POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3156, 15 September 1892, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TKLKOHAIMI — SPECIAL COIIKKSPONDKNT). U'F.u.tNV.TON , , Last Night. LAND SKTTLHMEXT.

Thk Financial Statement in a paragraph relating to land settlement claimed credit for the Govei'iinient having put 17-11 people on the land during the. past year. Several iriei!i>ior< 1-ave this session proved this is surely misleading, anil Mr G. Richardson, late .Minister for Lands, referred to it again last night at the third reading :,f the Lmd Bill. J [eqii'.ted fr'iin a return prepared to his order which showed that 258 people had nppli"d fo: land during the past year, but after April tl.nt (13 of the 17-11" did not exist as fur as the Crown Linds Depiirtment was concern"-!, and that only 7 people ha-l actually gone on the land dming the year. Mr McKenzie has mor.! than once denied that the Government repn-sunf.id 17-11 people as having been put on the land during last year, but sever d OiMi"-itioti memliers have this session i)u.t,d frmn speeches of Ministers tlioniselvi-s ih it they took credit for these 171! select 'is having gone on the land during the period referred t>. Till-; MIXISTKIUAL MA.TOIIT'i V. During his speech on the Lmd Bill la-t niglit, Mr George Hutchison spoke strongly against the action of the Government supporters in absenting themselves from the House whilst fie Land Bill was under discussion, and when the division bell laim trooped into the lobbies after the Minister without listening to a single argument I ronght forward for or against the Bill. He j-t-itud that with the exception of the .Minister at the table, the average attendance of the Govirom«nt party during the discussion on the Bill had been 7 and those of that aveiage who ventured to speak exhibited not only ignorance on the principles of the Hill, but even of the terms of the very clauses they undertook to ppyak about. Mr Hutchison's, remarks were warmly resented by several Ministerialists but it is obvious that all the improvements made in the Biil fiiMU ahnusi, without exception from the Opposition side of the House and that the Government supporters as a w'm.U took very little trmble over it. THK MOAWIIANGA LICKXSh. Mr T.i,i.0,,a this alt-moon a-ked whether the Native Minister was award that a Licensing Committee gririte/J a license at Moawlianga (Ilawke's Bay), notwithstanding that it was a purely native district, and that the natives had at a poll declared against it. He said the natives felt so .-tivngly iiboiit it that it win with dilliciilty that a. breach of the pence was prevented. Mr Cadniau said that a poll had been taken and had been against the granting of the license, notwithstanding which a license had been granted. The native assessor sitting on the committee voted for the license instead of exercising his power of veto, but ho was informed that the solicitor for I lie. natives was talcing st-ps 11 upset the committee's decision.