Political News.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5303, 6 July 1895, Page 6

Political News.

[FROM OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT."] WELLINGTON, July 5.

EDITORIAL PRIVILEGES

A proposal to confer upon newspaper editora a privilege Buch a 9 is attached to priests, in the way of respecting confidences reposed in them, is now before Parliament, ss the following clause has been added to the Evidence Amendment Bill by tho Joint Statutes Revision Committee : " No newspaper proprietor, editor or reporter shall be compelled to disclose in any proceeding the name of the writer of any article, letter or paragraph appearing without such name in the literaiy columns cf any newspaper which may be the property of such proprietor, or upon which such editor or reporter may have been engaged at the time of the publication iv such newspaper of such article, letter or paragraph, provided that nothing herein contained shall be held to lessen the personal responsibility of such proprietor, editor or reporter in respect to such publication." TEMPERANCE MATTEBS. There has been a considerable amount of talk to-day on the subject of temperance deputations to Ministers and subsequent proceedings at the public meeting. Among the prohibitionists the Premier's attitude is looked upon as more hostile than was formerly the caße. On the other hand, the remarks made by the Hon W. P. Eeeves are considered to have been highly satisfactory. In the course of the interview the Premier administered a rebuke to Mr T. E. Taylor for stating that a certain member for Christchurch had been "returned by the votes j of publicans, larrikins and prostitutes." Mr Taylor denied having said these words. What he said was that these people voted for the member he had named. The violence ~of some remarks made at the public meeting last night hao been generally condemned. Even the Post, which usually has no good thing to 1 say of Mr Saddon, pronounces as follows: — " The Premier is to be commended for the firm manner in which he met the deputations. He absolutely refused to be bullied, and in more than one instance turned the tables neatly and effectively on his assailants. This was especially the case in relation to a most improper suggestion, amounting to a scarcely veiled threat, by the Rev Mr Isitt as to abstaining from prosecuting Inspector Broham for alleged perjury if the Government would appoint a Commission to consider the conduct of . the police generally. We do not agree with the Premier on all points in regard to the amendments in the licensing law, which' are required, but no exception can be taken to the firm and dignified attitude he assumed and maintained in the several interviews yesterday. He evidently had the best of the argument with his interviewers, and one of these who was particularly careful to say nothing offensive to Mr Saddon when face to face with him sought compensation for his judicions reticence by pouring forth at a meeting at night, in Mr Seddon'a absence, a perfect torrent of personal abuse of the fouleßt and most scurrilous character."

I am informed with regard to the statements made refecting on two Christchurch constables that, before the matter waß mentioned here, the dismissal of a constable who had broken into a house had been recommended. As for the one accused of drunkenness the evidence proved that he was merely suffering from the after effects of influenza. MISCELLANEOUS. The Hon J. Macgregor intends reinbroduoing the Divorce Bill in an amended shape. He will strike out the proposal to make lunacy, imprisonment and habitual drunkenness grounds of divorce, leaving only two grounds, viz., adultery and : desertion. | A return is asked by Mr Lawry to show the proportion of New Zealand born persona who have been convicted of drunkenness each year since 1887, and the proportion of New Zealand born persons among the prisoners now in gaol. The Hon W. P. Beeves presented a petition to-day on behalf of Horatio B. Nelson, of Nelson, Moate and Co., asking for an extra duty of two pence per pound on all ready packed teas imported in packages under 201 b in weight. Reporting on several petitions from southern agricultural districts asking for an amendment of the Shops and Shop Assistants Act, the A to L Petitions Committee recommends the Government to give the prayer of the petitioners every favourable consideration.

A Bill to abolish capital punishment ia being introduced by Mr Collins. Tha claimß of the Waimate unemployed to be given work on the Midland Railway are being urged by the Hon W. J. Steward.

The member for Waitaki asks that bandsmen attending the annual contest at Timaru in October next should have free return tickets by rail, and also that cheap excursion trains should be run during the time of the contest.

The Stipendiary Magistrate for the Ashburton district being absent on leave, Mr M'Lachlan is urging the Government to have a substitute appointed.

Mr G. J. Smith wishes Ministers to set up a committee or commission to consolidata and codify all the public statutes of the colony. The Government is being moved by Mr Fiatman to have more lands acquired for settlement purposes in the Pareora district.

Matters in connection with the Kaikoura district are. being agitated by Mr Meredith, who asks the Minister to have a road laid off from Kaikoura township towards Cheviot, and to hasten the surveys of Crown lands in the Kaifcoura County bo that these may be offered for selection.

Mr Tanner has a question on the Order Paper for Friday next with reference to the establishment of oyster beda on the Avon and Heathcote Eatuary.