PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2743, 9 July 1883, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

(From oub own Cobbespondent.) Wellington, July 6, 1883. In spite of the fact that the Order Paper has been brimful of tlio moat melodramatic notices of motion and Bills for upaelting everything that is, and putting m its place things as jet undreamt of, the week has been a quiot ono, the chief ovent, of course, being the Public Works Statement, which was well received, and with the exception of the two sentoncoa m it, one dealing with tho appointment of a Minuter of Railways, and the other with the re-occupation by the Government of lands along a railway line, it ha« excited wonderfully little interest. Upon this latter point Sir George Grey took up his stand to have a shot at the Government, and commenced a violent, sarcastic speech, with a good deal of dramatic gesture, insomuch as anyoue who d'H not know the old gentleman's ways would have thought that he was really angry, and that he meant what he said. His speech, however, fell very flit, and he tore his passion to ribbons before a most unapproci'itiro houßo. There is no longer any doubt that when he carried a majority against the Government the other day, he did so on the principle of being allowed to introduce his Bill, and not on tho principle of the Bill itself, whioh on Wednesday evening was thrown out on its teoond reading by 35 to 11, tho thinness of the Houbo demonstrating how little interest was abroad on the matter. The minds of Canterbury mombers are filled with a maelstrom of railway linos, one result of whioh ia that peoplo are learning something about the geography of the northwestern part of Canterbury, and of the great uninhabited Amuri country m the south of Neleon province. I cannot m this letter enter into a detailed account of the whole country, but I will ondeavor to point out tho locality of that (at present) ultima Thule, the Red Poet, about which there is so much talk, and which ia as it were surrounded with tangled cobwebs of visionary lines. This Red Post is nothing more or less thau a sign-post, standing m the centre of the great Amuri Plain that lies between tho Hurunui and Waiau rivers, and ia on the main road from the township of Hurunui, which leads past the township of Waiau and over the Whale's Back and through much mountainous country to Kaikoura. .At the Red Post, too, the road through the gorge of the Waiau and so on over tho Honmer Plains to Jollies Pass and eventually to Tarndale, Tophouae and Nelson branches off, and thus it becomes a starting point as it were for the northern extension. It is brought into play on the West Coast Railway question ai being a central spot from which one or more of tho passes m the main range dividing the East and West Coasts may bo reached. In the immediate vicinity of the Bed Post itself there is a considerable amount of good arable land, but with tho exception of come large stations there is no house within eight or ten miles of it. On Wednesday evening Mr Montgomery levelled another of his harmless shafts, m the form of a motion entailing a return to the old provincialism. The notice of motion is as follows : — " That the existing Bystem of central government has failed to realise the results anticipated, and that the promises and engagements made at the time of abolition of the provinces have not been fulfilled. That, m consequence of this centralising policy, much diecontent prevails throughout New Zealand. That, to ensure economy and efficiency m the administration of local affairs, it is necessary that all such local affairs, including public works, should be withdrawn from tho control of the Central Government, and vested m local governing bodies elected by districts having community of interests." Major Atkinson has appointed Tuoadoy next for the motion, when it is possible that there may be a lively debate. The report of tho Joint Committee on Btanding Orders upon what, for brevity's sake, I may call the Native Land Company's Bill was brought up yesterday, and contained a suggestion that the Bill should be allowed to pass with the objectionable clause, No. 6, struck out. This would, of oourae, empower the Company to hold land only as agents or trustees, and would defeat what is supposed to be the real object of the Bill, though its promoters protest that this philanthropic land-broking is their only object. This report of the Standing Ordera Committee is going to be considered next Tuesday, when it is possible that some light may bo thrown upon who ii "m tho swim " and who ia not. At present the exact ramification of the Company's interests among members are m a state of com piste fog. The opinion ia expressed on all h ands that the session will baa short one, and the middle of August ia spoken of as likely to see the commencement of the long vacation. When the large Consolidation Bills have been got through Committee, and the Estimates voted, there remains little to be done.