POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8209, 14 June 1888, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

. (Fbom Ova Special Uobbespokdent.) WELLiNaTOK,June 13. MRBRYCE. Mr John Bryce is here on a visit. He appears to bo in excellent health. Mr Bryce informs | ne that he has no desire to re-enter political j life at .present, bat if he is in good health at the next .general election he will again contest the W&itotara eeat, FBEETRADE TACTICS. il tneeliug o£ Freetrade members was neld 4his morning. There were 15 present, and Mr <G. Bectham occupied the chair. It was resolved to submit the tariff proposals to a rigid criticism, ■and the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to examine the Government proposals =and bring u{> a report on the subject:—Mesars Withy, fioobie Mackenzie, Macarthur, and JBan'MK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The radical coarse which the Ministry have 'recently entered upon has had the effect of 'stirring up hon. gentlemen of the second 1 Chamber to the necessity which exists for the of their privileges. Sir F. Whitaker -received an accentuated smile from the majority of his patrician colleagues this afternoon. The Attorney-general was very anxious that the Special Powers and Contracts Bill should bocome law, and in bringing forward the measure he reckoned upon having a substantial majority at his back. His anticipations have, however, not been realised, as the Council have carried the following motion of- Mr Waterhouse by two to one:—"That tins,council considering it of i the highest importance that in the passing of ; all laws each different matter should be pro- , vided for by a different law, without intermixing I one and the same law with such things as havo no proper relation to each other, will refuse to sanction any proposed legislation of the nature t of the Special Powers and Contracta Act." t THE LAND ACT. c The Hon. Mr Richardson informs roe that he rj fie busily engaged in framing a Land Act .Amendment Bill. The measure will not interfere with the principle cf tho present act, but c will rectify some anomalies which at present are a '.the subject of complaint. 5 ANIMALS PROTECTION ACT. c Mr T. Mackenzie intends' to move some r .•amendments in the Animals Protection Act. ''■ .Mr Mackenzia assures that a large number of jj smembera have promised to support his amend- f aients. • * c THE MOKAU JONES CASE. t Some obstacle to the appointment of Mr ,G. a 3G. Barton as a commissioner in this case having B the Government have the names of a "two other gentlemen under consideration for w the office. Mr Jones is to be requested to make n .■oufca^wewof his claim, and the Commissioner t( milljtwe the matter thorough, consideration. JJ OPPOSITION SUPPORT. ■ .. tl m The Premier expressed the opinion to nre this el .•morning that despite the unreliability of certain f ifflembers t>f the late Opposition) he believes the M ■majority of Protectionists Will give the Govern- fo onejirj a local support for this session at least. CATLIN'S RIVER. w In response to the petition of 68 landowners D j of Catlin's river, the Waste Lands Committee pi report; that the Survey department are now ti carrying out the wishes of the petitioners as regards the construction of a road. £{ ■'- FEMALE FRANCHISE. . su Sir John Hall has presented a petition from the National Women's Christiau-Temperance be Union praying that females may be permitted f" to exercise the privilege of 7oting for members M of the House of Representatives. . ■ PENSIONS. P1 From a return laid on the table to-day it ap- }" Spears that the amount of money paid annually dr in respect o£ pensions under the different actsis ye -i£29,737. ■ di. THE POLICE FORCE. us The Commissioner of Police recommends to t jj ■>tho Government that all officers and men of the ■tforee should retire at the age of C 5. He regrets en 'that ho cannot-decide on any general pension on ;acheme for tho force unless assisted by an j"1 -annual grant in aid from the Government. He "o, trecomiaeads an alteration of the rule by which . j "it is cowpnlsory that all recruits for the police Co •fores Bhould be drafted from the permanent 1 'arSHei-y, and suggests that members of the f l' *sSilitia should have the first chance, and in the 'event of there beiiig no suitable men available be from that corps he should be at liberty to take am others. .. '. ■ an< THE : CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT. "£! No fewer than 12 out of 16 witnesses who of hava been examined by the Public Petitions abc Committee on the subject of juvenile immora- in lity, including officers of the Salvation Army ™P and of the police force, have recommended the me adoption of the Contagious Diseases Act as a nut compulsory measure in the larger towns of the 100 colony, and many of them advised that the tra' statute should be made to apply to men es well as women. '..,-. