PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9257, 20 July 1893, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

[BV TELKORAPH.— SPECIAL OORRKSPOVCKNT.] Wellington', Wednesday. MECHANICS' BAY. Mr. Lawry has drawn the attention of the Government to the state of Mechanic's Bay, and asked : I. If they are aware that the drainage from the Auckland Hospital flows into the harbour at Mechanics' Bay? 2. Are they aware that the drainage of Mechanics' Bay is dangerous to the health of the residents of that locality ; alse to those residing in the borough of Parnell ? 3. If they are aware that the Hospital drainage flows into the Bay, will they, either with or without the assistance of the local bodies affected, take such steps as are necessary to abate the nuisance '.' The Premier, in reply, said the matter involved an old dispute between the local authorities, and he did not think there was anything new in regard to it. Ho, however, would cause full inquiry to bo made. GUMFIELDS COMMISSION. Mr. Palmer has again brought forward his favourite Austrian Aliens. When did the Government, he asked, expect the report from the Cornfields Commission ; would they do all they could to hasten the making of the report, or it would be too late for consideration this season, or to bring in measures this year to carry out the recommendations of the report, whatever they may be. To this the Premier replied that, the Government recognised the importance of the matt and some days ago they telegraphed to Dr. Giles, chairman of the" Commission, asking when the report might be expected. Dr. Giles thought the report would be ready by the end of August, so, added Mr. Seddon, there would bo ample time to tako the steps necessary to carry out its recommendations. THE NEW MIN MR. Tho Hon. Mr. Montgomery, who has been appointed Minister without portfolio in the Upper House, whore he will act as tho colleague of the Hon. Sir P. Buckley, is an old politician, loner a leading figure in the House of Representatives in the Atkinson and Stout-Vogel days. Mr. Montgomery is ft nephew of the Rev. Hugh Montgomery, a friend of the great Liberator, and a man whose name was a household word in the Ireland of his day. In his younger days a sea-captain, while yet a young man, Mr. Montgomery settled in Australia for a while, but was presently attracted to the oven then famous Canterbury Plains, and has remained a Christchurch man to this day, and won for himself material advantage and enduring popularity. In the early Provincial days he took his share of tho work of local government, and a prominent place on the Council of his province. In IST- ho found his way into the House of Representatives, and se made his mark that in LSSO he became leader of the then Liberal opposition party, a position he continued to hold for three successive years. In tho short period of the Stout-Vogol Government of I!SS4 he held ofl'tce as Colonial Secretary, and has _on three several occasions during his political career been proffered portfolios. More than this, in I am informed he might have grasped the Premiership, for on that occasion Sir Harry Atkinson offered to support him in a substantive motion of want of confidence against the then Government, with assurance that he might have a free hand in the formation of his Cabinet, and consistent support throughout tho session. This proposal Mr. Montgomery could not see his way to accept. The now Minister is a man of that ability that is said to possess the qualities of high courage and inflexible tenacity of purpose, when convinced he is upon the side of rigid, yet withal is of a pacific nature. Though an Irish Protestant, he is an ardent Home Ruler, and holds strong and fixed opinions upon all leading questions affecting the democracy. A very close and intimate friendship always existed between Mr. Montgomery and the late Mr. William Reeves, of the Lyttelton Times, and has passed on to his son, the present Minister tor Labour.

