POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10419, 23 July 1895, Page 3

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(FEOM CftTE Q\YN CoiinESPOKDENT.) Wblmngton, July 22,

THE LATE DEBATE

Tbingß political have beuu quite aud unevent- ; ful since the somewhat abrupt termination of the want-of-eonfidence debate. I say " abrupt"',' becausa it was fully expected that such promi-i neufc Oppositionists ao Messra Buchanan aud j Allen would have made fall speeches that would have made some mark, but no doubt the copious notes that they made during the debate will come in upon another occasion—the Budges debate, for instancy,—and for the rest Sir i Robert Stout in hia terse, clear-cut speech,! probably discounted much of what they would have said; and then ,the Honse was thin aud tired, and it would have added more to tbe weary waste-of words that had been uttered though it must ba said that the members of the Opposition consistently stuck to the point at i issue throughout, which the Ministerialists^ did cot. TJhe sensation of the division was the defection from the Government of Messrs Sannde-s and J. W.- Kelly (of Invercargill) An evident attempt was made to influence this latter gentleman's vote at the last moment but without avail, and, in a voico audible, iv the i«a\- ' I«im, he said » Fare thee well " to his friends t S /u a sstyoty he. ni. !h6B as he tu"ied his fane toward the Oppoailion lobby. As for loc-1 opinion among men outsido party, the general .opinion is that the e ff eofc o f the debate in th fa country must prove injurious to the Governlneut, white tUc Tjoamrer would have escaped scatheless had he frankly admitted the imprudence of his Chamber of Commerce speech in the orsfc mstancr, and said that he did not intend ■ that it should bear ' the °?"8 traction placed upon it here. Mr Graham, ot Nelson, has achieved some notoriety he would ' not have gained othenwe, by solemnly statin/' Jrom his place that if the Treasurer admitted having used the words " unpledged securities " he would vote with the Opposition, and after the admission was made following his leader with complete docility. I

THE BUDGET. The Cabinet was, I believe, sitting the greater part of Saturday, the Budget and the policy to -bo contained therein being, ie1 is understood, the chief subject of concern. It is whispered in the lobbies that tha tariff is a vexed question, as to which 1 am told that under the guise of a readjustment provision will be made for an increase of revenue that in Face of falling customs and railway returns vail, it is said, be almoat compulsory. There are some additional charges this year, including a first payment of interest ou the now loan to be provided for, and there are some members who hint that there is more than a possibility of the land tax being again anticipated. It is signiß-' cant that the Tariff Committee and.the Public' .Accounts Committea bave cot beeu called together this session. This is a matter tbat rests with the Ministry as to the initiative, and their critics aver that they,.already embarrassed by the report of the Tariff Commission, which is in the direction of more freedom of trade, desire to avoid any possible inconvenient recommendation, by the Tariff Committee. That these committees have not been called would seem to strengthen the hands of those of their opponents ivho charge the Ministry with autocracy m the garb ofdemocracy. THE REFERENDUM. To-day I hear that the Referendum Bill will probably survive the ordeal of Committee'asd reach the other place, where it is expected it will be summarily despatched. The proscect, howover, of oven tbh measure of success is P^ tfcltt! githß tefol' mers of the Constitution and Use abolitionists ot party government into great heart, for they aver' that this partial triumph for the referendum will greatly aid the cause of an elective .Executive.

MINING COMPANIES. I have bsen able to secure an early copy of tor Cadman's bill W amend "The Mining Companies Act 189*," tl:e main features of which I telegraphed a few day« ago. Ihe inevsuro applies to every company registering undec ihe principal act, and also every company formed for mining purposes and registared under "The Companies Act 1892." ' The directors of any such company may enter iutq any agreement to sell 40 W Person or persons or grant them the option (to be exercisad within a specified time, not exceeding 12 months) of purchasing as a going concern the whole of the privileges, property, and tileats of the company (other than uncalled capital) upon such terms as the directors think fit, provided (1) that a resolution aathoriaiug the directors to do so or ratifying and confirming tbe action oE the directors in having dove so is duly passed at a special meotiDg of the company held whether before'or after the commencement of this act; (2) that the warden of the .district in which the company s operations are carried on certifies that m his opinion the agceement will nof prejudicially affect the claims of creditors of the company. The bill contains'a number of clauses as to the contents, filing, and hearing of petitions for the warden's certificate. A duplicate of the certificate shall be filed in the Warden's Court, and therefore the agreement to which it relates shall be deemed to be intra vires of the company aud shall be enforceable against the parties thereto. Nothing in the act shall affect any charge or security held by any persons over any of the property of the company. All the proviciona of section 24- of tbe principal aot are declared to apply to mining companies .registered under " The Companies Act .1882."

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARDS. The following nominations have been received for seats ou the Railway Appeal Boards of the' North and South Islands respectively :—North laland: Officer*' nominees —J. E.. Donne Wellington; E. G, Pilcher, Napier; H. Buxton, Wanganui; H.. Davidson, Wellington. Workmen's nominees—J. Wilson, Palmerston North; D. B. Pergusson, East Wanganui. South. Island—Officers' nominees—H. Baxter, Christchurch; C. Lloyd, Port Chalmers; W. Crombie, Dunedin. Men's nominees—w! h! Jordan, Christchurch; K. M'llroy, 'Christchurch; D. Handysideg, Christchurch; P. Symonds, Dunedin; P. E. Nolan, Dunedin; R. Farron, Danedin; J. Jardine, Duaedin. The appointment of the president lies with the Government.