POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4712, 2 August 1893, Page 1

POLITICAL NOTES.

[PBOM OUR SPECIAL COEBES.fONDBNT.I WELLINGTON", Atf&UBT 1. A STDBNHAM CASK. Replying to Mr C. H. Mills to-riay, the Colonial Treasurer eaid a Bill had been drafted, and was now in the hands of the Government printer, with the objest of empowering the Public Trustee to pay to the rightful owners any small sums standing to their credit in bis bands without the necessity of the claimants applying to the Supreme Court for an order to compel him to act; That some such provision is necessary is apparent from the case of Mrs Elizabeth Wall, of Sydenham, whose petition was under the consideration of the Committee- to-day. Sixty acres of land belonging to her were seized and sold for the payment of 7s 6d, county rates, and all that land, valued for property tax purposes at £1 10s per acre, was lost to her, with the ezoeption of a balance of £V 9a 9i remaining in the hands of the Public Tiuetee afterpayment of expenses.- On applying to have this balance handed over to ber she was informed that theThißtee-kad no power to do so without an order of the Supreme Court. As" it would' cost probably £2 to *53 to obtain the order,, the present law practically confiscates the small balance of any estate in the handß of the Public Titutee. •WASTE OP 1 TIME. When Mr Fish moved the adjournment of the House this afternoon,, in order to oppose the intention of the Government with regard to the Grey Valley coal mines. Sir K. Stout took occasion once more to deprecate the continual waste of time caused by this practice. Mr Fish, in reply, expressed surprise that the n&pVus ultra apostle of Democracy Bhould wish to deprive the Democracy of its privilege of moving the adjournment of the House. He granted that time wa3 occasionally wasted, and the forms of the House abused, but he would rather see time wasted than the liberties of the] Democracy infringed. He went on to refer to Sir B. Stout in objectionable terms, for which he was called to order. The amusing claim of Mr Fish to represent the right of the Democracy can best 'be judged by the nature of the subjects upon which he repeatedly moves the adjournment. A majority of the House, I have no doubt, would support Sir K. Stout in his attampt to stop the waste of time by ftiese motions. JOUBNALISTS. :■ By way of warning the people of what may happen .if the Institute of Journalists Bill passes into law, Mr Swanson in the course of his speech on the subject referred to the proposals formulated by the Committee of the English Journalists' lnstitute on the subject of testa for admission to membership. It ia proposed that candidates for the journalistic status must pass an examination in tbe English language, English literature, English, constitutional ■and political history, and political and ; physical geography. They must also have a sufficient knowledge or Latin and either French or German, "some acquaintance with universal'history, and a knowledge of ;the principles of the law of newspaper libel." The latter proviso is looked upon_ as a poser, and any journalist who succeeds' in showing that he has mastered the law. of libel will be worthy of all the honours his colleagues can bestow. Mr Swaneon's remarks, which were justified by the reading of an extract fioax, the PallMall ßudget, gave rise to much merriment. •. . THE DIEKCT VETO. It is stated that a long debate and a late sitting may be expected on Wednesday evening, when Sir R. Stout's Licensing Act Amendment Bill comes up for the second reading. Sir E. Stout is determined that members shall not evade a division on the subject, and the opponents of the Bill are equally determined to prolong the debate and endeavour to prevent the Bill passing its second reading. PETITIONS. The Public Petitions Committee to-day recommended that William L. Fowler's claim for £220 17s 6d, compensation for sheep killed by order of the Government Inspector, should be paid in full. A petition was presented by Mr Rhodes, to-day from Thomas Chapman, J. H. Davi6on and Walter M'Farlftne, owners of property that formed part of the Sb Leonard's estate, praying that their land should be included in the Amuri County, a3 it was added to Cheviot without their being consulted. In the course of the debate on the Cheviot County Bill this afternoon Mr Rhodes ÜBed arguments against the boundaries of the County based upon this petition, and urged that it would be unfair to include these lands in the Cheviot County, as the traffic all went over Amuri County