PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12624, 3 August 1904, Page 4

PARLIAMENT AT WORK.

GALLERY NOTES AND LOBBY GOSSIP. [BY Trc.FGRAPTI — SPECtAJ, COfeEESPOKWRSt.J WEi.T,ixaTOjf, Tuesday. '' RATES ON CROWN AND NATIVE LAND. A petition- from the Tauranga Coast* Council -was presented by Mr. Rerries to. day, urging that Iho Crown should par rate's on Crown lands, rind enable the Conn, cil to collect full rates on native land, or that the. Government should take over'th* main rosds of the county, or give the Council an annual grant to enable them to keep the roads iu repair. The petition states that there are in the county 211,678 acres of ratable laud, 94,364 acres of Crowa land, and 84,927 acres of native laud. A FREEHOLDER. Mr. Rutherford says that tho Matamata and Bickerslaffe estates, in Auckland, purchased by the Government for close settlement, have been only a partial success. Had' similar estates been purchased in Canterbury they would have been rushed. The Auck* land people, however, required & lot of spoonfeeding. Mr. Rutherford declared himself a freeholder. He said he was of the opinion that Crown tenants should be permitted to convert at the unimproved value at the time they exercised the right, provided satisfactory conditions could be made to prevent reaggregation. THE MEMBER FOR PAHIATUA. Mr. Hawkins, the new member for Pahiatua, reached Wellington to-day. The writ for the election has, however, not yet been" returned to the Speaker, and Mr. Hawkins will not be able to take his seat till this formality has been complied with. He will probably be sworn in a member of the Houte on Thursday. WHO STEALS MY PURSE. Mr. Herdman, the member for Mount Ida, indulged a good deal to-night in his favourite occupation of poking fun at the Premier. He found some material for banter in th» concluding sentence of the Premier's budget "In the words of our poet, Bracken, 'New Zealand is God's Own Country."" This re. ference to Bracken reminded him, he said, of a speech the Premier delivered some tim« ago in London. ll© got an account of it from a friend who was present. Something like the following:—"Just before I left th« shores of that lovely and beautiful country, over which I have the honour to be Prima Minister, before I arrived in the dear old Motherland, before I came under the shadeo of the dear old flag, some villainous person circulated a story that I was presented with a purse of sovereigns. I desire to deny this. I scorn such things. I deprecate any person accepting gifts of that nature. In th» words of our poet, Bracken, ' Who steals my purse, steals trash.' " • JOTTINGS. Mr. Fowlds returned to his Parliamentary duties to-3ay. Four days' leave of absence was to-day granted to Mr. Kidd on account of the illness of Mrs. Kidd. Mr. Massey gave notice to-day to ask the Government whether they will this session give the House an opportunity of amending the Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Act by the introduction of an amending Bill. Sir Joseph Ward was confined to his house the whole of yesterday with a severe cold. He attended a Parliamentary committee meeting this morning, and afterwards returned home, where he will remain for the rest of the day. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, who has been on a visit to the Old Country, is expected to arrive here from Sydney to*morrow. A Parliamentary deputation will meet him on arrival, and conduct him to Parliament Buildings. The Opposition have been invited to take part in the Welcome. ... ' Mr. Jennings presented a petition from settlers and residents on the Ngapenga and Tawarti Roads in favour of the construction of the Korapupu-Te Kuiti Road, to enable them to roach Te Kuiti, the nearest railway station. Mr. Houston presented a petition to-day from 63 residents of Ruapekapeka for a grant Of £100 for the completion of Hayter's Road. Mr. Jennings presented a petition from Ohura settlers, who have taken tip land on the Tekumina Road, praying for a road or track to their holdings,