POLITICAL NOTES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10703, 23 July 1902, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By Our Parliamentary Special.) i.Bj Telegraph). WELLINGTON, July 22. When Parliament met, there was a general and somewhat eager expectation of honor devoted to sacred right of question- A few old birds took wing with motherings about fresh air and -exercise, but the true inwardness of this "babbling of green fields" presently became manifest. WELLINGTON HARBOR BOARD BILL. Juot after the member far Otaki woe called upon by Mr Speaker to move the second reading ot the Wellington Harbor Board Bill it meant postponement of "sacred right" sine die, and devotion of the whole afternoon to a Wellington free fight. It was a fight— yes, —but not altogether a> fight of Wellington interests, for there was a principle touched on of considerable importance. The Harbor Board in '98 got a Bill passed enabling them to take certain property in the town, and at the last moment some clauses were hurriedly added in the Council in * way that sometimes obtains when wire*, are pulled in this country of new Parliamentary hearts' and abundant safeguards. The result was that when the Compensation Court come to consider the value of the' property taken, it tound itself debarred from considering any prospective value. Petitions pour-, ed in to the House. *A committee was appointed, and after investigation — which appears to have been very fair and open, and just to every interestreported that these petitioning property owners had a legitimate grievance and ought to hive redress, Henoo the Bill, which proposes a rehearing. It was pointed out that the Bill does not propose to remove the .limits set, by the Act of '98 to the consideration of the Court by this limit is the thing appealed against by the Bill, and, as i% is evident that a re-hearing would leave the matter where it was before, it follows that the omission is somewhat serious. This the friends of the BUI eagerly declared they would rectify in Committee. The matter is of general importance, because it involves the who.le question of value of property taken for public purposes by public bodies. The advocates of the Bill protest that the Act of 1898 placed these few Wellington owners* in a different position from the rest. The other side deny this, and the disinterested stronger naturally wonders why those, additions were made to the Act of 1898. I cannot say that more light will be thrown on this to-morrow, because: the ;hing ha* been' threshed out completely, but something -may be done to-morrow when the debate is resumed. The feeling of the House appears to be that the betterment principle is good, but that to apply it to properties compulsorily taken under the law is bad.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. i 'la the evening, - the Shipping and Seamen's Bill having been read a second time, pro forma and passed on to a- committee, the House wenf into Committee and settled down to the timehonoured debate on the first item. It is the financial debate -over again, without the fireworks and the rhatoric.which are the properties reserved for fighting occasions. This debate is always a mild kind of heckling of the CoJo_il n Tr«M-* urer, whose custom it is to give* the mild replies which turn away the wrath' which. »**■ forme— tile habit of liot threatening. Mr E. it. Snitb introduced the uanal interlude, and was — as if often, the case — the cause of. wit in others, while saying sensible things in a brusque way.

Puny Postage has provtd a gnat boon Brer since it has come into force, Such benefits can't reach us too soon, Though bound to arrive in due course. It is time we took care of our peace, And likewise our health. I am sure, 80 he, with a cough and goad sense. Takes Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. }