NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT.

Wellington, 13th October. STATE OF PARTIES. I have taken some trouble to analyse the state of parties, with a view to ascertaining what the chances of the new Government are should a noconfidence motion be tabled during the session. The result of my investigations leads me to the conclusion that Ministers are tolerably certain to retain their seats during the session, unless some unforeseen contingency should arise to complicate matters. The Opposition meeting held last evening afforded a pretty accurate indication of how the hind lies among parties in the House. It is & noteworthy fact that 10 at least of the old »Stoufc- Vogelite following absented themselves from the caucus. The gentlemen who held aloof were Messrs Ballance, M'Kenzie, Duncan, O'Conor, Cadman, Smith, Downie Stewart, and Samuel. Then again Mr Feldwick, who has no sympathy with Major Atkinson, kept away; as did also Mr Ward, who is also an antiAtkinsonite. Mr J. C. Brown has not yet returned. He cannot be counted, but should he arrive during the session it is pretty certain that he will be found among the Middle party or neutrals. There were 27 members present at the Vogelite caucus, but I have the best authority for stating that Sir Julius can count upon 32 staunch followers. With such a popular whip as Mr Walker and such an energetic debater as Mr Seddon (who has been appointed principal spokesman of the party), the Vogelite section will be a power in the House whose influence cannot be disregarded. At the same time the Vogelitea will be powerless to upset the Government by themselves, and it is improbable that the neutrals will assist Sir Julius to turn out Ministers. Then again, the efforts of the old Stoutites and their new allies must prove futile to effect a change of Ministry without the assistance of Sir Julius. Herein lies the strength of the Government. If Major Atkinson only plays his cards carefully, and works upon the jealousies of the various sections of the Opposition, he will manage to hold possession of the Treasury benches until next session , at least. The attitude taken up by an ' important section of the late Stout- Vogel party lends colour to the report which was freely circulated during the recess that the members of the late Government were anything but a happy family. The fact that Mr Ballance only intends to give a half-hearted support to Sir Julius points still further to the conclusion that there was no love lost between him and his late colleague the Treasurer. The real state of parties at presenb is as follows : — Government supporters, 50 ; Vogelites, 32 ; neutrals, 12. The neutrals or Middle party are likely to gain in strength as the session progresses. It is a well-known fact that Messrs Barton, Scobie Mackenzie, Moss, Pyke, Allen, Valentine, and Rhodes are only half-hearted supporters of the Ministry, and if it was not for the fear of Sir J. Vogel's return to power some of these gentlemen would proclaim their independence in a very emphatic manner. It is only fair to state that my analysis is incorrect in the opinion of some prominent members of the Vogelite party. Chatting with an Otago representative of strong Vogelian proclivities this morning, I asked him his views on the position and strength of parties, telling him at the game time my opinion on the question. He replied that I was mistaken in my estimate of the strength of parties. He says that Sir J. Vogel has 36 faithful adherents, and in case of an attack on the Government, Mr Ballance and the other members of the late Stout- Vogel Government would be found true as steel. The Opposition, according to his statement, numbers 42 reliable men. Although still adhering to my own opinion, a sense of fairplay induces me to mention the fact that it is not shared in by some who profess to be acquainted jvith all the ins and outs of party tactics. SIE JULIUS VOGEL. Poiitical friends and foes will be gratified to learn that Sir J. Vogel is now able to walk into the Heu«e and take his seat with the assistance of a couple of sticks. Sir Julius informs me that he feels his limbs improving in strength daily. In a little time he expects to be in a 2>ositiea to walk without the aid of sticks. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The weather this evening was rough in the extreme, bat this did not affect the attendance at the House. At half-past 7 the strangers' and ladies' galleries were crowded, and the gallery reserved for members of the Council was also well filled. The moyer of the Address-in-Reply made a neat little speech, which, however, confcaiaed nothing very striking. Mr Graham is a Scotchman, with the faintest touch of the " silvery Doric of the Norbh " on his tongue. He is a middle-aged, shrewd-looking nmu, with no pretensions to oratorical powers. His voice, however, was clear and his manner telling, and the impression macie by his maiden parliamentary effort was on the wholfi favourable. The seconder, Mr M'Grrgor, also hails " frae the hui' o' calces," and, like Mr Graham, he is not distinguished by any elocufejanary skill. He is an old Dunedinite, iwing.been connected with the New Zealaud -distillery when that establishment was in full swing. His age is about 50, and hjs beard is silvered. His remarks were in some respects sensible, and his style of delivery was rather taking than otherwise. It is not often that a Scotchman indulges in a Hibernianism, and therefore when Mr