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. A number of our friendly societies appear to have lost heavily through over enterprise in the matter of hall building. The registrar, in his annual report, says:—" New Zealand eocietieo have lost heavily by tho buililiag inauia, and yet ? the ■ bitter experience floes «ot seem to deter ™|j others from rashly risking a great portion and oa ti sometimes the whole of their accumulated funds nig] in this mode of investment, trustees being found g"v even foolieh enough to become personally liable ?'" for sums advanced on mortgage of property. in*J The correspondence is a lamentable exemplifica- £ , ] tian of tho ruin which has been Wrought f or thereby among the branches of 6ne district. tin As to the funds of one lodge, there are none; .lint ftihey foolishly built a hall, borrowed some box miocey on mortgage, and the trustees now find J™. themselves liable for something like £130. °ob< This sitoe mania for hall building ruined no? another, loaves some years ago, and latterly bac a third lodge. The last biennial report of voli the grand secretary of the 1.0.0. F. says m«] the building mania which overtooK the Or3er K DJ some nine or 10 years ago has done more serious w ns injury than an epidemic breaking out among ale the lodges which were victims to it could possibly war have done. It swept the Wanganui and Ravens- <I} K, bourne lodges out of existence, the Star, of Can- "ro terbury nearly succumbed to its influence, while w ]t ithe Victoria, Alexandria, and Pioneer Lodges defi ••are struggling on under burdens heavier than f"n< ■they can bear, and which in these times of th. 6 -depression they cannot unfortunately get rid of. Late executives have strenuously resist- d al- g| V i Sowing lodges to yield to the.fascination of this tote •delusive mania, or others would have added thai themselves to the already long list of victims." °? 10 The registrar suggests in tho casa of juvenile jJJJj societies tho investment of surplus fuuds in Mr annuities sufficient to pay the contributions of a tote member on his reaching tho age of from 55 to 'em 70. There were 27 new registrations during the P*ri year, distributed as follows:—A.O.F., two t courts; 8.U.00F., one lodge; HA.C.BS, did two branches; 1.0.0 F.,twolodges;M.U.l.O.O.F , com one district, and eight lodges; U.A;O.D., five Ap lodges, and six specially authorised lodges. The 1 registrar remarks:—The average sickness and jr'1 mortality experience have been by no mearjß t i lß heavy, in fact, under the expectation, but in belt many cases the management has been decidedly thai unwise. had A POLITICAL COMBAT. buj Tho Evening Pross says:—" We understand J O n that Wellington is likely to be very shortly the arti scene of tho most exciting political duel that has the occurred in this colony for many years—excel- tncl ling in interest and in the magnitude of the 'ey/ stake the memorable set-to between Sir R. a ij|,| Stout and Mr Scobie Mackenzie at Naseby. Wit The immediate oetusa of this exhilarating £1. combat is a challenge thrown down by a Minister Pan of the Crown during the recent debate on the mo. Customs Tariff Bill. From all we can learn,'it J^' is likely to be waged with a view to recalling the a\V good old days of politics in Wellington." ' and - ■ CONGRATULATORY. «rti I.learn that the volunteer officers of Wellington are takiog steps to show their appreciation f en , of the promotion of Captain Hume to the rank fen< of Linutenant-colonel, and a banquet is, I uu- lie I derstand, to be given at an early: date to the w't officer in question. From what I hear the ?°jj -affiair is likely to be a great success. corl THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE. whi This contract has been renewed for another j^' lc 12 months despite tho strenuous opposition of several Southern members. Mr G. Bcetbam CO n has been interesting himself very vigorously to con prevent a renewal of the contract, but the in- par fluence of the Auckland members prevailed with *ne the Government. Mr I'cacook has collected a , number of statistics which, in his opinion, prove bet that the San Francisco mail contract is au ad- not vantage to the colony as a whole. I at t