PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4751, 23 July 1883, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

«. — [TBOlt OTTB SPECIAL COKM.SPONDEKT,] WELLING 10 x Juht22. The Governmos:fc having vory pointedly drawn attention in the Sucoch fro'a the Throne to the subj ct of reform in tbo Legislatives Council, p«em sulieiied with this method of bringing it before tbo country. No practical move will be made in the matter until an expression of opinion lias been received from the free and independent electors of tho Colony ; incited, an elective Upper House will form one of the trump cardo to bo played by the present Ministry. Tho broad outline of the scheme is eaßily conceived, but that ODce settled, difficulties begin to crop up. It is vpry easy to say wo will olocfc tho Upper House, but how ? Large deco rates and Hare's system have been among the answers to the question I have just propounded. A small and rather ingenious experiment on that system is being tried by the Government. Ac representing the inembore of the t'mo- worn Chamber, the names of 40 well-known British authors have been selected, and Bent round in a printed list to every clerk in the Government Buildings. He is instructed to tick off hie ten favourite poets, novelists, historians, or whatever they may be, and from the aggregate of votes thus polled n list of tho ten favourite authoi'e of British literature, according to the tastes of the Now Zealand Civil Servants, will bo made out. In this manner it is hoped to obtain some insight into the working of Hare's highly Ecicntiiio method of ohooßing & legislature. Mr Montgomery's motion fo? the rep3il of the Assessment and Proporty Tax Acts stands on tho C^'der Papor for Wedneodoy next. He counts, I believe, on at least forty votes for bis resolution. Curiously enough both parties eoera very well eatisficd with the verdict in the celebrated case Hunt v. Gordon. _ Tbo phinljff certainly had the jury with him, tu.d if all (he issues had been left to .thoir tondcr moroies, would with equal ebrt&inty have recoived something very much mono cubBtantial. For this withdrawal counsel for tho plaintiff are naturally sorry, ao it is known that on all tho ißsucs tuo vcrdiot would havo been one for £4000 or £5000. Still they gained thoir oaso, and are so far satisfied. Tho other pido think themselves well out of tho jncttor, knowing what a narrow escape they Jiud. A good deal of the intention to give heavy damogos is very generally ntoribocl nt.ro to tho strong local prejudice th: ): <:-'■• 3 f gainst Sir Arthur Gordon,' cad anylhi jg i\: d cvjrjtbing ho ever did or ever will do.