POLITICAL NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6146, 19 August 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS.

OWN CORRESPONDENT.—BY TELKOR4PH. Wellington, last nights. The Houso spent- tho afternoon discussing life insurance. In answer to a question, the Premier stated tho Australian Mutual Provident Socioty had issued i circular showing the comparative results ! of fche various offices, in contravention ol an agreement mutually entered into. H« would communicate with the company referred to. Messrs Fish, Fisher, and T McKenzie said the agreement ahould a once be broken off. It should never hav< been entered into, for ib placed the Go vernment office afc a disadvantage. Th< Premier made a strong speech in suppor of the stops taken. Until lasfc year thi Department was on an utterly unsouiu basis. In consequence of the enormou: expenses caused by the manner in whicl other Societies transacted their business the agreoment between the Societies wa absolutely necessary, and should not nov be broken off at haphazard. The Premier notified the intention o Government regarding the female fran chise as I have indicated. If necessar; Government will make Sir John Hall' Bill a Government measure, but member will be free to vote as they think fit. In future the House will sit on Monday for transaction of Government business. The New Plymouth Harbor Loan Com mittee will, it is believed, recommend t the effect that the harbor loan be takei over by the colony, and 25 per cent, c the land revenue endowment be resumed Government to open up negotiations witl Sir John Lubbock's Council to replace th local debentures by New Zealand stoc on the best and most equitable term which can be secured. The total amount paid on account € the late Native Land Laws Commissioi is LllO6 16s. Mr Rees received in travel ling allowances and contingencies Lll: 14s, Mr Carroll L 97, Mr Mackay witl L 96, allowance L 197 14s, secretary ani shorthand writer (Mr Geddes) L 394, intei preter (Mr Gannon) L 230 lis Bd. To-day. In the Council, the Christchurch Elec trie Bill was read a third timo aud passed The Truck Bill was read a third time ahi passed. The Factories Bill, after opposi tion by Sir George Whitmore and Dr Pollen, was read a second time, and re ferred to the Labor Bills Committee In the House, the River Boards Amend ment, Public Revenues, and Selector Land Re-valuation Bills were road i third time and passed. The Taxation Bill was recommitted witl a view of considering further amendments Mr Shera moved that Savings, Banks b exempted from taxation. Lost by 27. i 30. Mr Ballance moved to add to th schedule a provision that loan, building, o investment companies shall be liable ti pay tax on mortgages not greater than ai income tax of ls 6d in the £ on incomi from such mortgages. Several member objected to this on the ground that ifc was altogether in favor of banks and largi companies. Mr Ballance said the govern ment would get L 3,000 or L4OOO mon from the Banks by the new taxation thai they obtained under Uie property tax Mr Ballatice s 8 proviso was carried by 31 to 18. A new sub-section was inserted ir the clause which defines mortgages. Th< Bill was then reported with amendments and read a third time. On the questiot whether the Bill docs pass, Sir John Hall Mr T. McKenzie, Capt. Russell, and Mi | Rhodt>s, made strong speeches against th< measure, the debate being mostly a reife eration of arguments used in former de bates. Messrs Rhodes, Buohanan, G. Hutchi son, Duthie, Wright, Moore, Buckland, and Rolleston protested against fche passing' of the Bill, as ifc woulc have a deterrent effecb on the prosperity of fche colony. Messrs Shera and Lawrj supported fche measure, and the Premiei having replied, fche Bill was passed by 3C to 14. The House rose 3.15. This afternoon.

As was expected the Labor Bills Committee of the Legislative Council have givon the Shop Hours Bill its death below. .Iheir report is to the effect that no oase has been made out for legislative 'interference with individual liberty as involved in the Bill, and they oonsider publio opinion will more surely secure to fcho shop employees reasonable hours for relaxation than legislation arbitrarily limiting the rights and liberties of a considerable number of fche people. Undor these circumstanoes they express no opinions regarding the details of (lie Bill. Mr 11. H. Jackson has contributed a paper to tho Wairarapa Standard on the initiation of the eight hours movement in this colony. He says the surveyors who came out in ths Cuba Worked eight hours from the day they landed, which was the Ist of Jan., 1840. On the 22nd Jan. the Aurora arrived and 20 men were engaged on the surveying staff, and they worked eight hours. The Oriental arrived on the 31st, and a few men were engaged. They also worked eight hours. The Duke of Roxborough, in which Mr Parnell camo out, arrived on the 19th of February, and all on board that vessel heard beforo they landed of the eight hours a day work. Mi* Jackson also gives particulars of the meeting outsido Barrett's Hotel, Wellington, in November, 1840, when about 200 men assembled and publicly adopted 'the ?ighfc hours system. " Big Bill Taylor " ivas tho chief speaker. The Pope, in his recent allocation, re'erring to Ihe successful issue of the nego-' iiations with Prussia, said, " God grant hab Italy, who is peculiarly dear to us, nay share the spirit of peace with which vo are animated towards all nations. We mrnestly desire that Italy should puk taide her unhappy difference wifch fche mp&cy, whose dignity is violated chiefly >y the conspiracy of sects. The means of ibtuining concord would be to establish he Pope in a position where he would >c subject to no power in the enjoyment »f full and real liberty, which, far from njuring Italy, would powerfully eontrimte to her prosperity,"