POLITICAL NEWS AND I GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9115, 25 July 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND I GOSSIP.

[by telegraph.

CORRESPONDENT. ]

Wellington, Tuesday. HON. JAS. WILLIAMSON'S ESTATE. It was thought that the Estimates would have fully occupied Mr. Goldie's attention, but he seems to have been keeping an eye on the Survey Department as well, judging from the following question he tabled today. Whether he has found a soft spot or not remains to be seen, but he asks the Minister of Lands upon whose authority the estate of the late Hon. J. Williamson, at Rukuhia, near Hamilton, Waikato, was re-surveyed by the Survey Department, with a view to its being brought under the Lands Transfer Act free of cost to the applicant; what has been the cost of such survey; and for what reason, if any, has this special privilege been granted ? HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BILL. The Premier intimated to-day that the Government would, during the recess, formulate a measure for dealing with the question of Hospital and Charitable Aid. fie knew there was a great deal of discontent both in town and country, and it would be the duty of the Government to try and remove it. It was scarcely possible to wholly eliminate discontent, but they might be able to minimise it. AFFAIRS OF LOCAL BODIES. The question has been repeatedly asked by Mr. Cadman as to when the balancesheets of local bodies will be furnished to the House. To-day he again put it, and the Premier replied that he hoped to be able to lay them upon the table of the House -within a few days. The audit question was in an unsatisfactory state, aud it was intended next session to bring in some measures relating thereto. This session it might be necessary to bring in a temporary maasure to make the audit more effective. VILLAGE SETTLEMENT. As the village settlement system is at the present time the subject of newspaper controversy, the following questions will help to elucidate the facts about the movement. Mr. Peacock has given notice to ask the Minister of Lands : (1) Whether he is satisfied with the working of the village homestead settlement scheme, and hopeful of its ultimate success ; (2) does he intend to take any special steps with a view to facilitate further settlement on the land, either on similar lines or any modification of them ; (3) has any communication been received recently from the Corps of Commissionaires in England with regard to lands for pensioner settlements in New Zealand? Mr. R. Thompson asks the Minister of Lands if he will cause to be printed and published in detail the total amount expended in connection with the village settlements north of Auckland ? INTERCOLONIAL FREETRADE. The Government is being asked by Mr. Joyce whether they intend to follow the action of the Victorian which invited its legislators on the 4th instant to discuss a series of resolutions, having for their object the trade, commerce, arid general advancement of the Australian colonies, and the establishment of a uniform Customs tariff between such colonies. AUCKLAND NORTH RAILWAY. Mr. R. Thompson is still keeping this important enterprise well in view, and he asks the Native Minister if he will, during the recess, endeavour to arrange with the natives in the north of Auckland for the •acquisition of blocks of land on each side of the proposed line of railway between Maungatapere and Lake Omapere. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS BILL. This Amendment Bill has passed the Legislative Council, and will shortly be considered by the Lower Chamber. It was introduced by the Hon. Mr. Stevens, and the general impression was that it only provided for some technical amendments in the working of the Act, but it has been discovered to be not quite •■ so innocent as it looks by some lynx-eyed members, who are looking after the interests of local bodies. It is contended that under the peculiar phraseology of the sub-section of clause 2, it will be competent for the Government to throw the cost of a class of children committed under a certain section of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, the amended Act of 1886, on to local bodies; whereas they have under such committal been hitherto a charge on the Government. HAMILTON VOLUNTEER HALL. The Hamilton Volunteer Hall Site Act, 1878, Amendment Bill was reported to-day by the Local Bills Committee, and recommended that it be allowed to proceed.

NATIVE LAND BILL.

■ Mr. Cadman has given notice of the following important new clause, which he will move in committee in the Native Land Bill in the interest of the mining population. All lands which from the date of the passing of this Act may hereafter become alienated from the natives in any existing mining district, or in any district which may hereafter be proclaimed a mining district, shall be liable to be resumed for mining purposes by Her Majesty, on paying full compensation to the licensees, lessee, or owner of the fee simple thereof for the value, other than auriferous or argentiferous, of the lands and improvements so resumed, upon the terms and conditions provided in the Mining Act, 1886, or any amendments thereto. NATIVE BILLS COMMITTEE. The Maori Real Estate Management Bill, and the Native Lands Frauds Prevention .Act, 1881, Amendment Bill, were reported by the committee to-day, with amendments in the case of the former, in which by clause eight powers of sale are preserved by trustees. The clause was struck out. With regard to the latter measure, an amendment was introduced providing that every trust commissioner shall hold a court open to the public for the purpose of investigating cases which may be brought before him. RETURNS. A return to the order of Mr. Cadman was laid upon the table of the House to-day, showing various blocks of native land in the counties of Ohinemuri, Thames, and Coromandel, upon which restrictions are placed, preventing the owners disposing of them other than by leases. A return of incurable patients in the hospitals of the colony shows that there are 130 in all, of whom 14 are in Auckland. Five of these are awaiting removal to the Refuge, one at Coromandel, and one at the Thames. The largest number are at Greymouth, namely, 19. PETITIONS. By Mr. Monk, from E. Browne, of Woodville, Kaipara, praying for compensation for land taken for railway purposes ; by Mr. Hobbs, from residents of Omapere, Hokianga Heads, praying for a sum to be placed on the Estimates for a wharf at Omapere. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM BILL. Inquiries are being made about this Bill, which has not yet seen the light. It is contended that it should be in"the hands of members before dealing with the Estimates. THE OPPOSITION. The Opposition have determined to await the bringing down of the Public Works Statement before developing any further attacks upon the Government. It is expected that anything in the way of attack will simply be a mere matter of skirmishing:, as at this stage of the session it is unlikely any further movement of a serious character will be attempted.

