POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9141, 24 August 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Thursday. POINT RESOLUTION BILL.

Sre. G. Grey informed me'to-day that the Speaker had intimated his belief that the above Bill was a private Bill, and would have to be referred to the Joint Local Bills Committee. The Joint Committee sat this evening, and I understand they will report that it is a public Bill. THE NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. The result of the four railway periods April, May, June, and July—show a decrease in the working expenses of the railways of £20,217, and a decrease in revenue of £15,566, the net gain, therefore, being £4651. I understand that the returns on the Auckland section show a fair improvement during the present month, notwithstanding it being an unfavourable period of the year. The section from New Plymouth to Palmerston has not during the past month earned its working expenses. As showing how railways have been constructed in the past Mr. Buchanan is urging Government to replace on the Supplementary Estimates a sufficient sum to construct a short tunnel on the Wellington - Masterton Railways with the view of cutting five miles off the most dangerous part of the line, as it now exists. CLUBS IN HOTELS. Mr. G oldie is still devoting his time to this subject, and asks the Colonial Secretary if it is true, as reported in the Napier papers, that he has promised to grant (at the expiration of its present provisional license) a charter to the Napier Club, which holds its meetings in the Masonic Hotel, notwithstanding the resolution of the House passed this session, affirming the undesirability of granting charters to clubs which hold their meetings on licensed premises. CLOSE OF THE SESSION. There is Ministerial authority for the statement that the close of the session may be looked for on Wednesday or Thursday. DISTRICT RAILWAYS PURCHASING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Another attempt was made to-day to exempt the smaller ratepayers from meeting their obligations. The re-committal of the Bill was only carried by the casting vote of the Speaker Messrs. Withy, GoTdie, and R. Thompson strongly opposed the proposal. On a division, the proposal was rejected by 43 to 27. It was contended that the desire to ease the smaller settlers was only preliminary to letting off the large landholders, and saddling the burden on the colony. THE MAORI KING. The attention of the Native Minister has been called to a paragraph in the Waikato Times of the 18th instant, in which it is intimated that Tawhiao intends to erect a dwelling for himself on one of the " opens" of Pirongia, and enquiry has been made by Mr. Lawry as to whether the negotiations reMangere lands have fallen through, and Tawhiao has declined to accept certain lands and to settle in that place. The Native Minister, I understand, has not yet received any official intimation that Tawhiao is taking any such action as that indicated above, and in the face of this Ministerial assurance, Mr. Lawry has not deemed it advisable to put a motion on the Order Paper on the subject. HARBOUR ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Among the Auckland members who voted for the Bill were Major Jackson, Messrs. Kelly, Graham, Hobbs, and Taiwhanga. The minority was made up of five Ministers, two whips, two Taranaki members, and five other members, of whom at least three are interested in other embarrassed harbours. In addition to these, two members, who are strongly opposed to the Bill, voted for it because they called for a division to make sure of the verdict of the House being recorded. In reply to Mr. W. P. Reeves, the Premier to-day intimated that he did not intend, in the face of last night's division, to bring in fresh legislation on behalf of the New Plymouth Harbour Board. ROTORUA RENTS. The member for the Northern Maori electorate (Mr. 'Taiwhanga) asks the Hon. the Minister of Lands if he will suspend Judge Clarke's award of the Rotorua rents until next session of Parliament, and pay the rente due to the chiefs of the hapus as heretofore, upon the grounds that the award lias not been accepted or agreed to by the Ngatiwhakaue chiefs and tribe, who have great reason to complain of the division of the shares. POINT RESOLUTION BILL. This Bill, after a little discussion on the report* of the committee as to its being a public Bill, was passed in the small hours through all its stages. There were one or two vital amendments, one of them being by Mr. Withy, to better protect the Costley trustees who have £300 upon the property, and who find their freehold security turned into a leasehold by the reinstatement of the trust. MISCELLANEOUS. The Minister of Education has placed the Customs launch once a week at the disposal of the official visitors to the Kohimarama Industrial School till the school launch is built. The Minister of Public Works has informed Mr. Goldie, in response to his representations, that he will place £500 on the Supplementary Estimates for road-making in the Waitakerei district. At the instance of the Minister of Justice, a special committee has been appointed to determine the claims of Joseph Cunningham to a pension. Mr. Moat asks the Minister for Public Works if lie will, next session, introduce a Bill dealing with the truck system.