POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10404, 5 July 1895, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, July 4. CHARITABLE AID REFORM. , The reform of the preseat system of charitable aid that is proposed by tha Qovernmcn!. has been the subject of some lobby talk to-day because of some remarks by the Hon. W. P. Reeves in moving the second reading of the Industrial Schools Act Amendment Bill, which provides for an extension of the preoenfe board-ing-out system. There is naturally much interaßt as to what the nature and scope of the charitable aid reform may prove to be, and 1 a hint of any of its provisions will be timely. I cinuofc gather much, but think it will be found that Ihe special features of th«s bill will be the care of destitute children by the State r.nd tho establithmeuc of labour colonies for those of the unemployed who, from from age or other disabilities, cannot hold their own in the struggle bo obtain work. "ENDOWED SCHOOLS BILL.

Tbe Minister for Education iv his Endowed Schools Bill intend-; to provide that every endowad echool shall, after the Ist January 1890, m every year afford frea education by fciviug a froe pluce for the year to one scholar for every £50 of the net annual income dsrived by the school trom onduwmsnfcs, incJudLig contributions made by ecbool comniis-iionewi acfiiw under "The Education Rejervcs Act 1877." In lieu of free places the governing body amy substitute se.llolaisb.ips accruing to the following tciie:—Two scholarships each of an Kiiuual sura equal to half the ordinary schoaJ'' fees of one. scholar for the year iv lieu of one "free place ; one scholarship of au annual cum eoual to the ordinary school fees of one, two, three or four pphoSars respectively for tho year in lieu of one, two, threp, or four free piac-s respectively, provided that no scholarship in lieu of three or four freo places shall be granted except to a scholar whose borne is ao remote from the scbo»l as to prevent him from livjjj" at home whilst attending school or collem"* wholly or partially mainlined by endowment?' but does not include any iusti!.utio» sfn-intad to the University of New Zealand, cor any school maintained chiefly for the benefit of the Maoris

OPPOSED NOTICES OF MOTION.

Yesterday when notices or motion were called on, the first npon the list was by Mr George. Hutchison for a return of the transactions under the Consols Act to show the dates of investments, their nature and amount, aDcl where the moneys are invested. "Opposed," cried the Premier. " Did I understand the Premier to oppose ? " asked Mv Hutchison. " Yes," was the .answer, with sortie asperity. . "'Then I oppose all the rest," said the member for Patea in his blandest tones, anii so 15 notices of motion went by the bu.ird. Later there was quite a breezy time on the aubJKct of opposed returns, members of the Opposition alleging that informatien directed to ba supplied to Parliament by statute lay? was being kept back :d order to screen the Treasurer. This Mr Seddon indignantly; repu^iatad, and changed the aagry mood of his opponents to one of mirth by saying that he would not give the information to enable hou, gentlemen opposite to cut his absent colleague's throat behind his back.

To-day when notices came on the first proved to bs by Mr George Hutchison for a return of correspondence b&twsen tiie Agenfc-geaaral and j the Government oh the subject of the recent loan Tbis the Prfctnier opposed, and I Patea promptly answered by effacing tha test of the notices for the day. But he was nob to go scot free {or this wholesale slaughter, for presently he had to move the ceeoiul reading of tha Patea Foreshore Bil!, and Mr Pirani called for a division, the second reading being i saved by 38 to 23. The significance of all this | is thst it looks like the beginning of tactics thsA if continued, as seems likely, will speedily create much bitterness of feeling and consequent obstruction of public business. " Obey the law and the best traditions of Parliament-," Ray the Opposition. "We won't," says ■ the Premier in effect. " Then we will employ the formß of the House to make you pay fcho penalty." BILLS PvEVIVBD. The Government have reiutrodueed their bill of last session to authorise local authorities to convert sud consolidate their loans. They have also brought forward again their measure to authorise rating on the unimproved value of 'and; and a short bill providing a bonus to encourage tho production of sugar from beetroot and sorgimra. The two bills first; mentioned hare beea altered in some details.

