POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9194, 14 August 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fhom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) ' Wellington, August 13. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. The prospects of the" Payment of Members Bill are beginning to excite some anxiety in the "Liberal" ranks. Sir George Grey tabled a question to-day as to when the Government iuteadea to proceed with it; bat this is not all. A requisition has been put in circulation, and has been signed already by 21 members of the Ministerial party, urging the Premier to push on the bill without further delay. My informant tells me that the promoters of this requisition declare that all the Liberal party are favourable to it, and would sign but some of them admit that they are afraid to do so lest their constituents should call them to account for it. On the other hand, the labour members generally aie understood to feel very strongly upon the subI ject, and to contemplate bringing some special pressure to bear if Ministers display any tendency towards lukewarmnesa in respect of this important question, aa they deem it. Some members of the Ministerial party, however, apart from the question of the unpopularity involved in the proceeding of th6 requisitionists, strongly disapprove of the requisition as indecent and ill-timed. Mr Garncross is one of these, and he has done all he conld do to put a stop to the circulation of the requisition, whbh he deems not only objectionable in itself, but also calculated to damage the labour members very seriously in the eyes of the country seeing that they will already have drawn double honorarium for this year. Messrs J. Kelly and Tanner go with him, I hear, in this view, and some other members of the party now greatly regret having so hastily signed the requisition earlier in the evening. Mr Buick is understood to have been the ostensible originator of the requisition, but I am informed thai; he took it up at the request of an older member, who made use of him, being unwilling to appear prominently in the matter himself. Mr Buick, I believe,'acfced with good intentions and perhaps without realising • the view which might be taken of the proceeding. I hear a strong attempt will be made to suppress the requisition, of which some of those who signeii it are already heartily ashamed. It was hoped it would not have become known.

THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY. The Customs and Excise Duties Bill, designed to grant certain concessions to tobacco manufacturers, was read a second time to-day. The bill provides that there shall bo levied upon unmanufactured tobacco entered to be manufactured in the colony at the time of removal from a bonded warehouse or from any importing ship to any licensea* tobacco factory, for manufacturing purposes only for tobacco, oigats, cigarettes, or snuff, the following duties:—On and after January 1, 1892, till December 31; 1893, Is 63 per lb; on and after January 1,1894, till December 31,1896, 2s per lb. There is also a clause providing that on and after January 1, 1892, and until December 31,1896, there shall be levied upon tobacco manufactured in the colony, whether from tobacco grown in New Zealand or from a combination of the two kinds, the following duties of excise:—Tobacco, Is per lb; cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, Is 6d per lb.

AN UNUSUAL PROCEEDING. The House was treated to a somewhat lively discussion this afternoon. Mr Fish rose to ask the following question of the Native Minister— namely: "Whether his (Mr Cadman's) attention had been drawn to a conversation which is alleged to have taken place in a railway train on the 30th alt. between Dr Macgregor (Inspector of Hospitals and Lunatic Asvlams) and Mr \V. L. 'Simpson (the gentleman appointed to conduct the inquiry into the charges made against the management of the Seacliff Asylum)." When Mr Scobie Mackenzie at once objected to such a question being put, on the ground that it was altogether contrary to the standing orders, as there was nothing whatever to show that if ( w*s a matter which should be brought before Parliament ; and, for all they knew, the conversation might have reference to private concerns. Mr Bryce and Mr Rolleston expressed themselves to a similar effect, and both objected to questions of that kind appearing on the order paper without stating the nature of the conversation referred to. The Speaker agreed with

Mr Mackenzie's view of the matter,1 and ruled that the question could not be put in its pre-

sent form, at any rate till he had been made acquainted with the purport of the conversation. Mr Fish then moved tho adjournment of the House, and claimed that as the remarks alluded to in his question had appeared in a Dunedin newspaper, he was justified in referring to them in the House. He went on to state that he had seen in the Dunedin Globe—(Opposition cries of

" Oh, oh 1") —statements reflecting on the management of the Bescliff Asylum. Captain Russell and other members here rose to points of order, on tha ground that the Speaker had already rated that the matter could not be farther referred to in its present fprm. Mr O'Conor said that the House should not listen to the member for Dunedin when he had not the good taste to accept the Speaker's very fair ruling. Several other members having spokeo, Mr Fish persisted in his right, as a member of the House, to move the adjournment of the House. He continued to quote from the Globe, upon which Mr Buckland rose and Baid, that as there was going to be a scene in the House, and as the Speaker's tuliug was evidently going to be defied, he should move that tho

galleries be cleared, as Mr Fish only wanted to get the whole affair reported in "Hansard." The .motion was not put, however, and the Premier eventually advised the member for Dunedin to postpone his question till nest day. Mr Fish said he had no objection to that, but that he should ask it again to-morrow in a different form. The House then proceeded to other business.

