PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4405, 11 July 1901, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

“TROTTING” AT AUCTIONS. The Hon Mr Duncan’s Land and Live Stock Auctions Bill is intended to prevent “trotting” at auctions. It states that it shall be the duty of an auctioneer when offering land or live stock of any kind for sale to distinctly name the vendor and also the last bidder, whether the property has been sold or not. It shall not be lawful for the vendor to bid or employ an agent to do sc, except in any case where the vendor reserves the right to make one bid, and in such a case the auctioneer -must announce the fact. THE SERMON OF BISHOP JULIUS. In the House yesterday, Mr Seddon absolutely denied tho statement of Bishop Julius that the Government were giving preference to Roman Catholics in appointments to the public service. This, he declared, was a slander. There had been no preference whatever, and he was prepared to submit the matter to any committee or any investigation. The statement made by Bishop Julius and the statement also made by Dr Eimslie that those trained in the public schools were immoral, were without tho slightest foundation. If it meant that the churches wer e to go into political matters, and make wholesale charges without foundation and without inquiry—if that was to be the line on which things were to go, he wanted to know if the colony was t© go on on proper, legitimate and right lines, or were we to go back to the Dark Ages. He believed in religions teaching, and believed that without it the training of men and women was not complete, but it was not in the public schools that this should take place. JOTTINGS. Mr Duncan’s Cemetery Trustees Validation Bill is a short measure validating the appointment of road boards or borough councils as cemetery trustees. Mr Houston has been re-appointed chairman of the Native Affairs Committee. Mr Hornsby asked the Minister of Lands on Tuesday if he would authorise the sending of an engineer to the Lower Valley, Wairarapa. in reference to the proposal to protect the lands of the Kahutara Valley and the lands adjacent to the Ruamahanga river against floods, and also to reclaim th 6 Wairarapa Lake and straighten the Ruamahanga river. The reply of Mr Duncan was tp the effect that the subject was a very large one to deal with, as certain rights were involved, but an engineer would be instructed to give an estimate of the cost of various works.

Voluminous correspondence regarding differences of opinion between the Audit Office and the Treasury on. the subject of certain accounts has been referred to the Public Accounts Committee. In one instance Mr Warburton, objected to an advance of £6OO for the Tutanekai in conveying visitors to the Commonwealth celebrations, on th© ground that it was not a service of tho Marine Department. In answer to Mr Wilford’s question suggesting that the road below the forts at Shelly Bay should be thrown open, the Premier states that the Commandant is strongly opposed to the proposal. The members of Parliament have been invited to an exhibition of the Wellington Fire Brigade appliances on Monday afternoon. The assertion that the Premier had made arrangements for re-insurance by the State with foreign companies, and that the leading offices in. England had objected to such arrangement, is without foundation. Th© Premier is of opin. ion that the country is quit© strong enough to meet any emergency. The Hon. R. Reeves has given notice* to move in th© Legislative Council that in future the Chairman of Committees be elected by ballot of the Council each year.