WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2679, 7 September 1870, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

FROM OUR OWH" CORRESPONDENT.

September 4th.

Taking advantage of the recent Imperial Act amending the Merchant Shipping Act, the Government has introduced and passed through the House, a Bill entitled the Merchant Ships' Officers' Examination Bill, the object of which is to allow seamen to pass examination for mate and master in the colony, and to receive certificates, which will be of equal value to those issued by the Board1 of Trade. This will be a great boon to many of our captains here, as, although holding local certificates, these documents give them no status outside the colony. As an instance of this may be mentioned the case of +hat favourite officer, Captain Kennedy, of the Airedale. It is well known that he was offered the command of the Wonga Wenga, on her first voyage to Honolulu, and that he would have taken command, had not a hitch occurred in regard to his not holding a master's certificate from the Board of Trade. His was only a mate's, and so he had to give up the appointment. The new Bill will not come into immediate operation, however, as the Act, and the regulations as to examination to be made under it, require to be in the first place submitted for the approval of the Imperial Government. ;,

Mr Macandrew was very anxious to get the Government to consolidate the Bonds issued by the Provincial Government, under the provisions of the Otago Dock Board Ordinance, 1865 ; but while refusing to consolidate the Bonds, Mr Vogel promised to assist the Government in effecting a saving of LI2OO a year on the Bonds. At present they bear interest at the rate of 8 per cent, and are all cr nearly all in the hands of the Bank of Otago. Mr Macandrew states that the Bank is willing to sell at 5 per cent, premium, and that they were under offer to him at that price. Mr Vogel therefore proposes to place in the schedule of the Loan Bill a sum sufficient to repurchase these bonds at the price named, and so to effect a saving of LI2OO a year in interest.

The Tariff Bill has not yet come on for discussion. Why it has been put off so long nobody seems to know ; but there are not wanting those who say that Mr Vogel is keeping it to the last days of the session in the hope that some of its Auckland opponents may be forced to leave before the debate comes on, and it is reported that " pairs " on this Bill are not now to be obtained. Mr Vogel, however, does not seem very confident of carrying the Bill, as the other night, in introducing the Supplementary Estimates, he spoke of the probability of his not ■ getting the additional LSOGO calculated on in the Financial Statement as being the probable result of the new Tariff. At the same time he informed the House that since the statement was made it had been ascertained that the Customs revenue for the last quarter of the last year had fallen short of the amount estimated by LBOOO, chiefly owing to the great falling off in the receipts at Dunedin. The Defence expenditure for that quarter had also been found to exceed by L7OO the :LIO,OOO margin, which he had stated would probably cover everything. Mr Hall cOm mented severely on the fact that such a | large Customs deficiency should not have been known earlierj as the Financial Statement had not been delivered until the last day of the financial year. He said the Customs receipts might have been accurately known had the officers been instructed, as in previous years, to telegraph each day's receipts prior to the delivery of the statement. Mr Hall also complained that although it was two months since the end of the financial year, the accounts for the year were not yet before the House. In former years it had always been the custom to make the Financial Statement about five or six weeks after the end of the year, and at the same time to bring down the complete accounts. Mr Vogel explained that the accounts would be ready in a few days, as they were already in the handß of the printer. ' '. The most stormy little debate which has yet taken place in the House this session was over the proposal to give 1.300 towards the formation of botanical gardens in Wellington. A few days before .Mr Rolleston had asked the Government if they intended to put such a sum on the Estimates, and Mr Vogel had replied in the negative ; but had added that; if any private member liked to propose such a vote, the matter would be considered an open one, and some of the members of the Government would probably vo c for the grant. Mr J. C. Richmond; at once gave notice of a motion for an address asking for L3OO, and in due time moved that the House go into Commi tee to consider the proposal, he and Mr Rolleston speaking strongly of having a central nursery where seeds and plants from foreign countries might be raised and distributed from. They pointed out the suitability of Wellington for this purpose, on account of its central position, and its possession of a

medium climate, being neither so hot-as the Northern nor so cold as the Southern provinces, arid also as being the place where gentlemen from other provinces, members of Assembly, &c., most commonly met. Mr Gillies thought such gardens should .be formed by private subscription, and that the Wellington Reserve could never be made into proper gardens. Mr Macandrew thought; if Wellington got a grant, all the other provinces should have one also. A long debate took place, and Mr Vogel very warmly opposed the grant ; but oh a division the motion for going into Committee was carried by 27 to 17, Mr Fox and Mr M'Lean voting with the majority. As soon as the result was announced, Mr Vbgel, who was evidently in a great rage, rose, and in a very excited manner declared that the vote just given was subversive of all representative Go--vermnent. That it had been obtained by a system ,of disgraceful log; rolling* and that he could prove that members had been canvassing for support at balls arid dinner : ; parties. If such things were to go im, he declared all l government would become impossible/ Even Ministers had been individually canvassed, and if such things; were to be tolerated the independence of Parliament would be entirely lost. Du-1 ring this intemperate explosion the House j laughed, but Mr Fox and Mr M/Lean! looked very grave, and seemed much an- \ noyed at the insulting way in which Mr Vogel seemed inclined to treat them' as! well as the majority with whom they had' voted. As soon as Mr Vogel sat down Mr Rolleston rose, and in a few calm words effectually snubbed the Treasurer, and was loudly cheered for doing so. He declared he would rather have put his hand into his own pocket for the money than have seen a Minister of the Orbwn make such an exhibition of himself as Mr Vogel had done. He maintained his perfect right to speak to members when and where he liked as to business before the House, and said that while he would not condescend to bandy words with Mr Vogel he had yet to learn that it was consistent with the dignity of a Minister to play the part of a private detective at balls and dinner parties. Mr Bunny, in an amusing speech, defended the practice of logrolling, and said nothing could be done without it in that House. Mr Taylor then rose to deny that he'had in any way canvassed for votes, when he was interrupted very rudely by Mr Vogel saying, "I did not allude to the hon mem-j ber; I did not know he took any interest in this or in any other question before the House." Mr Taylor calmly replied that the interest taken by members in the business of the House was not to be measured by their readiness to jump up and talk. A fter some further debate, the formal motion for the Speaker leaving the chair, se that the House could go into Committee, was put, and to every one's surprise, Mir "Vogel demanded another division. While the bell was ringing, Mr Fox went over to him, evidently to remonstrate against his very injudicious conduct; but Mr Vogel turned impatiently away, and persisted in the division, in which he waa again beaten, the numbers being 26 to 19. In Committee, it became evident that Mr Vogel intended to offer every possible obstacle to the vote, and Mr Stafford was in the act of warning him of the possible consequences of thus setting up his own will in opposition to the wish of a considerable majority of the House, when the dinner hour arrived, and as usual, the Chairman left the chair. The debate has not yet been resumed. Mr Vogel's violent, insulting, and arrogant manner on this occasion has done him more harm than anything which had previously taken place during the session. To say that it disgusted the House is to say the least that can be said of the iriatfer

As an instance of the economy in small things which now rules the Admiralty, I may mention that to-day, in compliance with a recent order to the effect that when two or more ships leave port together only one shall get up steam, the Galatea towed the Clio ana the Rosario out of harbour.