News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 13, 17 July 1885, Page 9

News of the Week.

Friday. In the House of Representatives yesterday, the Hon. R. Stoat said that since the House rose th*t morning the Government had con* sidered the position in which they were pat by the Committee of Ways and Means. They had oo»sulted with their lapporters, and had come to the conclusion not to ask the House to Again go into committee on the tariff resolution. They would ask the House to validate the resolution already passed by the committee, and by leave of the House would more a resolution to that effect. He Deed hardly state that the loss to th« revenue by the action of the com* mittee would be £70,000. The Government proposed to meet the loss by renewing for two year* the £50,000 deficiency bills of 1803-4 ; and as to the other £20,000, it was proposed that the expense of th« constabulary engaged in defence works shonld be charged on loan. This would recoup tb« loss of £70,000 from duties. As to the measures the Government ictevdsd to proceed with, he said that it was proposed to go on with the Local Finance and Powers Bill, which they considered a Ministerial bill ia t*e strict sense of the term. They proposed to withdraw from the bill the proposal for borrowing on subsidies, and they would not ask the House to fix any time for giving subsidies to looal bodiep. He aa'd he regretted that the Honse had not fronted additional supplies «s asked for. Under the tariff the duties would press fairly on all classes, and provided at the same time that looal industries were not interfered with. In order that no injury should be done to the mercantile comoiunitj, he asked leave to move a resolution which rescinded the Customs duties resolution of June 29. except so far as related to spirits, bitters, wines, sparkling wines, and Australian wines. The resolution wai put and carried on the voices. — Mr. Hobbs moved the second reading of '• The Gaming and Lotteries Act 1881 " Amendment (No. 1) Bill. He said the bill was fully discussed last session, and passed its second reading. It would do doubt have become law but for the lateness of the session. He said that the bill did not interfere with the other bill introduced under the same title. It was simply intended to prohibit racing eonsaltaiion*. The motion waa earned on the voices. — The Hon. J. A. Tole moved tb*> second reading of the Divorce and Matrimonial Clauses Act 1867 Amendment Bill. Agreed to. — The Hon. R. 6tout moved the second reading of the Industrial Schools Act Ameodiaent Bill. He explained that the bill provided that men who were perfectly competent to provide for the maintenance of their children in the industrial schools .should be compelled to do so. Agreed to. — The Hon. R. Stout moved the second reading of the Mnnicip«l Corporations Bill, explaining that it was merely a consolidation bill which had already passed the other Chamber. Agreed to. — The Hon. W. J. M. Larnach moved the second reading of •• The Mines Act 1877 " Amendment Bill. He said the object of the bill wm to amend the MiDes Act of 1877 in several particulars. Agreed to.— The Hon. J. Bal lance moved the second reading ol "The West tfoast Settlement Reserves Act 1881" Amendment Bill. He said the passing of the bill would greatly facilitate the settlement of the Jand on the West Coast Agreed to. At the Wyndham Grain and Root show on Wednesday two chains length of drills of ewede amd common turnips were shown by Mr. Cushnie, which averaged 29 end 38 tons per acre. Fine bright mild weather has prevailed at Invercargill for some time past and is being taken advantage of by farmers and contractors. Several farmers are putting in winter sown oats as an experiment. A Royal Commission ban been appointed to examine and inquire into the causes of the present depression of trade in England. A considerable amount of interest is bsing manifested in the Bruce election at Milton (writes the Daily Tinws correspondent). Mr. Henry Driver, replying to a request to contest the seat, states that he ih, owin? to business arrangements, unable to do so. Thiß announcement has caused great disappointment amongst Mr. Driver's supporters, as his chances of success were considerable. Mr. Donald Reid, solicitor, Milton, will become a candidate. The names of Messrs Jas. Adam, W. Hutchinsoo, and R. Darling me also mentioned as likely to come forward. It is thought pr >bable that Mr. W. A. Murray will be requested by a large number of his old friends and partisans to come south and again off«r himself as a candidate for the Brace Beat, which be so ably occupied in days of yore. Four thousand French troops are to be sent to Madagascar, in compliance with the admiral's request for further reinforcements. The Marquis of Salisbury's policy has been favjurably commented on by the St. Petersburg and Continent »l Prens. In tne House of Commons on Tuesday night Bir Michael HicksBeach announced to the House ths programme of legislation brought j down by the Government,, which includes, among oiher thingß, a measure for facilitating the federation of various parts jf the Empire. Mr. Gladstone spoke, and announced that the Opposition acquiesced in the proposals of the Government. — An early close of the session is looked forward to. SATtTBDAY. In the House of Representatives yesterday, replying to Mr. O'Conor, whether the Government will provide for the construction of a bridge ovtr the Bu Her river at Lye 11, that being the only large dangerous and unforriable river unbridged on tho main road between Nelson and Greymouth and Weetport, the Hon. E. Richardson said the work was a very expensive one, and inquiries would be made into the matter— The following bills were introduced : — A bill to amend "The Police Offences Act 1884 " (Mr. Fitzherbert), a bill to amend " The Napier Harbour Loan Act 1884 " (Mr. Ormond).— Mr. Stonard moved the second reading of the School Committwa Election Bill. He said the principle of the bill had been already affirmed by largo majorities of the House. The bill proposed that tho election should be held on the fourth Monday in April, instead of January,

