POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(Fhoji Oun Owx Coßmrounm.) WELLINGTON, July 1. THE ( OPENING CEREMONY. Though brief the. opening ceremony, winch, as everybody knows, takes place in the comfortably-appointed Legislative Council, was none the less impressive and effective. Thoro was a very small attendance of Legislative Councillors, all the mem- j hers of that body not yet having arrived from their districts to take up their parlia- 1 mentary duties. One notable form that was absent was that of the Hon. S. E. Shrinraki, an old and respected member, who lias been called away by death. As usual, there was a -argo gathering of ladies, whose rich drosses lent a very unusual air to tho usually Eombro chamber. Not only did they occupy all tho spaco in the galleries, which look down on members' benches, but they woro also provided with chairs on the floor ot tho Chamber. Lady Constant Knox and Lady Eilocn Knox occupied seat 3 alongside the Speaker's chair; Lady Conslanco Knox and Lady Ward were presented with two very b&autiful shower bouquets, provided by the Speaker, Sir Henry Mi'ler. Lady Stout was present on the c-ft of the Speaker s chair. At the ap- ' pointed hour the stately Usher of the Black ' Rod announced " His Excellency the Governor. IJis Excellency, in full Court dress, was accompanied by Captain' Dudley Alexander Captain Rich (of H.M.S. Ringair't? \t Ballill S'°n (Commandant ot tho Now Zealand Forces) and lrie staff offer, Captain Campbell, all in full uniform. The Black Rod, bowing thrice, annouiicoa the "Faithful Commons/' who troopod in, and occupied tho back half ?vi> , 9 ll! l m , hc " r - Tho Speaker (Sir G. M. UKorkc) led the way, followed by the Ministers of the Crown and about 50' memhers of the Lower House, In recent years the burly Premier, who leans on the back of tho chair occupied by Sir Maurice, and scans the galleries with his well-known gaze, has- always been a prominent figure at the opening of Parliament, and his absence this year peemcd t'o leave a largo gap. If the ceremonies in connection with the opening of (his, (he last session of the present Parliament, can be taken as any indication, the session should bo a very short one, and members should bo back in their districts at a comparatively early dato wooing the suffrages of their constituents. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH was exceptionally brief, the briefest'that has been delivered to members for several years ftnil it? contents do not provido many subjects that call for deep deliberation on tho part of the country's representatives. But tliove is a. glorious uncertainty about politics which renders it very unsafe to mako any prognostications about the duration of a session—a topin which is always keenly canvassed by politicians and those whose business brings them together once a year m the Empire City. , : A BRIEF SITTING. Beyond the laying on the table of the roports of tlie Representation Commission, to which members have naturally been looking forward for some time, there was no bustnoss transacted when the House of Representatives met, and the proceedings v/ero marked by tho same brevity that characterised the Governor's Speech, THE ACTING-PREMIER. J-! ; ] "7 K t Wanl > in moving tho resolutions with reference to the illness of hi, Majesty the- King and the deaths of Mr Arthur Morrison, late momber for Civovsham, and the Hon! S. E. Shrimski, M.L.C., spoke very feelingly, and it was felt that he just said the right thing. SIR W. RUSSELL. A very pleasant incident was the hearty applause which camp from both fides of tho House when Sir Vfilliam Russell was congTatulntcd upon lus knighthood.. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. . Tn accordance with custom, the' Address-in-Kcply to the Governor's Spcccli will bo moved hy the youngest member (counting his parliamentary years), and in the preS t ir'm honour falls to tho lot of Mr I. K. Sidey, wjio was elected fo the Uaversham seat rendered vacant by the death of Mr Arthur Morrison. Mr ,T T -M. Hornsby the member for Wairarapa, is to second the Address, THE LATE HON. S. E. SHRIMSKI. ■ Iceling _ reference was made in both Houses tins afternoon to the death, at Auckland of the Hon S, E, Shrimski, M.L.O. m the Upper House, tho Hon. W. U Walker said ho had a melancholy .duty to pei form a duty, which; unfortunately, fell to his lot too frequently. Death had been amongst, their ranks. Like soldiers, they of he Council could never forget those who mil been their comrade in the field, On lug occasion he had to ask the Council to adjourn m memory of tho Hon. Mr ohnmski, and also-of a very old friend in another place. The Hon. Mr ShrimsH hid oceri called to the Council a number of years ago, and'from that time to the nresent no member had been more assiduous in his .duties than was that lion, gentlemap. That he had been able to attend so well to his duties and to do them so well was lemarkable for .a foreigner, but it was a spcalcing commentary on the liberality of our colony that tho foreigner could'have won by spurs m the popular Chamber, and have afterwards finished in this (tire Council). -aho Hons, i'oldwick, Lonipson, Jennings, and Jones' also referred to many legislator I ** "' e cl ' ar;lc!cr of 1,10 deceased A BUSINESS-LIKE PREMIER. •Sir Joseph Ward has already earned golden minions by his business-like methods and ill his capacity of Acting-Premier. H<! evidently intends to introduce much-necded lni3inoas methods into Parliament. A southern member informs me that the Railway Statement and tho Post Office Statement- are likely to be brought down tomorrow! tho lands report' will probab'y make its appearance next week, and the 1' manual Statement will be read much earlier than usual. Some members I have snoken to say they will be' quito satisfied if they get back to their homos within three mmtlis. LOCAL BILLS. Mr Millar lias two local bills, which he wul intorduoe early in tho session—viz., the University of Otago Empowering Bill and the City of Duncdin Town Belt Roads Closing Rill, THE OTAKOU BLOCK. Mi; R. 0. Carrie!: lias in hand a petition K'nic.i he will get some member to present regarding the Otakou Blcclc. Tho petitioner; are some of the representatives of tho Natives who conveyed the Otakou Block to I lie New Zealand Company in July, 1844. llio petition eoes at great length into the history of the transaction. The petition states that tho sum of £2400 (aboutlid per aero) was paid for the land, but the "future tenths have not been settled down to the present time. If tho "tenths" are still disallowed, the petitioners allege they can claim that the alleged deed of cession to the company is utterly void, and that they aro still entitled to tho whole of tho said •block. Tho petitioners, however, do not wish to attack the legality of the deed, and they simply ask—(l) That tho "tenths" of the Otakou Block or other approved land of equal value may now bo set apart for , the pooplc of Otakou: (2) that a reasonable sum of money bo granted to the people of Otakou as a fitting roward for their splen- , did conduct in the early struegling days of the colony, and as compensation ifor tho irreparable damage they have suffered in ' having been deprived of their right for over half a century.