PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2409, 12 June 1882, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY ITEMS.

(Fhou Otra Ovrx Cobsespowdbht.') Wbiukqton, June 10. ( At a late hour on Friday night, tba following remarkable notice of motion vat given by Mr Barron, the member for Caversham — ■ "That m the opinion of Ibis Houio any pro- : posal for the increase of the puUio debt of : the colony by further borrowing ihould be submitted to the electors, and receive the - approval of three-fifths of their number before ' being finally sanctioned by the Legislature." ' This should elicit an interestiog and important [ debate. There has been some doubt whether ' the Government proposals relative to the loan ' would be tet forth m the Financial Statement, ' or whether the loan would only be referred ' to then m general term*, as m the Speech ' from the Throne, as being warranted by the f improved financial position of the colony, tbo ' detail! being left for the mover's speech intro- c duerng the Loan Bill. It has been practically > decided to explain m the Financial Statement, which is expected to b» delivered on Tuesday next, the naturs of the Ministerial proposals m regard to farther borrowing, and these will probably be definitely settled at a Cabinet * meeting to be held on Monday. t Everybody is asking when will that ' despatch of Sir Arlhur Gordon about native 1 affairs be laid on the table. Mr Mantell ' wants to hare it preier.ted to the Legislative ' Coanoil, and now Sir George Grey's soul j bankers after it too. He does not see why ■ the " other branch of the Legislature" should hare it first, or alone, and so has given notice of exactly the lame ' motion as that tabled by Mr Mantell ' m another place, viz., " That a respectful ' address be presented to the Governor praying ' bim to diract that copies of all despatches < between Bis Excellency and the Secretary of < State for the Colonies m continuation of those ' last presented to Parliament may be laid be- \ fore this House." Tbus far Mr Mantell also, ' but Sir Georga Grey wants to knjw more 1 than this, and he adds, " together with all ' papers and correspondence connected therewith." -It is nnderstcod that the Government ' will shortly bring down a proposal for fixing the payment of members of Parliament, but ; what is the shape which this shall tako, and ' the amount of salary to be proposed, are not yet definitely determined upon. ( It v not yet known whether the Govern- a ment will accept as adequate the modified 1 proposals for cldture pot forth by the Stand- a ing Orders Committee. Major Atkinson is much better, and it is J fully expected that he will be able to deliver ' his Financial Statement on Tuesday evening next. ..-..• j Nothing ha? yet transpired as to the me- ( cession of Sir Arthur Gordon m the Governor- i ship of this colony. A rumor has been persistently circulated * during the past week to the effect that Mr j - E. d. Wright, the member for Ashburton, is to fill the vacant teit m the Cabinet. This report, probably, takes its origin from the impression that Canterbury will insist on her. claim to the vacant place, as it was vacated j by the resignation of a Canterbnry member. Sir J. Hall. ■_. j It is generally . considered that, utterly absurd and unworkable as the Gaming and j Lotteries Act i* m many respects, it would be still more absurd and irrational to repeal it j m toto, without snbstitnting anything m its place, as Mr McDonald's Bill did m its j claims — " That the Gamiog and Lotteries Act 1881 be repealed." That is not quite a statesmanlike way of going to "work. Many provisions m the Gamiog and Lotteries Act are imperatively needed, and : the proper course would be to draft a Bill repealing or - amending the objectionable clauses, vrbile re- < tainiog such as are useful and workable.