WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9197, 11 May 1893, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[BY telegraph.— own oorkkspondknt.] Wkllingtok, Wednesday .^ PEE-SESSIONAIi ADDRKSSKB. Ministers are on the move towards their constituencies. The Premier takos a wider field than his own electorate. He goes to Napier to address the people there in the course of a few days. He then returns to Wellington, and after a few days goes to the West Coast to open tho Greymouth and Hofcitika Railway. He will deliver addresses at each place. Ho is invited to a banquet in Whangaroi (North Auckland), but it is doubtful whether ho will be able to attend it. He purposes to address tho people of Auckland some time during the first week in Juno. Tho Hon. J. McKenzie, Minister of Lands, goes shortly to Otago to address his constituent*. Tho Hon. J. Carroll goes to the East Coast where ho purposes to deliver a series of addresses.

KLKCTIOX HUMOURS. The Government supporters at Wanganui have selected Mr. Parsons as against Mr. Willis upon a division of 90 to 50, to conbest the now vacant seat in the Government interest. Mr Wallis therefore retires. It is rumoured here that Mr. Kirk, solicitor, of the firm of Kirk and Atkinson, will oppose Dr. Newman for the Hutt at tho next general election. It Is said that the Hon. Mr. Carroll will prebably stand for a European electorate at tho general olection. The particular electorate is not mentioned. The Hon. W. Rolleston will stand for Riccarton. Mr. G. M. Snolson will oppose Mr. Pirani at Palmerston.

TUB COMING SESSION. It is stated that Sir George Grey will inaugurate tho coming session with a review of the native land policy. It is anticipated that the Rees-Cadman embroglio will receive an important side light from the -jwech of this versatile ex-Govornor of the colony. There may bo a difficulty when tho case shall have been called on before* the Supreme Court at Napier if the proceedings should bo so lengthened as to run with the sittings of the House of Representatives. It is affirmed that several of tho Ministry are, or will' bo, subpoenaod as w tnesses, also tho Government whips, and of course the Chairman of Committees himself being the defendant in the action, will have to attend the trial at Napier. I am informed that whatever may be tho result of the judicial investigation at Napier, a Parliamentary inquiry will be moved by Mr. Roes. This dirlioult matter will probably take up a good deal of the session. It is believed that the new proposals of tho Midland Railway will again be a "leading case" for discussion. I understand that tho Government regard the proposals as wholly inadmissible. The Premier stands by tho position ho took up in tho correspondence with tho agent of tho company. The Hon. Mr. Seddon desires to arrive at some agreement with the company, and thinks the company will be wise to accept the proposal which he made at the end of last session. lb is believed that the present administration is in some sense provisional, and a further reconstruction is possible or probable when Parliament meets, especially if Sir R. Stout should beelected at Inaugahuaor elsewhere. The general idea hero is that the session will he a short one, because neither the Government nor tho Opposition in a moribund Parliament will be desirous of leaving any strongly debatable matter for the hustings, which will bo crocted almost at tho close of the session. It is farther stated that the history of the session itself will have an important influence upon the course of tbo subsequent olection.

LAKE KLLEBMKKK FISHING! COMMISSION. The Commissioners appointed last session to inquire into the decrease of flounders in Lake Ellesmere, have sent in their report. They recommend the enlargement of the mesh from four incho* (the present regulation size) to five, and the increase of the minimum size of catcliable fish from eight to ten inches/ and state that they would have insisted on larger dimensions of both fish and meshes bub were deterred by consideration for the fishermen who have to make a* livelihood. The details of the industry given show that there are 20 boats engaged, each furnished with two miles of notting. The average length of water daily netted is 20 miles, the weekly take averaging between 18,000 and 30,000 fish.

THE LATE MB. BALLANCE. Probate of the will of the late Mr. Ballance bus boen granted to his widow, Mrs. Ellon Ballance.

CIVIL SERVICE CADETS. The following successful candidates at the junior civil service examination have been received into the Government service as cadets :—Hugh Dickson (aged 18), Dunedin ; Harold Lewis (19), Wellington, son of the late Mr. Lewis, Under-Secretary for Nativo Affairs; and John Merlonis (18), Kumara.

In the deer forests of Scotland foxos appear to be increasing in numbers at rather an alarming rate, crofters living in the vicinity of the forests boing heavy losers by the ravages of the animals. Lately in the House of Commons a question wa3 put to the Secretary for Scotland as to whether he was aware that forests in the Highlands were overrun with foxes and that crofters living in townships adjoining those forests suffered considerable loss in consequence, and what steps would bo taken to deal with the mattef. Mr. Cameron Corbett and Sir W. Peace asked whether the owners of doer forests in Scotland were not taking steps- to destroy foxes. Sir G. Trevelyan said bis attention had been called to an article in a Highland newspaper stating that the master of filantyre, Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, and between eighty and ninety proprietors, sheepfarmers, and others, had signed an engagement binding themselves to use every possible means to destroy and keep down foxes. He had a private letter from a well known and much-esteemed Highland proprietor, Mr. Duncan, Darroch, in which he told him that he and most of his neighbours gave a bonus of. 10s a head for foxes and 6a for cubs, and that the trapping was incessant and effective. There was no call for Go* I vornment interference.