roads. LUNATIC ASYLUMS. The Hon W. P. Reeves to-day laid on the table of the House the annual report of the Inspector of Lunatic Asylums. This shows that the total number of lunatics registered at the end of 1892 was 1917, distributed as follows :— Auckland, 405; Wellington, 308; Christcburch, 421 $ Dunedin, 537; Hokitika, 101; Nelson, 108.; Ashbourne Hall (private asylum), 37.. The proportion of insane to the total population of the Colony is one to 361. The proportion in New South Wales (1891) was one to 371, and in England (1890) one to 343. There were during last year 311 new admissions, 78 re-admissions, total 389, against 435 for 1891< It is remarked that there has been a large increase in lunacy in the Wellington district, where the new cases laat year numbered 80, against 75 for Otago and Southland, 59 for Auckland, and 57 for Christchurch. During the year 321 lunatics died or were discharged, against 383 for 1891. The proportion of recoveries to admissions during; the year was 4242, against 37*24 in 1891. SUNNTBIDE; ASYIiUM. In the report on lunatic asylums thefollowing remarks occur:— "Two new blocks at Sunnyside are now occupied, and the long-delayed fire prevention system haa been completed and is now in working order; The only urgent reforms now are a new laundry to cost about £2000, the replacing of the old and insanitary closets and urinals in the male block by new structures satisfying modern requirements and the introduction, of a Bchema to ventilate the single rooms and dormitories in the olderparts of the building. Dr Levinge is carrying out the plastering and papering of the female wing by employing artisans on the staff."' Under date Jan. 10 la&t the Inspector has the following on the somewhat vexed question : — " The condition of this asylum is most satisfactory in every respect, except in the delay that has taken place in carrying out the often promised completion of the fire prevention apparatus and the unsatisfactory plastering and painting on the female side. Today I have gone over all these points, accompanied with Mr Uasher, of the Public Works Department, and I am assured everything will ba put right with the utmost practicable speed. Authority has already been issued for the warming of tbe dormitories by steam, and the defective ventilation of the attics is to be rectified. I wish to express my thanka to the Deputy Inspector and oSicial visitors for their frequent and urgent representations with regard to all these defects, and especially the want of proper fire preven- ! tion appliances. The former reports which I have laid before Parliament and the records of the office will abundantly prove that I have left no f-tone unturned to get thes* matters put right. JOTTINGS AND INCIDENTS. j The Joint Committae on Bills tc-day 1 resolved, on the motion of Mr Guinness, that the Nelson and Westland Native

Reserves Bill \rs» a private Bill. This virtually kills the measure for the pfezent session. The opponents of vfoman franchise are unremitting in their endeavours to dereatShis reform. The latest move was disclosed' to-day, when Mr Fish gave notice to move a new clause to the Electoral Bill, pro* ▼iding that no woman shall be entitled to exercise her vote in the election of members of the House of Representatives tfntil a majority of the electors and adult femalau shall have voted aginatively on the question — "Are you desirous that the Parliamentary franchise shoaid be extended 1 to women P" The. Premier stated to-day, ia* reply to Mr Taylor, that there wae no earfy prospect ; of a Court being held at Sydenham, and 1 therefore no necessity for voting money fbr the ereotion of a courthouse. At present the police station premises 1 - at ! Sydenhanv were rented, and he wo«ld carefully consider whether it would 1 be wise on the .part of the Government' to erect a building for the purpose. The Christfchurch Hospital Act Amendment Bill' (Mr Beeves), and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Society's Empowering Bill (No. 2), (Mr Sandford) < were to-day read a first time, and referred to the Local BiUe-Committee. Mr Bolleston moved that thVorder of the Houbo referring No. 1 Bill to the Local Bills Committee be discharged, and the Bill withdrawn, which wa&agreed to. ; A return cf expenditure on the maintenance of each department of the Government, laid on the table to-day, shows the total for last year to have been £2,193,664. This amount is the largest since tbe financial year ending March 81, 1889, but is much less than for any preceding year included in the return. The chief