PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 969, 6 December 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[from ottr own correspondent.] : . Wellington, This Day. The House met yesterday at 2.30 p.m. The second reading of the Prroperty Assessment Bill was carried on a division by 24 to 14. The report was brousyht up of the Select Committee on facilities to be afforded to the Press for the use of the telegraph wires.. The Committee recommended that the Government should facilitate the carrying out of arrangements now in progress for amalgamating the two Press Companies. That the evening papers should be allowed only one thousand words in the day time, but should have beside one hundred words to take precedence of all messages except "urgent" between half-past one and half-past two. That the morning and evening papers be invited to unite in making proposals for a wire specially for their use day and night. Mr. Hall announced the receipt of information from England that the steamer Comus would be sent to the Crozefc Islands to search for the missing ship Knowsley Hall. On the "motion for going into Committee on the Property Assessment Bill, a debate ensued which occupied the rest of the afternoon, .and was continued at the evening sitting until one o'clock this morning, when the motion was carried on a division by 35 to 25. The House then went into Committee, and after considering one or two clauses progress was reported. It is rumoured that Mr. Swanson is to have the vacant portfolio, but it is scarcely credited. The Public Works statement is expected to be made on Monday, and every effort will be made to bring the session to a close by the end of next week. Sir George Grey intends to move to refer the estimates to a Select Committee in order to reduce them. '"'