PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7011, 25 June 1894, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) I Wellington, Saturday. LEGISLATIVE EMBRYOS. Dr Newman has on stocks a Bill to admit women to the general assembly, also a Pharmacy Bill. No less than 40 Bills were given notice of yesterday, as well as a whole shoal of questions, etc. i The Colonial Treasurer has given notice of a Bating Bill, and also a Bating on Unemployed Values Bill. The Premier has a Betterment Bill, and also a Debt Becovery Limitation Bill. QUESTIONS. Mr E. M. Smith is questioning the Government's action towards Major Brown. Dr Newman wants to know why the fourth quarter's statement of revenue and expenditure has been retained for the private use of Ministers, and has not been published for the benefit of the colony. , Bellamy's. , Major Harris gave notice yesterday to move that intoxicants no longer be supplied at Bellamy's. THE STANDING ORDERS. The amended standing orders as finally approved by the Cabinet, make provision for putting the previous question, limitation of motions for adjournment, and stopping a speaker, who may, after a caution from the chair, continue talking matter irrelevant to the question at issue.. On the private members'night, the rule for stopping the introduction of new business after 12.30 may be relaxed for one hour,, provided that twothirds of the House express a desire to that effect. • : COLONEL ERASER'S APPOINTMENT. The app6intment of Colonel Fraser to the office of Sergeant- at- Arms is to be reviewed by Sir B. Stout, who has given notice of a question on the subject. A MUCH NEEDED MEASURE. Sir B. Stout's Gambling Bill is based upon the Acts recently passed m England, and proposes to stop gambling by infants. Under this Bill no commission can be recovered m a court of law from a principal m a betting transaction. The Bill stops tote betting, and makes punishable the sale of any totalisator ticket to an infant. It also limits the number of race meetings at which the totalisator may be used, and the number of the days of racing. PAUPERS AND CHINESE INFLUX BILL. The Immigration Bill, of which the Government has given notice, doubles the poll tax on Chinese. It prevents the influx of criminals and paupers, and will also render illegal the system of contracting for labor outside the colony. The Bill will thus stop cheap labor from flooding the market. GOVERNMENT LAND PURCHASES. Captain Mair, who was formerly interpreter to the House, is now engaged m negotiating important Native land purchases for the Government. SUNDRIES. There is no foundation for the statement that Sir W. B, Percival has intimated his desire- to be relieved from the office of "^Agent-General, and the probabilities strongly point, as already indicated, to his re-ap-pointment for a further term. Sir Robert Stout's action m connection with the Waitemata election petition, and Sergeant-at-Armship, is regarded as an indication of his attitude towards the Government. It is anticipated that it means war to the knife, and that he will attack them whenever an opportunity arises. The proposed amendment to the Standing Orders, while not limiting freedom of speech, will go a long way m the direction of preventing uaeless discussions, or the frivolous adjournments of the House being proposed. The time limit proposed, allows the Minister, when speaking on an important question or Bill, to keep the floor for something like an hour, while private members will be restricted to twenty minutes m. case of the mover, who, when replying will be granted a full hour, provided ten members take the floor with him. THE DIRECT VETO BILL. Sir B. Stout tells me that before proceeding with his Direct Veto Bill, he will wait and see to what extent the Government are prepared to go m the direction of amending the present Licensing law. SUNDRIES. I fThe objects of the Lunatic Act Amendment Tt>ill is to give greater power to the Public Trustee to administer estates of lunatics. :The Labor Bills Committee of the Lower House this year will comprise the Minister of Labor, and Messrs Dutbie, Buchanan, J. Kelly, Earnshaw, Newman, Pinkerton, Bus*eU, and Tanner. THE, STANDING ORDERS. Sir B. Stout says he can find no precedent for the paragraph m the speech from the throne which proposes to amend the Standing Orders. It casts reflection on the manner of conducting business m the Lower House, and that the new members (of whom there are thirty-three m the present Parliament) disapprove any attempt to amend i the Standing Orders till they been given an \ opportunity of seeing how they work. More- ; !over it is contended that with a speaker of such marked firmness as Sir G. M. O'Rorke, any attempt to talk irrelevent matter will be promptly checked. ' OUR RAILWAT CONTROL. , A likely solution of the Bail way Board difficulty ißthataproposalwillbesubmitted|to Parliament this session m favor of reverting to direct State control. The relations of the ajElommissioners (who were appointed for nine months m January last) with Government are reported not to have been of the most friendly character, and it is unlikely that •Ministers will seek to extend their term of Uffice. The proposal to place the railways under direct Ministerial control would, it is thought, have the support of the large majority of the House, and Sir Bobert Stout has frequently expressed > himself pledged to the system In vogue before the irresponsible Board was appointed under. the Act introduced by the Atkinson Ministry. col. eraser's appointment. ■ Colonel Eraser's appointment as Sergeant-at-Arms, a position which the Government nay he is holding temporarily till the Speaker airmally appoints him, is to be traversed by -Sir-Rj Stout to-morrow, and is certain to lead to some nasty remarks being made by the Simon Purists of the House, concerning the fitness of the proposed appointee for the officei It seems to be admitted that legally | Col. Jraser^as a late member of the House, ! is barred by the Disqualification Act from holding the position. I LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT. Oie of the Amendments to the Licensing Billjto be proposed by the Government will proVably be m the direction of doing away Tviti the provisions m the Alcoholic Liquors SaW Control Bill to the effect that onehali of the electors are required to record, their votes to make the poll valid with a view of reducing the proportion to one-fourth. This is not likely to satisfy Stout, who is not expected to be content with anything less than a bare majority. Government, aB indicated m the speech from the Throne, will ask members to approach the consideration of the question irrespective of party lines. It is safe to hazard the opinion that the Direct Veto Bill will not be found to have a majority when the division is taken.