PAELIAMENTARY NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6310, 7 August 1888, Page 4

PAELIAMENTARY NOTES.

p ["FBOM 00* B OWN COHEESPON-DEjr-r."] WELLINGTON, August 6. THE HARBOUR BILL. On the question of the new Harbour Bill, the Opposition will have the co-opera-tion of the Freetraders, and the probability is that Government will be defeated upon it ; but as it will not be made a Ministerial question, no significance will apply to it bo far as their political existence is concerned. THE PROTECTIVE EANQTJET. One of the principal questions which came up for consideration at the meeting of Freetraders to-day, was the consideration of the invitation which had been received through Mr Bruce to the Freetrade members to attend the banquet to be given by the Protectionists here on Saturday evening. Eventually, after discussing the subject freely,,the following resolution was adopted : — " Tliat, in respect to the invitation conveyed through Mr Bruce, the members of the Freetrade party, while acknowledging the courtesy of the promoters of the proposed banquet, and expressing warm interest in such local industries as have grown up under sound economic conditions, are compelled to decline the invitation for the following reasons : — (1) Because the banquet cannot be regarded as other than a demonstration expressing satisfaction on the passage of measures to which the Freetraders have on public grounds been strenuously opposed. (2) Because these measures have been carried by means of a departure from the principles of party Government, of which departure the Freetraders strongly disapprove. (3) That the presence of Freetraders would probably act as a damper upon a gathering that they have no desire should be in a social sense unsuccessful. The banquet promises to be in every sense a success. Everything that is to be used at the banquet will be of local manufacture or production.