PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5634, 6 December 1879, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[from our special correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. Thb Hcusa sab late last night wliilo the Opposition attacked the Property Assessment Bill. Major Atkinson's speech was a cram of American legislation, and certainly contained nothing to recommend the bill to the House Mr. Ballaoce made a very able speech, which was a crushing criticism of Majr>r Atkinson's speech. The rest of the debate was rather dry, and the division was a thin one. Practically the same debate wa9 gone on with to-day, on the motion to go into committee on the bill. Probably the discussion will last all night. THE VACANT PORTFOLIO. A rumour is current that Mr. Swanaon is to have the vacant portfolio. TELEGRAMS.I>*QUIRY COMMITTEE. The following is the report which was brought up by the Elections Telegrams-In-quiry Committee yesterday:— 11 The Select Committee, to whom was referred the question whether the production of the telegrams presented to the House on the iofch November, alleged to be copioa of o?r----tiin telegrams concerning the late election was private, and to ascertain the total number of telegrams oil electioneering matters sent, or received, by Members of the late Goverinent, at the public cost, have tho honor to report, as follows :—That the c-«p:cs of telegrams referred to in the order of reference, were produced, with the exception of two, which were iucltided, by the mistake of a telegraph clerk, ami which have been separated from the other-', without having been examined by the committee ; that 16 others have been ascertained by the committee to have been eens originally as private telegrams, though for warded on to Ministers from place to ! place, without the knowledge of the sender, a-i Government fc~le£;rams, and the committee have had these also separate! from the rest without examining them ; that the number of electioneering telegrams sent at the public expense by the Ministers was 55, and to Ministers, 21—or, 76 in all. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The Public Works Statement is to be made on Monday, and every effbit will he made to bring the session to a close next week. THE ESTIMATES. Sir George Grey iutenls to to refer the Estimates to a select c:>mmittc* to reduce. RAILWAY PASSES. The following U the report of the recent sel* ct c -mmittee appointed to inquire int. ■ > the granting of free passes on Government railways, and report whether in tlivir opinion there should be any alteration, or whether free passes slionl 1 be abolished, and in lieu thereof time or other special tickets should be issue 1 at reduced rates. Having examined pa-ses supplied to the Railway Department and taken the evidcuce of the Commissioners for the Middle and iSorlli Islands, and fully considered the matter, the committee report as follows : — Fir-t, that in the opinion cf the committer free parses should be issued only to members of farliamcnt and officers of the Railway Department; second, tliaft officers of other departments should pay the usual fares, recovering the amounts paid by voucher when travelling on public business.