M'Gregor spoke of " the vox popvli of the people" the risibility of honourable members was excited. Both mover and seconder were accorded warm rounds of applause from both sides of the House. Sir J. Vogei followed Mr M'Gregor, and his opening r«markn demonstrated that he was in a jocular vein. The ex-Treasurer evidently thought that as the Speech from the Throne was a light and airy document, it was only appropriate that it should be discussed jn a bantering style. He did not attempt to deal with it in a serious manner, bat contented himself with poking fun at the Premier and his colleagues. Referring to the remark by Mr M'Gregor to the effect that the band of Diviue Providence had unfortunately deprived Akaroa and the colony of the services of his predecessor, Mr Montgomery, Sir Julius made .a telling point. He said it looked like "the iron hand of Fate" that a man who had for years laboured might and main to keep Major Atkinson from office should be succeeded by a gentleman who was doing his utmost jbo keep the premier in power. It seemed some what comical in Sir Julius' eyes that the •' act of Divine Pro<ridenee" to which Mr M'Gregor had alluded should oesrerse the political opinions of Akaroa ,in such a efcort time. Dealing with the promises ■of support .which had been tendered to Major Atfcinsen by & number of members who were <una*rare of that gentleman's new policy, he likened them to a number of sheep who are Sled to slaughter by &a old wether. The ■willingness of Major Atkinson to accept any .position in the oew team reminded Sir Julius of •the master mariaer who was prepared for anything, from cleaning lamps taking charge of the ■■ship. Dealing with the personnel of the Minis-

try, he made a playful allusion to the fine physique of Mr Fergus, who seemed formed for a Minister of Defence in a pugilistic sense. He was rather sarcastic at Mr Hislop's exponse. He remarked that the letters of the Colonial Secretary's name when transposed spelt "polish," and the only reason he could adduce for Major Atkinson taking that gentleman into the Cabinet was that the Premier, aware of his own brusqueness, wanted a little "polish " among his colleagues. Referring to the adjournment, he reminded the Premier that he had no need to put a stop to the business of the session for a fortnight when he had so many able followers, apart from his colleagues, who were competent to carry on the proceedings of the House while the financial proposals were in preparation. He pointed to Mr Pearson, who he said was "in possession of the secrets of all parties." This remark had reference to the member for Ashley's desertion of the Stout- Vogel party. Alluding to Mr Fisher, the ex-Treasurer was unmercifully severe. His remarks in this connection destroyed the favourable impression produced by the observations which preceded them. The Premier followed Sir Julius Vogel, and delivered a trenchant and vigorous little speech, in which he deprecated the frivolous attitude taken up by Sir J. Vogel at a time when the affairs of tbe I colony required most serious attention. He charged the ex -Treasurer with persecuting his colleague (Mr Fisher) because that gentleman had opposed him in a manly and straightforward manner. It has often been matter for surprise that such an old cavalier as Sir J. Vogel should ose his temper in debate. Major Atkinson's reference to his alleged persecution of Mr Fisher caused Sir Julius to exclaim, " It is an absolute untruth." This brought down upon him the censure of the Speaker, and the offensive exclamation had to be recalled. Mr Ballance was the next speaker, and he succeeded by his conciliatory tone in creating a favourable impression. He defended the administration of the late Government with considerable discrimination, and his remarks were loudly applauded. Mr Fisher came next, and in a forcible and well-timed speech he defended the position taken up by the Government. After the supper adjournment Mr Seddon rose and delivered one of his vigorous speeches, in which the transcendent virtues of the late Government and the heinous crimes of the Atkinson party wero set forth in vivid colours. SPRINGING A MINE. After Mr Seddon safe down Mr J. M'Kenzie sprang a mine by proposing as an amendment " That this House respectfully represents to his Excellency that the number of paid members should not exceed five." This was seconded by Mr Taylor. Mr Barron, while in accord with the motion, thought the time was inopportune for bringing it forward. Mr Fish made one of his incisive speeches, in which he severely criticised the Speech from the Throne. He agreed with Mr Barron that the occasioa was inopportune for the motion. Dr Hodgkinson, Major Steward, and Messrs Ward, Feldwick, Duncan, Jones, T. Mackenzie, Allen, Fitchefct, and Colonel Fraser followed. The most spirited speech delivered during the latter portion of the debate was that by Mr T. Mackenzie (Clutha). The result of the division illustrated the fact that Mr John M'Kenzie was ill-advised in moving in the matter. The only members who voted for the motion were Messrs Moss, Kelly, Taiwhanga, Duncan, Hutchison, Taylor, and M'Kenzie. PERSONAL. Mr E. D. Bell, Parliamentary reader, has resigned, with the view of entering the legal profession. He is succeeded by Mr E. O'Rorke, son of Sir Maurice O'Rorke. