BUMMABY FOR EUROPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4174, 5 July 1875, Page 2

BUMMABY FOR EUROPE

INTRODUCTORY,

The coming se-sion of the General Assembly will op> n on the 20th of the pnsi-nt month. So far as our information goes, the Premier will not be able to reach the Colony in time to take part in any of the business of the session. What his colleagues will do without his guidance is, of course, mere mutter for conjecture. Of One thing,' however, we may rest assured, and that is, thby will not attempt to carry through the Constitutional Changes BJI, which is, now in the hands oft the law officers of the Crown. : It is. not improbable, however, that they may endeavour to test the feeling of the House vipon the .question of the Abolition of Provincialism by means of a_miuor question. That question, it is rumoured, is the amalgamation of the various police forces of the Provinces into one Colonial Force under an In-spector-General to be appointed by the Crown; and should they obtain the opinion of the Legislature upon such a proposal, it will form a pretty sure indication of the voting upon the larger question of Abolition. Amongst the measures which, it is -said, are being considered by the Cabinet, are a Bankruptcy Bill, and a Bill to amend the present-Licens-ing Law. The Hon Major Atkin SON will. act. as Colonial Treasurer during the session, and will deliver the Financial Statement. The Government, .tlipve can be no doubt, will make the session as short a one as they can j and they will urge upon members, in all probability, the great desirability of getting through the business expeditiOusly, so'that the elections may take place before the close of the year. There is no chance,'however,-of the session being, a short and quiet one, unless Ministers are prepared.. to lay tit-fore.the 'House some feasible plan which will enable the Province of Auckland to tide over her money difficulties until the meeting of the new Parliament. That Province, it •is acknowledged, is now verging on bankruptcy. The Superintendent, Sir George Grey, has been carrying on a bitter correspondence with the Colonial Secretary on the subject of the relations between the Province and the Colony ; but; his chief object is, no doubt, to obtain from the General Government as much money as he can. The Provincial Council was prorogued on the 19th June, after having been seven weeks in session. Unfortunately, a great portion of that time was taken up wiih Ministerial crises ; too little attention being given to the business which members had been called together "to transact. After the ReidDavie Government (which is still in office) had been formed, the .Estimates ■were proceeded with, and in an incred,ib)y short space of time the House in Committee of Supply managed to appropriate upwards of half a million of money. Some heavy items, howover, •were appropriated for the construction of branch lines of railway, the formation of .which cannot well be commenced for several years. .

A deputation, consisting of some of our leading merchants, waited upon the Superintendent last week, for the purpose of urging upon him the desirar Utility of getting the main trunk line of railway throughout the Province completed'as soon as possible. Mr H. Driver, M.P.0., who was spokesman, of the deputation, pointed out that on the Southern line the section between Balclutha and Clinton was not1 yet surveyed, owing to certain disputes amongst tho settlers as to which route should beadopted. On the northern line, the section.between Blueskin and Waikouaiti was .not yet let, and that from Waikouaiti to Palmerston had not been surveyed;-; He reminded His Honour that! in Canterbury the construction of the main line was being pushed on rapidly to the boundary, and that it therefore behoved the Provincial authorities, in the interests of the mercantile community, to see that the main line throughout Otago was completed ■without further delay* His Honour; in reply, reminded the. deputation, that the construction of the .railways was in the hands of, the General Government, but he promised to communicate with the .authorities at Wellington, and place before them: the .views of the deputation.