NATIVE LANDS. A rot urn of native lands purchased and leased or under negotiation in tho North Island, showing expenditure, area, etc., has been laid before the House. This gives the land* finally acquired during the period covered by the return, the year ending March, IS'.):!. The area finally acquired to tiie'Ust March. 181)2, «';«■. s,'loD\ 4.">7 acres ; ditto during ISit.'-.'i, 132,357 acres : total, 5,437,514 acres. The portion of lands finally | acquired during 1592-3, representing the work of that period, was 190 acres ; pro gress of uncomplete! purchases during Is<)'_'-:?, 141,41S acres : total results for the year ending ."Ist March, 1S!):>, 'JOT,7OS acres; uncompleted purchase on 31st March, ISO::, through the Native Land Court, 1,200,510: not through the Native Laud Court, 13.'},79G acres ; total, 1,44 \,',i'M> acres. Total expenditure to :>lst March, 1593: Out of general loans, £1,0*3.634 IDs lid; out of North Island Main Trunk Railway loan, £222,427 19s Sd ; under Native" Land Purchases Act, £19,075 -3 101; total, L*1,325,63S Uncompleted put chases: —Out of general loans, £'27,055 (is 7d : out of North Island Railway loan, £79,210 lis Si; under Native Land Purchases Act, lriO-2, £15,463 l'2s .VI : total, £122,:>!)•"» Lis Si. The Surveyor-fJeneral. reporting on the condition and settlement of all lands acquired under the Native Land Purchases Act.,1892, says the lands acquired under the provisions of the Act situated within thoCoromandelandThumes peninsula are already more or less settled upon under goldlield regulations, and mining operations are being carried on in most of them. Nearly .all the other lands, including those required under the provisions of the North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan Application Act, ISSfi, and amendments, are likely to be absorbed with several other blocks since acquired, in settlement within the next 12 months. The return of all lands acquired under the Act mentioned is—freehold, 5fi5,968 acres; leasehold, 129,148 acres; total, 995,1 acres.

NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. The twenty-fifth annual report of the New Zealand Institute has been laid on the table. The members now on the roll are: Honorary members 29, ordinary members 7(!'>, the Auckland Institute having 1-S7. The Treasurer's Statement .show." a balance on hand in current account oi £fil lfi-'.

RAILWAY CONFERENCE. The question of the Railway Conference now being held at Wellington, was brought! before the House this afternoon by Mr. E arnshaw, who asked if the Government would inquire of the Railway Commissioners their reason for giving leave of absence and permission to certain employees to attend a conference at Wellington regarding their insurance scheme, and refusing leave of absence to employees to attend a conference with a similar object, and representing the largest proportion of their employees. The men assembled at Wellington, said Mr. Earnshaw, wero not there at the request of the workmen. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants knew nothing of them, more than that they were not the men who would have been selected if the matter had been placed before the employees, and he asked the House to remember his words and bear in mind that any expressions of opinion coming from the Conference were not the expression of the workers. The Premier road the Railway Commissioners' reply, which was that they had had requests from the delegates to attend the Conference, that they fairly represented the majority of the worker-' of all grades, that they had been elected at meetings open '.') all to attend, that they (the Commissioners) had given leave accordingly, and that they had not refused similar leave to others. The Premier then went on to add that he did not. think it usual for delegates to be called together to discuss matters which had not yet been before the House, and on a previous occasion leave had been refused to employees to attend Wellington during the session to deal with matters affecting tiio session. A REMARKABLE SCENE. "It was a glowing peroration, and one which caused tho heart of every man who heard it to vibrate as he saw the picture of this colony's great future and of the race to which wo belong." This was the impromptu tribute paid to Sir Robert Stout by Captain Russell at the close of the for mer's speech. The knight had eloquently dealt with many social experiments. He asked the House to deal with them as a duly. Individualism had failed at Homo. By proper State action more individual ! freedom and more self-reliance would be

