PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3572, 26 October 1898, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

THE RANPURLT HOTEL. The Public Petitions Committee yesterday recommended that the petition of A. Crossey, licensee of the Ranfurly Hotel, be allowed to be withdrawn, as requested.— VTr Smith said some explanation ought to be given by the chairman of the committee as to what induced it to make such a recommendation. He understood that serious allegations were made against the Commissioner of Police and the police force generally. If Me Grossey was allowed to make those allegations and then simply withdraw the petition, it left the matter in a very unsatisfactory state.— Mr Joyce, chairman of the Public Petitions Committee (A to L) said when the matter came before the committee the petitioner was represented by a solicitor (Mr Jellicoe), and at the request of the Commissioner it was agreed that the evidence of the witnesses should be taken on oath, and that the matter should be gone into fully. Mr Jel’icoe asked for an adjournment, as the pefcitu-nbad only had half au hour's notice to attend. An adjournment was granted, but between that day and last Thursday he understood Mr Jellicoe hid waited upon the Commission 1 -'? of Police and proposed that tip petition should be withdrawn from the committee. That proposition was made in writing, and the committee confuted to the withdrawal. The Commissioner was satisfied with that arrangement. That was all the committee knew of the matter. — Mr Taylor thought the committee was not doing its duty in allowing the matter to be hushed up.—Mr Joyce pointed out that the Commissioner concurred in the withdrawal of the petition, Bqfc for that the comnprtie would have gone into the matter.—The Premier urged that if a person petitioned the House and subsequently withdrew the petition they could not oornpsl him to proofed. —Mr Tanner moved that the report be referred back to the committee with a request that the reasons might be given which weighed with it in recommending that the petition ho allowed to bo withdrawn. —Mr Joyce read the letter sent by Mr Jellicoe to the committee, in which he said no imputation was intended to be bast on the Conunissionei or his administration, and he was satisfied that some of the facts communicated to him were at least coloured if not exaggerated,—The Premier asked what more could they want seeing that the charges had been withdrawn. Ha urged that no more time should be wasted, but that the .question should bo decided without delay.— Mr Piraui urged that there ought to bo a withdrawal, au apology and a report from the committee - endorsing the ! withdrawal and apology,—The Minister for Justice-said he know nothing-about the petition • except what ho had 'seen in'the newspapers. The only statement made by the Commissioner was this, that ho had no objection to-th® petition being-withdrawn, as by such a course- the were withdrawn also. 1 — After further debate the motion to refer the report back to the committee Was agreed to on the yoicos.

A new died. The Premier yesterday’ asked leave to introduce the Native Reserves Aot Amend, ment Rill, whiih contained, he said, some technical amendments whioh were found by the department to b 3 necessary. Considerable objection was raised to the introduction of a Bill at auoh a late period of the session, to whioh the Premier replied that members were always ready to waste time over trivial matters, and he should do his best te put through this measure, which was very necessary. The Bill was read a first time by 31 votes to 24. CONCESSIONS TO ANGLERS. _ A deputation of anglers recently waited on 6f ilajlways witV : a request that certain coup ;83 : Qns in the way ot reduced railway fares, $3., should ho granted to anglers, The General Manager of Railways (Mr T, Ronayne) has written tho following letter in connection with the matter to Mr J. J. DevineSir,—With reference to your letter of the 4th instant, in regard to concession in faros to anglers, I have the honour, by direction of the Minister for Railways, to inform you that ho regrets he cannot see his way to accede to your request to granta special concession to anglers. Anglers in parties or ? 13 adult passengers travelling together from und to the same station oan obtain concessions as per gagefcfco slip herewith. With regard to the request that the train leaving Upper Hutt at 4.35 p.m. on Sundays should be delayed so as to connect with tho 7.45 p m train from Lower Hutt to Wellington, I am directed to inform you that the engine of the 4.35 p.m train from Uoper Hutt also works the 7.45 p.m train from Lower Hutt. Any alteration in the timetable in the direction indicated by you would necessitate the employment of a second engine on Sundays j thfs i*: nqb warranted by-the trafßo, and the Minister regrets;' therefore, that ho cannot see his way to acqode to this portion of your request.”