so as not to interfere with harvest. The main point of the bill, was the doing away with the present system of cumulative voting. The motion was carried on a division by 31 against -24. — Mr. Oonolly moved the second reading of the Alienation of Land Bill. He said he regretted the Government had not taken the bill up, as it was one of large importance, The principle of the bill was to prevent the tying up of land to prevent its disposal by the owner. He said he I wonld be glad to receive any suggestion on the bill. Carrie lon the voices. Despite the low prices for grain, farmers in many parts of the Invercargill district are preparing to bring large areas under orop. The weather is very favourable to such operations, the days being bright and warm and the nights frosty. An immense sensation has been caused in London by the Pastoral Qazetto publishing an article under the guise of a reform of social evils, in consequence of which the paper has been expelled from all olaba and book-stalls. The police are also preventing the sale of the paper containing the offensive article, and the authorities threaten to take proceedings against the proprietor of the Gazette. In retaliation the proprietor of the paper threatens to publish disclosures which would involve Royalty and Cabinet Ministers. In the House of Commons on Wednesday night Sir Michael Hicks- Beach, Chancellor of the Exchequer, brought down the financial proposals of the new Government. He announced that suspension wou'd be extended to the new sinking fund, and that Treasury bills to the extent of £4,000,000 bad been issued. In other respects be was prepared to adhere to the scheme formulated by Mr. Cbilders in his recent statement when Chancellor. He informed the House that out of the extraordinary vote of £11,000,000, £10,000,000 had already been expended. Monday. Political gossip (says the Wellington correspondent of the Daily Times) is frightfully slack since the settlement of the tariff question ; a d if oue could depend on the opinion expressed by a majority of members, the session will glide through the remainder of its coarse softly and easily, without encountering any more storms. There are some, however, who dissent from this view, and lam one. It seems to me that the absolute t-ui render by Ministers of everything demanded of them by a mutinous league of their followers carries in itself the soeds of much future danger, and I am not surprised to hear rumours of further disiffection »s regards Ministerial measures. It is said, for instance, that in consequence of pretty strong intimations having been giv«n to the Government by some of its staunchest a'lies that the new million oan will not go down, that proposal will probably be quietly dropped. From what I can heu, it is safe to be rejected if definitely submitted to the House. Then, again, it is by no means cl^ar the local government scheme will be accepted even shorn of the 25 years' guarantee and borrowing powers. The Native Lands Disposition Bill, also, is menaced with a desperate resistance, and in the present temper of the House it is hardly possible that the : public works proposal-, whatever they may turn out to be, will fail to excite general grumbling. In fact the House is just now in a thoroughly disorganised state, and it it difficult to say in what direction the prevalent disaffection may break out next ; but of one thing I am toleraMv convinced, and that is that unless Ministers let their policy go overboard, get their Estimates passed, and send members about their business hh speedily ag possible, we shall see some more Parliamentary trouble ere very long. Already members are beginning to grumble at the nat'ire of the compromise made by Govern* ment, on the ground that the promised financing is unsatisfactory. I should not ho surprised to see a direct motion 111 1 this eflLct turn >ap byeand-bye. Meanwhile an ominous calm prevails. The gum stores at North Wairoa are being closed owing to over supply, and the Home market being overstocked ; £20 a too is ©ow quoted. The Russian preparations in Asu a r e causing grave anxiety, and it is feared the difficulty will be resumed in the autumn. The Russian Press claim that Russia is entitled to the territory lying at the foot of the Hindoo-Eoosh Mountains in Afghanistan. The London wool sales concluded on Friday. The closing prices rnn<_'e from £ I to Id below the April closing rates, except for greasy and cross-bred sorts, which have recovered slightly. 323,000 bales were catalogued, of which 70,000 were withdrawn. Brigadier-general Green, H.E.. has proceeded to Assouam on the First Cataract, takir.s; with him half the regiment of the 20th Hussars General Brackenbury telegraphs a report that the Mahdi is dead, but the rumour is said to lack confirmation. The number of cases of cholera repotted to the Spanish sanitary authorities is on the decrease, and there are hopes that the violence of the epidemic is abating. The monthly returns of the United Stabs Agricultural Bureau just published estimate the coming American wheat crop at 363,000,000 bushels. The meat by the ship Oamaru, from Wellington, is selling in London al 5d per lb. TUESDAT. Mr. Thomas Bracken (says the Daily Times) has received a requisition from electors at Milton and Raitangata requesting him to contest the election for tho Biucc seat. Mr. Bracken has been compelled through busincps engagements to decline the request, and has informed the requisitionists of his regret at 1 ot being able to comply with their wish. In anticipation of tho passing of Mr. Bradsbaw's motion, tho directors of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company have decided to work all youog persons in their 1 mploy 5J days a week and pay them for that time. Previously they got a half-holiday on Saturday, and made up the time by working half an hour extra on tho other days, and were paid for six days. Prime New Zealand mutton is realising in London an average of sjd to ssd per lb. It is t nnounced that tho Governm ent have refol ved to extend tho Quetta-Pesheen Railway ac far as the Kbojuk Pass, in the direction

