POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9129, 10 August 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[by telegraph.—special correspondent.] Wellington, Thursday. MINISTERS' MOVEMENTS.

As soon as the session is over, the Minister for Lands intends to visit the East Coast and the Northern special village settlements. He will devote some time to a thorough inspection of them, and ascertain for himself, on the ground, thepracticalworking of the system. The Hon. Mr. Fergus, Minister of Justice, is one of the New Zealand Commissioners at the Victorian Exhibition, and proposes to visit Melbourne next month. He in company with his partner have been carrying out some heavy railway contracts in Victoria. WARDEN'S COURT AT PAEROA. Mr. Cadman has been endeavouring to get a Warden's Court held at Paeroa. Some difficulty has been made by the Justice Department as to lack of accommodation, but I understand the County Council have now placed their Council chamber at the disposal of the Warden, in order to his holding a Court there, so that probably the official objections will now be overcome. WORKING RAILWAYS. A return was laid on the table of the House to-day of an instructive character. It gives information about the lines dealt with by the Railway Commissioners in their report of the '24th July, 1880, showing the lines recommended to be proceeded with at once ; the length of lines, by whom built, whether the lines pay working expenses, and the number of trains each way. Of those built by the Government on such recommendation the Opawa to Blenheim, Tinwald to Mount Somers, Oxford to Sheffield, Windsor, towards Livingstone, and the Edendale towards Toitoi.s lines don't pay working expenses, the trains ranging from one daily to two weekly. The Waimate Branch Extension, and Dun-troon-Hakatarainea, built under the District Railways Act, have respectively two trains weekly, and one train daily. As regards these two railways also, the verdict is the same : " They do not pay expends." AUCKLAND HARBOUR BILL. This Bill passed its third reading tonight, in the Legislative Council, and will now come down to the Lower Chamber with its amendments to be agreed to. Mr. Peacock believes there will be no difficulty in gutting the House to agree to the amendments. NATIVE CHIEFS AND THE NATIVE BILLS. About 50 chiefs met the Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court. Mr. J. E. Macdonald, and Mr. Lewis, the Undcr-Sec-retary of the Native Department, this morning, Captain Mair interpreting. The Native Land Bill, the Native Land Court Bill, the Native Land Fraud Prevention Bill, and Maori Real Estate Management Bill, were read over, and carefully explained clause by clause by the Chief .Judge and Mr. Lewis, it was then seen that most of the opposition raised by the natives to these matters was caused by p. total misapprehension of the real facts, and owing to the ignorance of the bearing of the direct clauses, most of which, it was pointed out, were for the benefit of the Maoris themselves. The explanations given created a very favourable impression, many of the natives thanking the Chief Judge and Mr. Lewis for the clear explanations afforded to them. THE NATIVE POLICY BILLS. The Native Minister laid upon the table of the House to-day a copy of a Bill forwarded to him as representing the wishes of the natives on native land legislation. Its provisions provide fo ,- giving the native committees the powers of the Native Lands Courts, the restitution of land to Maoris destitute through confiscation, and also to Tawhiao ; the vesting of lands given by the Maoris for school and public purposes on the ground of a breach of trust. \\ hen the Native Policy Bills came on to-day for dismission, Sydney Taiwhanga carried out his threat of stonewalling them. He started about three o'clock in Maori, and at last drifted into reading a pamphlet written by Mr. Mackay. The writer alluded to the unpatriotic conduct of the members, and the way they had frittered away millions on useless public works. The Chairman of Committees, on his attention being called to these statements, said he could not have such reflections made upon Parliament by outsiders, and they must not be repeated. Sydney then moved to report progress, but being blocked in wandering into the Treaty of Waitangi, he subsequently moved that the chairman do leave the "what do you call it," an hon. member interjected the "chair." Then Sydney started on the pamphlet. Sometimes he read it in Maori and sometimes in English, occasionally the interpreter (Captain Mail) interpreted, when Sydney sat down. Mr. Samuel then got at him on a point of order, and he had to stand tip while Captain Mair interpreted. Various members rose to points of order at different times, and the House bell was occasionally rung when attention was called to the state of the House, but Sydney held on bravely. At- four o'clock he intimated that he had nearly finished the pamphlet, and a ray of hope and a feeling of relief gladdened the hearts of members, but this was dashed down when near live o'clock he started on a brand new pamphlet of thirty-two pages. There was nothing for it but for members to clear out into the lobbies or Bellamy's, for the Chairman, in reply to Mr. Marchu-nt, who rose to a point of order and wished to know whether members could read a whole pamphlet in the House, .said he was sorry to say tin; forms of the House permitted it on a motion to leave the chair. The Chairman then appealed to tho hon. member for the Northern Maori Electorate if he had not sufficiently vindicated his reputation as a stonewaller, and would bring the pamphlet business to a conclusion. Sydney declined to accept tho suggestion, and went on to the stipper adjournment. Mr. Fish said last night there was too much of the confounded native question, and was requested by the Speaker to withdraw the words, but it is suspected that Sir Maurice O'Rorke would have slept upon this ruling if he could have foreseen that two pamphlets were to be inflicted on the House, and that Sydney was likely to develop into a double barrelled stonewaller. Sydney at the time of closing was still in possession of the lloor, and he intimated that he would speak while he had breath in his body, and after that Taipua would take up the fight. He expressed a hope that members would not be angry with him as he was only doing what some of them had done on the Otago Central the other day. Several members tried to jam him with points of order, but failed, and he expressed himself as good for several hours. Sir G. Grey, earlier in the evening, intimated that he had several amendments yet to make, which he would submit in due time ; and I understand that of the Auckland members Mr. Moss sympathises with Sydney, who, during tho evening, made a passionate reply to the action taken by Mr. Scobie Mackeuzie and Mr. Tanner. At the supper adjournment the galleries were cleared. Some of the members are so exasperated at the stonewalling that they threaten to attempt to get the taxing clauses reinstated, a.s that concession had apparently failed in its object. The arrangements for the stonewallers arc : Major Steward to relieve Major Hamlin from midnight till S in the morning ; Mr. Seymour relieves at 8, and Major Hamlin again relieves Mr. Seymour at 1.30 p.m. to-morrow, unless the stonewall is broken down before that time.

THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENT SCHEME.

I understand that Sir G. Grey and Mr. John Lundon will give evidence to-morrow before the Public Petitions Committee in relation to the Village Settlement scheme. Mr. Lundon has had a long interview with the Minister of Lands on the same subject. It seems there are some funds yefc available for such purposes, and there will be a Cabinet meeting to-morrow concerning the Village Settlements question. Mr. Lundon informs me with reference to the payment of the little bill of £51 charged for conveying three special settlers and their effects from Ahipara to Takahue, that he has not certified to the payment. Mr. Tola, the exCrown Lands Commissioner, also declined to certify to it, and if this eightean-months-old account is now paid, it is paid without his knowledge, and in spite of his protest. FAIR RENT BILL. It would appear that the Crown tenants who most require relief ab the present

moment, are likely even yet to have their case dealt with this session, aa to-day Mr. Valentine asked the Government whether, in view of the fate of the Fair Rent Bill the Government will introduce this session fresh legislation for the amelioration of the condition of Government settlers throughout the colony ? I understand that the Minister of Lands is favourable, and I that to disarm the opposition shown to the more comprehensive measure thrown out in the Legislative Council, it will consist of one clause, and deal solely with the tenants of the Crown. The object principally in view is the relief of the pastoral tenants and the deferred payment settlers. CARGO RETURNS OF THE MAIL LINES. A return was laid upon the table of the House to-day, showing the quantity of cargo carried to and from iiew Zealand by the San Francisco mail steamers, as well as by the Direct Mail steamers, for the twelve months ended 31st December, ISS7. The San Francisco Service (Union Company's) steamers' cargo was—inwards, 13.35 tons ; and outwards, 5G9 tons. The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers cargo amounted to, inwards 10,687 tons by weight, and 16,336 tons by measurement; and outwards 16,853 tons. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co.'s steamers cargo Wits, inwards 23,101 tons and outwards 21,400 tons. TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY ORES. Messrs. Peacock, Allen, and Cadman have had an interview with the Minister of Mines in reference to Professor Brown's letter, but the matter is still being hung up pending further communibation with the Professor. One of the deputation, who is an expert metallurgist, disagrees with the classification of the ores mentioned by Professor Brown, and especially with the treatment of tellurites. There is no prospect of getting a vote in aid of the testing plant attached to the Thames School of .Mines. Mr. Peacock moved in that direction, but fruitlessly, and the only way in which assistance is likely to be given is by the bonus system. LOCAL BODIES. Mr. Monk has moved for a return giving a statement of all the local bodies in the colony acting under the authority of Parliament, giving their several designations, with the total amount expended for any purpose by each body for the year ending 31st March, 1888; showing separately the amount raked by local taxation, by subsidies, and by advances or loans to local bodies. THE REVENUE. Some time ago I telegraphed that the revenue under the new tariff was coming in to the satisfaction of the Colonial Treasurer. Of course a falling off was expected at first, owing to the speculative clearances which had been made at the Customs in anticipation of increased duties, but in the present month the spring shipments of soft goods are coming in, and will make a material difference in the revenue. It may be stated that the revenue for the first quarter of the financial your has exceeded the Treasurer's estimates by £2724, PETITIONS. By Mr. Whyte, from the County Council and residents of Waikato, relative to an alleged illegal deduction of money as contribution to the Auckland North and United Charitable Aid Board; by Mr. Lawry, from residents at Tamaki, against i the Contagious Diseases Act; from T. B. Hannaford, relative to his patent beacon light, MR. maxwell. The member for Waihemo, failing in his motion the other evening for dispensing with the services of the General Manager of Railways, now puts a question which is father to the thought—namely, to a..