POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4763, 2 October 1893, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

' [FBOM OUB SPECIAL COBBESPON-ENT.] WELLINGTON, Sept. 30. JOTTINGS. ' The Maori members one and all are averse to the Native Bills being passed this' session. On Friday they all spoke strongly in favour of delay, and Mr Kapa especially complained bitterly of the way the Natives had been treated. Mr Taipua said that if the lands of European members were placed at the mercy of the public trustee as Native lands are, their owners would spend sleepless nights with anxiety. THE SESSION. The session, which the Premier is now confident will close at the latest on Saturday, has been, so say old hands, one of the hardest the House bas experienced for some time back. On the messengers, whose duties if not heavy are incessant, the work has told severely, and probably they will not regret the close, even though it means the cessation of their salaries. On Saturday Mr O'Conor commented strongly on the Buffering entailed on the House attendants by the late hours which have prevailed lately. The chief messenger has completely broken down thiß session. A suggestion which came from Mr Bichardson, and was received with evident approval from members of all shades in the HOU66, is worth noticing. After Mr Seddon's motion for a Saturday sitting had been discussed and lost, Mr Bichardson said that the next Parliament would seriously consider the advisability of conducting the business between the hours of 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., and let Committees meet at night. Coming at that late hour of the session the idea, which is not a new one, did not attract so much favourable criticism as it deserved, or call forth the amount of discussion which has been lavished on far less valuable motions. Several members, however, commented on the self-evident fact that forcing Bills through 1 in the small hours of the morning in a thin and exhausted House was responsible for most of the bad legislation. THE LIBEL BILL. Those in favour of giving a measure of legal protection to the newspaper press equal to that extended in England, are still hopeful of the Libel Bill being passed this session. The majority of the members of both Houses are, I believe, in favour of the measure, but the danger is that the minority may obstruct it, and compel the Government to drop it. When the Premier was reading his list of bills to be slaughtered, the Libel Bill was referred to, and Mr Fish earned the Honse that if it was hot struck off the order paper he and half a dozen other members would fight it inoh by inch. Of course such a threat at this stage of the session is not bo terrible as it appears. The power of stonewalling is largely one of physical endurance, and the obstructionists are but mortal. When the Premier intimated that he had resolved to go on with the Bill there was hearty applause from the House. The feeling among the Press people is that no more opportune time for pressing this bill could be choßen than when members are about to go to their constituents. The Post this evening has an article warmly commending the Premier's resolution, and hoping that at least a division will be taken to let journalists know who are their friends and who are their foes among the present members of the house. ,

[Spkcial to the "Stab"! WELLINGTON, o~ct. 2. THE PBEMIEB. The Premier will go to Feilding after the session and deliver an address there. He will afterwards speak at Dunedin. the 1863 LOAN. The Public Accounts Committee to-day received a communication from Mr Gavin, assistant controller and auditor, in reply to their memorandum respecting the guaranteed loan of 1863, about which there has been so muoh talk in the House, and in view of the information supplied by him, decided that when certain accounts come out from England Government would furnish to the Press of the Colony an actual statement of the whole matter.

[Peb Pbess Association.! WELLINGTON, Oct 2. the tbadeb council and the upper HOUBE. The Trades Council has passed a resolution commenting adversely on the action ' of the Legislative Council towards labour legislation, and suggesting that' further additions should be made in order to carry legislation ameliorating the condition of the working classes.