POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9130, 11 August 1888, Page 6

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY telegraph.—SPEClAL correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. The Minister of Justice informs me that the proposal to place members of the House on the commission who were not on it already did not originate with him. but was suggested to him by a member. He has the matter still under consideration. A considerable number of the members of the Legislature are already on the Commission, but several members decline the proffered honour. VILLAGE SETTLEMENT. Owing to the stouewalliug the Public Petitions Committee could not sit to-day to take lie evidence" of Sir G. Grey and Mr. Lundon on the Village Settlement scheme. MILITARY SETTLERS' LAND CLAIMS. The action of the Legislative Council in rejecting the Naval ana Military Settlers' Land Claims Bill is regretted, and it is felt that these long-standing and constantlyreiterated claims are a scandal to the colonv. THE RAILWAY VOTE.

In connection with the reduction of £10,000 in the whole railway vote, it is claimed by the Opposition that the Premier distinctly renewed his pledge that in effecting the subsequent retrenchment no salary under £150 per annum should be touched. I understand that during the third portion of the financial year half the proposed retrenchment has been already effected. If the new Railway Board is appointed they would not be bound by any such pledges, but would work the railways according to their own lights. In the event of their not being appointed speedily, then the remaining retrenchment can be easily effected without breaking the pledge as to wages by reducing some of the luxuries in the way of railway travel enjoyed by the public. I understand, by way of preliminary, that a number of extra train services between Palmerston and New Plymouth will be dispensed with. THE THAMES PENINSULA. I understand that in the Public Works Statement substantial votes are allocated to roads, etc., in the Thames Peninsula. A good deal is to be expended between the Thames and Coromandel. £1010 is devoted to a road opening up the Marototo district. ARREARS OF REVENUE. Dr. Newman asks the Colonial Treasurer (1) Why in the Financial Statement no mention was made of revenue in arrears ? (2) For a return showing in detail the items of revenue in arrear at the close of the financial year. THF 'FRISCO SERVICE. The Government, I learn, are having fresh returns made out to test the various proposals before them. One of them, I understand, is for a fortnightly Direct service with a small bonus in addition to subsidy, to be limited to 24 hours, and for a reduction of the tariff for mail matter from 12s to 10s per pound. The informaation concerning the Vancouver route is, I hear, of a very scanty character.