PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7160, 28 October 1884, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[BY TELEGI'ArH. — SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.'! Wellington, Tuesday. THE MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. SirG. Grey moved the adjournment of the House to-day, for the purpose of bringing under the consideration of the House the statement made by the Premier on Friday night. It was with feelings of painfnl regret that he heard such a statement made. I The impression on his mind was that it really threatened the freedom of debate in the ETouee. It was moreover totally uncalled for. He did not think Parliament should allow it to be said that they might not take any line of action they might think j proper. He hoped the Government would make such an explanation as would render further proceedings unnecessary. After several members had spoken, Mr. Rollestcn strongly condemned the action of the Government in the matter of the District Railways Leasing and Purchasing Bill. He said the country would look on the Council with approval as having stood between the people and an act of plunder. Mr. Thomson said the explanation of the Government had made what was obscure obscurer. Sir G. Grey, in reply, made a strong protest against the proposals in the Railways Leasing Bill, PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS. Private members will have little opportunity now of advancing or passing any more of their Bills this session. Mr. Stout moved to-day that Government business take precedence ou Thursdays He said he did not know tbat it was necessary that any of the private Bills on the order paper Bhould pass this session. Sir G. Grey thought it was necessary that Bill .No. I on the paper for Friday, the Juries Abolition Bill, should be passed. It was an important measure. Mr. Stout asked Sir G. Grey to allow the matter to stand over, and he would see if they could not devote part of Friday afternoon to private business. He did not wish to stop private business. ' WAHATsUI. Sir G. Grey presented a petition tc-Oay from Meiha Kepa and other natives, praying that Wahanui may be heard at the bar of the House in reference to proposed legislation affecting the natives.

CITY ELECTORATES. Mr. Stont introduced to-day a Bill to unite certain city electorates. The Bill wa3 read a first time, and vras set down for second reading on Friday next. THE SOUTH SEA BILL. The New Zealand International South Sea Island Trading Company Bill was set down for second reading to-day, but was put off till to-morrow. RAILWAY EMPLOYES. Sir G. Grey has given notice that tomorrow he will ask the Minister for Public Works : (1) Did the employe of the locomotive branch, Auckland section of railways, receive their back pay ; if so, upon what date, in accordance with ihe circular of the Superintending Engineer, F. B.Passmore, Is'o. 6-74, ISth September, 1574 ? (2) liid the terms of such circular include cfficials with the traffic department at Auckland, and whether these jmblic servants were singularly treated ; vhtther the Minister for Public Works wiil take the matter of these traffic raiSwav employes into consideration, aud authorise their being d«aH with iu the same nunutr as those employed in the locomotive dev n tment ?

TELEGRAPH EMPLOYES. Sir (J-. Grey is alsn to ask the Postma'.terGeiieral if the iulu iu the telegraph department is that 110 claim for overtime is entertained unless the claimant has worked one hour and a halt in exctss of tight hours ? A GRANI) BALL. The members of both Houses give a grand ball on Monday next. A very large number of invitations are to i;e issued, each subscribing member hnving the privilege of inviting several friends. Dancing is to take place in the spacious corridor of the buildings, and supper will be served up at Bellamy's. The coat is to be covered by subscriptions by the members. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWX CORRESPONDENT.] SCHOOL COMMITTEES. The Public Petitions-Committee, reporting upon the School Committees Election Act. state that having carefully considered the question at issue, they are unanimously of opinion that the Education Act, 1577, should remain intact. , LUNATICS. An interesting return and memorandum from Dr. Grabham, Itispeclor. of Lunatic -Asylums, has been presented to Parliament. It shows that there are at present confined in the lunatie asylums of the colony 144 male and 105 female patients who are considered harmleas, and who might be allowed out in the care of their friends. There are also 14 male and " female patients who from their financial position should be inmates of a private asylum. Dr. Grabham's memo, was as follows :—"The accompanying return shows the number of lunatics who might be safely entrusted to the care of relative?, hut it is necessary to add that maDy of them are not known to have any relatives at all, while otl ers have relatives who are totally unfit or unable to tske charge of lunatics, buwever harmless. As to the number of patients who from their financial position should be inmates of a private asylum, the return herewith can only be regarded as a very doubtful and approximate one. It ia with the greatest difficulty that the circumstances of lunatics are ascertained by this department, a work which might be materially facilitated, as I have previously argued, by the magistrates who commit the patients to the asylums. The figures given in the return are simply those of patients who pay £1 per week or upwards, and it is obvious that no private asylum would take them at that price. Whether I they could in some instances pa 3' a higher sum I have no means of ascertaining, but the Public Trustee, in answer to my enquiries, informed me that he holds only two estates for lunatics which could afford £10 ) a-year to be Bpent upon the owners. It iB I very important to add that the only private asylum in this colony is not adapted for dangerous lunatics, nor are its proprietors willing to undertake the charge of them. A number of the inmates of the public asylumß who pay the higher sum for maintenance belong most decidedly to this class, and therefore could not be sent to a private asylum in the colony."