THE ESTATES COMPANY LOTTERY BILL. The Bank of New Zealand Estate's Company Assets Special RBftliaation Bill, which has been entrusted to Mr G. H. Millo/the senior Government whip, sets forth that the company cannot for a v umber of reasons dispose of its property by the ordinary methods of realisation, and it v therefore provided that the directors of the company may, with the consent hi writing of the president and two directors of the Bank of New Zealand, dispose of its property by lottery. Mr Mills, of cours?, anticipates some opposition to his measure in certain quarters, but he contends that the principle ib already admitted by the legislation of lotteries in connection with works of art, tbe tqtalisotor, &c, with the - permission* of the Colonial Secretary, and that his bill is in no way equivalent to the authorisation of a State lottery, bat will divide intny Urge estates and facilitate settlement. It is expacted that Ministers will support the proposal, and its fade will depend in a large measure upon the attitude of the members of the Opposition. ' •■•■■ IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. The member for Caversham (Mr Morrison) had charge of an Imprisonment for Dsbt Abolition Bill, which provides that no person shall be imprisoned for making default ie pijment of a sum of money with, certain specified ezceptiona. Though the Premier threw in«the whole weight of,his.iuflueiice in-favour of this bill, which is almost identical,with the Government measure broujjhfc in with the same object last year, the House ignominiqußly rejected it by a vote of M to 28, as one of the most ■widely, accepted arguments against ths measure was that it would injure poorer people by preventing tradesmen from giving them credit. The result of thb vote may be regarded as an indication of the attitude of the House towards Mr Scddon's Debts Recovery Limitation Bill, which makes 'it' impossible- to recover debts for goods under £20. : '.-■■/.■'•■'■ CO-OPERATIVE-.WORKS. . Instructions have been given through the Public Works department that in the future the maximum number of days that co-operative hands will be allowed to work is 20 iv any one month. The man are to be entitled to select their own holidays. / ;, > . EXECUTIVE!. The Elective Executive- Committee has now drafted its bill, which provides for the election of six Ministers by the Lower. House. Nominations- are to; be sent in to the. Spsaker after his election, - and each is to be signed by 10 members and the candid Ate; each member of the executive must ba elected by an absolute majority of those.yotars taking part in the first ballot. \ Votes of want of confidence are abolished in favour of a. system by which a requisition, signed by 25 members, is to be handed to the Speaker asking that a motion of.want of confidence in .any individual or in the whole Executive may be /placed on the Order Paper, and such motion-shall then bs fixed for discussion on the second sitting dayafter ita appearance on the Order Paper. V THE RABBIT PLAG-UB; ■ < Mr Hogg asked the "-/"Minister for Lands if he bad considered thetrepreßesits.tiohs that had bsen made for the; encouragement of rabbitproof fencing;,,and in doing so oaid it might be assumed that attempts to suppress the rabbits had been a failure; As ins settlers recognised wire netting as the'1 oaly-preyentiye, would the Government do anything1 to help the settlers' to procure ib? To this the Minister nnswared that a bill would be introduced to m'ke advances to settlers for this parpoae.upon the same lines as to local bodies. ■■•- . ANTI-TQXIN: ; The Premier ; had a tilt at the medical profession on Tuesdayyand had'a y*ry sympathetic audience. Ifc aross put of-■■ a question by Mr Graham, who wanted ;tb kno\y^if the Government would '^consider the propriety of procuring from Home dcreot,: under medical supervision, a supojy of pure anti-toxin" because of, the present' prohibitive p'rico of that healipg agent. TbePrrinier, curiously enough, did not answer.the question, but be did give some mformatioriithat deserves wide publicity. The Government bad imported anti-toxin, and its cost in the; colony, broiVghbfronr France, was from 2s 6d to ,5s 6d per bottle, according to size. The bottle > v/M>>usu!tlly*sufficient to effeeb a cure. .Druggists, charged double the co3t, and as: to tlie>.m<;dical<prof^ssibn, a'cura had come under' notice'where a; physician had charged a goiuea for •-the-treatment and a guinea for the anti-toxin that "only cost 6d. dost extortionate charges had been exacted. He thought the..timehad ktmost come when the charges tor surgical operations should bo fixed .bylaw.""- ■•■><>.>. .v-/...--\. -.;: ■';;:. ■-". ■ ••"-•;• :_ ■•'■: JOTTINGS. The small shopkeepers are 'in a sorry plight, according to Mi'.'-'T.1 Mackefizie, \between the Shops Act and th£ proposal to prevent the recovery of small debts '.-'supported by the Government. "' ,v' •'', I- .'