PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6484, 29 August 1882, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monday. BUSINESS. The Government does not at present intend making a statement to the House as to the Bills to be proceeded with and those to be dropped, but Major Atkinson will inform the House' that the Government hopes to finish on Friday next or early the following week, and will get through as much work as possible by that time. DEFENCE OF THE COLONY. The four torpedo boats which have been telegraphed for by the Government should arrive in the colony ia three or four months. Colonel Scratchley recommends that the boats should be utilised for any general purposes that may present themselves. In any of the four ports where torpedo corps are not formed a number of the artillery corps will have to act as a torpedo corps. Nothing fresh has transpired with regard to the defences of the colony. NATIVE RESERVES BILL. The Government apprehends no difficulty in taking the Native Reserves Bill through the Legislative Council as the Bill is practically the same as that which passed the Council last session, but which wasd ropped in the House of Representatives for want of time. TE AK.OHA TOWNSHIP BILL. The Te Aroha Township Bill, which has passed the Legislative Council, was, on the motion of Mr. Rolleston, read a first time in the House to-day. The Bill is to be read a second time to-rnorrow. SPECIAL POWERS BILL. The Special Powers'and Contracts Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Rolleston, read a second time in the House to-day, and, as it deals mainly with land, was referred to the Waste Lands Committee. AUCKLAND PETITIONS. The following petitions were presented today :_By Sir Gsorge Grey, from Annie Fergusson, widow of the late Peter Fergusson, colour-sergeant, 58th Regiment, for a grant of land which her late husband should have received. By Mr. Whitaker, from James Bregem, of Raglan, for compensation for losses sustained by Maoris allowing trees to fall across and destroy his fence. By Mr. Mitchelson, from William Garrick, of Auckland, for assistance for injuries received during tho Maori war in 1863. By Mr. George, from James Morrison, of Kaiwaka, for compensation for land taken for a road. By Mr. Whitaker, from residents in Raglan district for connection with Hamilton by telegTaph.

REPORTS ON AUCKLAND PETITIONS. The Public Petitions Committee reports oh the petition of the Mayor and Councillors of Parnell in regard to alteration of clause 266 of the Municipal Corporations Act, that as the subject matter of the petition is now before Parliament, the committee did not consider it necessary to make any recommendation. The committee presents a similar report on the petition of Joseph Lowndes and others of Auckland. The committee reports as follows on the petition of Wm. Littlejohn and others, of Ohinemuri : "As local authorities have power under the Public Works Act to take land for a public road, the committee do not consider it necessary to make any special recommendation in this case." The Goldfields Committee reports on the petition of Robert Ray that it docs not see its way to recommend any interference. The committee takes the opportunity to say that in all cases of mining leases, the rent for -which is twelve months in arrear, immediate steps should be taken for cancellation. PETITION OF THOMAS BRAY. In the Legislative Council to-day a petition was presented of Thomas Bray, of Newton, Auckland, praying the Council to take steps to prevent Judge Gillies or Judge Richmond from adjudicating upon the case of Macfarlane v. Bray and others, and further for redress of his wrongs (Captain Fraser). THE VOLUNTEER FORCE. Mr. C. J. Johnston is to ask the Defence Minister when he will state the intention of the Government with regard to the volunteer force. DOCTOR FOR NATIVES. Major Te "Wheoro is to ask the Government whether they will appoint a permanent doctor for the natives in YVaikato district. THE STEAM SERVICE DISCUSSION.

"When the second resolution of the service proposed by Mr. Johnston in regard to postal and steam service was under consideration, Mr. Dargaville and Mr. Peacock proposed important amendments. The second resolution read thus: "That the San Francisco Mail Service now in operation should be extended for two or three years, if the cost of extension does not exceed the present cost to the colony." Mr. Peacock's amendment was to strike out the words "Two or three years," and insert the following, " For a period not exceeding fire years." Mr. Dargaville's amendment waf>, "That it was desirable that the San Francisco Mail Service should be continued by a trunk steam service for a period not exceeding five years." Mr. Dargaville, however, withdrew his amendment in favour of that of Mr. Peacock. The Government, 1 learn, were quite willing to ac-ept Mr. Peacock's amendment, but after speeches by Sir J. Hall, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Shephard, and others who supported tho proposals of the "Government as printed, the amendment was put and lost, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Dargaville, and Mr. Peacock cordially supported the amendment when resolution 3 namely, "That it is of importance that there should be a monthly passenger and mercantile steam service established between England and New Zealand by suitable steam vessels," was before the committee. Mr. Sheehan said that this and the following proposals meant to kill the San Francisco service. The colony had at present the shortest, and, he believed, on the whole tha best service of the kind afloat. Tho cost of this service had been decreasing year by year until now it had reached almost a nominal sum. He felt certaim that the present proposal would be one specially for the South Island. He was perfectly certain that the bulk of the trade would be done between Wellington and Port Chalmers,Mr. Macandrew : ("More shame to you.") (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Mr. Sheehan : More shame to us ! Yes, more shame to us, who come from that part of the colony to submit to that. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) The present proposal was to subsidise a certain trade, a most important one, he admitted, for a certain part of the colony. The San Francisco service had been in existence for a long time. Its cost was beiug rapidly reduced from year to year, and the trade, both passengers and goods, was increasing, and he tho House was acting unwisely in not giving the Government more direct instructions in regard to that contract. Mr. Johnston said he was sorry thrit the consideration of the question had been interfered.with by local jealousies. The. proposal now before the House was a service to connect New Zealand with Great Britain, and the San Francisco service went +,0 San -Francisco and. not to Great .Britain, Ta the judgment of the Government it was e onsiderad worth while to help a'service

