POLITICAL NEWS. (BY TELEGRAPH.) (FROM OUR OWN REPOTER.) Wellington, August 31. JOTTINGS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9300, 2 September 1898, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS. (BY TELEGRAPH .) (FROM OUR OWN REPOTER.) Wellington, August 31. JOTTINGS.

On Hio Waitaki-Blutf section "of fcho railway cortain oxtensions authorised sorao years ago liavo nob been completed, Livingstone was authorised in 1879, and L 81.992 has boon eponb on ib. and ie will tako L 25 000 to complete. ThoPal-morßton-Wftihpmn, which was authorised in 1879. L 32.927 Is spjnt and L3OOO moro is required to comploto it. It would tako L3.G4G 000 to comploto all tho railway linos already authorised. Mr J, T. Gwynne, for acting as return* ing officer and registrar for Waihemo, receives L 25 per aonam. Tho registrars iv Waitaki, Oatnaru and Tlmiru, bolng public officers, their duties aa registrar aro remunerated in thoir salaries. Betnd-s tho resolutions already tolegraphed the Pablic Accounts Committee farther recomraond, in connection with tho esbiblishmaubofa PaciGo cablo, that a conference of representatives of tho sovoral countries interested should bo hold in New Zealand at an early date. Memborsof tin Lofb Wing Invo boon fionb floral tributes from iho ladies' gallory, and thuro is a movement on foot to formally rec gniao Mr Thos. Taylors labors ln^conuettion wi- h tho Polico Commission. Tho Proraior has given notice that ho will move bo-morrow that aff-or Wednesday, tho 7th Septembor, Government businois shall luvo precedence for tho ronnlndor of tho session. This moana thab private members' daya will bo abollwlied. Mr Taylor ig moving for a return of tho names of all Hconseos found guilty of selling adulterated liquors and tho amount of Jinoa recovored. Unquestionably thoro waa a decldod waste of fciuio to-night on Mr M*Nab'd Testators Family Provision Oat of Estato Bill. Several mombors objected to tho Bill on tho ground thab a prodigal or a profligate eon of a relative might- apply to tho Court under Mr M'Nab's Bill for an order to distributo a portion of an eatabo and obtain ib altogether against] tha known Intention of tho testator whlla living. Others regarded ib as a paraioioas measure, ancallod for, and calculated to destroy tho privilogo of a testator to prevent honest mombors of his family bocoming a proy to tho vicious onea. Ib was a dangerous measure, offering a premium to idlenosa and thrlftlesanoas. Atter auppor tho boll hud to bo rung throo tlmoa boforo a quorum could bo brought together, and Mr Jack Hutchoson asked members to mako progress, oc bo kind to its promoter and kill tho bill. Ar midnight ib was clear members dia* played llttlo interest in Mr M'Nab's Bill, and from tho state of tho Government) bouchoa it was evident the moaiuro wa 1 ? bolng abandoned to its fato. Olnuso 3 wa» undor consideration at) half-pasb 12, when Mr R. M'Kenzio moved to report progress,- and Mr Guinness aaggoitod that it bo referred to tho Statuloa Revision Committee, adding thab it was impossible for tho measure to become law this session. Progress was roportod by 2i to 20 ab 12,45, and tho Houso wonb Into Commit* too on tho Restraint of Wagering Bill (Mr Goorgo Hutchison), Tho question boforo tho Committee was tho Promior'u proposal to abolish tho totalisator. Me Meredith at once moved to report pro-* grosM, and tho motion was carried by 28 to 14, and the Houso roso at 1.5.

Wem/INoton, September 1, A KEQUEbT. Mr M*Nab asked too Premier whether 1 the Government would introduce legislation to prevent the continuous removal from tho colony of raro and valo^blo specimens o\ native art or workmanship or unique objecta of sciontifio interest! peculiar to tho colony, tho roaulb of which removal ia to loavo tho colony unprovided or uob adequately providod with specimens. The rara avia referred to by Mr M'Nab was a takaho (nototnis Mantolli) recently discovered by Mr Roia and now the property of Dr Young. Tho member for Mataura suggested that tho Premier ofter a hundred guineas for the spocimeu. Tho Premior doplorod tho loss of such specimen to tho colony, bub if ho put an embargo on tho natives selling their art productions ho would bo howled down as a despot. Ib would bo wiso, ho thought, tor Parliament to glvo tho Qorernmonb a sum of money to bo spent in fho collection of raro specimensIt could be done iv tho supplementary estimate!?. Tho Promior is uob favorablo io tho establishment of a typewriters' bureau in connection with Parliament, for tho. convenience of mombers who havoJs^jSch correspondence. This was tho effiSfof hi* reply to his own whip (Mr Mills) this aftornoon, and tho Premier add«d thab Diombors haviug now to reply to thole correspondence themselves prorontod them talking to some oxteut, bub if they had their letters type-written for thorn tho result in tho HOUBO would be droadful to contemplate.