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE ADDfiF.SS-JN-IiEPLY. Mr GRAHAM moved the Addre-s-in-Reply to the Governor's Speech. He referred first to the successful celebration of tte Queen's Jubilee, and to the part the colonies had taken in it. He was glad the Governor's Speeoh had referred to the question of retrenchment, and he trusted Ministers would be backed up by the House in any reasonable scheme of retrenchment which they might bring down, as the country urgently needed it at the present time. He ' thought the Ministry now had an opportunity for effecting economy in the public service such as had never occurred before, but he hoped they would effect retrenchment in such a way as to inflict as little injury to individuals as ,possible. He was of opinion that many offices could be dispensed with, but tbe whole matter required ! very careful consideration. As to the settlement of the land, ib was a very vital question, ! as it was only by having an increased population settled on the land of the colony that the coun- ! try coald properly progress. In his own district the want of land settlement was very greatly felt, as during the last few years little or no land had been taken up on the East Coast. One of the causes was the defective land system and the restrictions and regulations with which it was surrounded. He trusted Ministers would take up the question in a practical manner, and he thought it would be an advantage if there was one system for the North and one for the South Island. He also trusted attention would be given to road making, particularly in districts where there were no railways. It would be a great benefit to assist local bodies in this direction. If any proposal were made to repeal the Crown and Native Land 3 Rating Act, he should resist it unless something else were given in its place. Dealing with Native lands was also a question of vital iuterest to the North Island, and especially to the district he represented. He hoped Ministers would afford some relief to settlers in completing titles, as he held it was a great hardship to people to have to spend so much money to find out what the Native land system really was. He also hoped Ministers would seek to gain local knowledge in considering this question. There was no doubt that any legislation should aim at doing away with all differences between the two races. He trusted the revenue would be sufficient to enable Ministers to carry on without increasing taxation, especially of the customs. On the question of education he recognised it was a great boon to the colony, and he hoped no material reduction would be made in the vote. He congratulated the Premier on the facility with which he had formed a Ministry, and thought it showed the House was willing to assist him in carrying out useful legislation. NEW BILLB. Mr V. PYKE introduced the Otago Central Railway Extension and Construction Bill. Sir GEORGE GREY introduced the Acquisition of Lands for Settlement Bill. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Mr COWAN asked the Premier if he will take, steps to ascertain the views of the Governments of the neighbouring colonies with regard to the creation of a reciprocal customs treaty between this and the other colonies. The Hon. Major ATKINSON said he would make inquiries tntp the matter, but he was afraid there were considerable difficulties in the way. Mr COWAN asked the Minister for Public Works if he will grant a concession of daily return tickets on railways to stations other than those to which concession now applies, The Hod. Mr MITGHELSON said ihe con-

cession could not be granted without , furthe consideration.' ' Mr COWAN asked the Minister for Publi Works— (l) What is the accumulated amount o the fines imposed on. railway employes? (2 Will the Minister utilise this fund for the pur pose of assisting those employes that from timi to time may become incapacitated from duty through accidents met with in the service ? The Hon. Mr MITOHBLSON said thi amount was £1085, and was invested in th< Public Trust Office. When employes are in jured by means beyond their control they re ceive half pay-for three months, and quarter pay for an extra three months. Mr R. REEVES (Inangahua) asked the Mm ister of Mines if he will cause to be placed or the Estimates a sum of money not exceedinj £5000 to be paid by -way of bonus for the bes 1 gold-saving machinery. The Hon. G. P. RICHARDSON said th( question would be considered when the Esti mates were beiug prepared. Mr HOBBS asked the Minister of Land' whether, in the proposed legislation re permit ting settlers to select land under any systen they prefer, the Government will introduce i measure enabling village settlers, if they sc desire it, to acquire the freehold of their sec tious at the expiration of five years on repay ment to the Government of the advances made to them. The Hon. G. F. RICHARDSON said the whole question of Crown lands settlement was now under consideration, and an opportunity would be given for discussing it later on in the session. Mr JOYCE asked the Government if thej I will introduce a bill to amend the Constitution ; Act, whereby the future Governors of New Zealand may be elected by colonists. The Hon. Major ATKINSON said he was inquiring into the matter, and as soon as he obtained information on it he would inform the House. Mr W. P. REEVES (St. Albans) asked the Minister of Education whether he is still of opinion, as he was on May 25 last, that children under seven years of age ought to be excluded from State schools. The Hon. Mr FISHER said he never used the words that children under seven