DAipAOH BV BUSH SIRES. Mr Hogg, tVf.H.R., hag presented a petition to Parliament from settlors and Crown tenants in the Wainuiorudistriot, East Coast, where the bush fires occurred in January last. The petitioners set forth that they have applied in vain to the Land Board for a remission of rent, the Board intimating that it had no power to grant it. They therefore ask that legislation be introduced for the purpose of enabling them to obtain aremission of rent for two years, so that they may be able to pay for the grass seed which the Government has furnished on deferred payment, namely, 1,2 and 3 yea’s’ bills. Unless this is granted they say they will have to surrender their leases and abandon their holdings, and if this course is taken they will be unable to pay for tha grass seed which the State has supplied- The" memorial is sighed hy 13 settlors, the principal being— D. M. Douglas, who asks a remission of £99 2s 8d j Margaret Douglas, .£53 10s ; H. Haw-: tin, £47 18s ; and King and Eaton, £46 is 4d. The holdings range from 282 acres to 2281 acres, and the total amount asked to be remitted is £517 3s XOd, business to be done. A proposal to suspend standing order 55, so as to allow new business to be taken after midnight, was made by the Premier yesterday afternoon. Eeplying to a question by Captain Bnsaeil, who wapled to know what business was to be gone on with, the Minister of Linda insisted on tha necessity of pissing", in the interests of aattlers, the Slaughtering ahfi Inspection Bill,"Fencing Act Amendment Bill, Stock Aot Amendment BUI, Reserves Enabling Bill, Noxious "Weeds Bill, and Orchards and Garden Posts Bills.—The Hon Mr Eblloston urged " that before members went home they shonld be given an opportunity of expressing on opinion ph the Police Commission’s report, the Wrigg cage and other motters pow before oqmmittees. ‘Nothing would clear the atmosphere but a change of Ministry.—The Premier said this was the usual course taken at the end of the session, and if members would waste time in the early part of tha session they must be punished for it and made to sit np late a‘ the e-d of the sessisn The Hop Mr Killestou was tha scolder of the House, bat be (the Premier) cared not how he scolded. The Government would deal with th® Wrigg case when the report of the committee wag before them. As to a remark Aide with reference to" Ministers engaging Other occupations, be eaid he should neyer

allow tbo Parliament of New Zealand to interfere with his freedom of action in carrying on any business that ho believed ne w-i.« honourably entitled to carry ou, with advantage to himsnlf and those engaging nun. The motion was agreed to by 4v» votes to 10. INSPECTION OB’ CARGO GEAR. The Minister of Marine was asked by Mr J. Hutcheson yesterday whether he would at enoo take ntepi to insure the thorough. and constant inspection and testing of all e g • gear, more especially that portion most likely to bo overlooked or negleetea, namely, that portion permanently fixed aloft? Mr son said he had no desire to reflect on the officers of the Marine Depar ment. hnt he desired to call the attention of the Minister io the necessity for authorising and ing an officer of tho department to exercise general supervision oyer all gear lifting and hoisting weights on board T ® 33 ® l3 in port-) he Minister of Marine sad h e was entirely with Mr Hutcheson « wishing to see something done to a recurrence of the recent painful accident at tho Wellington wharf. Offi'jeis of the de partment had been instructed, when milking their annual inspection, to pay. speciei attention to the hoisting gear. Seeing the he of vessels in Wellington harbour it would be realised how costly it would he to have frequent inspection of the gear. Every effort, however, would ba made to prevent accidents of the kind occurring m future. THE CARRIAGE OF CREAM. A deputation consisting of Messrs Young and Bias, representing the Bnuni Dairy Company, introduced by Messrs O Meara and Hogg, il.’sH.E.. waited on the Minister oi Railways yesterday in reference to a proposal to discontinue the carriage of cream from certain stations by the down express on and after Ist November. It appears that notice had been given that cream would not be carried after the date mentioned by the express train from Mangatamoka and Newman, The deputation urged that creameries had been established in the vicinity of the stations referred to, on the understanding that railway facilities for the transport of cream would be give* ; that thJ detention of such a perishable product would injure the industry, and that in the rortymile Bush the dairy industry was of supreme importance. In reply to the statement that the stoppage at tho stations concerned would interfere with the time-table, the deputation pointed out that tho delay would be simply infinitesimal, as the express invanab y stopped at the stations in question, ihe Minister promised to confer with tne General Manager on the subject, and see If the existiag privileges could be continued.

MR TAYLOR APOLOGISES. The junior member for Christchurch (Mr Taylor) cams into conflict with the Speaker yesterday afternoon. A supporter of the Government was castigating the members of tho “ Lott Wing ” for the waste of time they had ocoasioned, when Mr Taylor interjected the remark, “ What do you know about it? you were not sober during the early part of the session.” Mr Speaker's attention was at onoa called to the remark, and he promptly ordered Mr Taylor to withdraw the words and apologise to the House for using them. This Mr Taylor did, acknowledging that he had used the words, but explaining that he only addressed them to his colleagues and the members in his immediate vicinity. old aoe pensions. The announcement by Mr Speaker in the House yesterday afternoon that tho Legislative Council had passed the Old Age Pensions Bill was received with applause. Telegrams have reached the Premier trom all parts of the country, expressing pleasure at the final passing into law of the Old Age Pensions Bill, and congratulating him upon the happy issue to his determined fight for that great humane reform. Cn the motion of the Hon G. McLean it was dooided in the Legislative Council yesterday, 11 That copies of the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents and tho Master and Apprentice Bills and Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill ba forwarded to ovary Chamber of Commerce, law sooiety, athenaeum, public library workmen’s club, and all industrial unions registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Aot, 1891, throughout the colony for the information of workmen and employers.”