PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND. GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6485, 30 August 1882, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS AND. GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL COHBESFOKDBHT.]

Wellington, Tuesday. THE AMNESTY BILL.

• Mr. Buyce' introduced the Amnesty Bill this afternoon'.' The second reading of the Bill is to take place to-morrow. No doubt there wili-be an animated discussion on the Bill bnt the.Government will push the Bill - through both Houses before the prorogation. T'-lh) LATE ACCIDENT INSURANCE CASE. Mr. Tole to-day drew the attention of the Minister of Justice to the judicial decision in the prosecution for embeiizlement of a canvasser of the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company, named Wren, at Auckland, reported in the New Zealand Hebald of the Bth August, page 3, by which judgment it was held that no such prosecution would lie -against the accused because the money received by him was so. received outside of the particular district. allotted to him for such canvassing operations, and asked the Minister if he would take steps: to amend the Larceny Act, so as to protect the public from the recurrence of. such imposition. He said the point taken from the report of the newspaper was embodied in his question. Of course it would be. seen by the hon. gentleman and by the House, that if the law was such, and he believed the decision was a sound one, very serious impositions on the public might be made. He therefore wished to ask the Minister of Justice if he would take steps to amend the Larceny Act bo as to prevent ■ such imposition. Mr. Dick replied that- he had looked at the judicial decision in this case, but it did not seem ks if the judgment rested exactly on the grounds represented by the hon. gentleman. He thought that the decision'was in favour of accused, because he did not come under the designation of a servant properly speaking. If this question had arisen at an earlier period of the session, the Government would 'have been. inclined to attend to it, but it was almost too late .to alter the. law this session. PROGRESS OP MEASURES. The Borough of Hamilton Boundaries Bill was; on the motion of Mr. Dick, read a second time in the House to-day. In reply to Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Dick said the objection raised last year by one person had been overcome, and now all the persons to be included in the boundaries as defined in the Bill were agreeable to the Bill. ' On the motion of Mr. Rolleston, the Te Aroha Township Bill was read a second time. The Bill, the provisions of which ( have been published in- the Herald, will be committed on Friday. The Patents Act Amendment Bill (Mr. Tole) was read a second time iii the Legislative Council yesterday, and will be committed to-morrow. BONUS FOR QUICE.SILVER. : Mr. Hobbs asked the! Government to-day, "Whether they will offer a bonus of £500 for the first twenty tons of pure quicksilver produced in the colony ?" Mr. Dick replied that he had been looking into the matter, and could not yet find sufficient reason for giving such a bonus. He ■ would consider it further, and if he found it advisable he would do so, but he could not at present find sufficient reason for doint? so. SPECIAL TAXATION.

The House of Representatives met at noon to-day. Mr. .Conolly said ho was instructed by. the Taxing Land for Public Works Committee to ask for an extension of time till Friday next to bring up the report. Mr. Shrimski said this was just what he expected. The committee had been sitting a fortnight, and had now twice asked for extension of time. The Government, in taking up Mr. Hursthouse's motion, had done so- to prevent him (Mr. Shrimaki) from taking acti.on with the view of inserting a clause in the New Zealand Loan Bill. He objected to giving the committee a further extension of time, as the committee was nothing less than a sham. The Speaker called on Mr. Shrimski to withdraw the expression. Expression withdrawn accordingly; but Mr. Shrimski added that he felt h j had not been treated fairly by the Government ia this matter, and he could only protest against the extension of time. Mr. Moss would like to know from any member of committee if - the committee was really going to bring up a report. Mr. Barron hoped the Government would not bring down the Loan Bill until the report of the committee was read. Major Atkinson said the committee bad.an important work to.do, and would do it within the time tho House thought fit to give them. If the House thought fit to decline to grant an extension of time, and discharge the committee, it could do so. In that case the hon. member for Oamaru would no doubt bring a Bill to settle the whole difficulty. (Laughter.) The extension of time asked for , was then granted.

AUCKLAND PETITIONS. The Public Petitions Committee has referred the petition of D. H. McKenzie and ethers (shipowners, of Auckland), and the Raglan Rifle Club to the Government for consideration. BILLS ADVANCED. The Native Reserves Bill was read a second time in the Legislative Council to-day after a short debate. The Reserves in Mining Districts Bill and the Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes Bill were also read a second time. TIMBER LICENSES. In reply to Mr. J. W. Thomson to-day, Major Atkinson said the Government did not see its way to. make the fees from timber licenses county revenue. The forest rangers' salaries amounted to a very considerable sum, if not the total amount received from licensc fees. If there was any surplus arising from this source, it ought to go towards the planting o£ trees. FROM GRAVE TO GAY. The House is very thin to-night, a great many Of the members being absent at a ball given by His Excellency the Administrator of the Government, Sir James Prendergast. THE ONEHUNGA WHARFAGE RATES. Mr. Hamlin is to ask the Minister for Public Works, " Whether, when in answering a question put to him on the 2nd instant, asking that , the wharfage rates at Onehunga would be assimilated to those ia Auckland, he stated that he would endeavour to make the charges at Onehunga the same as those in force at other ports of the colony, he then referred to the wharf charges in Auckland, or only to those in the Southern ports of the colony ?" ORDER OF BUSINESS. Major Atkinson is to move that the Orders, of the Day shall take precedence on Thursday in the following order : —l, Unopposed private Bills ; 2, Orders of the Day in charge of private members, until half-past 5 o'clock; 3j Government orders to be called on at half-pßsfc 7 o'clock, and continued for the rest of the sitting. NOTICE OF QUESTIONS. Mr. Moss is. to ask the Colonial Treasurer if the Government intend, making provision for the inspection of seagoing and other sailing vessels employed in the New Zealand trade, which provision the Colonial Treasurer stated on 6tli July last, in reply to the hon.