years of age ought to be excluded from State schools, but he did say that; looking at the welfare of the children themselves, they should not be put to school under seven years of age. Mr REEVES moved the adjournment of the House on the ground that Mr Fisher had not replied to his question, but the motion was not seconded. Mr R. REEVES (Inangahua) asked the Government if it is their intention to increase the poll tax on all Chinese arriving in the colouy. The Hon. Major ATKINSON said the Government had no present intention of raising the poll tax. Mr FELDWICK asked the Government whether they intended to bring in a bill to amend the Land Transfer Act; in relation to the power of distress given to mortgagees. The Hon. Mr HISLOP said it was so in.tended. Mr PRATT asked the Minister of Marine what steps he has taken or intends to take regarding the alleged illegal sealing at the Auckland and Campbell Islands. The Hon. Major ATKINSON said he was inquiring into the matter, and if it were possible to punish the persons who had committed the wrong it should be done. Mr MARCHANT asked the Minister of Public Works whether he will consider the advisability of burning firewood id locomotives on Government railway lines running wholly or in part through bush districts. The Hon. Mr MITCHELSON would give the matter bis best consideration and inform the House of it. Mr SEDDON asked the Minister of Mines if it is the intention of the Government to amalgamate tbe Minos department with that of Lauds, and to abolish the former as a separate department. The Hon. G. F. RICHARDSON said it was not intended to amalgamate the two departments except to the extent of putting them under one Minister, by" Which they might be worked at less cost. ' Wellington, 14th October. LEGISLATIVE RETRENCHMENT. I am credibly informed that at least three members of the Government are advocating the reduction of the number of members of the House to about sO.,£nd the amount of the honorarium to £150. ■'ah.is step, it is thought, will catch the votes of the large property-holders in the House, but it is doubtful if the Cabinet as a whole will agree to the proposed reform. Two members of the Ministry regard the proposal with distrust, and it is therefore unlikely that the subject will come up this session. HARD TIMES. It is currently reported that the Ministers are in sore straits for want of the " needful." Those who profess to bo iv the secrets of the Government assert that though there are sufficient funds to keep the railways goiug for some time, other branches of the public service will have to suffer. I learn that the Minister for Public Works has been compelled to run his pen through several undertakings which the late Government had promised to push ahead. It is stated that a deficit of £300,000 is staring the new occupants of the Treasury benches in the face, and that they are at their wits' end to provide for pressing wants. This rumour may be circulated for mere party purposes. THE LAND. Notwithstanding the vague reply by the Minister of Lands to Mr Hobbs this afternoon relative to the system of perpetual leasing, I am in a position to state that. Mr Richardson has set his heart upon undoing much of Mr Ballance's work. That the holders of perpetual leases will before long have the privilege of changing the system of tenure to that of freehold may be taken for granted. The Minister of Lands regards Henry George and his disciples as a set of faddists, and all his efforts will be directed towards encouraging the freehold system of land settlement. THE ADJOURNMENT. Tbe motion for the fortnight's adjournment afforded an opportunity for some of the young members to air their eloquence. Mr Taylor, of Sydenham, is par excellence the young man of the House, and puts everybody in a capital humour by his quaint questions and eccentric observations. Although a member of the last Parliament, Mr Taylor may be regarded as a green — in factan evergreen — representative. His whole soul is wrapt up in Sydenham, and that democratic borough is in his eyes the "hub" of the universe. What Mr J. C. Brown is to Tuapeka,' Mr Taylor is to Sydenham; with this difference, that while the former has no sense of humour, the latter overflows with it. When he* assured the House this afternoon that Sydenham was one of the most important commercial centres in the colony, the risibility of members was excited. Not appreciating the merriment which he had provoked, he wanted to know where the laugh came in. He let Ministers know that if they desired to overcome his (.bitter hostility they should make it a point to set aside £5000 lor some important public works

which required to be gone on with in the borough of Sydenham. Coming after. Mr Taylor, the youthful member for Christchurch South, Mr Perceval, started to make his maiden speech under very favourable circamstances. Members were in a merry mood, and consequently not inclined to be hypercritipal. Mr Perceval has no claims to be considered; an orator, but he is a speaker nevertheless who can be listened to with a great amount of 1 pleasure. His style is easy, and his command of diction is good. He made a few telling points against the Government. For instance, he characterised the cry for drastic retrenchment and stoppage of all public works as a " policy of pauperism." Referring to Mr Fisher's views on education, as expressed by that gentleman before he became the possessor of a portfolio, he said that they reminded him