POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9067, 30 May 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. Wellington, Tuesday. PRIVATE SCHOOLS BILL.

In accordance with the request of several members, who yesterday attended Mr. Pyke's meeting re the Catholic Schools Bill, that hon. member to-day gave notice to introduce a Private Schools Bill.

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

A return to the order of Mr. T. Thompson shows the grand total expenditure to the 31st of March to bo £478,000 ; liabilities on that date £75,904.

PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE.

1 Sir George Grey is the only Auckland member on this committee, to which all petitions from the retrenched in the Civil service should appeal. To-day Mr. Seddon intimated that Sir George would declino to serve on it, as objecting to its composition. THE EDUCATION ACT. Mr. Moat presented a petition to-day from William C. Gearon and 28 others, which complains that clause 60 of the Education Act is liable to abuse, and has enabled a few householders so to subdivide original school districts as to inflict most serious injury upon their neigh bours, by removing schools from where they were much required and placing them where they were not required, to the injury of schools previously established, while the siac and shape of certain now districts formed under clause GO is a matter of public scandal. It prays that other machinery may be provided. The above is a sequel to the famous West Mauku school case, which exercised the Auckland Board of Education for years, and created so much ill feeling in tho district. MR. BADDELEY, R.M. Mr. McGregor to-day moved for a return of all the sentences pronounced by the Acting Resident Magistrate, Mr. Baddeley, of Auckland ; also the names of the prisoners, their sentences, and offences. GUM LICENSES AND COUNTY REVENUE. Mr. Hobbs has interviewed the Minister of Lands in reference to this matter, and he now asks the Government whether they will hand over to the County Councils the fees obtainable from dumdiggers for licenses to dig. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS. Nothing daunted by the refusal of the Government to take any action under the Act of ISBS, Mr. Goldie is now moving with the object of having the quarter of a million of acres of Crown lands set apart as endowments for the purposes of tho Act. ROTORUA ARREARS OF LEASE RENTS. Further steps are being taken by Sydney Taiwhanga to elicit the facts in this matter. He moves, " That a return be laid before this House in continuation of tho return to an order of the Legislative Council No. 9 of ISS'2—first, of any leases granted since ISS2 in the township of Rotorua ; second, the amount of rent received from each lessee, and the amount of arrears (if any) owing by each lessee; third, the amount paid to the native owners, and how and in what manner that same has been paid, and copies of the discharges for the same, and if any apportionment has been made amongst the various hapus, the particulars of such apportionment, and how the same was arrived at." AUCKLAND HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT ACT. On behalf of Mr. Peacock, Mr. Monk today asked for leave to introduce the Auckland Harbour Improvement Act. LOCAL VERSUS IMPORTED COAL. With a view of illustrating this point, Mr. Monk is moving for a return of the tenders sent in to supply coal for the current year to the Railway Department at the various depots throughout the colony, also stating those that were accepted. THE GUM FIELDS. The member for Marsden (Mr. R. Thompson) is moving to ascertain whether the Minister of Lands will have any objection to open small areas of agricultural land for free selection in the neighbourhood of gumfields. PETITIONS. Mr. Lawry presented a petition from 470 beekeepers from all parts of the colony, praying for some legislation calculated to suppress contagious diseases existing among bees; also, from F. Laurie, praying for compensation for lands taken from his late father at Kawhia ; by Mr. Monk, from the Waitemata County Council, to amend the Public Works Act so as to simplify the transfer of lands for road purposes to public bodies ; by Sir George Grey, from Messrs. Maxwell, re claim to land; from certain settlers at Te Aroha, praying for a reduction of the assessment on their deferred payment lands ; by Mr. Cadman, from agricultural leaseholders in Ohinemuri, praying relief ; from Thomas Millett, of Tararu, for grant of land; by Mr. Hobbs, from special settlers at Takahue, praying that they may be permitted to change the tenure of their lands ; from settlers of Waimamaku, praying employment on roads ; from the Mangonui County Council, prayingthat the Council may issue licenses to gum'diggers ; by the Hon. E. Mitchelson, from Wi Piahama, Tauranga, re claim to 1 land ; by Major Jackson, from William McGregor Hay, of Hamilton, re claim to 1 land as an ensign in Major Jackson's Forest 1 Rangers ; from Waikato settlers re rabbit ' districts; by Mr. J. B. Why to, from ( George Thompson, re custody of his chil- ' dren, who were placed in the' Industrial School; by Mr. Goldie, from George Hardy, ' late head attendant of the Auckland

Asylum, praying for relief; from Warepe Noterene Taipari, of Shortland, reclaim to land.

PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Petitions Committee reported in the case of Henry George Barb, of Auckland, who prayed for compensation for detention in the Lunatic Asylum, that this committee, after hearing the evidence of Captain Hume and Dr. MacGregor, is of opinion that the petitioner has no claim against the colony. In the case of Simon Eraser, of Auckland, who claimed a reward for the discovery of the Taieri goldfield, the committee report that the petitioner failed to establish a claim to any further reward. In the case of John Fenligan, of Auckland, late of the Government armoury, praying for a pension, the committee reported that he had no further claim against the colony. WASTE LANDS BOARDS. A return laid on the table to-day of the honorarium and travelling expenses of members of Waste Lands Boards for the past financial year showed for the Auckland district : W. P. Moat, honorarium £22, travel- | ling expenses £33 12s; R. J. S. Pearce, honorarium £21, expenses £82 19s; James Baber, honorarium £21, expenses £21. THE FISHERIES BILL. The Hon. G. Fisher's Fisheries Bill is now circulated. It consolidates and amends the existing laws relating to fisheries. Its most important feature is the definition "That for the purposes of the Bill tho term ' oysters' means and includes all kinds of oysters of any description, and all edible shell fish that may be from time to timo declared to bo oysters for the purposes of the Act. COLONIAL MILITIA. The Hon. Sir G. Whitmoro has given notice of his intention to move, "That in view of tho critical condition of foreign affairs the colonial militia should be enrolled at once." THE PENSIONS BILL. The Pensions Bill, introduced by Mr. Downio Stewart, prevents persons whoso homes are in New Zealand from drawing more than half the amount of their pensions while absent from the colony, but entitles them to leave of absence, without deduction, for one year out of every five. Authority is given to the Governor-in-Council to extend the leave of absence on account of ill-health without the payment of the pension being affected.

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. . Throughout the day, though great uncertainty prevailed as to whether the Financial Statement would be delivered or not, there was a great run on tickets for the different galleries. It was not till five o'clock this evening that the last finishing touches were given to .the Statement, ana

that it was definitely announced it would really be delivered at eight o'clock in the evening. At that hour the various galleries were crowded. The occupants of the ladies' gallery were in greater force than at any sitting of the session, and the " lords " were also in full strength in their gallery. There was a full attendance of members, who were early in their places, and there was a general air of anxious expectancy pervading the House, and as the boom of eight o'clock approached, punctual to the minute the Premier entered the House, and on rising to doliver his Financial Statement was received with hearty cheers. From the outset he secured the earnest attention of the House. The Premier's reference to the persistontly hostile criticism to which the colony was subjected elicited sympathetic " Hear, hear's," while the statement that there had been a reduced expenditure of borrowed money on public works during the year was greeted with applause. The proposal to limit the numbor of civil servants and prevent any increase in the Civil Service without the direct consent of Parliament, and to abolish the Public Works and Native Departments, elicited signs of hearty approval from all sides of the House. The first symptom of dissent was elicited when the Treasurer proposed to increase the duty on tea by twopence per pound, but the murmurs of dissent died away in applause when he stated that sugar would be left untouched. This again changed to shouts of laughter when he stated practically that the sugar duty was kept as a stand-by when at some future time in unforeseen circumstances, it might be necessary suddenly to raise increased revenue. His reference to a saving of £25,000 a year which could be easily effected by raising the school ago, a sum which was now spent in providing nursery accommodation, was warmly approved, as also the announced determination to enter into no more contracts at present on the North Island Trunk Railway. The proposal to raise a temporary duty of one per cent, on all poods dutiable and free for two years, to pay off a given deficit, was met with tokens of assent and dissent. The Treasurer, on concluding his Statement, which occupied a little over an hour in delivery, was again greeted with cheers. The reading of the lines in the revised tariff was listened to with great interest. Hon. members stuck at cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, seven shillings per lb, but were mollified and a ripple of laughter passed over the House when it was stated that the duty on " soft soap," "gaspipes," and "chaff" was increased. The increased duties on clothing, machinery, &c., were strongly commented on. So hurried has been the preparation of the Financial Statement that printed copies will not bo in the hands of members till to-morrow. The papers showing the grouping of duties and how the totals aro arrived at will not be in the hands of members till Thursday. The Government have not got the Estimates down yet, but they will be brought down in a day or two. The protectionists are jubilant on the revised tariff.