WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7562, 15 February 1886, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

(BY telegraph.—OWN correspondent. ) Wellington, Saturday. MINISTERIAL CLOSE SEASON.

There is a complete collapse here of everything in the shape of political news. All the Ministers, with the exception of the Colonial Secretary, are still absent from Wellington. Nobody knows anything, and nobody has heard anything, as to the possibility of the recess or the rapidlyapproaching session of Parliament. It appears to be the "close season" of politics. ! THE WELLINGTON EXHIBITION. The local papers, with one exception, express their indignation that no explanation should haw been given as to unreturned exhibits to their owners. The Times says : " The good name of Wellington, and of the local committeo, demand that tho scandal shall be probed to the bottom." The charge against the management of the exhibition originated with the Timaru Herald, which, in allusion to a syllabus of a lecture by Mr. Callis, purporting to treat of " Exhibitions " from the time of Ahasuerus to the present day, said that from the days of Ahasuerus to the present time there never was an exhibition mo badly managed by a committee as that of Wellington. The Press of this evening has the following on the subject:—We have authority for stating, in reference to the complaints made against the executive committee of the late Industrial Exhibition, and which have formed the subject of very acrimonious leading articles in certain newspapers recently, that the whole business will be found to be a veritable "storm in a tea pot," and that the missing goods referred to, will be on inquiry narrowed down to a small case of braokets, and a case of photo frames, with a photo attached, the exhibit of a lady, whose better half fills an editorial position on the journal which has initiated an utterly unfounded attack on the exhibition officials." LIABILITY OF THE POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKS. A'man named Nicholson sued the Department for £14, being tho balance which he alleged stood to his credit, and which the department refused to pay. His depositbook was either "stolen or lost," but it was presented by another person, to whom tho balance was paid. The 34th regulation was relied on for the defence. This regulation states that if any person shall obtain by any ' means any moneys belonging to any depositor the postmaster shall not be held responsible for the amount. The case was heard in the magistrate's private room, and the Post is indignant that a case so important to the public should be heard with closed doors. The magistrate (Mr. Wardell) reserved his judgment. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. Political people appear to be speculating upon the assembling of Parliament at a very early date. I have heard it said that it will probably meet in May, and that there will be an immediate motion of " no confidence," to be followed by a dissolution if the result should be adverse to the Government. But I can find no evidence upon which such speculation can be based. CARDINAL MOKAN. The Roman Catholic community here are making great preparations for giving this distinguished personage a suitable reception. There are a good many people who think that the Cardinal, and Bishop Moran of Dunedin, are one and the same person, but this is a mistake. The Cardinal is really one of the men of his time, about whose claim to distinction there can be no mistake. CROAKING. There are three South Australian Statesmen in the colony just now who have succeeded in retrenching the expenditure of South Australia to the extent of £120,000. Speaking of the alleged depression in the colony, one of these gentlemen is reported to have said:— People in South Australia, although they have not too much confidence in each other, have more than you in New Zealand, if we may bo pardoned for saying so. Referring to New Zealand, all the people seem to be singing the same wretched old song of depression. One cannot go into a barber's or tobacconist's shop, or a tramcar, or converse with a soul, without hearing this. It seems a very unwise thing if the case is so. It is bad enough to know you are badly off without publishing it. THE TOTALISATOR.

The Post, in a leader apropos of the decision of the K.M. in a recent case, descants upon the use and abuse of the totalisator as follows :—" We do not desire to raise any question as to the correctness or otherwise of Mr. Wardell'B reading of the Act, or to refer in any way to the merits ot the par* ticular case. It would be improper to do so. Our sole object is to point out what must be the inevitable result if the interpretation is correct. We have on previous occasions alluded to the abuses which have grown up in connection with the use of the totalisator, and the too great facility with which licenses for its use are obtainable. The restrictions and precautions with which the Legislature surrounded the issue of licenses are, it is well known, violated and evaded both in the letter and in the spirit, and the instrument is constantly used under colour of the Colonial Secretary's license for purposes entirely foreign to those for the encouragement of which its use was legalised. It is used as an instrument wherewith money may "be made by individuals for their private benefit, instead of for the encouragement of racing under the management of a properlyauthorised racing club. This was certainly never intended. For a long time past the feeling has been steadily growing up amongst genuine supporters of racing as a sport, that the effects of legalising the totalisator have been contrary to those expected and desired —that in fact it has proved injurious instead of beneficial to the real interest of racing."