PKKJUKY. Mr Taylor askod, boiug called to order in speaking to tho question, whothor tho attention of tho Minister of Jaatico haa boen drawn to tho atatomonb by Mr Hawkins, Stipendiary Magistrate, in givlug judgmonb on tho 20ch July in cortam sly grog oaeos at Balclutha, when ho is alleged to have aaid that) " Witnesses for tho dofonco have boon lying, I havo nob tho slightest doubt," and whothor, audor tho circumstances of that cage, and in viovr of the opinion expressed by tho Commissioner of Police in hla annual report, thib perjury i<j frequently com-, mitted In defonco of liquor prosecutions, ho will instruct tho Ccowu Prosecutor to in«tituto preceding;? for porjury in tho case first raforrod to. Tho Hon. T. Thompson replied that tho Govornmont) had no information on tho oabject. Thoy had rcceirod no communication from either tho Magistral or tho Grown Prosocutor in Danodin, and nothing had corao officially before tho Minister of Jastlce.

.JOTTINOfi, The Premier told tho Hod. Mr Roller ton this aftornoon that any alterations necessary iv tho Lind and Incotno Tax Asßossmonb Act, 1891, had boon mado not by repeal of tho Acb of P^rlismoni, bat by Ordor-in-Couucil dated 17th Fobra* ary, 1898. Despite tho strong opposition od tho part of some Government members on tho Pablic Accounts CoramittQo to stiflo tho proposition for fcho examination of Auditor- General on tho poab oflico account, and tho trouble botweou tho audit and tho Mines Department-, tho Auditor-General Is to bo examined. Sir Maurice O'itorko is yob unablo to resume his duties aa Speaker. Tho Minister of Linda is also too nnwell to leave his private residence. Ho ia expected to bo ablo to roaumo his Parliamentary duties noxb week. In reply to Captain Ras-01l tho Pro^ mior said tint ho hoped to present tho report uf tho Royal Commission on tho polico not later than Tuesday next. Mr Tannor Ins glvou notico for a return of tho cost of all ltoyil CommHsiona during the past twenty-one yoarp. When replying to Mr Gllfeddor'a question whether tho Governmonc tronld introduce a Bill to arasnd tho Education Aot in tho direction of pl«cing in^poctora of schoola under tho control of tho Edac»a tionDopartmsnt ia Wellington, *ho Hon,

Me Hall-tfonoa flatd fchab tiio Government would, daring tho reooßs, coniidor the matter. A letter from tho Hon. H. J. Gladstone, acknowledging tho motion of con* dolonoe paeacd by both Houses of Parlia« moot in connection wilh tho doath of tho lato Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, was read this afternoon by tho DeputySpeaker, and directed to bo recorded on the journals of tho Honeo. The Upper llouee, ab tho eußßootion of the Minister of Education, adjourned this afternoon just ao the Munioipal Franohlso Bill was reached. The Govurnraenb would not, therefore, allow Its recommittal, lhn JTon Mr Iligg was absent. Mr Taylor Is given a weok'a oxtendod leave of abaonco. Tbo oomtnlttftl of tho Jurloa \ob Amendmonb Bill was postponed to allow members to peruse the opinions of tho Supremo Oourb on tho moasuro. Tho Bill was discharged from Iho order paper. The Government Advances to Sottlers Bill and tho Inebriates Institutions Bill wore read a second timo. In dioouasing the Advances to Settlors Bill the Hon. Mr Peaoook argued that the Government 1 had loab through tho operations of tho Act-, naraoly LIOD,OOO in flotation charges, and L 30,000 through being in too much of a harry to borrow. Tho Hon. Goorgo Jones epoko rather difuooly on tho general question, and delivered a diatribe against tho methods of coloninl capitalists and their dealings with the pooror olasties. The hon. gontleman has lately dovoloped a fltrango faculty for loquacity, and takes every opportunity of addressing tho Oounoil at greab length, so much so that many of hla follow councillors absonb themselves. Tho lion. Mr Jones; however, supports ovory Govornmenfi pro posil introduced into tho Council. For tho benefit of tho Waitaki and Waimato Acclimatisation Society tho Government will instruct tho posttnaotor ab Glenavy to telegraph tho condition of the river ab nino in tho morning instead of midday,