POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9140, 12 June 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fbom Oub Own Coeeespondent.)

Wellington, Jane 11. THE AUDIT OFFICE.

Some important correspondence regarding the work of public audit was submitted to the House by Mr Ballance this afternoon. Mr Fitzgerald, Controlltr and Auditor-general, reports that it is quite impossible any longer to carry ou the work whicli is imposed on the audit office without au increase of stuff. Mr Webb has informed him that the business of the iDsurßnce and trust offices has increased to such an extent that o c inspector cannot give sufficient time to the duties of each office, and the inspection required by law of Government office, borough and countiep, and other local bodies accounts cannot be done with only tight inspector*. Delay was frequently occurring, and as dissatisfaction thus arose it was necessary to have an extra or travelling inspector. The audit of land revenue has fallen 14 months' into arrears, and there is no prospsct of overtaking it with the present staff Mr Fitzgerald therefore asks for the appointment of two additional clerks, gravely adding this alternative, " or that tha Government will be pleased to indicate to me which brunch of the audit is to be abandoned." To this the UnJer-secretary for the Colony (Mr G. & Cooper) replied that Ministers, after carefully considering the question, cannot see their way to increase the Btaff of the Audit department pending any inquiry which Parliament may direct into the question of audit generally. THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS A despatch of great public interest from his Excellency sent to the Secretary of State in relation to the appointment of legislative councillors in January was laid on the table to-day. Tho despatch covers a petition presented at Government House by 40 members of Parliament against the appointments Lord Onslow, after recapitulating the facts, says:— There were four pointe which presented themselves In[considering the advice tendered to me: fl) Whether Minister, were seeking to fill the Upper House during I heir term of office with more thin a reasonable number of their nominees; (2) whether there was any ndlcation that their object was to alter the political bias of the House in favour of their party; (3) whether the names were those of m un^ n ■„. 2 COUPV 6ea'a In the counoll; and (4) whether Ministers whose position in Parliament was doubtful were entitled to recommend such appointment.. A. to the first and third point., I fSrmed the opinion that had Ministers been In undoubted possession of the confidence of Parliament, no objection except from a purely party point of view was likely to have been taken. It is true that the Premier was alleged to have given certain p.edees, but this wat a matter which concerned himself. As to the second point: During the previous session of Parliament several mea ß ur. s drawn in tha Interests of the labour party had been rejected by the Upper House as then constituted, and so far as the opinions of its members have a party tendenoy they were already more in line with the patty then in power than with the progressive party; while as to the question of the reform of the Legislative Council, which that body had refmed to consider, but which both polltioal parties deem desirable, the new councillors were themselves pledged in its favour. The fourth consideration is the really important one. Assuming a» I do that there wbb no valid objection to the appointments, I foand it additionally dlffionitformetotakethe very grave responsibility of differing from my Advisers. Such a step is certain to bring the representative of the Queen Into colllii on with some portion of those over whom he Is called upon to administer the government and render his conduct open to discuislon in Parliament. Tho gravest responsibility would rest upon mo for the adoption of tuoh a course in a case concerning this colony alone, which neither affected the Hoyal prerogative of mercy nor the question of appeal to the people, and was in consonance with accepted constitutional practice. His Excellency then recounts the making of the appoiatments, and proceeds to observe: I should ba wanting in candour were I to lead your Lord.hlp to auppoßß that either the majority of the House of Eepreientatives. the whole of the party which supported the late Government, or all Leelslativo Councillors, approve the conduat of the late Ministry in tendering me this advice. I do not think it is seriously maintained, in the face of the constant practice in England for defeated Mlolstrieu to adviße Her Majesty to create peers, that there has been anything unconstitutional in my action. But so far as I can gather, there is a strong feeling that in the colony the practice which obtains in lingland of making Ministerial appointments before vacatine oftce la not one which Wow Zealand Ministers should be encouraged to follow. If I have interprated that feeling aright, public opinion will be strong euough to prevent ita recurrence in colonies possessed of