of what they called in Canterbury " topping and tailing." Mr W. P. Reeves came after Mr Perceval, and delivered a clever little speech, His rounded periods and neatly timed sentences will make the deliverance very readable in " Hansard." Mr Reeves informed Major Atkinson in the plainest terms possible that his constituency had sent him to Parliament to keep the member for Egmont from power, and he intended to do his utmost to faithfully discharge the trust reposed in him. The adjournment was carried without any serious opposition. SUPPLY. The evening sitting was of brief duration. Supply was passed for £200,000; imprest, £120,000 ; and deficiency bills, £50,000. LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE. An important motion for a return was moved for to-day by Mr Scobie Mackenzie. It waß for the payments made by the General Government to the various classes of local bodies (counties, boroughs, road boards, &c.) in each year since the abolition of the provinces, as also the amounts received by the local bodies, drawn from internal sources of revenue such a 8 rates, gold revenue, and gold duty, for the same period. There was a notion that the return would prove expensive, but Mr Mackenzie explained that he had compiled it himself in a couple of days, and only wanted the guarantee of official accuracy. The return only deals with totals, and when furnished will show at a glance what in each year it has taken to run local government in New Zealaud. The return should be useful to financial re?orm associations and others who devote themselves to the question of local government. LAND BOARDS. I have good grounds for stating that the days of land boards are numbered, provided the present Ministry retain office. Mr Richardson has made up his mind to knock the institution of: land boards on the head. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. * THE ADDRESS-IN-HBPLY. The Hon. R. OLIVER moved the Address-in-Reply. In doing so he remarked that there could be no doubt that the question of retrenchment would occupy the attention of the General Assembly during the present session. It was evident from the result of the elections that tne colony had awakened to the painful duty of effecting retrenchment in the public service. However painful the task must be, it was one that the Ministry must accomplish if the solvency of the country was to continue. This and the land policy would have to engage attention at present. He thought it ought to be open to any intending settler to go to any land office in the colony and select any land he might require which was open for selection. This had hitherto not been the case, and consequently many intending settlers had been compelled to go to other countries. With regard to the working of railways, he was of opinion that the lines were worked fairly economically, but considered it would be perhaps better if the control of the railways were placed in the hands of a non-political body. With regard to the item contained in the Speech relating to the tariff, he trusted it did not point to the fact that a system of Protection would be inaugurated. Referring to the Education system, he was of opinion that the school age might be raised from five to seven years. Another way in which retrenchment might be effected was by the abolition of education boards — bodies which were quite irresponsible to anyone. The»hon. gentleman briefly referred to the Imperial Conference as being calculated to bind together the distant portions of the empire. The Hon. J. W. BARNICOAT seconded the motion The Hon. M. HOLMES reviewed the Speech, and more particularly referred to the paragraph relating to retrenchment. Speaking on tbe question of deficiency bills, he said that each succeeding Government had borrowed from trust funds to an extraordinary extent, and during the last year no leßß a sum than £503,000 j had been taken by the Government from those I funds. In savings banks, for instance, no less a sum than £1,600,015 was invested by the people, and with the exception of £69,000 the whole of this large sum had been borrowed by the State. He referred to the large sums of money which had been spent on public roads, a large proportion of which did no good, and stigmatised the Rai ing Act as robbery perpetrated by one part of the colony upon the other. He expressed the hope that the Native Office would be abolished, and with the department also the present pernicious policy of coddling the Maoris, who were as well able to'take care of themselves as were Europeans. The defence vote should be reduced as much or more than any other in the catalogue. Trained men could be goo from Home for two years to take charge of the guns atjthe four chief ports, instead of paying 7s per day as at present. Referring to the cost of education, he expressed an opinion that the outlay was too large, and said he was in favour of increasing the school age to seven years, establishing kindergartens, and closing the education of children at the Fifth Standard, at the same time throwing the cost of education in high schools upon the parents of those children who benefited by them. The hon. gentlemen compared the property tax to the income tax in Great Britain, asking if it was fair to colonial property-holders. He strongly advocated the handing over of State railways to non-political boards, such as had been established in Victoria. The Hon. G. M. WATERHO USE erred to the danger which existed in the bank reserves