SESSIONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9616, 14 September 1894, Page 5

SESSIONAL NOTES.

fBY TELEGRAPH.—SPECI-w/COBRESPONX»ENT. ] ' WeuAgton, Thursday. Mr. Meredith, wha'naa had considerable experience of the forking of the present Education Act, 'f by no means satisfied with the School/Attendance Bill introduced by the Minj^ or Education. He is especially ojy° Be d to the power of enforcing attendee being taken from the committees afi handed over to the Boards. Speakia/e ar ly this morning Mr. Meredith protest" against the evident desire of the Minis'" f° r Education to centralise everythi^» n Wellington. This charge roused the rguntment of Mr. Reeves, who warmly interited " You have no right to say that; there ji nothing of the sort in the Bill; you have fno right to insinuate motives." Mr. Meredith still protested against the little power now possessed by the Committees being transferred to the Boards. Another remove would, he said, ehifti the power on to the Central Department. In • replying, the Minister reminded Mr. Meredith that he was nob the only authority on matters educational, and twitted that gentleman with condemning the whole Bill, when he really only took exception to one clause which was nob an essential poinb of the measure. When the case of Major Brown came up this afternoon in the form of a question Sir Robert Stoub made a very significant statement as to the work of the Parliamentary Committees. He contended that some of the reports of these committees were treated as so much waste paper. Political colour was almost invariably introduced in their deliberations, and party feeling ran high. Following this up, Captain Russell stated that while he admitted ib would be unbecoming for him to run down the committees, still he could not help asking if any member would like his personal honour to be inquired into by these bodies ? Owing to the late sittings many members were often late or absent, while only two or three of those particularly interested turned up. The evidence was taken in a friendly manner. Some heard the beginning of the evidence, some the middle, and a number none at all. Under such circumstances, would any member voluntarily place a question touching bis personal honour before such atrib unal. Other members strongly denied that the political elemenb was introduced into the committee work. With no less than 74 Bills on the order paper, Captain Russell contended this afternoon that if the work was to be properly done there was already sufficient work for a month, if not two. They all knew that the Government did not intend to keep members in Wellington for more than a month, and yet their leading policy Bills had not been touched. They were being kept back and baok so as to be forced through a tired, weary House at the end of the session, to be followed at the very last moment by the discussion of the Public Works Statement, which was perhaps the most important business of the whole session. Captain Russell hoped thab members seated upon both sides of the House would emphatically protest against such proceedings.