PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9005, 10 October 1892, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

] [er telegraph.—special correspondent.] Wellington, Saturday. 0 SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. f The Supplementary Estimates, which were 1 brought down this evening, contain votes amounting in all to £82,095, chargeable as f follows : — Consolidated Fund, £48,880 ; ' Government Insurance Account, £10,500 ; J Public Trust Office Expenses Account, , £700 ; Public Works Fund, £22,015. ' The following are the principal votes :— i Grant to the widow of the late Sir Uarry » Atkinson, £3000 ; general oxpersses Parliament Buildings, including electric lighting, • additional expenses of witnesses attending 1 committees, and additional expenses for > printing Hansard, £1000 ; additional : expenses of printing and preparation of electoral rolls, £600 ; additional expenses , under the Public Health Act, £250 ; i preparation of statistics Land and Income Tux Department, £500 ; estimated cost of agencies for the income tax, £500; additional contingencies Colonial Treasurer's ' Department, £500; refund of fees paid under the commission appointed in terms of the Native Land Court Acts Amendment Act, 18S9, £250; telegraph cable subsidies, proportion payable for reduction of intercolonial and European rates, live months, £2777 ; salary resident mail agent at San Francisco, £100; additional vote for hire and working expenses of dredge at New Plymouth harbour, £1000; introduction of salmon ova, £250; training of teachers, public schools, £500 ; grant in aid of the Mount Magdala Magdalen Asylum, Christchurch, £500; compensation and expenses for resumption of land and proclamation of rivers as water-courses, Mines Department, £7500 ; salary of dairy instructor, £200 ; additional contingencies, agricultural department, £1500 ; additional vote for Parliamentary buildings, £300 ; vote for furniture and painting at Government House, Wellington, £700 additional vote for school buildings, £1000 cash ; paid instead of remission certificates issued under the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers Land Act, £4600; administration of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892, £700 ; purchase of Torranora and repairs to Cook Strait cables, £6555; 15 knots of telegraph cable, £2070. Amongst the votes is a sum of £11,579, refund of property tax paid by the Bank of Now Zealand Estates Company. The following are Auckland votes:— Repairs to wharves at Mangapai, Maungakaramea, and Parua Bay, VVhangarei Harbour, £125; purchase of auriferous land at Kuaotunu, Coromandel, £400; refund of amount deposited by J. H. Witheford as recommended by the Goldfields and Mines Committee, £100; arrears of New Zealand Cross pension to Captain G. Mair as recommended by the Public Petitions Committee, £100 ; subsidy to Hamilton Drill-shed (first instalment), £100; additional vote to Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor, Auckland, £50 ; compensation to natives for land at Pirongia, £255 ; Te Aroha Hot Springs, £100 ; improvements at Rotorua Sanatorium, £250 ; vote to make good a deposit embezzle! at Auckland by the late Receiver of Land Revenue, £30: gratuity to Mrs. Ann Robertson. £300; Roads to Kaukapakapa railway station, Auckland, £400. OLD SOLDIERS* CLAIMS. When the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers Land Bill was before the House to-day the Minister of Defence proposed the recommittal of the Bill, in order that clause 4 should be struck out. This clause enabled a soldier who had served in the Imperial forces and also in New Zealand to receive two grants of land. Mr. Seddon said that if it became law the cost to the colony would be about £20,000. It would be impossible to agree to that. Clause 4 was then struck out, and the Bill as amended was passed. Mr. Seddon appealed to members not to assist claims against the colony to a greater extent than was desirable, since it would be well if finality could be reached. MR. REES AND THE GOVERNMENT. One of the strongest opponents to the Government in their attitude on the Electoral Bill this morning was Mr. Rees, who said that the great bulk of the people of the colony would believe that the professions of the party in favour of woman's franchise were a sham. He would cease to call them " the Liberal party." The principle of women's franchise was the most important. For many sessions they were within an ace of getting it, and now it was threatened to abandon it. He was tempted to believe that if the Council withdrew all their objections the lender of the House would not agree to the Bill. Let another conference be asked for and fresh managers appointed, and on Monday women's franchise would be law. JOTTINGS. The debate on the Electoral Bill