PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7650, 29 May 1886, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Wellington, Friday* CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. The Premier gave notice of his intention to introduce a Bill for reform of the Civil Service. The following are the principal features of the Bill:—With the exception of professional men and experts specially engaged, every person enteriag the Civil Service after the passing of the Act must entor as a cadet at £40 per annum, and no cadet will be appointed who shall not have paßsed the Junior Civil Service examination. No officer will be promoted to an office of more than £100 a-year, unless he shall have passed the Senior Civil Service examination. It ia intended in time to abolish the Civil Service Examination Board. The examinations will then be entrusted to the Education Department. The object of this is to assimilate the Civil Service examinations as closely as possible to the University examinations. Every person shall be appointed a cadet upon the nomination, of a momber of the House of Representatives only.and eaoh member is in turn to haveauominator. Amemberwho nominates a cadet will have no other opportunity of doing so until all other members shall have exercised a similar right. The service will be recruited from every electoral district in New Zealand. There will, therefore, be no chance of filling the service as a reward for political support, or for the mere pleasure of dispensing patronage. The sum of 5 per cent, io to be deducted from all salaries, and invested for the benefit of Civil servants, at compouud interest. This will do away with pensions, gratuities, grants, and allowances on account of death or retirement. The service will, as far as possible, be classified, and tho salaries fixed. They will not, therefore, be subjected to ' arbitrary alteration by Parliament. A Board ia to be constituted which shall every three years inquire into and report to Parliament as to fluctuations in tbe cost of living in various parts of the colony. If the cost of living has increased in particular places tho Board will report the fact, and the salaries may be increased in proportion, and vice verm. It is said that such a scheme will prevent future wrangling over salaries. The whole Civil Service will bo based upon a systematic ascertainment of the conditions favourable to the most efficient work at fair and satisfactory remuneration of a permanent charaoter. Such is a general outline of this Bill. The Government estimate a saving upon the operation ot nuch a measure equal to between £30,000 and £40,000. PACIFIC ISLANDS COMMITTEE. Mr. Macandrew brought up this afternoon the interim report of thie committee, which was read as follows :—" That it is desirable that an arrangement should be concluded between England, France, Germany, aud the United States, neither to ocoupy nor annex any ieland or isles in the Western Pacific Ocean. If possible, the recognition of this convention by other Powers should be obtained. Following the analogy of the mixed commission for the suppression of the elavo trade, which sat for so many years at Capetown, such a mixed commission for the Pacific might be created, consisting of the commissioners appointed by the coutracting Powers, the said commissioners having all the powers conferred by Imperial Act 3S and 39, Vic. IST.") c 51, on the High Commieiioner for the Pacific, whilst the united Governments would exercise over the Pacific tbe powers which are by the same Act conferred upon Her Majesty-in-Council. After discussion, the motion was carried, Sir G. Grey, Major Atkinson, Messrs. Rolleston, Montgomery, Stewart. Bnetham, and Moss voting for it; and Sir J. Vogel, Sir R. Stout, and Mr. O'Connor against it. I was informed by a member that the Government very strongly opposed this interim report in committee. They said the effect would be to deprive New Zealand of the beneficial interests sho has in the prospective development of the island for an indefinite poriod. The report is » most important one, and creates a new phase ia the future of the Pacific Islands. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. There were two rumours in circulation today. One waa that another Judge of the Supreme Court was to be appointed, the other that the District Courts were to be abolished. The first rumour is now denied upon "authority." The second is a misapprehension. The jurisdiction of Resident Magistrate's Courts is to be greatly enlarged and extended, power being given to certain magistrates, by delegation from the Government, to deal even with bankruptcy business. It has long been felt that Resident Magistrate's Courts (on the civil side) and District Courts are a redundance. The experiment of consolidation will show which should be permanent. It is extremely probable that District Courts will have to go, but in time —and the time is not yet. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. I understand the Public Worke Statement will not be mado till about the 10th or 12th prox. A good deal of ucceeoary data has not yet reached the department. DECREASE IN THE NATIVE RACE. Mr. Ballance laid a paper on the table this afternoon, showing the decrease of tho nativo race since ISSI. Tho number in the North Island in 1888 was :39,287 ; in the Middle Island, 2045. The number of nativee iu the North Island in ISSI was 41,912 ; in the Middle leland, 2061. Total for ISBG, 41,132 ; I total for 18S1, 43/J77 : total decrease, 2641. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. The following letter has been received from the Agent-General in respect to this undertaking, formerly the East and West Coast Railway. It is chiefly valuable as indicating tho points requiring to be dealt with in the enabling Bill. The Agent-General says inter <i!in ; —" The nature of the legal difficulty in the way ia doubtless familiar to you, but for the purposes of record I desired Messrs, Mackrell (who had advised that there waa no power to make any variations in the contract) to explain it in a concise way, which they have done. I may summarise the points as follows : 1. The power to the Government to enter into a contract having only extended to the first day of the then session, any fresh contract or modification of the existing contract can only be made after legislation. 2. The concession as to selection of land, being a variation not of the contract, but of an Act, cannot be made without authority of Parliament. 3. The Government being entitled to parohase tho lino at a price to be fixed by arbitration any stipulation affecting the basis of the price (suoh as interest during construction) can only be made effectual by a new Act. 4, Any agreement as to running powers being now determinate on either side by one year's notice, no permanent arrangement can be made without legislation. 5. Although time for expending the £150,000 may bo extended, this can only be dono by the Governor himself, who cannot delegate his power. In addition to these points, you will boo that Messrs. Mackrell cannot advise the Government to consent to any assignment without the assignees coming under direct liability to the Government, and they recommend a supplementary contract being made in the colony after the company havebeen registered and domciled there, so as to make it a ' New Zaa. land contract.' These points all involve a great deal of consideration, and may, perhaps, put an end to the negotiations ; but, to far as I havo been given to understand, the company would be satisfied with the promise of the Government to introduce the necessary amending Bill, as they feel confidence in its ratification by the Legislature." It is evident that the difficulties pointed out by the Agent-General have been overcome according to later intelligence. COUNTIES BILL. This Bill, which the Premier has announced his intention to introduce, ie a consolidation of the present law relating to counties. The Public Health Act is to be incorporated with it. Provision is made for the alteration of ridings. Acting chairmen are to have the powors of chairmen. Power is given to construct drains for* preventing the flooding of lowlands. There is an entirely new clause for the purpose of levying general rates for counties by districts therein, and the expenditure of such rates in euoh districts, less a fixed contribution towards the general expenses and liabilities of the county. There is aho a clause requiring that separate accounts shall be kept of the county expenditure within road and town districts.