given. "How is it," said Sir Robert, to be done? Not by personal recrimination, nob , by member being against member. 1C h " ' by being actuated by patriotism alone, ny dealing with every measure, and trying to make it better, to look at the thing impartially, and see if wo can do something to help it forward. When we are fired by such enthusiasm and such hope, wo can go on, and our social experiments will be known throughout the world. We will prove there is vigour left in our race, anil the rest of the colonies, and not only they, bub the whole world may take example from us." This closing passage of fan' Robert Stout's speech was impressive enough to be for ever memorable in the records of the Now Zealand Legislature, and it cannot bo hoped that any higher appeal to the virtue and patriotism of the democracy will ever be heard in the present Parliament. Then ensued a remarkable scene. Sir Robert finished altogether unexpectedly at a quar-ter-past ton, and as the applause, that was almost enthusiasm, from all parts of the House, gradually died away, it became apparent that no man liked to follow in the immediate track of the great comet. After a short personal explanation from Mr. | Scobie Mackenzie, hon. members for a few moments, quietly expectant, began to cry "Question," until presently it became a chorus of voices. No one seemed to know what to do. Mr. Kollcston suggested the supper adjournment, bub still came "Question. Then the Premier and the Colonial Treasurer exchanged quick nervous and meaning glances, and Mr. Ward rose in his place, and caught the Speaker's eye. "To reply ' said that magnate. " Yes, sir," responded the Treasurer, But it was not to be, for the leader of the Opposition and alii his trusted lieutenants were on their feet in I an instant, and the Treasurer resumed his seat, leaving the Hon. Captain Russell the task of following on upon the greatest speech of the session. The captain did this on the spur of tho moment, and opened in the graceful sentence with which this paragraph commences. LIQUOR LEGISLATION. Mr. Fish's proposed amendment of the Licensing Act of 1881 is simply to do away with elective committees and to remit to magistrates the granting of licenses, something like, but not the same, as the old system. Mr. Earnshaw, who is sponsor to one of tho liquor Bills now before Parliament, is fearful that under cover of a stonewall upon his Bill, the opponents of prohibition will block Sir Robert Stunt's Direct Veto Bill. He has, therefore, asked leave to withdraw it. Mr. Fish, however, has signified his opposition to the withdrawal, and so the Bill remains on the order paper. " I shall yet elude his persistent attack," said Mr. Earnshaw to me this evening, referring to Mr. Fish's actio!). IMPERFECT REPORTING. Great complaints have been made of the reporting of debates in Hansard. Matters have culminated in the question being brought before the House. Mr. Bueklaiid said 'whole "chunks" of his speech had been omitted, and words put in his mouth which he had never uttered. Mr. Hogg, speaking as an expert, said ho wondered how some members gob repotted at all. They gabbled so that no shorthand writer could take them. A special meeting of the Reports Committoo has been called to consider the matter. NOTICES. Mr. Palmer lias given notice to ask the Government that, considering the great benefits received from the bonus given for the exportation of fish, will they renow the same? To ask that, considering the loss that farmers received from pheasants destroying their seed and young crops, will the Government amend the game laws of this coiony to allow farmers to shoot :>r. any season any game destroying their crops, and will the Government further amend the laws to allow farmers _to shoot game on their own farms during tho shooting season without having to take out a license? Mr. Houston has given notice to move, "That there belaid

before this House copies of all correspondence between the Ae«nt - General and Messrs W. L. Roes and Willoughby Mullins with reference to taking up land on the East Coast." Mr. Mc(»uire intends moving " That a committee be appointed consisting of ten members to consider all mutters pertaining to the classification of butter and cheese; the necessity of appointing an expert to receive and look after dairy produce

and protect tho producers' interest in London, the committee to have power to call for persons, papers, and records." Amongst the names he suggests for the committee are Messrs. Houston, Lawry, and I!. Thompson. Sir J. Hall will move, "That the attention of the House be called to the correspondence en the subject of the appointment of the officers of the House laid on tho table by Mr. Speaker, and that the same be referred to tho Standing Orders Committee to consider the same and report its opinions thereon to this House." MINISTERIAL APPOINTM FATS. The statement made by the Premier as to Ministerial appointments was on all fours with what I have already stated. In roga-'d in the Native portfolio, however, Mr. Seddon accentuated what, has been said in

regard to the postponement of the appointment of a Native Minister. The tendency,