increase during the past year was in the Legislative Department. • .... Mr Fergus, the member for Wakatipu, has arrived to . discharge his sessional duties. Messrs 'Wright and Jas. Mills, who have been absent on leave for some time, have returned. Sir John Hall presented a further petition* to-day in favour of woman franchise, the signatures to wjhich, in addition to those in former petitions, would, ■_ he said, bring' the total up to 30,000. In reply to a question, Sir John Hall said he was prepared to vouch that none of the signatures had been duplicated. The Institute of Journalists Bill, which has passed through all its stages in the Council, will be piloted through the House by Sir R. Stout. Mr Wright wishes the Minister for Education to include in his Estimates a sufficient sum to enable the North Canterbury Education Board to provide dwellings for a large number of teachers for whom they now pay house rent. . ;. Mr Joyce intends to ask the Government to empower County Councils to make bylaws to regulate the use of bicycles. He will also ask the Minister of Marine what action, if any, the Government has taken upon an application made to it some months past by Captain Linn, of Christchurch, for permission to form an oyster bed on the Sumner estuary. Mr Rolleston to-morrow will ask the intentions of the Government with regard to drainage works and other matters connected with. Lake Ellesmere. Mr Wright wants to know if the Government intends to carry out Colonel Fox's recommendations to the extent of disbanding the Ashburton Rifles and other country corps of equal efficiency. [Pbb Pbbss Association.] If Sir R. Stout's Licensing Act Amendment Bill is passed, the number of hotels in Wellington will have to be reduced by about twelve. AUCKLAND, August 1. At a meeting of the Liberal Association, a letter recommending the candidature. of Mr J. M. Dargaville for the Eden electorate was received from the Gumdiggerß* Executive Committee at Dargavillo. It was decided that at present the Association could not take part in the candidature for Eden. IS waa decided, in response to an appeal from the Canterbury Liberal Association, to. write to the Government, urging it to sell no portion of the Cheviot estate. At a recent meoting of the Council of the Na l .iocal Association, Auckland section, the subjoined report as prepared by the Political Committee was submitted and adopted, copies to be furnished to the Press, the Premier and the Hon W. Rolleston .— " That the Council considers the Shipping and Seamen's Act Amendment Bill calculated to injure (1) all political parties and the public, because through exaggerated care in providing for the enforcement of its rules it places very arbitrary powers in the hands of officials, and because its requirements are so harassing to the shipping interests as to hinder the free development of commerce and intercourse; (2) the shipping interest, because unnecessary and expensive proceedings and cautions are proposed which would restrict in many ways that freedom in matters of detail which is essential to successful competition to foreign shipping ; (3) the seamen, in whose interest the Bill has ostensibly been drafted, by checking their liberty as regards rating pay, and restricting employment by encouraging competition from foreign veßselß and foreign seamen. The Bill, if passed in it 3 present shape, appears likely to lead to the transfer or New Zealand owned shipping to other ports, and to greatly increase the friction between, on the one hand, the mercantile marine and Customs Department, and, on the other, between employers and employed in Colonial and intercolonial i shipping." Mr Bees addressed the friendly societies, labour organisations and ' temperance societies this evening, in the St Jameß' Hall. After the speech the following resolution was carried unanimously : — "That this meeting returns a cordial vote of thanks for his address; It sympathises with his efforts to expose wrongdoing in high places, and is of opinion that the electors of Auckland should endorse the principles maintained by Mr Rees, and return him as their representative to Parliament." The Employers' Association has ap? pointed a cub-Committee to draw ug, ceitaiu objections to compulsory arbitration. DUNEDIN, August L. At a meeting of the Women's Christian Temperance Union it was resolved — " That we believe that Sir Robert Stout's Licensing Amendment Bill, if it becomes- law, will be a powerful aid in the promotion of temperance, and therefore call upon eveny M.H.R. to vote for its enactment."