j member "for Nelaop, that Ministers then had; • tinder consideration.- - " Air. Fergus is to ask the Minister of Mines whether he will caus'e a Bum of £500 each to I tie placed on the supplementary estimates for the first 250 tons of copper ore and sraelted antimony produced in the colony. . Mr, lurnbnll ib to ask the Minister for Public "Works, ii he will state" the day_on which he will give the House an opportunity of considering the contracts entered into between the Government . and the Kaihn "Valley, and Tauranga East Coast' and Hot Lakes District Railway Companies ? [BT TBLEGEAPa—OWS CORRESPONDENT.] ■WBiiiSGTOsr, Tuesday. SURVEY CADETS. , A return was presented to Parliament tonight showing the payments made in respect of cadetsliips in the Survey Department in the various provincial districts of the, colony during the three years ended 31st ult. The figures are as follows :—Surrey (shillings and pence omitted) : Auckland, £1713; Taranaki, £693; Hawke's Bay, £670; Wellington, £1707-; Nelson, £1315; Westland, £535 ; Canterbury, Otago, £1738 ; Southland, £731 : total, £10,908./ The following note is appended by the SurveyorGeneral:—"The above represents all the payments made and allowances for the three years. A cadet has to serve during that time for two years in the field. Hi 3 services arc chiefly chaining, calculating, and mapping. For one year he.' has to serve, in the office to learn drawing." The following are the figures for the Public Works Department under the same return :—Auckland, £467 ; Wellington, £804-; Taranaki, £269; Nelson, £16;- Otago, £403; Southland, £61 : total, 2022. . ANNUAL RE PORT OF THE SURVEYORGENERAL. The annual report of the Surveyor-General on the surveys-of -New Zealand was presented to Parliament to-night. Mr. AlcKerrow states that during the year 4400 square miles have been mapped, showing correctly the features.of the country, the altitude .of main points, and the leading lines of future main roads. Sectional surveys of lands for settlement also progressed well, and extensive areas were surveyed in anticipation of sale, while much of the surveys were cleared up. 320,000 acres were disposed of by sale, is:c., while 594,724 acres were surveyed, mapped, and recorded. The work of triangulation has proceeded satisfactorily, 1,107,994 acres being included in the map or , triangulation of the year, and 1,405,748 in the minor . triangulation. The progress of the trigonometrical survey is revealing several material errors in the nominal altitude of many of the principal points. Last year Mount Cook:was reported nearly 1000 feet lower the admiralty determination, and it is now found that Tongariro and Kaimana, in the North Island, are nearly 1000 feet higher than the altitude hitherto given. Under settlemant, surveys 534,209 acres of rural and suburban lands were laid off into 5444 sections; and 514 acres of tswn lands into 1025 sections. Of the native surveys, 34 blocks, comprising 43,926 acres, were surveyed for the Native Land Purchase Department ; and 93 blocks, equal to 148,459 acres, for investigation of title by the Native Land Court. Of pioneer roads, 349 miles have been under formation during the year, at a cost of £35,935. There are 83 staff surveyors at work in the field, and 2G cadets in training under them, also 26 surveyors, one temporary, making in all 109 parties at work. This force may have to be increased during the coming summer. Copious details, tables, maps, and subordinate reports are appended. MR. HOLMES AND THE CANTERBURY MEMBERS. I hear that the meeting of the Canterbury members, convened by Mr. Holmes to-day, to consider the railway tariff, and the route of the South Island Trunk railway, was a laughable fiasco. Only five members attended. Mr. Ivess was the only Opposition member who responded to Mr. Holmes's call. The five who attended were Messrs. Holmes, H. Thomson, Ivess, Pearson, and J. E. Brown, the last two opeuly declaring that they went to watch the proceedings, and to exercise some check on the vagaries of the convener. Mr. Holmes led off by moving that the Canterbury members should interview the Government as to the revision ef the railway tariff, but it was pointed out that a distinct promise was made by the Government, three months ago, that such revision would be made after the session. Mr. Holmes'motion was therefore negatived. Mr. Ivess talked very big about the "apathy" of the Canterbury members in not attending, but these had been forewarned of the real object of the meeting, and were not disposed to be made use of by Mr. Holmes to play his game for him. It was proposed that the members should wait on the Government to-morrow, aud urge the Ministers not to commit themselves to any route until the Commissioner had reported, but the absurdity and futility of this proposal was pointed out, and it fell through, the meeting then col-' lapsed, so the new would-be leader of the Opposition did not score a success on his first attempt. THE RHODES 'ESTATE. The Rhodes Estate Duty Bill provides that the executors of the late Hon. W. B. Rhodes may pay the assessed stamp duty of £18,405 on the estate bequeathed to Miss Rhodes, and valued at £272,796 ; also, the Government may recover such duty, notwithstanding the judgment of the Official Court, which has been substantially reversed by the Privy Council. BY TELUGKAW.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wednesday morning. RATES OF RAILWAY FREIGHT. On the motion for going into committee, Mr. J. Wilson moved, " That in the opinion of this Houße encouragement should be given to the local productions for export by a readjustment of the rates of railway freight; that it appears to this House that the freight on agricultural produce is too high, and that the railway tariff should be re-adjusted with a view to a substantial reduction before next grain season." At 1.30 a.m. the House was still discussing it. •