in the colony, which only amounted to 12£ per cent, of the banks' note issue. With regard to promises of retrenchment, he believed that, pushed on by public opinion, the Government would, unless they desired to be ignominiously turned out, effect trenchant economy. Referring to the hope expressed thai the land laws would secure prosperity, he said that only self-reliance would secure prosperity. The time of small holdings was passing away, and were giving way to capital com-, bined with agricultural ability and improved machinery. Small holdings would only pay in the neighbourhood of large centres.' As to education, he had no doubt a great saving might be effected, whether as regarded the buildings or minimum of school age. He favoured the kindergarten system as being satisfactory and at the same time economical The adoption of the kindergarten system would not exceed 30 per cent., and at the same time children might receive religious instruction from various denominations. The same system was adopted in England, and he trusted the time ww not far <

distant when the .whole -Bduc^tbT^ZTTr be revised, Aot only with.* view to ilfe* 0^ ried on more economically but more libS o**0 ** far as regarded religious instruction y 6°6 ° The Hon. J. C. RICHMOND honed *k n verntnent would, during the recesTenS 6 to effeot some retrenchment in hSt.- 6 ?* 001 Council which would have the T l^ popularising the Chamber and admifcZ^ its walls men and politicians of culture LJ^ perience, when those who were now mw? 1 had passed away. Alluding to rSLJK he said that if all classes of the cS^ realised the fact that retrenchment 7^l necessary, there was nothing to prevpnW - The motion for adoption of the A'dH™ • Reply was put and carried on the voices. ' . Wkixingtok, 16th October OPPOSITION TACTICS § I made it my business this afternoon to inf. view a promiuent member of the OmmSr with the view of obtaining some idea S v" tactics which the parby intend to pL»! during the session. I ventured tJ ? ! that ,1 considered the Government 1 until neyfc session, from which he dissent stating that they would be turned out of nffi* within the. next month. Asking him his t<»T for such a prediction, he replied as follows? " In case a no-confidence motion is tabled wC the Financial Statement is brought down wer reckon on 42 certain votes. This number ir true, is insufficient to carry the motion, but th*! are six or seven doubtfuls, who with a litti judicious management will vote v?itb us I • acknowledged on all hands that the advocatesnf local industries are in a majority, and unk these gentlemen are false to their elect!™ pledges they must insist on the tariff question receiving full consideration." « You will pardon me," I interjected, "for interrupting yeu hut from the general tone of the House it seems to ! me certain that retrenchment is the great ques ! tion which demands first attention. Both ]W traders and Protectionists are agreed upon that point, and the majority of members think that if the Ministry bring down a programme which will give effect to the wishes of the country in this respect they will have accomplished a work which should entitle them to the support of all those who desire to see the finances of the country placed on a sound footing." "That's very well in its way," replied the prominent Oppositionist, " but it will not get over the fact I that the direct issue of Protection and Free- 1 trade was placed before the constituents, vi 1 unless some attention is paid to the question I there will be a howl from one end of the colont 1 to the other. Both sides of the House are I agreed that retrenchment is absolutely necej. B sary, and proposals having for their object; I legitimate reductions will receive support. At X the same time we shall insist that the E question of the tariff must not be shelved E and in taking this course we should UK backed up by Freetraders and Protectionist! B There is an unanswerable argument which w? X intend to use in order to force Ministers to shot M their hands, and it . is that unless the Govern- R ment indicate what line they intend to take up H in fiscal matters, the state of uncertainty whid H will prevail in commercial circles will have the §| effect of paralysing trade, and the people will not M tolerate a condition of things which will cam If a stagnation all through the recess. Nothing is If so detrimental tp business as uncertainty, and ig therefore no paltering with the subject will be B tolerated by the House." " Suppose," I observe), J§ " that the Government express their intention cl B considering each item of the tariff during tie H recess with a view to afford encouragement to g those industries which require it, will not that H cut the ground from under the feet of the Op- 11 position ?" "By no means ; that will strengthen fl our party as a party, for while not satisfying tlu KB thoroughgoing Protectionist it will disgust m Freetraders of the Barron and Scobie Mackec- tm zie school, who deprecate any tinkering with 1| the tariff." •' Does the Opposition really mean, i then, to table a hostile motion ?" " There csn | be no doubt about that. You newspaper fellows 1 may expect ample material for sensational re- I porting in a fortnight's time." As the gentleman s whose views I have just given is supposed 1 to be behind the scenes in the Opposition camp,it 3 may be taken for granted that he is well ac< § quainted with the plan of campaign which is fi| intended to be adopted by Sir Julius and bis Jm followers. II MR PYKE'S POLICY. II Mr Pyke assures me that the programme Kg which Ministers intend to adopt has been bot- gl rowed to a large extent from his Tapanui speech. ||§ The abolition of- land boards and education ||I boards was enunciated by Mr Pyke, and other ||| reforms of a similar character were ako advo- f|| cated by him. He states he feels highly com- » plimented by the honour they have conferred M upon him by appropriating his ideas. The M member for Dunstaii is in capital fettle thiJ M session, and he assures me that he never felt io w better fighting trim. || A LONG SITTING. 