such democratic Institutions as manhood suffrage and triennial Parliaments, in addition to a numerous and universally read press. Public opinion Is not slow to assert itself or to execute summary punishment on the Ministry or pirty which has acted contrary to its wishes. The unexpected support which the new Ministry have received in the recent short sesßlon of Parliament, and the discontent of many of the supporters of the late Government is a sufficient Intimation to the leaders of the party lately in power of the state of public opinion on this matter, and ought to prevent any serious evil to the colony arising out of the event being considered in the light ofa precedent, while at the seme time the resignation of Ministers beoause their ad?ica had not been accepted-a step which, In my opinion, only the moit imperative necessity can justify-has been .'avoided. I need hardly add that any expression of opinion from your Lordship will greatly aid me in the course which I should adopt In future, and will be valued in the colonyas an indication of the attitude which her Majesty's Government desires the representative of the Queen to assume towards his adviso™ and towards the psople of these large and growing communities, who nre in full possession of the power to choose with whom they will entrust the Government. These remarks of Lord Onslow's have excited the keenest interest. Lord Knutsford ssys with regard to those appointments :— " I am of opinion that in accepting the advice tendered to you by your Lordship's responsible Ministers, under the circumstances described in, your despatches, you acted strictly in accordance with the constitution of the colony, but I do not dtsire to be understood to offer any opinion upon the action of your Ministers in tendering that advice." ' POSTAL SAVINGS BANK. The report of the Postal Savings Bank shows a steady increase in business, The deposits for the year.exceeded withdrawals by £158,105, the excess being £37.586 at Wellington, £28,745 at Christchureb, £26,781 at Auckland, £15 852 at Dunedin, and £12,065 at Napier. The cost of management was 4£d per transaction—a slight increase. Tho interest paid during the year was £92,919, tha largest vet recorded. The number of accounts at the close of the year was 97,208, and the amount to the credit of depositors, £2,441,876; an average for each depositor of £25 2s id, UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE. The unauthorised expenditnre account for the past year was presented to Parliament to-day. The total amounts are as follow: —Consolidated fund: Services not provided for, £11,779; services in excess of votes, £79,080/ Public Works fund: Services not provided f0r,£1723; services in excess of votes, £5374. Among the items of interest are the following:—E. Mitchelson, Minister of Native Affairs, salary and house allowance, 4th October IS9O to 24th January 1891,£30G 8a lid (tbisof course is in consequence of the provision for a reduced number of salaried Ministers in the reduction in the numerical strength of the Houee); electrical apparatus_ for, Parliament buildings, £271; expenses in connection with Mr Moss' appointment as Resident at Raratonga, £764; grass seed supplied to sufferers by the Taranaki bush fires, £207; expenses of Labour Conference at Wellington, £129; expenses under the Adulteration Act, £409; payment to Rev. H. C. M. Watson" for_ Ircturing on New Zealand in England, £150 (this vote, it will be remembered, was thrown out by the House last year); allowance to J. 8. Hickson, R.M., Clyde, £87 10j ; part salary Mr Commissioner Edwards to*3lst March, £52 Is 8d; gratuity to J. G, Wilson, of Customs, Christchurob, on retirement through ill-healtb, £186 16a; expenses Akaroa election petition, £20 2s lid; compensation jto J. Buchanan, attendant, Seacliff Asylum, for loss of office, £93 16s 7d ; payment to Natives on account of Mangere lands, £406; advanco on account of security for costs appeal Privy Council, case of Poatea v. Ward, £300; expenses fire old Government printing offices, Wellington, £581 j roadmaking Milford Sound by prison labour, £555; purchase of land for rifle range, Wellington, £840; cost of defending a charge of perjury brought against Constable Gillespie, £208; allowance to children of late Sergeant P. Finnegan, Dunedin, £191; compensation to police officers on services being dispensed with—viz., Inspector Moore (£700), Inspectors Goodall, Kiely, and Thompson (each £600); salary and travelling allowance dairy inspector, £161. Among payments in excess of votes are the following:—Printing and stationery, £3977; Treasury, £11,264; inland mails, £1416; miscellaneous postal and telegraphic, £4602; Native Land Court, £1028; mince, £1622; working railways, £31,059; permanent militia, £7335; volunteers, £3959; police, £1791; defence (miscellaneous), £2042; surveys, £2113. Under the heading " Public Trust Office" are tho following items not provided for—viz., judgment and costs Hatfield versus Public Trustee, £942; deficiency on sale of realty mortgaged, £181. THE PREROGATIVE OF MERCY. In his despatch to Lord Knutsford reportiDg