of Candahar. Intelligence from Central Asia states that considerable Russian reinforcements continae to advance on Sarakhsi The Russians have flogged a clerk in the employ of the British Consul at Kesn, a town 30 miles south of Samarcand. The cause of the outrage was the refusal of the clerk to divulge information regarding the English Afghan frontier agents. Fifteen thousand men, armed with breech-loaders, will garrison Herat, and a large number of heavy guns are being sent there for the fortifications of the town. Wednesday. In the House of Eepresentatives yesterday, Mi-. Pyke gave notice that on going into Committee of Supply, he would move that it is desirable and necessary that the nominated system of immigration be resumed without delay.-The following bills were introduced :— The Westland and Grey Education Boards Bill (the Hon. Mr. Stout), ?J? lll^ r °, ya^ate the Sydenham Municipal Council public works loan (Mr. White), The Coroner Juries Act Amendment Bill (the Hon. Mr. Tole).~.Ma]or Atkinson resumed the debate on the second read»ng of the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Bill. He said it was greatly to be regretted that the Government had made this a Ministerial measure, as if there was one bill more than another that should tar tree from party bias is was the present one, and it would require all their combined wisdom to make it an acceptable measure. On looking carefully through the bill to ascertain ite principles, he said the only pnnciple he could see was that the whole of the roads of a country were to be made out of the consolidated fund, and he wonld be prepared to show the House that this could not possibly be done. He thought it would be generally admitted that they had an assured finance in the manner in which they at present provided for the maintenance of roads. He contended that the property tax could not fairly be abandoned for the purpose of the construction of these Sv M^S ce 5 11 H 5Bt f? } h l n arose ' How were the roads to be made ? He held that the chief charge for their construction should fall upon the landed property of the country, and they could not be made out of the consolidated fund. All those who were connected with road boards were aware that they experienced great difficulty in raising sufficient revenue to construct their roads, and they knew that the larger the rate the more subsidy would be granted. He said they must abandon the idea of making the roads by granting subsidies. The only way to make them would be by capitalising special rates. In, other words they should' borrow upon the rates in order to make the roads. It seemed to him reasonable that the Colony should contribute a small sum towards the construction of roads, and the oro-perty-owners should bear the chief burden. He thought that although borrowing in any shape was very unpopular, a million of money would be sufficient to cover everything that was required for say, 10 years. He thought that money expended on roads was as directly profitable as upon railways, and if they got to slack off one or the other, his opinion was that the railways should be the first slackened off. He did not intend to defend the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, but he considered that Act was very much misunderstood by the House. He thought the country would willinelv contributes certain amount for road constructing. He felt that it was quite hopeless to proceed with a bill of this kind in a satisfactory manner if it was made a party question. He would not oppose the second reading, as the most objectionable part of the bill had been eliminated. He thought that instead of thrusting the measure upon a willing House, some temporary arrangements should be made iov this year, and the whole matter should be considered further during the recess. The motion for the second reading of the bill was put and carried on the voices. p '

