Thursday, 29th June.

Otago Witness, Issue 1598, 8 July 1882, Page 22

Thursday, 29th June.

A return was presented to Parliament tonight showing the number of infected sheep in each district in the Colony. The respective numbers are as follow :— Auckland counties, 3884 ; Napier and New Plymouth counties, 0 ; Wellington counties, 53,164 ; Nelson counties, 1850 ; Marlborough counties, 354,269 ; Arnuri county, 122,138 ; Canterbury, Westland, and Otago countips. 0 ;— total, 535.305. BEPLIE3 TO QUESTIONS 1

In reply to Mr Fulton, The Hon. Mr JOHNSTON said a further supply of trucks were being procured for the Dunedin section of railway.

Replying to Mr Fulton, The Hon. Mr JOHNSTON promised to make inquiries as to condition of Outram-Mos-giel branch railway.

NEW BILLS.

The following new bills were introduced, and read a first time :— The Portobello Road Board Enabling Bill (Mr Macandrew) ; a Bill to Enable Trustees for Religious, , Charitable, or Educational Purposes to form themselves into Bodies Corporate (Mr Dargaville) ; Maori Representation Bill (Mr Taiaroa) ; The Native Land Diversion Bill (Mr Bryce) ; The Education Reserves Act Amendment Bill (Mr Dick).

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

The adjourned debate on the Otago Harbour Board Empowering .Bill was resumed by

Mr WESTON, who spoke at great length on harbour improvements generally in the Colony, urging that Government should prevent the waste of money going on. *l"c contended that the Harbour Board's scheme of improving Dunedin Harbour was folly until the bar at the Heads was made available for large ships. Ho opposed the bill. Sir GEORGE GREY supported the bill, as he considered the improvement of the Otago Harbour a subject of national importance. Mr LEVIN opposed the bill, and Mr WRIGHT was commencing to speak when the debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment.

PENSIONS BILL.

The House then went into Committee on the Pensions Bill, Mr Sheehan taking charge of it in the absence of Mr Shrimslu, who was ill.

The bill was amended to prevent it applying to payment of pensions already granted. Several verbal amendments were agreed to, and a new clause proposed by the Hon. Mr ROLLESTON, exempting Supreme Court Judges from the operation of the bill, was lost on a division of 32 to 31.

The bill was reported as amended. A return just compiled shows that the number of new holdings exceeding one acre in extent was in 1882 26,298, of which 18,732 are freeholds, or 2151 more than in 1881. The total area under crop (exclusive of artificial grass) is 1,002,485 acres, or 84,714 more than last year. The extent of land sown in wheat and eats shows an increase, in barley and potatoes a diminution. From the complete railway traffic returns! for the second four-weekly period of current financial year, it appears that tho total receipts for the four weeks were £81,087, as against £71,144 last year; and for the eight weeks £173,337, as against £101,196. The working expenses, however, show a small increase, being 51 per cent, for the eight weeks, instead of 411 per cent, as last year. The increase in expenditure is general, excepting on tho niinci'.il linos and on tho Christchurch and InvoicargiJl sections, but it is by far tho huaviuaL on the Auckland, Nelson, PicUm, and Dunedin bectioiiHj and oiv nearly all tho branches.

Monday, 3ho ."July

Su far as the returns are yet to hand {and

1 only one small port is missing), (he i'itfl<nns " revenue collected hi Now Zealand during tha

month of June was £110,305, and for the first quarter of the current financial year, £346,055. This is somewhat less than the proportionate estimate, assuming that the revenue came in at the same rate all the year round, for in that case, as the year is estimated to bring in £1,500,000, the quarter should have realised £375,000. "But it is notorious that this is not the case, and the June quarter is usually a dull one for the revenue. Moreover, there was a great rush of customs just before the close of tho last financial year, owing to the simultaneous arrival of numerous vessels from Home and other colonies, leaving a corresponding slackness for the next month. Therefore, on the whole, no real falling off is indicated by the above figures, which, when carefully analysed, show that the customs in reality keeps well up to the mark. The same may be said of the beer duty, which, though it has brought in £14,246 for the quarter instead of £15,000 (which would be the fourth of £60,000, the estimate of the year), this is, .is a matter of fact, more than was actually expected for the June quarter, which, as well as the September quarter, is a bad one for beer, the weather being unfavourable for a large consumption of malt liquor. The duty for June was £4092. Ministers have been in close Cabinet all day on the Public Works Statement. As the latter was all ready last week, excepting some small tables in the appendices, it is conjectured that this lengthened review of thestatement indicates some probable alteration in its proposals. It is currently reported that Otago will come out remarkably well in the new Government scheme of public works.

Tuesday, 4th July.

I hear that over 200 replies have been received from local bodies to Major Atkinson's circular. These are being printed as quickly as possible, and will be laid on the table at an early date. I understand that they exhibit considerable diversity of opinion, but cordially agree in the opinion that the Government should provide ample subsidies or otherwise supplement their funds.