the death sentence on Mahibai for the murder of Maloney and its subsequent commutation to imprisonment for life, his Excellency the Governor deals at some length with the question of the exercise of the prerogative of mercy and the relations between a Governor and his Advisers on the subjtct. He encloses a memo, which he had received from the Premier, showing that the Government believe that all acts of administrative government within the colony should, without exception, bs done on the advice of-Ministers. Upon this Lord Onslow remarks that so long as Ministers held it to be a constitutional practice and a duty to retain office even if the Governor declined to accept their advice in the exercise of the prerogative, and so long as collisions between the Governor and his Ministers could bo avoided by mutual forbearance, the system may have worked well; but as soon as Sir Thomas M'llwraith resigned because the Governor of Queensland declined to accept his advice, ou which occasion Lord Kuutaford did not uphold the action of Sir T. Mupgravs, it became obvious that the retention of office under such circumstances ceases to ba a constitutional practice with Australasian statesmen. If, therefore, Ministers saw no reason for making a distinction between the ordinary business of Government and tho busiuess in connection with the exerc'se of the Royal prerogative of mercy, the Governor might any moment fiod himself as Sir T. Musgrave did—without

advisers, and unable to replace them with others baring the confidence of Parliament. The present practice. Lord Onslow continues, is attended with mush that is undesirable for the representative of Her Majesty. He is liable to be accused of being actuated by religious or sectarian motives, or by class prejudice; deputations of various kinds wait upon him, the counsel for the prisoner claims to be allowed to place before him facts alleged to have come to light since the trial, and thus endeavour to turn the Governor into a Court of Appeal. It seems to him an anomaly that in a community possessed of responsible government tho Governor should be instructed to consult his Ministers', and yet be specifically instructed that he may, and in certain cases ought to, disregard their advice at the risk of fluding himself without advisers, lord Oaslow suggests that the practice should be assimilated with that which obtains in Canada, so that the principles of responsible government would be complete, and the Queen s representative would bo freed from an anomalous position, THE JUDGE EDWARDS CASE. The whole of the correspondence, &c. relating to the case of Judge Edwards was laid on the table of the House to-day. It is a very voluminous document, of 153 clo3ely printed pages. Most of the contents have already been made publio in one form or another, and the only portions of interest which have sot jet geen the light are the original telegraphio opinions of the judges respecting the appointment when it was first proposed in March 1890. The Chief Jußtice, having himself expressed a doubt as to tho power of the Government to make the appointment, invited the opinions of the other judges. These he received by telegraph. They were to the following effeot:— Judge Richmond was of opinion that the Government had such power. On the other hand, Judges Williams and Denniston agreed with the Chief Justice in seriously doubtiog whether they had, aud considered it questionable whether ho ought to swear in a a jadge appointed under such circumstances; whilst Judge Conolly held that the Government had not the power to appoint a judge for whom a salary had not been provided, and that the Chief Justice ought not to swear in such a person. The Attorney-general and Solicit-or-general both advised that they had power to appoint as proposed. The opinions were forwarded to the A'kinaou Government by the Chief Justice. It will be fleeu that tho viuws lhur> expressed by Judges Williams and Denniston had undergone considerable change by the time they had delivered their recent judgments in the Court of Appeal. THE OPPOSITION. Although the members of the Opposition party have not yet held a meeting, they have virtually agreed that no undue baste shall be shown in attacking the Government by means of any direct motion of want -of - confidence. They consider that better tactics will be displayed in giving Ministers plenty of rope in the hope that tho usuil result will follow. They do not intend, therefore, to move any amendment to the Address-in-reply unless later circumstances should seem specially to favour that course, but will content themselves with incisivo criticism of the Ministerial policy as disclosed, and of the administration of the Government since their assumption of oftios. They coaaider that there aro numerous openings for damaging criticism, whereas if they attempted by a premature no-coufidenco motion to defeat the Government the effect might be as in January, merely to "harden-up" the Government party, and so to improve instead of injuring their prospects of retaking office. MR M'KENZIE AND HIS LAND POLICY. The most salient