POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9142, 25 August 1888, Page 5

POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP.

[BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL- CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Friday. PRESENTATION TO MR. BRUCE. It is pleasant to note, with all the strife of parties, that now and then incidents occur showing the good fellowship and courtesy between some members at least. Here is a case in point, in which' the hon. member for Rangitikei, and some Auckland and Southern members were concerned. Dr. Fitcbett, Messrs. Lawry, Anderson, Barron, and T. Mackenzie, M.H.R.'s, who lately accompanied Mr. R. C. Bruce to his place at Paraekaraetu, have presented him with a silver-mounted hunting cup, with a suitable inscription engraved thereon, as a memento of their enjoyable visit to his beautiful estate. The name of each visitor is included in the engraving. Mr. Bruce expressed himself as gratified with the presentation, which was altogether an unexpected one. THE MOKAU JONES COMMISSION. i In reply to Mr, Hutchison, the Premier stated that the Government had not yet had time to fully consider so as to come, to a decision on the report of the Commissioners on the case of Mr. Jones of Mokau Speakinggenerally from what hecould judgt of the report so far, there did not seem to him to be any cause for legislation on the* matter at the present juncture, but it had been impossible to deal exhaustively with the report. I learn to-night that the Government have communicated with. Mr. Jones' solicitors to ascertain what steps they suggest in the way of legislation to redress Mr. Jones' grievances. They will draft a Bill and submit it to the Government for their approval. This is .in accordance with the Commissioners' recommendation. LEGISLATING AGAINST TIME. The Premier gave up this afternoon to local Bills. All the Auckland Bills got through except the Auckland Girls' High School Bill, which is adjourned till next week, .owing to a promise made to Mr. Turnbull, a strong opponent, and who is now away at Timaru. Those passed were : The Epsom and Mount Eden Recreation Reserve Bill, the Hamilton Volunteer Hall Site Bill, Whangaroi Drill-shed Bill, and Auckland Hospital Reserves Act Amendment Bill. As showing how legislation goes on, and how lawyers are kept going in driving carriages and four through Acts of Parliament, the story of how nine of these Bills passed is worth narrating. Shortly after five o'clock Mr. Samuel was speaking strongly against the Wellington School of Design, when Major Steward, who had been down town on an errand of mercy, entered the House. He saw at once,-if Mr. Samuel went on, the whole nine Bills below the one under discussion were lost in, the " massacre of the innocents." The Major has a kindly pla'cc in his heart for Auckland, and saw that three of the Bills were Auckland ones. He went to the Minister in charge of the Bill to tret the debate adjourned on it; but the Minister of Education simply said, " You had better talk to Mr. Samuel." He did so, and was successful in get-Ping the debate adjourned on the Wellington School of Design Bill. A quarter of an hour remained till the dinner adjournment. In that time nine Bills were put through. The Speaker was so anxious to facilitate matters that he did not even lose precious time to get his robes, but stepped from his seat as a member in committee into the chair. The nine Bills took an average of a minute and ahalf apiece, which is regarded as the best time in legislation on record. It must be explained that the Bills had been previously discussed, and members were thoroughly conversant with their provisions, but after four months' talk it is scarcely < desirable to bundle Bills through in this fashion. , According to the Standing Orders if any single member had had conscientious scruples about any one of these Bills, he had it in his power to stop the whole nine Bills. In the Legislative Council they , have set their faces against this fashion of rushing through a mass of legislation in the closing days of the session, and passed a resolution that they would not consider Bills which were not previously circulated for some twenty-four hours. In the Council, this afternoon, a motion by the Attorney-General for the suspension of the Standing Orders, to allow all the Bills to be put through all their stages in one day was rejected on a division, called for by the Hon. Mr. Shrimski, by the casting vote of the Speaker.