THE POINT RESOLUTION BUSINESS.

I understand the Government are having a Bill drawn up, providing for the reinstatement of the native trust at Point Resolution.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

The Midland Railway contract seems to form the subject of endless disputes, and endless claims. A Cabinet meeting has been held to consider some of the points at present in dispute. The company want mutual running rights conceded before they will sign the contract. That means that, though they have not constructed a mile of railway between Christchurch and Hokitika, they would be at liberty to import railway plant, and run on any Government line between Wellington and the Bluff. The Government have decided that) no such concession shall be granted

till the contract is signed, when, as already provided, an agreement will be drawn up, giving mutual running rights on fair terms ; but no vague concession in this direction will be made unless in the proper form of an agreement. A cablegram was forwarded to-day by the Government, stating that they absolutely declined to consent to the demands made, and that the Parliament were getting impatient at* the delay and if the contract was not shortly entered into, the whole proceedings would probably be determined. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. I understand that as the result of the Cabinet meeting on the Public Works Statement the vote for the Otago Central has been further increased. INSPECTOR-GENERAL tOF HOSPI- * , TALS. The terms of the engagement and the salary of this officer are made the subject of a question in the House. PROSPECTING ON NATIVE LANDS. The Government are being asked whether they will take steps to prevent persons from prospecting on native lands without first obtaining proper authority. HOME FOR AGED MINERS. ~' Colonel Fraser asks the Minister of Lands and Mines whether he will at an early date reserve a block of land as a grant for a home for the aged miners of Coromandel and the Thames, as was done for those on the West Coast on the sth of March, 1887 ? MR. WITHY'S AMENDMENT. The preliminary business of the House was soon settled to-day, and then Supply was set up. The debate on Mr. Withy's amendment was resumed, some half-dozen members having to give their reasons through Hansard for their vote. None of these speakers fairly faced the problem of bringing tha colony's expenditure within the colony's income, but 1 talked to the gallery. A division being challenged, the amendment was rejected by 59 to 10, the retrenchment party, as previously arranged, going into the lobby with the Opposition against their own amendment, and thus effectually blocked Mr. Beetham's amendment from coming on. Not one Auckland member was among those who voted for the amendment. The Speaker named Messrs. Withy and Monk as tellers, at which there was some merriment, but they stated they were going into the lobby with the ayes. The naming of Mr. Goldie was followed by a like reply and fresh laughter. At this Mr. Seddon rose to a point of order as to whether the hon. member for Newton could go into the lobby against his own amendment. The Speaker said "Yes, in case he was convinced by the arguments given," which led to great merriment. THE ESTIMATES. .j' ' On going into the Estimates, a long discussion ensued on the class 8, education vote, £2025, head office. Mr. R. Thompson, supported by Mr. Goldie, endeavoured to reduce the Inspector-General's salary by £100, but they were hopelessly beaten. Dr. Hodgkinson's motion for a reduction by £50 met the same fate. After several hours dig(cussion, which must have cost the country £50, the vote passed as it stood. This was a very fair start on the way of retrenchment. As one member remarked very truly, no one but a new member would ever dream of .reducing the Estimates, and when the new members were longer in the House they would give up all such notions, and drop into the. time-honoured grooves. On the item of Assistant Native School Inspector, there was another long discussion as to the state of native schools, and the .desirability of transferring them to the control of the Education Boards. The consensus of opinion was in favour of the transfer. Colonel Fraser said that when a man was not fit to servo in the Constabulary, and the Government wanted to shunt him, they said, " Oh, give him a native school." Mr. Ormond and Major Jackson also spoke strongly as to the nonefficiency of the native schools. The Minister of Education promised to give the representations made due consideration. On the vote for public schools, Mr. Ormond moved a reduction of the vote involving the raising of the school age to six, and this led to a renewed debate over a question which had been threshed out during the debate on the famous three resolutions moved by Mr. Ormond in the earlier part of the session. The feature of the discussion was the interchange of some personal amenities between the Minister of Education and Mr. Seddon, and another was that while the Minister of Education (with the consent of the Government) voted in his capacity as a private member for raising the age to six years, the Government opposed it, and on a division the proposal to raise the school age was decisively rejected, and the result of the vote was received with cheers. THE LATEST. It is rumoured that the Speaker (Sir Maurice O'Rorke) will bring down his legislative estimates to-morrow, and that they are on the basis of last year's esti- ' mates, and not on the reduced scale as proposed by the Government this year. There are likely to be some curious developments in connection with this matter, and some constitutional points of great importance discussed. In connection with this matter, I may say that it is an open secret that the Stout-Vogel Government had, but for the general election and their ejection from office, intended to take up precisely the same position as that assumed by the Atkinson Ministry.