THE LIBEL BILL, The Libel Bill has got safely through committee in the Legislative Council, and now has every prospect of becoming law this session, the Hon. Downie Stewart's new clause, which I telegraphed to yon yesterday, was incorporated in the bill, which is set down for its third reading to-morrow. It will then be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence in the Council's amendments. I hare every reason to believe that these will be readily accepted, as improvements in most oases to the bill, acd that it will receive the Royal assent in the course of a few days. . It is regarded by the numerous newspaper men,here as a great boon to the press, while in no way infringing the rights or. injuring the privileges of the general public, who will have just as much facility as aver for obtaining redress of legitimate grievances, if not more, The only people upon whom disabilities are imposed are the blackmailers who derive and will receive scant sympathy in that their " occupation is gone." '

THE NEW TAXATION. The persistence of the Government in pressing, and of the House in carrying, that part of the taxation proposals which enacts that companies which have borrowed money on debentures from persons beyond New Zealand Rhoold be deemed as agents for the lenders, and be liable to pay the tax, but should have the right to recover from such lenders, is the theme of severe comment in the lobbies to-day.

orphans of men who have served in the Imperial or colonial forces, the committee think that in any case where it can bo satisfactorily proved that had the husband or father been alive ka would have been entitled to a grant of land, such graut should be allowed to the widow or children. Applications from men who have left the colony are not recommended. The committee are of opinion that to give <ff,et to the recommendations they have mode a special commission should be appointed to inquire into all claims. They also recommend that the bill which is to amend the Naval and Military Settlers Act should be proceeded with, and land orders immediattly issued to claimants whose applications have been recommended by tho commissioners of Crown'lands.

MISCELLANEOUS,

The disappearance of native birds, more especially the tui, the kiwi, and the kakapo, is receiving the attention of JUr W. Hutchison, who urges the Government to consult with country gentlemen and others who take an interest in native ornithology, with the view of ascertaining what measures can be adopted to insure the preservation of these birds for the pleasure of future generations of New Zealand. Mr W. Hutchison intends to ask the Minister of Defence (1) If, seeing that the police force have to provide their own uniform, while that of the members of other public departments is provided by the State, he will take this anomaly into his consideration and cause such provision &a he may see fit fcr placing the police in this respect on the same footing as other Government servants who wear uniform; (2) considering that sergeants and constables in charge of stations have to supply fuel and light for the use o, the public at their own expense, if he will cause the allowance that was at one time granted to out stations for thia purpose to be revived. MJ J^T'S? 1 s lßoing to ask the Government (1) whether the results of the late census have been ascertained and reported to the Representation Commifßion, a duty which the Registrar-general is required by clause 3 of " The Presentation Act 1887 " to do as early &b possible; (2) if such results have not "been reported, will the Government, if possible, expedite the matter; (3) if.they have.been so reported, can the Government inform the House when the Representation Commission will begin, its labours. Mr Mackenzie is going to move for a return showing approximately the amount of road work done by prisoners at Milford Sound, together with a plan indicating the proposed line of road. The practicability of farther reducing the freight charges upon lime used by farmers aa manure, freight to be charged proportionately upon the cost of the lime is being urged on the Government by Mr Carncross. All correspondence relating to any truant school or schools in thia colony is to be moved for by Mr Lawry. .Mr Hogg means to move for information respecting the practicability of so altering the railway line between Wellington and the Wairarapa as to avoid the Rimutaka inclitte. A wholesale massacre of innocents is in contemplation, and it is feared that the Banruptcy Bill will be included in the list, unless strong pressure be brought to bear from outside upon both the Government and the House. The Premier promised a deputation of. members to-day that if Mr Palmer was not able to bring up his Dentists Bill on Thursday, the Government would take it up with the amendment establishing boards of examiners in the chief centres, Mr Houston is going to move that the importation of foreign and intercolonial timber is undesirable, as by using ■ New Zealand woods settlement would be promoted.