Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7653, 11 June 1896, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

GIBBORNE, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1890. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. The boom of cannon has again been the sigual of the opeuiug of another session of the New Zealand Parliament, and with the usual ceremony and trappings appertaining to the occasion his Excellency the Governor has delivered his Speech from the Throne to the assembled Lords and Commons. There was this remarkable feature about the ceremony this afternoon : that it was probably the last official act of a like nature Lord Glasgow will have performed in New Zealand, his term of service as Governor being now withiu a. year of expiration, and it was also probably the laßt Speech from the Throne that many of those present in the Council chamber to-day will have had the privilege of hearing. The present session is the final one of the twelfth Parliament ; after it the elections, when doubtless many of those who now occupy seats in the Houao will be replaced by other men and will sink back into the obscurity from which three years ago some of them sprung. The session just commenced promises to be an unusually interesting one. It is not anticipated that there will be much legislative work done, for too much time is occupiod in the third session of a Parliament in making political addresses to the constituencies aud in Bounding the battle cries for the approaching elections. Everyone is looking eagerly forward for a personal explanation whichaleadingmemberof the Govornment, whose affairs have been before the public during the last fow daya, is expected to make, and the probabilities of his retainiug his seat are the subject of auxious speculation. Of the making of laws thero ia no end, and even on the first day of the session there is sure to be a large sheaf of measures introduced. The Speech discloses a wide programme of proposed enactments, some of which will, no doubt, find their way upon the statute book, whilst others, in the hutryseurry of members to get to the hustings, will receive scant consideration and suffer the fate of the slaughtered innocents. Considerable interest is already being evinced throughout the country in the genoral election, so that the doings of Parliament this session will be watched with moro than usual interest. Knowing that the eyes of the electors are upon them, the performers in the political arena may be expected to do their best to win and woo the popular applause. The struggle between tho two parties at the elections ia likely to be very severe, and the keenness of that struggle will Urstj be experieuced in the House before it ia carried on to tho hustings. Fur this reason our Parliamentary reporter anticipates that the session will be marked with » good deal of bitterness aud not a few exciting scenes. At the commencement of tho Bession it might be well to mention several matters in connection with Parliament in which reform is believed to be urgently necessary. The gaudy ceremony of opeuiug Parliament is regarded by many as " a solemn farce," but retoni) of Parliament to bo practical must go deeper than that. Most people must be aware that au immenao amount of timo is wasted over trivial questions, whilst real business ia transacted far too quickly to receive proper consideration. Hours are spent in the daytime iv lengthy debates and disputes upon more or less provincial or personal matters, whilst the important measures affecting the welfare of the whole country are often rushed through a tired and thin Houae in the early hours of the moruing, wheu members are physically unfit to give their best attention to their duties. It is a geueral belief that by doing the business of Parliament in tho daytime instead of Into at night better work would be obtained and less time wasted. Many also are of opinion that the Speech from the Throne and Addiess-in-Reply could very well bo dispensed with, so that when Parliament moeis it aould get straight away to business instead of spending v week or fortnight iv debating subjects which have all to be threshed out over aguiu when thuy a jme beforo the House in the Bhape of Bills or motions. Amendments of the Standing Orders are requirod to prevent wilful obstruction in Committee, over which at present there is little power of control. We have mentioned but a few of the matters of Parliamentary reform which members might

well take into consideration with the view to makiug their work more effective and to the curtailment of the length aud cost of the sessions. It is too much, however, to hope for any reform from the present Parliament — the elections are too near and members have other things to think about. We must defer comment on tho matters referred to in the Governor's Speech until another occasion.

The Cook County Council meets to-morrow forenoon at 11 o'clock. An important notice in respect to Mr J. Whinray'B furnishing warehouse will appear in our advertising columns to-morrow. There was a large gathering of Indies and gentlemen on the wharf lnst night to bid good-bye to Mr and Mrs D. Dougherty on their departure for New Plymouth. As the Snark moved away from the wharf three cheers for Mr and Mrs Dougherty were called for and heartily responded to. In the Magistrate's Court this morning Mr Booth, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiff in the case of Henry Lougher v. Te Kani Pere, claim £10s 6a, with costs £2 6s and solicitor's fee 10s 6d. Mr Jones appeared for plaintiff. The only other case which ctime before the Court was ,i disputed claim about a dog. N. R. W_ ilie sued John Hodge for £4 upon the sale of v dog. The defence was that the price agreed upon was £2. Aftpr hearing evidence, His Worship gave judgment for the £1 paid into Court, and coats 28s. Mr Chrisp appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Jones for defendant. The Catholic Bazaar will be opened in the City Rink to-morrow afternoon Tho ladies connected with tho undertaking have been most energetic in carrying out the plans, and no stone has been left unturned to ensure success. In addition to the opportunity for buying many rare and beautiful articles of fancy and useful work, the public will also be afforded the delights of all the numerous amusing side shows incidental to a bazaar, During the evening a promenade concert will be given, the performers comprising the leading musical talentof Gisborne. Afternoon tea is to be supplied gratuitously — a departure that no doubt will be appreciated by many. The bazxnr is to be opened at half-past two by His Worship the Mayor and Very Rev. Father Lanihan, Administrator of the Diocese, In the Validation Court this morning Mr Finn applied to Hie Honor Judge Gudgeon to appoint a time to hear a motion for contempt of Court against Rewi Haapu, for having purposely disposed of all his property to defeat the order made by the Court in the Whangara block. He stated that after the order was made he would be able to prove that such property was transferred to Mr Harper, and that such transfer was made for the purpose above stated. Mr Lysnar, for Rewi, stated that he was not aware of any such transfer, but he was instructed to state that if such transfer was made he would oppose tho same being confirmed by the Native Lands Court, on Monday next. His Honor deemed it advisable, to adjourn the motion until after the matter was brought before the Confirmation Court. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Henry Voeper, of Ormond, storekeeper, wnt held in the office of the Deputy Official Assignee this afternoon, Mr Chrisp appeured on behalf of the bankrupt, and Mr Firm on behalf of Messrs Common, Shelton and Co, and there were also present : — Messrs Adams, Bright (New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co), Matthewson, Johnston, W. O. Skoet, Pettie, and Coleman (Common, Shelton and Co). Mr Coleman, Deputy Official Assignee, presided and read debtor's statement, whioh has already appeared in these columns. The Assignee said he had written to Cook and Gray asking them to send him a statement of the accounts and the money they had received from the estate. He received a reply to tho effect that Mr Gray was out of town, and when he returned the matter would be fixed up. A discussion took place on the general question of the transaction in connection with the bankruptcy, and it was eventually decided that the meeting be adjourned until noon next Thursday for the purpose of enabling tho Assignee to receive an account from Messrs Cook and Gray of their dealings with the esta te. A tremendous number of sheep from all parts of the country are now being handled at various boiling down works in the Hawke's Bay district.