POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1575, 8 August 1882, Page 2

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH. — OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Saturday. It was fully understood the Loan Bills would beb'roughton lastoveningforsccond reading. When the)' were introduced on Tuesday afternoon, a promise to that effect was made by the Government. On the orders of the day being issued they were found to stand sufficiently far down on the list to arrive at the conclusion that they could not possibly be reached. Speculation- was life as to the reason of this. It is known that there will be some considerable difficulty in getting these bills through, and the Government opponents coutend that the idea is to get the Estimates passed in tne first instance and leave the issue of these bills to be governed by circumstances. To what extent that may be correct is open to doubt. Late divisions show such assured majorities m support of Government, that it would require the biggest possible stretch of imagination to suppose that the situation could be materially affected. Meantime the Government is pushing through a number of minor, but at the same time, nseiul measures. The other evening Mr Montgomery opened fire as one of the big or rather the biggest guns of the party. The finan cial abuses of the colony was the war path upon which he set out. A greater tailure could not be conceived. His obseivations -were of the most narrow, cramped and con ti acted nature, and his arguments the mo&t weak and common place which could have been put forward. They would have, perhaps, done credit to a man of fifth class ability who bad made his w ay into politics ior the fiist time by some cl.ip-trap ciy or sudden political excitement. It has been truly •said that Mr Montgomery's greatness i& a mere negative vi t tuc which disa.ppe.us so soon as his peison.il pnnvefes is put to tiic test.

Wellington, Last Night More than one petition lately received from Waikato have been returned by the Classification Committee as being informal. Acting on the representation of the member lor Waipa, the Government has arranged to deposit at the various post offices throughout the colony forms of these petitions. Persons having occasion to draft petitions to Parliament would do well to consult the&e forms, as informalities have of late sealed the fate of a considei able number of these documents. Outward appearances are pacific enough. Beneath the immediate suiface of the body politic, however, there are not win ting c\idences ot a disturbance. The Loan Bills upon which so much expectation centres, have been placed still further back on the Order Paper, and the latest in connection therewith is that they may come on on Wednesday for consideration under the motion for second but they are more likely to be delayed until Friday. Then again, we are told that instead of two bills, as intioduced, all the loan pioposals will be embodied in the one. The leason of that change is not veiy apparent, unless it bo a device to enable the South Island members to tilt for the whole of the foiu million, instead of i restiicting their enterprise to the three million bill. It is said these pioposals. will encounter a considerable amount ot opposition, and that the opposition is likely to come from both North and South. Loan expenditure, however, is too inviting a piospect to leave much doubt as to the ultimate success of the scheme. Another disquieting element was impoittd into the deliberations this evening. The Native Reserves Bill has been alieady a bone of contention, aiul, if cm i cut lepoit speaks truth, inside the sacred precincts of the Cabinet it has not been a bond of union. A feeling of lelief was experienced when it got through the more critical period of its existence. To-night Mr Taiiiroa gave notice that he would move the recommittal of the bill, for the purpose of getting a clause inserted making it optional on the part of Maori owneis whether or not they brought their lands under the operations oi the bill. A motion of that kind, if carried, would in effect neutralise the whole lncasuie, and with a man like the Native Minister thoroughly beut on the bill, the proposed interfeience is sure to be determinedly opposed. Amidst these discordant sounds another still more ominous rumour is heard. The division on the Maori Em powering Committee on Friday last, has caused the various fragments of the Opposition to prick up their ears, and once more there lias been a spasmodic stroke of their dry bone.- There has been one or two meetings of the party, or parties, and the result of- a recounting of heads is said to be that they _ can now calculate on the modest majority of one, and with this one to the good great execution is to be dove. Very little credit is placed in this story, indeed it is cp:iestionable if the Opposition itself has much faith in it. The proceeding of this evening affords additional evidence of the utter worthlessness of doing work at untimely hours. On Friday evening the Fisheries Bill was forced through committee, reaching its final stage in a very thin House, at an advanced hour of the morning. Tonight it was recommitted, and is being fought over again, inch by inch,