lie said, was to treat both races alike, tho sequence to which, of course, is the abolition of the Native Department. Speaking of the appointment of Mr. Montgomery, Captain Russell happily said he did not. know whether ho might not express as

much grief as satisfaction. He would, no doubt, give * great appearance of wisdom to tho Ministerial benches (at which there was great laughter), and his old-fashioned Liberalism would do good. "Yet the oldfashioned Liberalism," the Minister for Lands retorted, " is up to date." THE UNEMPLOYED. The unemployed difficulty still harasses the officials of the departments concerned, and taxes «everely the resources at their disposal. During the past six weeks 130 men have been distributed from Christchurch to work at Cheviot and Tarunaki. From Oamaru and Timaru about 50 have been distributed to suitable employment. Dunedin has not been much in evidence of late, the Catlin's River district and bushfelling at Chaslands having absorbed many men. Auckland and tho North have not been the cause of much concern, tho gum fields being tho great safety-valve. JOTTINGS.

The Premier says the question of running trams by electricity is a very important one, and ought not to be at all hurried. A Bill was in course of preparation to deal in this way with the Dunedin tramways. The Premier pleaded guilty to having broken faith with Mr. Pinkerton and Mr. Scobie Mackenzie in regard to the Central Otago Railway, but said it was impossible to do the work promised any faster. No advances existed to the 30th dune last against the Imperial guaranteed debentures. The Acting Native Minister has replied to Mr. Shera that the Government intend to introduce a Bill to amend tho Native Laud (Validation of Titles) Act of last session, but it was not their intention to assist land speculators in any way. The Premier has promised to send Hansard, and all Parliamentary papers, free of charge, to the Auckland and Dunedin Parliamentary Unions and debating societies. Mr. Earnshaw has pointed cut that Sir George Grey may not be in Wellington this session to introduce the Friendly Societies Act and asked whether tho Government would take it up? Mr. Reeves has replied that either that or some such measure would make its appearance during the session. The Postmaster-General says to carry out all the telegraphic extensions asked for ! £100,000 would be required. The member for New Plymouth wants to bring all clubs under the Licensing Act, the same as hotels. He was informed by Mr. Seddon that with three liquor Bills before the House it would be an easy thing for him to move a clause meeting his desires to one of them. Two hundred Martini-Henri rifles are expected by the next steamer. A couple of " Noes" were the replies Mr. Buckland received from the Minister for Education in answer to his question if he was a* ire school teachers had got subscrip tions from school children to the Ballance Memorial, and whether this course had the Minister's sanction. The Government will not free the Manawatu Railway Company from local and general taxation, if .fast train concessions I wore made.

A return showing the conduct" record of the inspectors of police in the four principal cities, from the time of their joining the forco to the time of their promotion to the rank of inspector, has been ordered on the motion of Mr. Fish.

A copy of the depositions, tho notes of the evidence by the Resident Magistrate, and a copy of his judgment, in the case of the Natives v. Lundon is to be laid before the House.

Mr. Jackson Palmer had an armful as ho marched to the table this afternoon, with a petition containing P2">o signatures of women in quest of the right of franchise. Mr. Fish says the painting of certain public buildings in Wellington has been done by co-operative labour at a cost of £507, whereas any tradesman would have jumped at the work for £300. The Civil service, said Mr. Duthie, was in a state of terrorism.

Mr. Jackson Palmer has said ho would be satisfied if the caretaker who put him out of the Government Buildings were reprimanded for his incivility. Mr. Ward's Telegraph Cables Protection Bill simply provides that any damage done by sewage to the cables landing at Lyell's Bay shall bo made good at the cost of the Wellington Corporation. It. was stated to bo a much wider measure.

Among the petitions presented were the following :—By Mr. Thompson, from Patk. Bedford, Auckland; by Mr. J. Palmer, from J. P. Ward ; by Mr. R. Thompson, from Waipu, in favour of the direct veto.