1 Ministers sat for 10 hours in Cabinet jester- g day, with only a short iuterval for refreshment*. || Very important preliminaries relative to r«j M trenchment were under consideration, ana m definite lines were laid down whereon to com- || mence the cutting down operations. 1 Wbllington, 17th Octobeb. m& SIDNEY TAIWHANGA. . W That inventive but somewhat erratic g eDiai gf Sidney Taiwhanga has a plan afloat for tKRH complete regeneration of the Native race, at ffi took his departure to-day for Parihaka i° rt f if purpose of interviewhig Te Whiti relative tt g his scheme. The Prophet is expected to wort g up a vision for the special edification and en* g lightenment of Sidney Taiwhanga. g AN AXE TO GRIND. ....,■ Mr W. L. Rees is again to the fore with M g East Coast settlement scheme. He has inter* g viewed Ministers and urged on them the aesir* g bility of assisting his project. It is not at g probable that he will meet with much encourage- g ment at present. Ministers have now an ci- g cellent excuse for refusing to entertain propose g which entail the expenditure of public iuggs. g THE LIBRARY. „.■ The Hon. W. H. Reynolds informs me tM'g he intends to offer strenuous opposition to t«g movement which is on foot for the erection oi • g new Parliamentary library buildings, Ee^Burwg me that there are only about 40 workB , J V"H library which could nofc be replaced, and we* g could be removed to the Government bai»WBB where duplicate copies of the Blue Books snog State papers are kept. g THE FUCHSIA. „g Is is not generally understood that the f ucj» g is a most useful wood for certain P" r P°^g Professor Kirk assures pie that it can to «*J g to great advantage for veneering and P lc Vj.g frame purposes. He has prepared some sy*\ g mens of the wood, and for the past day or v* g they have been objects of great mteretf* g members and others. . The faehsia gro ff »/^ g circumference, of 3ft" in some of tbe w»»g Island forests. I RETRENCHMENT. M g The New Zealand Times, whUe deprew^ g, w»y wholesale redaotiona and dismissals m *» g;

it calls the unfortunate civil service, makes the following suggestions as to the direction in whsh the pruning knife should be applied t— " There isaperfect multitude of directions in which may be effected either large lump savings or else a number of those small economies which seem severally insignificant but amount in the aggregate to a vast sum. We cannot go fully into these to-day, but we shall do so at an early date. Briefly* however, we may remark that Ministerial salaries could well be reduced from £11SQ and £1250 to _ £1000 and £800 respectively ; while travelling allowances should be limited to actual expenses necessarily incurred. The Ministerial residences, or nearly jll of them, should be sold, and a reasonable sum for house rent be granted instead. The payment to Legislative councillors should be aboliahed, or confined to the bare necessary expenses incurred. Members of the Lower House should not receive more than £10P> ahd fche number of members should be diminished by nearly one-half. The • Hansard ' reports should bo greatly curtailed, and verbatim reporting allowed only in special cases. The amount of printing should be reduced to a minimum^ and Ministers should make a firm stand against the preparation and printing of costly returns. In all these directions there is wide scope for economy. Again, there is no need for so many industrial schools, of which a crowd are being maintained at enormous cost. Probably one central establishment of each kind would amply suffice for the whole colony. Then education boards too could readily be dispensed with. The colony and its education system could also quite well do without the elaborate school returns which take so much of the master's time to make up, and so i many clerks' time afterwards to boil down and tabulate. We migbt go oil for several columns, but even the reforms we have already indicated should make a Very good list to begin with." FISHING FOR A POLICY. Under this heading to-night's Posts gives out 4hafc Ministers are engaged in pet Using all the election speeches of the gentlemen who now form the House of Representatives. The object in view is, according to the Post, to frame a policy that will Ruit all parties. The same paper warns Ministers against following the example of the old man and his ass. The Post also asserts that it is credibly informed that Ministers, after sounding their supporters, find that in order to satisfy some of them it is necessary that they should embody some mild form of Protion in thoir programme. As the Post has assumed a slightly antagonistic attitude towards the new Government, its statements should be taken with a slight grain of salt. AMALGAMATION. Mr Peacock is preparing a bill for the amalgamation of city and suburban electorates. Mr Peacock is a firm advocato