MORE STONEWALLING. It is said that Mr. Sydney Taiwhanga is preparing the material for an elaborate stonewalling when the Native Bills are reported from the Legislative Council with amendments. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL LAUNCH. I understand that the Minister of Marine has, at the instance of Mr. Goldie, given instructions to Mr. Jobson, Assistant Inspector of Machinery, to prepare plans and specifications and supervise the construction of the new steam launch for the Kohimarama Industrial School. PENSION FOR MR. CUNNINGHAM. It is understood that the committee appointed to determine whether Mr. Joseph Cunningham was entitled to a pension, have reported favourably. Later. The select committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the case of Mr. J. Cunningham, and upon his claim to a pension, report that they find that Mr. J. Cunningham would have been entitled to a pension or retiring allowance under the Civil Service Superannuation Act of 1858, if the head of the department had given a certificate that he, Mr. Cunningham, had discharged his duties with diligence and fidelity. This certificate, however, the head of the department refuses to give, for reasons which your committee think not unreasonable. Your committee think, however, that as Mr. Cunningham, .without his own default, and in the active discharge of his public duty, received such bodily injury as to incapacitate him from the discharge of his duties, and as no formal complaints were made against him till recently, and until after he had completed thirty years service, he should receive an allowance of £175 per during his life. RECREATION RESERVE. The Mount Eden and Epsom Recreation Reserve Bill met with strenuous opposition from Mr. Fish, member for Dunedin South, when in committee, but it; went through without a division. ■ In the course of his remarks against the Bill on its third reading, he said certain Auckland gentlemen had informed him that the reserve proposed to be made a recreation, ground, was of a most valuable character, and whilst generally favourable to granting reserves in the centres of population, he considered that the area asked for was far too large. He urged upon the Minister in charge of the Bill to limit the area to 15 acres. The Minister,' however, refused to accept this, whereupon Mr. Fish moved that the Bill be read a third time that day three months. Sir G. M. O'Rorkc said the reserve was not in the strict sense of the word an asylum endowment, but when funds were needed for the Auckland Asylum it was placed as part of the security for £10,000 proposed to be borrowed for that institution. Not being needed for that security, however, it should, as a matter of course, revert to its original- purpose, and the Bill went solely in that direction. Mr. Lawry combated the arguments advanced by Mr. ' Fish, pointing out that the lion, gentleman and the hon. member for Taieri knew nothing about the character of the reserve, and it; was utterly impossible, without a survey, to ascertain what portion of it was suitable for recreation purposes. He also said that the promoters of the Bill believed that the young men of the district would take a practical interest in levelling the lumps and hollows on the ground, which was the only ground in the district that could be made available for such games as cricket, football, etc. The second reading was passed. Many of the Auckland members who supported the Bill are very sore with x>ine of the Auckland mem hers who were opposed to it, being under the firm conviction Unit they lobbied against the Bill, and supplied information to' Southern members, who 1 opposed it, but who had nob the courage; of -.their, opinions to oppose it' openly in the House, and walked out when

it came to a division. Some lively passages of arms took place between the Auckland supporters, "and those whom they, considered furtive opponents thereof. Messrs. Goldie, Peacock, R. Thompson, and Hobbs walked 'out of the House. I understand that their objection to the measure was that it tampered with a public endowment, and diverted it from the purposes to which it was originally assigned,'but out of consideration of the supporters of the Bill, as they could not vote for it they would not speak against it', but walked out./ MINING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. .The difference between the two Chambers with reference to the . Mining Act Amendment Bill was amicably arranged at the free conference held to-day. The managers for the House agreed to. abandon their limitation of the compensation payable under the Act to 50 per cent, of the value of the land damaged, which the , Council had struck out, this being the principal matter at issue. The other points were settled by compromise. U THE NATIVE POLICY BILLS. It is understood that the Native Affairs Committee of the Legislative Council have dealt very severely with the Native Policy Bills of the Government. Their amendment are so extensive as to necessitate the reprinting of the measures. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The evening has been devoted to the discussion of the Public Works Statement. Colonel Fraser made the warmest speech he has made this session in referring to the non-prosecution of the North Auckland Trunk Railway, and of the ThamesAroha line. He gave an amusing account of the tour of the Minister of Eduoation up the valley of the Thames in company with the son of the chief promoter of the Kauri Timber Company, and what came of it. Colonel Fraser attributed the stoppage of the Thames Railway to the Queen-street interest, which he further adverted to as the Loan and Mercantile Company, the Bank of New Zealand, and the New Zealand Insurance Company— commercial octopus, throwing out its feelers from the North Cape to Stewart's Island—" trinity in unity, and unity in trinity." Referring to the Kauri Timber Company, he said if it was to prove the success its friends believed and desired, the timber trade would largely increase the traffic on the Thames and Kaif>ara lines. Were the Thames-Te Aroha ine finished, hundreds of tons of coal per week would be taken over it from the TauEiri coal mines for the use of the Thames atteries, owing to the saving in transit charges. . DEPARTURE OF MEMBERS. Some of the Napier and Canterbury members left .to-day for home. THE ESTIMATES. The House got into Committee of Supply near midnight. The present intention is to sit throughout the night to dispose of the Estimates, supplementary inclusive, so as to avoid sitting to-morrow, but it is doubtful whether the intention will be realised. In the discussion on the railways vote, Messrs. R. Thompson, Hobbs, Peacock, and Monk complained of the small amount allocated to Auckland, and the first-named said he would oppose the extension of any lines, unless they could be shown to be remunerative. NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. In the case of Makere Tawhai, the consideration of his petition was postponed till next session. PAPERS. Balance-sheets of County Councils and Municipal Corporations were laid on the table of the House to-day. MIDDLE ISLAND NATIVE CLAIMS. The report of the committee states that it is impossible to do justice to the inquiry during the present session, and recommend that a similar committee be appointed next sessiotl, so that the inquiry into the Ngatihi case may be completed, and the other cases also undertaken. PUBLIC PETITIONS. By Mr. Lawry, from certain residents of Otahuhu, for the repeal of the C.D. Act; by Mr. Hamlin, from Wm. Timmins, for grant of land for military services. PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE. • The petition of John Lundon, praying that a road may be made to open up certain Crown Lands, has been referred to the Waste Lands Committee. In the case of A. Reischek, the Committee report that he has no claim against the colony. In reference to the petition of the Waikato County Council praying for the refund of certain sums of money which they allege were wrongfully deducted from subsidies due to them, the committee cannot recommend the prayer of the petitioners. In the case of Samuel Stephenson, of Auckland, for an amendment of the Licensing Act, the Committee had no recommendation to make.