point of attaok is generally deemed to be offered by Mr M'Kenzie's land administration. . I had a long convention to-day with Mr G. P. Richardson, the ex-Minister for Lands. He tells me he intends to review very fully his successor's administration. He aaserts that he is prepared to prove that every alleged fact and figure put forth by Mr M'Kenzie in this connection is more or less inacenrate, in some cases enormously inexact. He is ready to disprove the whole case with which Mr M'Kenzie scored in his Otago speech until he was answered by tho newspaper?. Mr Richardson is vety confident of being able to establish a orusbing case against his opponent. SIJR GEORGE GREY'S ATTITUDE. As much interest attached to the attitude likely to bo assumed by Sir George Grey, I had an interview to-day with Mr ReeF, who is understood to be well posted up as to Sir George's views. He told me he believed that Sir Qeorgo would support most of the measures announced by the Government, becauaa they were in accordance with the views ho had communicated, but he would hardly be satisfied with the taxation proposals of Ministers, as althongh he approved of these in their general principles they did not go far enough to please him. He would not be satisfied with the progressive land tax unless it were carried far enough to have tbe effect of bringing under settlement the large estates now held by a few rich men. In plain terms Sir George Grey will endeavour to torce the Government into a thorough-going bursting-up policy, and will make things warm unless they go with him as far as he desires. The Opposition, on the other hand, believe that the proposed land tax will alienate the rural supporters of the Government, and so will react to their prejudice. NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR FINANCE. The vexed question of the New Plymouth Harbour Board's finances and embarrassments will ba brought early before the Parliament by motions tabled respective!? by E. M. Smith and Mr G. Hutchison, the former moving for correspondence, and the latter for a committee of inquiry. BILLS. Notice was given to-day of the following bills: —The Premier: Electoral, Civil Service, and Wanganui Heads Reserve Exchange. Minister of Mines: Mining, Coal Mines, and Promoters' and Directors' Liability. Postmaatergeneral: Post and Telegraph Classification Amendment. Mr Fisher : Agent - generals Limitation of Office, Companies Amendment, Eight Hours, Public Schools Manual and Technical Elementary Instruction, Sale of Intoxicating Liquors to Children Prevention. Mr Joyce: Divorce Amendment and Shop Hours. Mr Wilson: I?almerston North Hospital. Mr Taylor: Coroners' Inquests and Sydenham Endowment. Mr Palmer: Dentists Aot Amendment, Juries Act Amendment, MISCELLANEOUS. Mr Fisher is going to move that having regard to the welfare of the people, and with a view of relieving the heavy burden of taxation now imposed upon the masses, there should be an amendment of the customs tariff so aa to remove the duties now placed on tea, sugar, coffee, rice, currants, raisins, dried fruits, and other similar articles for general consumption, and that the revenue lost to the State by such removal of duties shall be made good by an additional duty being placed upon pianos, organs, musical instruments, music, silver ware, silverplated ware, furniture, harness, carriages, buggies, carts, drays, waggons, carpets, floorclo tb, artificial flowers, laccp, furs, feathers, silks, satins, velvet, gold and silver jewellery, plated jewellery, diamonds, billiard tables, iron safes, fireirons, fireworks, and pictures. Mr Taylor is anxious to know whether the Governor pays for the use of the Hinemoa, and . whether he gets his ball programmes printed at the Government office free of cost. He has tabled questions on those points Mr Reea intends to move that the Government open correspondence with the different governments of all English-speaking communities with a view to the appointment of a conference and consider the relations between capital and labour and the State; such conference to meet at the forthcoming Chicago Exhibition, Numerous questions and motions have been placed on the order paper relative to Native lands (Mr Macdonald), loan conversion, naval and military settlers' award?, harbour board and borough loans, land settlement, expenses re Idwards case (Mr Fisher), Macquarie Islands transfer (Mr Tanner), old settlers' claims, grading of.Buller, &c. (Dr Newman), customs reciprocity (Mr Joyce), small-bird nuisance (Mr Rhodes). A petition was presented to-day by Mr Hutchison on behalf of Colonel Stapp, of New Plymouth, who asks for relief in consideration of his services as an officer in the colonial forces for 33 years. A protracted and somewhat animated debate took pUce in the House in connection with the proposal by the Premier to enter on the journals of the House the report and certificate of the judges who tried the Te Arohs election petition, in which Mr W. S. Allen was unseated and disqualified for 12 months. . Nothing came of it, however, and the Speaker was instructed to issue a freeh writ.