LATEST POLITICAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1814, 22 July 1891, Page 3

LATEST POLITICAL NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] (Prom our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, July 21st. A considerable portion of this afternoon's sitting was taken up in discussing the Wellington Electric Lighting Bill. Mr Fisher strongly opposed the measure, principally on the ground that the requirements for motive power might seriously interfere with the water supply^ of the city. Mr Palmer moved the adjournment of the debate until this day week, which was seconded by Sir ■ George Grey and agreed to without a division. It is expected tbat the Land Bill will come up for its second reading sometime this evening. From all I can hear there will be some very strong opposition, and particularly on the point of doing away with freehold tenures, about which I referred to in my last message. I hear there is little chance of the Bill getting through in anything like its present shape. Many of the Ministerial party wjll vote against it. Mr Geo. Hutchison has moved what may be considered a No-confidence Motion on the Bill ; but Ido not suppose the Government will take it up in this light or make a party question of it. However, it is hard to say what may happen once the subject gets on the floor of the House. The second reading of the Small Bird Nuisance Bill was concluded on Friday night, and the measure referred to the Stock Committee. Mr Valentine spoke on the subject, and gave the House a good deal of information. He thanked the Minister for bringing forward the measure, as ifc made it more cprtain of becoming law than if any private member had taken it in hand. The member for Tuapeka created some amusement by reading out Mt D. Stevenson's Recipe for poisoning the birds. There is no doubt the Bill will go through. The local bodies are to take charge *of the work of destruction, the Stock Inspectors acting as inspectors under the Act. During the debate, the Adulteration of Manures Bill received a good deal of attention at the hands of members. There is every chance of Mr Thos. Mackenzie getting the Bill through this session, as the Minister of Lands said he would help it forward. . Mr Talentine informs me that the Postmaster-General is going to extend The Telephone to the Beaumont at once. This will be a great' convenience to the travelling public .as well as to settlers in the district. So far The Taxation Bills have not yet come down, but the continued uncertainty of wnat the proposals of the Government are to be is causing intense uneasiness in the minds of the public. The " Evening Press " declares that in Wellington the feelipg amongst capitalists is very strong, and says they know of one sum of £8,000 lying idle because the investor is frightened to deal with it until he knows what the Government are going to do. The second reading of the Auctioneers' Bill passed without division this afternoon. This is generally admitted to be a good measure, subject to some slight amendments in Committee. Bellamy's. A discussion i^ now going on upon i the report of the House Committee on Bellamy's. Mr Fish stated in his opening remarks that there were no defaulters. This is contrary to what has always been reported hitherto. It is proposed that the Government should wipe off the overdraft, and give something to start afresh with. The debate will 6 take sometime to finish. The Honorarium. I have been speaking to several of the labour members as to the attitude they are likely to take up in connection with the proposal to increaso the honorarium. As far as I qan learn, they are all strongly in favour of an increase being voted, and assure me that there is reason to believe the Government will move in the matter before the session closes. Had the electorates remained in their original state, they could understand the reduction, but with their present size and the expense a contested election means, they think it is cutting it altogether too fine. I