of the Hare system in a modified form, Wellington, 18th Octobeb. CABINET WORK. That Ministers are going about their work in ■a systematic manner may be gleaned from the [act that for the past two days they have been occupied in their offices from morning till night. Seldom before has such industry been displayed by tho occupants of the Treasury benches. The absence from town of the majority of special correspondents has given the new brooms a chance to pursue their work without the fear of being disturbed by the pertinacious gentlemen of the press. I am credibly informed that the heads of the various departments have been subjected to catechetical examinations of the most searching kind with a view to ascertaining tho directions in which the pruning knife m»y he applied to the greatest adv&utago. The ilepiu-tmuuis in which the most <lraitic reform will take plaro are the Public Works and Railways. Mr Mitcholson thinks that bo can, without impairing the efficiency of the service, carry out reforms which will save a very iarge sum Annually. With regard to education a suggestion bus been made that ins tuad of lowering the standards, a small fee should b« paid by parents who desire their children to receive instruction above the Fifth Standard. It has not yet trauspired whether the Cabinet will give effect to the new notions with respect to police. It may be taken for granted that a saving of £4000 a year can be effected without inflicting auy serious injury on individual members of the force. A large amount of money is expended annually in such extras as fuel and light, and only a limited number of constables beuetit. It is thought tho allowances may be abolished with advantage. Ministers fully realise that the force is not too strong numerically at present, but, with care and attention, they see their way to work a considerable reform in it. I believe lam safe in predicting that in the reductions which will necessarily take place, Ministers will act with discrimination and prudence ail through the various departments. It is the intention, I learn, to retain the services of as many of the juniors as possible. Those of the seniors who would only have a fow more years to serve will bo dispensed with "} the first instance, unless somo extraordinary circumstances demand that their services should be retained. The strong, active, and capable juniors will receive the first consideration. So far as they have proceeded in their jlifllcu.lt task Ministers have demonstrated that they intend to do an unpleasant duty in as pleasant a manner as possible. " It is a well-known tact chat Major Atkinson has a warm side toW f\v members of the civil service, and if some of them are unusually dealt with it will not be jj's fault. He acknowledges that in some "ranches of the public service the employes are underpaid, but states that in others there is a quantity of superfluous officialism which must be dispensed with. A MAORI DEPUTATION. A deputation, consisting of the Hon. Mr "iMoa and Messrs Pratt, Taipau, and James J*noll, M.H.R's., waited ou the Minister for mtive Affairs this morning with regard to several matters affecting the Native race. The !?u , on asked whether the Government would, during this session, bring in a short bill ueaiing with certain clauses in the Native Lands wT IStrrttioa Ac > with the ob J" ecfc of «mplify■ag tne procedure in connection with the renewal rpnr*fi of land to Europeans. The Minister replied that it was the intention of the Government to bring in a short bill during this session ™ remedy tho matter complained of. The Minis«*■also stated that it was the intention of the «iaW nt to P r °Pose the repeal of the Crown KLSm!^ Lands Ratin & Aot - Mr Pr * tt «mgnt before the notice of the Minister the «aoner of collecting f ees on Native leases under ennM p Act> and asked if the Government X re P eal that P arfc of the acfc deali »g with sW« . es> or make conditions less in?i S ' so thafc the fees instead of being paid ba oopT p S ", m on execution of the lease might PJ+ • yoarl y du «"g its currency. Mr lirf , P ?i Uted °ut that this would be a great reMiniS •*?, Eur °Peans and Natives. The qu2 ?5 he thoi igkt it was a reasonable retiou. matter would receive consideraTh* n T S E , CA THOLIC CLAIMS. PetitLp at r Ohcs of Wellington are about to P& Par >?aent re the Education Act. The 9mm set « « that Catholics are required

by their faith to hoid; and" do reasonably and conscientiously hold, that their children should be taught religion and morality along with secular knowledge in schools, and that conse1 quently the present purely secular system of education as established under the Education Act of 1887 is utterly repugnant fco their conscientious convictions; that while they are compelled to contribute to maintain the system of State education, from which they derive no adequate advantage, they receive no State aid for the highly organised and most efficient schools which they approve, and wbioh they have erected and maintain throughout the colony at great cost and sacrifice, affording thereby sound educations with careful moral tramiag, t6 thousands of children, and thus practically saving annually for the State many thousands of pounds ; that they are of opinion that this grievance would be effectually re : dressed and the finances of the colony greatly relieved by State grants in aid to denominational schools ror secular knowledge only up to the required standard under Government inspection.