PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9559, 10 July 1894, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[B* TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL COKRK3FONDENT.

i , ; Wellington, Monday. THE FINANCES OF THE COLON Y. The Post to-night has a rather suggestive article on the financial methods of the Government, and the following extract will prove interesting"From all that we can gather we fear that the failure in the revenue ilurinp the first three months of the present financial year will be found to be even more serious than Mr. Ward hinted at in his Oamaru speech, and that very little of the balance—which is not a surplus— from last year will be left to provide for last year's liability on account of unexpended votes for works which are still as necessary as when the votes for them were put into the last Appropriation Act. We fail to see how the House can perform its duty to the public until the members have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the details of the colony's financial position, and the transactions of the public account for the past, six months. - At present members are ** merely groping in the dark. Their first duty should be to insist on the immediate production of the information whioh is now so carefully concealed in the Colonial Treasurer's pigeon holes regarding the public revenue, and expenditure since the 31st of December last. Of this they know nothing. The suppression of the information regarding the last quarter of the last financial year (to 31st March) is unwarrantable, and members would resent it if they had any adequate idea of what is due to themselves or to the public which they represent. As it is, the majority shut their eyes, and are thankful for whatever Ministers pub into their mouths.

JOTTINGS. It is reported that the last has not been heard of the Sergeant-at-Arms question, and that Sir Robert Stout intends to bring it forward again. The condition of the invalided Ministers continue to improve. Mr. Ward passed a good night, and expects bo be in his place in the House during the present week. Sir Patrick Buckley has so far recovered that he expects to be out to-morrow, if the weather proves favourable. The Hon. Mr, Carroll is up, but not about yet. The influenza has a new victim in the. person of Mr. T. H. Hamer, the Premier's private secretary.