last night and this morning was the best of the session. The rate of land and income tax for the year has been fixed as follows by the Bill which passed the House to-day Land and mortgages, one penny in the pound, with the graduated tax on land as set forth in schedule Bof the Act; income of companies, one shilling in the pound ; income of persons, sixpence in the pound up to £1000, and one shilling for sums exceeding £1000. in the House this morning Mr. C. H. Mills objected to the continual interruptions of Mr. Buckland. " When I was a boy," he said, "my mother advised me never to turn aside to the quacking of ducks." Mr. Buckland rose excitedly to a point of order. " The lion, gentleman," cried the member for Manukau, " has kicked up this row because " Here lie was interrupted by cries of " Order." The Speaker said that lie could not accept the point of order, and Mr. Buckland had to sit again while the House roared. If the distribution of a few wretched votes to women in the country, declared Mr. Rees this morning, is to be allowed to stop the way of the Electoral Bill, with all that it contains, then all our legislation is a farce and all our professions fraud. Sunday. THE ELECTORAL BILL. The fight in the House on the Electoral Bill on i'riday and Saturday, resulting in the appointment of another conference and eventually the loss of the Bill, was the most exciting episode of the session. At one period on Saturday morning, the Opposition thought they would have a majority of three or four votes on the question of adjourning the debate. They were jubilant at the prospect of a vote adverse to the Government, but the Ministerialists were given a pledge that the subject would be brought up again when the House resumed on Saturday, and on that understanding the advocates of women's franchise followed the party whip. At the last conference on Saturday evening, both sides stood firm, the representatives of the House insisting that the secrecy of the ballot would bo infringed if the electoral right were granted as proposed, to enable women in the country to vote. Therefore no agreement was come to. Some of those who were anxious for women's franchise urged that the amendment of the Council should be accepted, and that next year, when the Government have a majority in the Council, the electoral right privilege might easily bo struck out of the Act. Others, however, declared that such a course would be impracticable, because once a concession of that kind was given, it would be virtually impossible to retract. The Bill has accordingly been lost, with all its principles, for which the Liberal party have professed themselves so anxious. UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE. The unauthorised expenditure includes : —Each Commissioner under the Representation Act, £150 ; expense carrying out Factories Act, £175 ; gratuity to widow of W. Kruse, killed by telegraph wire, £100; refund Customs duty on rabbit-fence machinery, £69; various compensations for loss of office, £558 payments under Naval and Military Settlers Act, £2315. The total amount is £4603. Services nob provided for by Consolidated Fund, £27,278; do. Public Works Fund, £7594. Do. Insurance Department: Compensation to S. W. Darcy Irvine, £1040; W. W. Knowles, £426, and several smaller amounts; total, £1905. Do. Public Trust Office: Deficiency in realisation of mortgage securities, £1717 ; settlement, of claims in the estate of Thos. Waters, £550. JOTTINGS. There is likely to be considerable opposition to the vote on the Supplementary Estii mates of £1000 for the New Plymouth £ harbour-

The Bill requiring deposits of cash or securities from insurance companies is almost certain to be abandoned.

The House meets to-morrow ab eleven, when the remainder of the Supplementary Estimates will be considered, and probably the Appropriation Bill. The Electoral Bill has been abandoned, the two Houses failing to agree on the question of allowing women in the country to vote by electoral right. The Industrial Conciliation Bill, another important measure, has also been lost. Part of the Supplementary Estimates Were passed before the House adjourned ab midnight on Saturday. Amongst the votes agreed to is the grant of £3000 to Lady Atkinson and family. It is reported that some members who were anxious to speak regarding this vote, and who were out of the House ab the time, want to have that clause in the Estimates re-committed.

During the animated debate on the Electoral Bill on Saturday morning feeling ran so high that some members nearly came to blows. Two representatives had some words in the House, when one threatened to pull the other's nose, and was forthwith challenged to come out into the lobby and try it. He didn't go. Two other personal encounters were imminent, but were happily averted.