°k the Minister for Public Works if it is true that the General Manager of Railways has tendered his resignation to the Government ; and, if so, does the Government intend to accept the same ? I am informed that the bitterness shown to Mr. Maxwell by some of the Southern members arises from the fact that, in the interest of the colon}', he has set his face against differential grain rates in favour of the farmers of Canterbury and Otago. SAVINGS BANK DEPOSITS. Enquiries are being made by Mr. Verrall as to why the Government refuse to take deposits in the Savings Bank from persons who have accounts at other banks, and why the Government limit savings bank deposits to £100.

LABOUR SETTLEMENTS. Major Steward informs me that the land scheme in connection with these settle-

ments, which he propounds, is simply an enlargement of the English doctrine of " three acres and a cow," only in this case the suggestion is that the land should be acquired by the Government in districts where work is available, and should these be cither let to labourers, or sold to them on easy terms in allotments of from five to ten acres. The main idea is that the workmen should be able to live on the land during the winter when employment is scarce. MORE J.P.S. I understand that the Minister of Justice entertains the belief that a law-maker should be well qualified to be a law administrator, and therefore contemplates placing on the roll the whole of the members of Parliament by virtue of their position ; at all events it is said a circular will be sent to the members not on the Commission, and those of them who are agreeable to tho acceptance of the honor will be placed on the roll. FAIR RENT. The borough of Auckland is, I am informed, to be proclaimed and gazetted as a district within which the provisions of the Public Bodies Powers Act may be exercised, notwithstanding the defeat of the Fair Rent Bill in the Upper House. This will enable the municipal authorities of Auckland to deal with cases like those of Garrett Bros, and Bros, on Karangahape Road. The Public BoaiA* Powers Act has hitherto been practically hung up in the hope that the more comprehensive measure just, defeated might become law. CORPORATION MATTERS. Some of the municipal authorities have been endeavouring to get the Municipal Corporation Act Amendment Bill pushed on this session, notwithstanding the Premier's intimation a fortnight ago to the deputation of the Wellington corporation that it would not be carried on. Since that date the Government have received a large number of amendments from various Corporations, including some suggestions from Auckland, and they now propose to draft a more complete and comprehensive measure, and have it ready for early introduction next session. NEWMARKET CARLETON CLUB. The Colonial Secretary has, owing to representations made to him, finally cancelled the charter of the Carleton Club at Newmarket. The previous notice was more by way of intimation of the Government's intention to do so. FENCING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. A meeting of members interested in the Fencing Act Amendment Bill was held today, when it was resolved that the following should be the definition of a legal fence: — "One barb wire and six plain wireo, or two barb wires and four plain ; distance between the posts, nine feet; no barb wire fence to be erected on the side of a street, road, or lane in any town, district, or borough."