JOTTINGS

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 23

JOTTINGS

The Premier has a way of repudiating his reported utterances. Mr Scobio Mackenzie, reterriug to this little trait, says :—": — " Ido hops my hon. friend the Premier will not suppose that because I have been for a short season in retirement in the country I am entirely a new member of this House aud do not know him. — (Laughter ) That would be a very great mistake for him to make. There never was & speech the hon. gentleman has made appearing in print th&t he has admitted to have uttered." Referring to the Premier's wish expressed I*

his recent Danevirke speech that the preFs of ' the colony would as a whole use its great power j in endeavouring to prevent any injustice being done during his absence, Mr Scobie Mackenzie Eaid : " That appealed to me, hecause I have the honour to be in some sort a member of the press myself, and I felt from that instant— l assure j the House when I read that sentence I felt { myself, as a pressman (and I can answer for most other pressmen, who are as a rule the most generous persons under the sun) — I felt ' called upon all I could to prevent harm being done to those pcor, helples3 creatures on the Front benches in the absence of the Premier." — (Great laughter.) The Premier had also stated in that speech that he would leave himself in the hands of the people, feeling assured that fair-minded colonists of * all shades of political ouinion would see that nothing unfair wculd be j attempted by the opponents of the Government ! during his absence. This gave Mr Scobie Mac- • kenzie another chance : " What is the meaning I of all that ? " he asked. "Is it not as plain as can be a mos' objectionable kind of glorification of tfimaelf, and equally objectionable depreciation of his colleagues ? I did not appreciate the remarks. On the contrary, I resented them, because I felt that when these words were uttered and the press were being begged to protect the Government, the whole tone was j that of a man who was taking an imbecile j family and handing them over to soms j compassionate person, saying — 'Now, for ; God's cake, lake care of them in my. absence, for they are wholly unable to take care of themselves.' " Which, uttered in Scobie's good-humoured way, with effective pause?, convulsed the Houbo with laughter, in which even fche ' ' poor creatures " on the ] Ministerial benches joined. "God be with you till we meet again," said , Mr Monk, iv concluding his speech in reference ■• to the Premier's Home-going. An irreverent scribe in the press gallery ssjs he should ha vn added "and then God help you " — this in viow of the increased strength and debating power of the Opposition in this Parliament. The Hon. W. J. Steward ia to ask the Minister for Lands if it is his intention to introduce a Fair Rent Bill at an early period of the next session of Parliament. Mr Waßon would like the Premier to ascertain and lay before the House next session the approximate cost of establishing a first-class steam service between New Zealand and Melbourne or Sydney. Mr James Allen wants a return of tbe advances to settlers accounts. i SATURDAY, APRIL 10. The short session ot Parliament practically came to a conclusion to-day. The Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill and the Wellicgiou Sanitation Loan Bill pasf-ed the Council, after a slight opposition to the latter measure In the House of Representatives the only business transacted beyond th»* adoption • of the congratulatory address t> the Queen wa9 j the replying to various questions. Most of the , members left for their homts to-day. NATURALISATION OF CHINESE. Replying to tbe Hob. Mr Sbr'mski, The Hon. W. C. WALKER said that 21 applications for letters of naturalisation were teceived from Chinese prior to September 1, 1896, and 12 since that date. Consideration of these applications had btcn postponed uutil the pleasure of her Majesty was known in regard to tbe Asiatics Restriction Act. The Hon. Mr REEVES moved—" That in ihe opinion of this Council it is desirable that the Government should during the rocees make inquiries as to tbe desirability of subsidising a i direct steam service bet wee v this colony and "Western Australia, with t view to an extt n&inn of trade and alto to supplement our mail service trith Europe, via Albany." If such a service were established a direct and good market for our produce and a quicker mail service be tween London and New Zealand would result, and the colony would receive a very great boon. j The Hon W. C. WALKER said that ; inquiries had bsen made, and were still being j made, as to the desirability of such a service, i No efforts would be spared to bring about a > service if it could be satisfactorily accom- J pliihed. The Hon. G. M'LEAN said the difficulty in the way was that there was nothing to return to New Zealand on the return trip in exchange ; for our produce. Such a servico would not pay. I His company could not ask the Government for j a subsidy ou a service that would not pay. i The Hon. Mr REEVES replying, 8&"id that ! little could be sent back at present from J Western Australia to any other of the Australian colonies, but there were plenty of the inhabitants of that oolonv who would be only | too glad lo visit New Zealand during the < summer months if a direct service were s established. The motion was then pub and agreed to. THE PEESIDBNT OF THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. Tho. Hon. Mr ORMOND «sked the Minister for Education whether consequent ou ihe report of Mr Cook, liquidator of tbe J. G. Ward Earmers' Association, the Government intend j to take steps in respect to the position of the ' officer at present president of the Bank of New j and representing the interests of the /• colocy in that institution ? He eaid that in afcking the question, which was one of very great importance, he had no desire to embarrass the Government. In the report there were •[ allegations against various persons, including j the president of the Batik of New Zealand. The i colouy had a right to know what course the ; Government intended to pursue. The Hon. W. C. WALKER had a»ked for time before answering the question, and now he replied that, as to the question generally, considering that the report of Mr Cook was, so to »pe»k, sub judice, (lie Government thought it expedient to postpone any action at tha present moment. PUBLIC BEVENUES BILL. Toe Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill was received from the Lower House and read a first time. The Hon. W. C. WALKER then moved its second reading. The Hon. W. H. REYNOLDS moved that , the debate be postponed till the altcrucon i sitting. — Lost on tfee voices. The second reading was . then agreed to without discussion. The bill was then put through Committee, and pissed its final stages. WELLINGTON SANITATION LOAN BILL. On the motion being put to go into Committee upon the Wellington City Sanitation J>... 0 Bill, Tte Hon. Mr SHRIMSKI moved that the bill should be referred to a gelecb committee, who should report at 2.50 p.m., as a protest against the way in which the measuie was being hurried through the Council. The Hon. G. M'LEAN said that no other city bnt Wellington would have attempted to smuggle through a bill such as this. The city should have stuck to its scheme, and it would have then had plenty of money left. The engineers who hid mace the estimate ware not j all to blame. He quoted a Lumber of item 3 ' which should tiave been uaid out of fclic general l

funds cf the City Council instead of out of the loan. These item?, as well as interest lost on loaD, should hive been paid back into the loau. Cert&Tn items had been taken out of the bills of 1893 which were now being attempted to be smuggled back into the present bill. The Hon. Mr JOHNSTON contended that the bill should not be sent to a sekcb committee, but when the matter came betora the citizens he hoped that the blame would ba apportioned in the proper quatters. The Hon. Mr SHRIMSKI then, at the request o the other meuiberf, withdrew his amendment. The bill was repoVted from Committeo without amendment, anil passed its fiual s'sges. At* 11 55 a.m. the Council adjourned till 2.30 p.m., but on resuming at once adjourned till 3.35. Oq reassembling The Hon. W. C. WALKER, in moving that the Council adjourn till 2.30 p.m. on Monday, said that it was with very great pleasure that he recognised the good temper and loyal' y that; had pervaded ' all the Council's deliberations. Nothing of a contentious nature had baen brought torward to destroy the harmony or protract deliberations. The Hon. Sir G. S. WHITMORE replied that this state ot affairs was to a targe extent due to the manner in which the Minister had laid the business before the Council. The. Hon. Mr KELLY concurred in the?e expression* of approval i&'j 'be Minister's action. IV- Hon. Mr B )NNAIt thanked the Council forthe way in which all had joined in making testimony to her Majesty of the undoubted loyalty of this colony.