LOBBY GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8072, 13 October 1887, Page 4

LOBBY GOSSIP.

WHAT MEMBERS ARE SAYING

PARLIAMENTARY CHIT-CHAT.

PREPARING FOR ACTION.

PRIVATE BILLS.

INTERROGATING MINISTERS,

THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS. WANTED TO KNOW. [BY TELEGRAPH special CORESPONDENT.) Wellington, Wednesday. THEIR IDEA. Ait informal gathering of members opposed to a lengthy adjournment has taken place. Their idea is that, instead, the House should Bit on private members' days, and get through with the mass of private legij. lation hung up from last session, as well as that awaiting despatch. This would only require the attendance of one Minister, and would be preferable to a general dispersal of members to their homes which seems likely, to take plaoe. The conference was a friendly one, the opinion of the members of the Government party being asked, and it was suggested the Premier should be sounded to see if he was favourable to the proposal. There is little doubt that Major Atkinson will reject the proposal for many obvious reason*. Some of his followers say that finance and retrenchment are the burning questions, that the session will be well spent if it settles these matters, and that local and private legislation must go by the board. It is said that some of the members will spend the adjournment in seeing some of the Wellington special settlements, others in visiting Wanganuiand Taranaki, and others the Middle Island, Some Of the Otago members contemplate going home.

PRIVATE SECRETARIES. Some surprise has been expressed among the Radical reformers at the appointment of a batch of private secretaries to Ministers, They were under the impression that these officers we re to be abolished under the retrenchment scheme.

DEFICIENCY BILLS. Some of the new members were startled when the Premier announced at the close of the sitting of the House that it would be necessary to issue some deficienoy bills, as nearly half a million would be due for interest in a few days, and it was feared the revenue of the month would not be to hand to complete the amount.

MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

It iB intended to ask the Government whether they intend having a New Zealand Court, or will make arrangements for forwarding exhibits ?

NATIVE LAND ADMINISTRATION. Mr. Taipua gave notice to-day of a bill to repeal the Native Land Administration Act, It will be seen from the vic«-rega! speech that the Government intend moving in this direction.

THERMAL SPRINGS ACT.

Aporo Tipitipi, of Rotorua, is at present in Wellington with a petition for the repeal of the Thermal Springs Act. or at least for releasing native lands locked op by proclamation, and Mr. Kelly (T&uranga) has several petitions to present bearing on the same matter from natives.

RAILWAY EMPLOYEES. The railway employees are again objects of solicitude to members. Mr. Bruce wants a Saturday half-holiday to the surface men, and Mr. Moss has asked for a copy of any order or notice given, warning them not to submit their grievances to members of Parliament. Mr. Hobbs intends to ask the Minister of Public Works why Boards of Appeal have not been established in Wellington and Auckland as in Christchnrch and Dunedin, while Mr. Cowan enquires what is the amount of the fines on railway employees, and proposes that the fund ba utilised in assisting those incapacitated by s.ccidenta. Evidently railway employees re worth looking after.

COMMITTEES OF INQUIRY. Motions have been tabled by Mr. Wilson for a committee to inquire and report upon the petitions relating to the railway system, and another committee to inquire into the general working of the education system.

THE ROAR FOR RETRENCHMENT.

A return has been called for as to the coat of the Vice« Regal salute to-day.

THE YELLOW AGONY.

Mr. Ballance intends to bring in a Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill, giving corporations power to impose business license fees up to £100 on Chinese doing business within their boundaries.

PUKEKOHE.

A Pukekohe Borough Bill is to be introduced by Mr. Hamlin. Sir G. Grey presents a petition from James Bell for a section of land in Pukekohe.

FIRING OP FELLED BUSH.

It will interest Northern settlers to know that Mr. Marchant has given notice of a Bil» to legalise the firing of felled bush. GISBORNE HIGH SCHOOL AND HARBOUR ACI

AMSNDMKST.

Mr. Graham intends to bring in Amendment Bills respecting the above Acts,

THE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

Lieutenant-Colonel Thos. McDonnell u petitioning to be put on an equal footing with other recipients of the Cross.

THE KERMADEC AND CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

Sir G. Grey will ask the Government if they will take into consideration the possibility of having depots of provisions placed on Macquarie and Campbell Islands, and of having these islands visited onoe in every year by the vessel which visits the Auckland Islands, and will the Government at the same time consider if similar arrangements can be made with regard to the three small Kermadec Islands which are adjacent to Sunday Island.

THE NORTHERN SPECIAL SETTLEMENTS, Mr. Hobbs is moving again in this matter, and wants copies of correspondence and tele* grama not laid on the table of the House last session. Mr. R. Thompson 'has tabled > lengthy motion on the same subject, " That there be laid before this House a detailed statement showing the items of expenditure since the date of the return laid before the House last session in connection with the formation of special settlements within the provincial district of Auckland, giving the names of public officers and others who have certified to the correctness of the several items under the following headings: (1) Cost of survey, specifying the locality, and whether oonducted by the departmental officers; (2) Amount paid for houses, clearing, and fencing of lands respectively; (3) remuneration and travelling expense* paid to stewards of village settlements, with the names of the rooipitints, and specifying any payments made to or claimed by Mr. John Lundon; (4) miscellaneous expenses, specifying charges for advertising, provisions, freight, passage, public meetings, and other expenditure not included under the foregoing headings ; that there be laid before the House copies of all correspondence between the Whangarei County Council and the Minister of Lands in reference to the opening of a block of land in the Hukerenul survey district, for settlement ; also copies of all correspondence be' tween the Minister of Lands and the Waits Lands Department in Auckland in reference to the same.

GOLDFIELDS AND MINES COMMITTEE.

The Hon. G. F. Richardson is to move tomorrow, " That the Standing Orders be suspended, in order that a Ooldfielas and Mines Committee, consisting of fourteen members, may be formed, the committee to consist of Messrs. Larnach, Cadtn&n, Duncan, Fraser, Grimmond, Guinness, Major Atkinson, Messrs. M. J. McKenzie, o'Conor, Vincent Pyke, Reeves, Seddon, Valentine, and the mover." THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. In the Legislative Council there is generally little interest taken in the leading questions in the early part of the. session, but already the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse has given notice to ask the Hon. the AttorneyGeneral if the agreement for the construction of the East and West Coast Railway in the Middle Island has been duly signed ; and if not, under what circumstances and under what understanding certain , works in con* aeotioa therewith hive been commenced <