POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 9

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[By Telegraph.] (from oub own correspondent.) Wellington, August 11th. After the delivery of the Public Works Statement last night, Mr Joyce spote very strongly regarding the omission of all mentiou of the R'verton-Orepuki line, which was commenced by the Provincial Government. He dwelt at length on the hardship of the position of the Orepuki people, and the necessity for the line. Mr Mr .candrew backed him up. Mr Baiff spoke bitterly of the non-provision for a line to connect Greymouth and Hokitika. Ministers did not reply to either. To-day a great deal of lobbying has been going on, but Ministers see it ia hopeless to expect to carry the Native Lands Bill. It is considered certain it will be abandoned, and that, if "defeated on the Incidence of Taxation question, they will appeal to the country." If they remain in office, tLe Hon. Dr Pollen ia to retire at the end of the sessiou, and Mr John Hall will succeed him. Mr Hall is lobbying for them now.

In my telegram published on the 3rd, Otago and Auckland " Centralists " should have been "Contingent." The paragraph, as corrected, reads : — " A movement is on foot for a union between the Otago and Auckland contingent and portion of the Canterbury member* to oust the present Ministry, on an agreement that the question of Separation is not to be raised, that the land fund is to be generalised, and that the administration is to be improved.

August 13th. Thing 3 are very quiet. Ministers have held several cabinets and it is said, intend to abandon the Native Lands Bill if the Opposition will accept a promise that they will introduce a short Bill to prevent all speculation in Native Lands until n°xb session, but excluding 1 all present vested interests. Something; has also been hinted about drawing a distinction be tween Native Lands fit for pastoral and agri cultural purposes. The Government proposals will not, however, be accepted by Mr Ballance, or the Opposition, On Mr Woolcock's motion, tho Government will have to encounter a hostile majority, the feeling in favour of a property tax being very strong in the Lower House. The Goldfields Committee is sitting daily on

the Goldfields Bill, and has already agreed to amendments providing that District Judges shall rehear cases from the Wardens' Courts, and also has considerably reduced the costs of cases before Wardens and other Courts.

The want of discretion shown by Sir G. Grey and Mr Rees is the great safeguard of the Government. They are regular marplots. Last week Sir G. Grey was with the greatest difficulty restrained by Mr Macandrew from tabling a, direct vote of want of confidence, which if moved by him would have been rejected by an overwhelming majcrity. Mr Rees cannot possibly be kept quiet, although almost every time he speaks he does the Government good, and his own side h?rm. Anything would be endured rather than give either of these men a chance of office, and their presence in the House amounts almost to an insurance of the position of the Ministers.

August 15th. Upon the motion to go into Committee of Supply, Mr Wakefield mored : — " That it is expedient (1) that a. system of free selection, with a fixed price of L<i per acre for all blocks containing more than 20 acres, be applied to all waste lands of the Crown throughout the Colony, including confiscated lands. (2) All blocks not exceeding 20 acres to be submitted to public auction at the upset price of L 2 per acre for rural lands, and Ll2 12s per quarteracre for town lands. (3) One-fifth of the land revenue to be paid directly to the County fund of the County within which such revenue arises. (4) The remaining four-fifths of tho land revenue to be paid into the Consolidated Fund for ordinary appropriation by the House. ( 5 ) All preemptive rights ceaae. (6) Costs and expenses of the following services to be defrayed from the Colonial revenue, viz. : All existing debts of Government, including Civil list, interest and sinking fund of all loans (whether Colonial or Provincial), primary education, gaols, police, lunatic asylums, public railways, arterial roads, bridges, subsidies to local bodies. (7) Cost and expenses of the following services to be defrayed by local bodies : Roads, bridges, and other local public works, other than arterial, hospitals, charitable institutions, penitentiaries, and reformatories, not being public gaols."