. . One Government; member declared the Imprisonment for Debji Aboliticra Bill a measure to proteot rogues Atthtf expbpse of the trading community^, jind^ another that % it was a blow struck by the professed friends bf the-working men against the working m&h himself. Some of the moat flotoribus scoundrels in New Zealand,I'says Mr T. Mackenzie, have baeri made justices of-the peace. Traction engiuedrivers may present themselves, the .Premier qajs, 'for examination at Chrietchnrch, DunedinVor Ihveruargill, to the inspector of machinery when travelling. Sir R Stout returned to the charge on Tuesday for a return for the y.oar.'pf Government advertising, but the Premier, thropgii the intervention of Mr Hall, \yas 'enable^ to say that he hoped to lay upon the table a return of all advertising from 1884-. to the end of the past nnanoial year. • It is not the intention of the Government to surrender tbe. pre-emptive right over Native lands, but there.'are inequalities in the Native legislation of last session that A?ill be considered. ' •'-'■;■•■• ■•-.;'■; '•''■'■ \'. ■ ■ ■ ■ Mr Thomas Mackenzie having! directed the attention of the Minister fop Landg to the existing monopoly of limo'for agricultural purposes in the South Island, the hon.-gentleman was understood to say that ha realised the position and proposed introducing a bill to deal with it. Replying to a qu<j«tion on Tuesday, the Premier said that a special official, had reported upon the domestic relations of the : co-operative labourers in Otage, and it-was found that the system was not being abused as stated to him at Dunedin in November last. . '. : . . Mr Pirarii is to ask the Minister for Labour if he will provide in any amendment of the Shops and Shop A'sistivnts Act for the o'.osing of post offices connected with country stores on ibe half-holiday, or for the exemption of such stores from the operation of the aut . Mr Larnacfa is to ask the ■ Minister for Lands whether; he will iinuoediately consider tLa sdvisability, in th« 'interests of future land settlement in small holdings,,of slteriug the constitution of lsnd boards in tho c«lony by j allowiag ths members,to elect their own chairman, and thab-.t&o election shall be an annual one; or will he refer this question to the Waste J Lands Committee to deal with. The Premisr was asked by Mr W. Hutchison if he would consider' the practicability of i putting the joinerfi' arid cac|K<nteH' work of the new gaol atDancdiu in baud with as little delay as possible, rs there was a considerable number of joiners and carpenters out of work in Dunediu. Mi1 Seddon said be would make inquiries, and if the re&ults T/ere favourable he would comply with the suggestion. NOTICES. \ Mr G. Hutchison }s to ask the acting Colonial Treasurer why the Gevernmtnt opposes the return moved for as to the inscription and investment of consols. Captain Russell is to ask the Premier if tha Government hava instructed the clerk of the writs to retard the issue of a, wris for the election of a member to serve in the House Gf Representatives for the electoral district of Auckland, or i« any way endeavoured to interfere with the provisions of elauso 137 of "The Electoral Act 1893," which provides that " tho clerk of the writs sb.aU forthwith cause a writ to ba issued." Captain Russell is to ; a.ek the Premier: Whereas it is ' provided by "The Public Reveaue Act 1891" that money may be expeuded in excoss of appropriation, but by the forty-ninth clauee of that act it is furthftr provided that Uall sums so issued during the currency of the annual Appropriation Act shall be charged to an account to ba called the unauthorised expenditure account, and an abstract of the sum certifiod by the audit officer shall be iaid before Parliament within 10 days aftsr its first sitting day next srfter the then financial year," h*s such abstract been prepared by the Audit depitrtmsnt ? If- so, why has not such abstract; been iaid before the Hoiise, as more than 10 dsys have elapsed since the first sitting dty ? Captain Hussell is to ask 'the Premier—As "Tho Public Bovenue Act 1891," clause 69, providc-s that "the Treasury shall within li days after, the end of each fir.aacin.l quarter prepare and send to the Audit OlHcp an abstract of the revenue and expenditure of tbe public account, as provided by this set, during Buck quarter, aad snail within 30 days after the end of each financial year prepare and sesd to the Audit; OfSoe a similar abstract of such revenue and expenditure daring th« said yftar, and such abstract when certified by the Audit Office ahull be forthwith published in"the Government Gazette acd - laid before Parliament :•—(!) Did the Treasury, in compiianco.with the act, prep&re and send to the Audit Office tUe abstract oE such revenue aud expenditure of the quarter, if le not, why not ? (2) If the Treasury did comply to with the act and forward to Hi* Audit Office the abstract of rtveuuft end ezpsnditure for the quarter, has tho abstract been certified by the 11 Audit Office, and if not, why not ? (3) If the ;o the abstract feai? been certinsd by the Audit , c Office, why lisa it not been publisfced in tbe ;o Government G-azfttte ami laid before Parlia)f ment, as not only 30 but 94- tfays have elapsed ;:) since the close of the flnniici^l year?

— Over 20 boys have won the Victoria Cross.