POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5055, 14 September 1894, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

j {fbom our own CORBEBPONDKNT. . WELLINGTON, Skpt. i 3. i ADMINISTRATION OF BESERVES. The Harbour and Education Ke3erves . Bill, which bearß the name of the Minister of L.nds, is the Government measure designed to pI.C3 the administration of the.c reserves in the handß of the Land , Boards. It proposes that harbouc rrsatve?, ', or endowments for primary, secondary or , university education, may be declared by j Order-in-Counoil to be subject to the provisions of this Act. Oa _ueh order . beiug gaz.tted, the land may be le _sed j ' by the Land Foard of the district for a j term of thirty yeara, nnd all rent. BhaU be paid -over to ihe body or person entitled to receive them, after deducting the cost of survey, administration, &c. Lands are to be revalued before the expiry of a lease, and a valuation . made of improvements effected; and th <_ leasee BhaU have the option of renewal for a further term of thirty yearß at a rental equal to 5 per cent on the value of tha lands after deducting the value of the improvements. If any other person obtains a lease the reliring less.c is to b 9 paid the value of his improvement,. Lands leased under thi. Act may be taken for any public purpose, or for mining, by an o_dcr-in-Coun.il, tbo lessee receiving an abatement of rent in proportion to the land talent, and also the value of improvements, and coi_.penEat.oa for severance. ■ l ELEPHONE AND MAIL FACILITIES. ' The Postmaster- General Btated to-day, in reply to Mr Montgomery, that if a local contribution were made towards the ; cos*, of constructing a telephone line to Gebbie's Valley, he would put the work in hand. The estimated annual interest on the cost of construction was £13, while the estimated revenue wbb only £7, As to the proposal .or giving additional ' poßtal facilities at Okain's Bay, he would have inquiries made on the subject. LAND DRAINAGE. : The Land Drainage Bill, introduced by the Hon J. M'Kenzie, is a short measure to amend the Aot of last year in some unimportant particulars. It also provides that the accounts of Boards Bhall be audited by the Audit Ofiice, and that any Board may join with the Board of an adjacent district for the execution of works, or, if there is no Board, may enter into a contract for works, and may apportion the cost. among the parties. In case of dispute between private owners, each party shall appoint one assessor to sit with a magistrate, and to be paid by the party appointing tbem. If either party fails to nominate an assessor, the Magistrate is empowered to appoint one. Provision is made for Section 289 of the Counties Act being kept in operation till the completion of any _. orks commenced under that section, and for levying nnd recovering rates in respect of such works. | NEW ZEALAND CONSOLS. i The New Zealand Consols BiU, introduced by the Colonial Treasurer and read a first time to-day, has for its full title " Au Act to afford facilities for the investment of savings, by the creation of New Zealand Inscribed Consols." . It consists of thirty-nine short clauees, 14 proposes to provide that the Colonial Treasurer may be authorised by Order-in-Council "to receive by way of deposit from persons in the colony such sum or sums . s may be mentioned in such order, not exceeding in the whole *one million pounds sterling, bearing interes. at a rate not -exceeding 4 t per cent per annum." Further clauses etsi-e that deposits may be made at any timo and in any amount, either at the j Treasury office in Wellington, or at any money-order office in the coleny ; that interest shall be payable at the same places on Feb. 1 and August 1 ineach year, and that minors over ten years df age may hold consols, and have full power of dealing with them. Provision is made for keeping a register of consols-holders, for the issue of consols certificates, ahd for the transfer of consols. Deposits are repayable at a date . to be fixed by the Colonial Treasurer, not be ng mote than fortyjyears from the time they are made, and the Treasurer has also power to fix the rate of interest and tho places where principal and interest are payable. There are ne schedules showing the forms to ba used under the Act, and the fees chargeable, but thfse are to be precribed by Order-in-Councl. Consols created -under this Act may, by Order-in-Counoil, te declared convertible into stock issued under ihe Acts oE 1377 and 183 4. Thia Acfc is to be Administered by the Secretary of the Treasury under the title of Registrar of Inscribed Consols. The Registrar may, with the cctaaent of the Colonial Treasurer, accept (Government securities in lieu of cash for consola. A very striot clauee, designed to prevent the investment of truefc moneys in consolp, declares that no notice of any trust in respect of /consols or certificates shall be registered or shall be recognised by tlie Government. THE HKW STANDING ORDEBS. Members of the House, and one of them in particular, received somewhat of a shock this afternoon through a reminder by the Speaker of a valuable provision in the new Standing Orders for Baying the time of thie House,, Mr Thompson had moved the adjournment, in order to deliver an attack on the Minister of Labour over the question of sending unemployed f rom Christohurch to railway worts in the North ; Island. An animated debate followed, i

in tbe course of which Mr Reeves gave an effeotive but thoroughly good-humoured reply to his critic. Other members sided with tha Minister, and Mr Thompson was ge. ting severely handled, but was <aki >g copious notes, and apparently comfort ng himself with the reflection that he vi ould have an opportunity of pulverising his opponent. Quite suddenly, however, and while a member was epeakiner, it was intimated by Sir M. O'Rorke that the debate must now close, having lasted for two hours. There were murmurs, but the Speaker showed that his ruling was absolutely correct, as a new rule provided that no debate on a motion for adjournment Bhould occupy over two hours. Mr Thompson tried hard to find a way to get n his reply, b ut he was bflflUd at every urn, and subsiled amid laughter.