POLITICAL ITEMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8587, 31 August 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

POLITICAL ITEMS.

LOG ROLLING.

A question of privilege occupied the House a fow miuuteson Tuesday afternoon. Mr Thompson member for Maraden, complained that tho New

Zealand Times had that morning stated that ho

had log rolled for tho Puhipuhi Forest tramway by offering to support tho Otago Central line provided the Otogo members would promise to support tho Puhipuhi tramway. Mr Thompson denies that ho matlo any such bargain, and states that all he said was that ho only supported tho Otago Central Railway Bill as oue of the policy measures of the Government, n»d could only further support that bill on the understanding that tho whole of tho public works proposals of tho Gavmiment were carried through; but that if all other works wero to be thrown overboard, they were not to rely on his support for tho Otago Central. Messrs Fish, Humphreys, and Downio Stewart corroborated (hisstatement, but the intelligence of;Mr Kerr discerned that Sir Thompson's statement and the statement made by the paper were not so very different after all, aud after some further discussion tho matter-dropped.

A PECULIAR PETITION.

An extraordinary petition wa3 presented on Tuesday by Sir George Grey rs follows: —" Tho petition of IJa Prince, of Wellington,shows that a letter containing my Government bank book, lin which £500 nnd interest appeared to my | credit, and a letter of iusti'uctious from my lato | protector, Mr E. A. Liviugstoue, were entrusted to Mr Salmon, a clerk iv the Bleuheim Post Office, for delivery to your petitioner in the event of any accident such as sudden death happening to tbo said E. A. Livingston; that tho said E. A. Livingston died suddenly ou the 22ud Decomber lajt, aud that iramrdiatoly afterwards Mr Salmon placed the documents which were entrusted to him for delivery to your petitioner iv an envelops and posted them to your petitioner's address, care of Mr KirkcaUlie, to "whom they wore duly delivered; that very shortly uf tcrwarda the chief clerk of tha post office (S!r Hoggard) came and asked for the parcel, took it and delivered it to the inspector of post offices (Mr Koso), who delivered it to his wife, who opecod it without the permission of your petitioner; and has since kept possession of it to the great ir>conve:iiencj of your petitioner, who but for kind friouds would have boon left without meaus; that your petitioner's latter, intended for her eyes alone, and which she has not yet reecivoil, has beeu read by thu po*t oiHce inepe.clor, by tho post office inspector's wife, by Mr Guily, the lawyer, and has been communicatad to Miss Coombs; that your petitioner wrote to tho Hon. the Postmaster-general reg.miing the above facts, and ho has stated that he will not interfere ia nny way to give relief to your petitioner. Your petitioner therefore is compelled humbly to appeal to youc honourable House, and to ask you to afford such redress us iv its wisdom it may doom fit, and your petitioner will ever pray.—lda Pjjince,—Wellington, 27th August 1889."

TRANSFER OF CHATTELS.

j Tha Ssiect Committee appointed to conj aider tho Chattels Transfer Bill evidently most carefully considered the measure. The bill as introduced mado sll bills of salo void if not registered. A) altered by tlw committee, the bill makes them void only against creditors ami assignees in bankruptcy. Securities for p.«t debts arc bad if tho pjrfoM executing tho gecmity become bankrupt within four months after it ia given. A ptr^ou giving a morrgago Oi stock U not to be liable crisiinaliy so long as p session is not taken under ih-.-uiortgago for tho shearing of sheep given M tocurity, and the-sdo or disposal of tho wool of such sheep, before default shall urvo ocon tjjftt»c fitivj posiGasiozi fcsUcn under tiio instrutuent creating such security. The meaning of section 12 of "The Clutlcls Securities Act 1830" as to mortgages of stock U declared as follows: —" Whcrr-ss doubts hivo nrieen as to thu true meaning of section 13 of ' The Chattels Securities Act ISSO,' bo it declared and euocted that eviiry mortgago under such section already executed, or which shall bereftftcc lie executed before the coming into operation of tho other provisions of this act, to secure payment of an auVaiice or Joan made at thu time of ths execution of auy such mortgage, shall bo and bo deemed to havo been good in respect of euch advance or loan notwithstanding the bankruptcy of tho mortgagor within 60 days of the execution of such mortgage; provided that this section (shall not affect any legal proceedings now pending or any dispute under an existing bankruptcy." Tho following sections have been introduced protecting registered fecuritiss iv cane of bankruptcy:—Until the expiration of thu time or extend, d time fur registration of any instrument under this act, and no long as such instrument continues to bo registered hereuuder, tha ahatttls comprised in an instrument by way of bailment shail not be deemed to bo in tbo possession, order, or disposition of tho grantee, or in thu caso of any other iuatrumcut of ths grantor, within the meaning of auy act relating to b»ukruptcy of insolveucy for tho time being iv force. Tho forma in tho acheduls to,tbo bill have beou ameailed iv various particulars. Thu bill id set down for committee to-morrow, so that there is a reasonable chance of its becoming law this session.