with Great Britain rather than leave private enterprise to develop in this respect. The colony would have ample cargo and sufficient passengers for a monthly service with Great Britain. Sir John Hall, it may be explained, had previously advocated a bi-monthly or two-monthly service. Mr. Macandrew here rose to reply -to Mr* Sheehan. He said that Otago and Canterbury were contributing £3 to every £1 contributed by Auckland, and Auckland got the whole benefit of the San Francisco service. It was no benefit to the South, not the slightest. The boats did not come down the co£jt as originally, and yet in the face of all that the Southern members were to be miserably twitted with local prejndice. It was such narrow-mindedness to say that because Auckland could not get everything, the rest of the colony was to suffer. (Laughter.) The rest of the colony was carrying Auckland on its back. (Loud lau-hter.) He hoped the resolution would be tarried as it stood. Subsequently Mr. Macandrew. said that _ direct service with Ku"land would be more than all your polftics put together, or all your public works. (Hear, hear.) Auckland will benefit very largely. We shall have great numbers of people coming out to the Hot Springs. Mr. Macandrew warmly supported a fortnightly service. Mr. Sheehan a train pointed out that the colony had at present a good and efficient mail service, and it should be kept up. He hoped the Government would do all it could to keep up the San Francisco service. (Hear, hear.) He was sure a irajority of the House would support the Government ill paying a much larger gum for this service.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monday.

NOMINATED EMIGRATION. The resumption of nominated immigration seems to be very- popular, judging from the way in which nominations are pouring in. No fewer than 864 were sent Home by last week's mail. Of these, the largest number were from Canterbury, which sent 400; Wellington, 149 ; Invercargill, 97 ; Dunedin, 93 ; Auckland, 86 ; Hawke'a Bay, 35 ; Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland, 16. Of the total 864 nominations, 143 were for single men, 367 for single women, and 38i members of families. The passage money, which must be paid by those making the nomination is £5 for married men under 45 and for single men under 35, plus £1 for kit; married women under 45, single women under 35, and without children under 35, free, the only charge being £1 for Bhip's kit. As many as three children between the ages of 12 months and 12 years in the same family can be taken out free; 10s will be charged for outfit for each child.

DRAINAGE OF MINES BILL. The Goldfields Committee have recommended that thelDrainage of Mines Bill be allowed to proceed in its present form, and that the Government be recommended to facilitate the speedy passage of the Bill through the House. THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY. Tho following letter received by the Postmaster-General, from Mr. Coster, managing director of the New Zealand Shipping Company, under date Bth instant, has been presented to Parliament, to-night: —Sir, adverting to letters which I have already addressed to the Government on this subject (a direct steam service), I now do myself the honour to intimate that this company is prepared to enter into a contract with the Government to provide [a monthly service between London and the colony, and vice versa, for a • Bubsidy or £30,000 a year, being £2500 for each round voyage, the steamers (employed to be in all respects, suitable for the conduct of a passenger and carrying trade, with a seagoing speed of 11 knots an hour, and to be of not less tonnage 3500 tons gross builders' measurement. Such boats, it is contemplated, will make the voyage in 50 days. The duration of the contract to be five years, and during its continuance the immigrants introduced, into the colony by the Government to be conveyed by the steamers and sailing ships of this company's line, on rates to be mutually arranged. It will necessarily take same time to build the steamers needful for the service, but in the event of this offer being accepted we will forthwith cable to London to expedite contracts, and in the meantime, if prompt commencement of the service is desired, we will do our best to provide by charter or otherwise steamers as. suitable as can be obtained. —I have, &c,, J. L. Coster, Chairman and Managing Director, 1

LAST NIGHT'S BUSINESS. The Land Bill was set down first on to-day's order .paper, and was expccted to bs the battle-ground for another severe straggle, both on re-committal and on the third reading, but, contrary to anticipations, all went with surprising smoothness, and the Bill was read a third time and passed. It is not yet known what the Legislative Council will do with it, but the general impression is that it will get through by a narrow majority. After advancing some opposed Machinery Bills a stage, the House then settled down in earnest to the direct steam service resolutions moved by the Postmaster-General, which were _ earned successively on division by large majorities. RAILWAY RETURNS. An interesting return was laid on the table to-night, Bhowing the profits or losses, respectively, made by the various sections and branches of the South Island main trunk railway. From this return it appears that while the Christchurch section paid £7 193 Id net profit over and above working expenses, and the Dunedin section £6 lis 5d (the average o£ the whole 836 miles being £5 23 7d on £5,611,900 cost). None of the other sections reached 4 per cent., the Lawrence branches paid only 7s -sd, and the Oxford and Eyreton Branches but 9d. The Outam, Walton Park, and Tapanui branches made losses of 5d and 7d, 10s 2d and 10s 3d respectively. •