crown lands for any purpose whatever. Mr Mackenzie ad' mitted that the hon. gentleman had nq personal connection with the syndicate in question, aud he regretted that the course of the debate should have assumed a character that had been painful to the hon. gentleman. Amid the applause of their mutual friends the incident thus closed. The financial debate still seems far from coming to an end, and there is every liklihood it will extend far into next week. Messrs Duthie and M'Guiro and Captain Kuasell were to-night's speakers,