PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7693, 19 July 1886, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN correspondent.] Wellington, Saturday. LOBBY GOSSIP. The local papers, both morning and evening, fill their leading columns with opinions of the bitter debate of last night. They join in a common chorus of regret that such a discussion should have taken place ; because, in their opinion, the dignity of Parliament has been hurt by it. But their agreement goes no farther. The Poßt scornfully denounces the whole affair as "slingwhanging." The other two papers, which are under the shadow of a menaced action for libel, do not expend much intellectual fervour on the proceedings one way or another. The Press is the more outspoken of the two local journals. It asks whether the Colonial Treasurer means to institute a State prosecution against two Wellington papers ; and, if so, he ought to say bo." It is regarded as a misfortune for all parties concerned that the course of events should have been such as to prevent a public decision being taken in Parliament upon the conduct of those whose behaviour has been impugned. The Premier's resolution is regarded as having provoked rather than allayed the irritation which has caused so copious an interchange of censure between political purists on the one side, and " indifferents " on the other. The story is current here that the resolution brought down by the Premier was the result of a compromise between himself and Mr. Samuel, the member for New Plymouth. It certainly does not reflect any credit for sagaoity upon either of these learned persons, because it was seen from the first that it opened to Sir George Grey the very position he wanted, and suggested to him the opportunity of gathering the censure of the House upon the parties implicated. There could not be upon such an issue a rest verdict. Both sides might pelt each other with oratorical mud; the mud would stick, but there could be no acquittal of the persons who had been condemned unheard, The Premier may, by this time, think that the safer course would have been to allow the discussion on suoh a subject to originate and exhaust itself in the ordinary way. His admirers here think that his stepping into the rescue of his colleague, before that colleague was formally arraigned, was an error of tactics. His resolution was the less satisfactory beoause it virtually conceded the general principle upon which the Select Committee acted, viz., " That it is an improper thing for a member of Parliament to act as an agent between the Government and an outside party where the Government is buyer or seller." The factß appear to many people here to bear a different interpretation. They believe that as Major Steward was getting nothing from the Government the improper relation which the committee censures bad not arisen. If the matter should be regarded as being wholly between Major Steward and the two district railway companies, many think there is a great deal of force in Major Steward's declaration, " That he could not conceive why a member of Parliament should be obliged, during the recess, to sacrifice his own private business," He was agent on commission for these companies, and no one could say that he did not deserve his commission, if the transaction had been between his clients and any financial institution. The supporters of the Government assert that the juxtaposition of Sir Julius Vogel and Major Steward, the former as Colonial Treasurer, and buyer of what the latter had to sell, and the latter as agent for the vendor, wae brought about accidentally. It certainly is a very extraordinary thing that neither Sir Julius nor Major Steward said that each one stood in a fiduciary relation to the general publio, as well as to their colleagues and clients. The shortsightedness of Sir Julius Vogel is the more extraordinary, considering his long experience of public life. The whole thing could have been done without provoking a word of comment if Major Steward had seen fit to resign. He would have been returned for his electorate "hands down," as the saying is, for he had rendered his constituents the greatest service. It is really wonderful that two politicians like these should not have suggested to each other "to grasp the nettle safely." As the matter now stands all sorts of persons are covered with the imputation of foul play. The Treasurer last night did not mince his words ; neither did his opponents. The feeling here is that be had much more reason to cover his position with strong invective than they had, while they returned what they got with interest. Everybody seems to allow that the most damaging speech was that of the member for St. Albans. I think the position this gentleman is making for himself in Parliament will soon draw very marked attention from the whole colony. The summary of the whole business is that a great deal of injury has been done to some of the foremost Parliamentary reputations by the tactics of the past week, and the fruits of last night's debate will be gathered at the next elections by those who preserve such flowers of rhetoric with a malicious intent, RATING EXEMPTIONS. The Rating Act Amendment Act contains the following provision :— " All lands and buildings used for a public school, and all lands and buildings used for any school which is not carried on exclusively for pecuniary gain or profit, shall be exempted." OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION BILL. Mr. Vincent Pyke'a Bill provides for the construction and extension of this line by a company or syndicate. The Governor may withdraw the necessary land which is to be security, from public sale; he may sign contracts; he may, under proper advice, contract for various purposes, and control and restrict the powers of the company, if requisite,