SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11229, 27 September 1898, Page 6

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

(Continued from third page). PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL. THE BUSINESS DONE. The past four weeks have been fruitful of incident but devoid of progress in the House of Representatives. Early in the month a demand by the Minister for Lands that a map should be issued with Hansard to illustrate his speech in the financial debate, in which he revived an old charge of the " gridironing " of Canterbury land in 1877-1873, caused a good deal of debate. Under pressure from the Minister, the Reporting arid Debates Committee, by a strictly party vote, recommended tho publication of the map, and the House also, in obedience to the party whip, conceded the demand. The report of the Police Commission was presented during the month. In it were recommended several reform's, and the Minister in charge of the. Police department proposed tho reference of these recommendations to the. Public Accounts Committee, with a direction to report as to what the increased cost to the colony would be if effect were given to the recommendations and schemes of the report and of Commissioner Tunbridge, and whether the circumstances warrant the increased expenditure in whole or in part. To this an amendment was proposed by Mr Kelly, the member for Invercargill, which was practically intended to endorse the recommendations contained in tho report. After two nights' debate the Government succeeded, on the casting vote of the Speaker, in obtaining an indefinite adjournment of the debate, and thus in shelving the discussion and shirking the issue. On the 6th September tho House went into Committee on the general Estimates, the first item of which was stonewalled by the Opposition as a protest against the continued withholding by the Government of the fullest information with regard to the finances of the colony find against tho keeping back of tho Public Works Statement and Estimates. Eventually, after an all-night sitting, the Premier gave way and promised that, as required by the Opposition, the Public Works Statement would be brought down on the 27th September, while various returns, which had hitherto been denied, were furnished. The Old Age Pensions Bill, which was read a second time on tho 16th inst. by a majority of 35 to 12, has since produced at the Committee stage another all-night sitting, which was only terminated through the intervention of the Day of Rost, the Chairman, at midnight on Saturday last, leaving tho cliair until next sitting day (yesterday). Tho Opposition, regarding the bill as crude and ill-considered, particularly in reference to its financial provision, have proposed various amendments with the view of improving the measure, but the Premier, adopting his favourite plan of endeavouring to force a bill through by sheer endurance and superiority of numbers, has impressed upon his servile followers that they are simply to "sit tight" and vote according to orders, and this has naturally irritated members of the Opposition, more especially as the Government supporters, evincing little interest in the proceedings, have not remained in the Chamber to listen to the arguments of the other side, but have trooped in from the lobbies on the ringing of the division bell, and then retired again.

In the Legislative Council several measures have been passed, the most important of these being the Banking Bill with, however, certain amendments, which have yet to be considered by tho Lower House. The Juries Act Amendment Bill (providing for the abolition of grand juries), tho Municipal Franchise Reform Bill (extending the franchise to householders), the Companies Winding-up Bill (providing that the liquidation of companies eompulsorily wound up shall bo undertaken by the official assignees in bankruptcy), and the Inebriates' Institution Bill have also, amongst others, been passed by the Legislative Council. Both Houses of Parliament passed, on tho 21st inst., resolutions eulogising the services rendered by Sir George Grey to the colony and Empire.