ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVI, Issue 952, 4 July 1883, Page 6

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

The Reporting Debates Committee state that the cost of " Hansard " for last session was £5350 — viz., reporting, £2570 ; printing, £2887, leas £107 for the sale of copies. The cost for the previous year was £4800. The increased cost for 1882 is attributed to the increased number of members. - In the debate on Mr Beetham'a motion for New Zealand representation in the Imperial Parliament, says the "Herald " correspondent, Mr Montgomery made some spirited remarks relative to the misgovernment of Ireland. He deprecated any attempt by the British Parlia« ment to unnecessarily interfere with colonial legislation. He argued that we were loyal to Her Majesty because we were iree and had the privilege of making out own laws. Nou interference with the internal affairs of her colonies was the best method to make colonists loyal. Sir George Grey (says the " North Otago Times"), is hard to understand. He frequently poses as a patriot, and as often finds his actions and intentions misinterpreted. In the face of two adverse reports from commissioners on the subject, he proposes that a sum of money be placed on the estimates to construct a railway from Qhristchurch to the West Coast. Sir George is either too old to be in parliament, or he is about to make another attack on the ministry, tjhe cause of which the country can have no sympathy with, and for which he can have very little sympathy with himself. Perhaps it is pure mischief, and nothing more. The following report of the Local Bills Committee will be interesting to municipalities and other bodies who may have local Bills which they wish to be introduced : — The Local Bills Committee have the honour to report to the House that under Standing Order No. 351 it is necessary that a copy of any local Bill intended to be introduced into the House shall at the time of the first publication of the notice^be deposited in the R.M.

Court of the district. Delay is now caused by the inability of members in charge of local Bills to produce proof of compliance with this order, and your Comnr'ttee begs to draw the attention of members to the necessity of the production of a copy of such Bill so doposited, which should also bear tho endorsement of the E.M. in charge of tho Court.— E. Hamlin, Chairman of the Local Bills Committee."

The correspondent of the " Mataura Ensign " telegraohs as follows :— There are baseless rumours floating roundas to the concentration of Opposition forces under one leader, but thatisaconsummation which,howevordevoutly desired, is so far removed as to be quite outside the range of possibility, even in the uncertainties of the political sphere. The honorable and venerable knight who sits for Auckland City East would undoubtedly discharge the duties and functions devolving upon a leader of a party with credit to himself, and benefit that portion of the senate facing the Government. But there are those among the Montgomery clan who look upon Sir George Grey os little better than a Quixotic knight errant, with ideas as wild and visionary as they are impracticable. Nothing would induce them to trust the leadership to him, whilst if Mr Montgomery managed to oust the Ministry, he could not form a Government without Sir George Grey, and that honorable gentleman would accept no place in a Cabinet of which he could not be Premier. So that it will be scon nothing very startling is likely to take place. This session will probably bo very mu<'h of the same character as the last, and will end just as it commenced. Very little is expected to be accomplished ; the results of legislation this session will most likely be as barren as those of any previous year, and after two or three months' talk, the honorable elect of the people will pocket their two hundred guineas and retire to their native obscurity. Mr M. W. Green's Bill for the regulation of hours of Shopkeepers provides that — •'Whenever not less than two-thirds of the various persons occupying the posilions of shopkeepers or merchants, and carrying on any trade or business of the same or similar nature either by way of manufacture and sale or by sale only, and whether by wholesale or retail, in any town, city, municipality or borough, within the colony, shnll sign a memorial in the form of the first schedule appended to this Act agreeing to close their places of business at a stated hour of the evening on tho six days of the week, such agreement shall be published twice in not less than one newspaper circulating in tbo locality, and shall then have the force of law, and shall be binding upon the persons signing such memorial, and also upon all other persons in the said city, town, municipality, or borough, carrying on the same or similar trade or business, and such agreement shall have the binding force or law until not less than two thirds of tho said persons carrying on the same or similar trade or business, shall sign a memorial in the form of the second schedule appended to this Act, stating that they will no longer be bound by such agreement, and such memorial shall bo advertised as provided in the case of the agreement aforesaid."