It has been almost conclusively proved in Melbourne that Kerry who for some time has been actively engaged in forming a syndicate to purchase, prospect, and work certain reputed goldfields,in New Guinea, on the strength of some fine specimens which are claimed to have been discovered while a member of the Age New Guinea Expedition, is identical with a person named Lord, who purchased several quartz specimens in Launceston in February last. His story of the discovery of auriferous country in New Guinea is consequently discredited, and the expedition, which was about to start under the auspices of a syndicate, has been entirely abandoned. In the House of Commons on Monday the Right Hod W H Smith, Secretary for War, brought down a motion for Supplementary Estimates. The War Minister informed the House that military preparations are being continued pending a definite settlement with Russia on the Afghan boundary question. The House voted the supplementary credit asked for by the Right Hon. Minister for War urging that it was needed to complete the necessary preparations pending a settlement. Mr. Smith added that the present Government were not prepared to accede to the demands made by Russia to their predecessors in office. The Hon.- Robert Bourke informed the House that so far no arrangement had been completed for arbitration between England and Russia on the Afghan frontier question but the state of the case put forward was stillunder discussion "between the two countries.

Thursday. In the House of Representatives yesterday the following bills were introduced :-A bill to provide for the better preservation of the lives of young children from poisoning by phosphorus matches (Sir George Grey) ; a bill to amend "The Dunedin Drillshed Act 1876 Amendment Act 1884" and partially repeal the operation S the same (Mr M J. S. Mackenzie; ; the New Zealand Currency Bill (Mr. Brown) ; the Rakaia Domain Board Empowering Bill ( Mr Ivess) ; a bill to amend •• The Public Works Act 1882 " (the Hon Mr. Richardson) ; "The Public Reserves Act 1881 " Amendment Bill (the Hon. Mr. Ballance) ; " The Police Offences Act 1884 " Amend ment Bill No. 2 (Mr. Fisher). Mr. Bradshaw moved-" TbStbe amendment made by the committee on • The Eaplovment of Fpmalpn and Others Act 1881 Amended Bill • " be agreed to. Mi •. LevStam moved as an amendment—" That no person shall employ any vount? person for more than 48 hours in any one week." Mr. Fitzherbert moved as a further amendment—" Providing for not more that 48 hours per week, and eight anda-half hours per day." Mr Levestam withdrew his amendment, and 'Mr. 'Fitzherbert's amendment

was then put and carried on the voices. Mr. Fiteherbert moved a further amendment in the Employment o£ Females Act, to add to clause 3—" Provided always that any inspector in any district in case of emergency allows young persons to work overtime. The amendment was carried on division by 36 against 26. Mr. Ross moved a further addition—" That it shall not be compulsory on any young person to work such overtime." The amendment was lost on the voices. Mr. M. J. 8. Mackenzie moved to strike oat in the clause relating to holidays the words " without loss of wages." The Hon. R. Stout opposed the amendment. The latter had beetf in force for 12 years, and the employees had never cdm plained of it. Mr. Fergus said that all respectable tradesmen paid their apprentices for all holidays. He thought they were legislating for the ignorant people. Mr. Levestam said that notwithstanding the law had l>een in force so many years he knew of cases in which boys' wages bad been stopped for holidays. The amendment was lost on the voices. The bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. Lord Wolseley, on his return to London from the Soudan, met with a most enthusiastic reception. In the House of Commons on Monday during the discussion on the vote of credit, the Secretary for War stated that the credit was for «he purpose of despatching 35,000 additional troops to India if required. In his despatches General KomarofE has accused >the Afghans of still advancing, but he has received orders from his Government to act strictly on the defensive. Colonel Ridgeway, the English Afghan Frontier Commissioner, is proceeding to Herat.