PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Colonist, Volume XXXII, Issue 5584, 28 August 1889, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

(By Eleotrio Telegraph.)

[BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, August 86.

Since the Oiago Central Railway fiasco matters political have been as dull as ditchwater. Last night Sir Harry pufc on the boots to Sir George Grey, and Mr Ballane? asstafced him, and it fared very hard with the veteran. Sir G. Grey stood to his ground, and praotioally died in the trenches. This Ballance-Atkinson combination caused the members to enquire what wag the meaning of this mutual admiration eosieiy of the two, aod the leader of the Opposition has been quizzed as to his intention; The real object was to show that Sir Harry allowed a very dangerous motion to be on the Order Paper, and lacked the courage to say take it away. When Mr Ballance laid down the position then the valiant knight, Sir Harry, got suddenly brave, and eaid, Hoos the unclean thing out of the House. To tax uebeniures nreanß repudiation, etc., etc. Yet it had been on the Order Paper for a fortnight. To-day another fishy matter has been unearthed in the Native Lands Court Amendment Bill. There is a

little clause validating every illegal Native laud transaction that has occurred since the day Captain Cook did the bead bartering with the Natives. The Bill in question validates titles to over two million aoree of Native land. Messrs Ballanee, Hutchison, Samuel, the Native members, all have denounced the iaiqaitiee of the measure, yet this particular Bill has passed the Legislative Ooaucil, that place of political morality and purity, The debate ia now proceeding* Mr Kerr stated ha did not know mnch about Native land quesfciecs, but any man could tell ftu3 Bill wa» unclean.

Bafore tha Bill gets its quietus tfcs probability ig that some votes recently given will be explained.