POLITICAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5655, 28 August 1896, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

[From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON," August 27.

THE LOAN BILL

Of the Canterbury members who have spoken on this measure, Messrs Tanner, Meredith and Montgomery have intimated their intention to vote against its second reading. The Hon W. Hall-Jones has spoken in favour of it, aud Messrs Collins, Buddo and G. W. Russell have given a qualified support to it. Dr Newman intends moving the insertion of a clause in the Bill providing that a Royal Commission should bo appointed v ;o examine and report on the desirableness of continuing the uncompleted railways of the colony. WESTLAND AND NELSON MINING RESERVES. In the concluding remarks of their repcrb which . has just been laid on the table of the House, Messrs H. A. Gordon and A. M'Kay point out that they visited and examined each reserve with the view of not only determining the extent of the present gold workings, and the number of persons engaged in connection with mining on these reserves, but also to ascertain the probable extension of future workings. The whole of the ground on the West Coast, from Collingwood to Jackson's Bay, is auriferous, and mining being the paramount industry in this part of the colony, the alienation of any land from the Crown has a tendency to curtail the expansion of mining and the development of the mineral wealth of the district. They also remark that if the Avhole of the 75,000 acres prescribed in the Midland Railway Company's contract were taken as mining reserves this area will not be sufficient to meet requirements for mining and mining purposes. As water-races have in the past had to be constructed over many miles of country, large areas of land in future will be required to construct extensive waterraces and reservoirs, as it is only by having a large supply of water on the goldfields that auriferous ground can be worked economically. At the present time forty - three reserves Iftive been made in the Nelson district, comprising an area of 335,050 acres, andf sixteen reserves in the Westland district, comprising an area of 83,973 acres, a total of 422,023 acres, but these reserves do not represent anything like the area required for mining. MISCELLANEOUS. The appointment of Public Trustee will be considered by the Cabinet at the end of the week. -. • •.,. , -. _>; ;. . Mr Houston expressed the opinion in the House to-day that . three-fourths of the petitions presented , to the House by natives should not be received) as the only reason for theix* presentation was in order that the natives should be plundered and robbed by interested persons. The next meeting of the Copyright Telegram Committee is called for Tuesday. The Public Petitions Committee has referred to the Government petitions from Dunedin and Nelson, praying that the issue of bottle licenses may not be prohibited. PETITIONS. Major Steward presented a petition today on behalf of ratepayers of the Lower Waihao, who claim exemption from the payment of any tax levied for the erection of rabbit fences, as there is no necessity in that district for such. On the petition of John Bi'idgman, of Antigua Street, Christchurch, praying that he may be reinstated in the Police Force or receive compensation for loss of office, the A to L Petitions Committee report that in its opinion the petitioner has no claim against the colony.