POLITICAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 2419, 30 July 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL.

(from our parliamentary correspondent). Wellington, July 29. FEDERATION. This afternoon Mr G. Hutchison, asking a question on federation, said he was led to this by Lord Onslow's despatch to the Colonial Office, m which his Excellency wrote that the colony was not prepared or disposed to federate. He wondered why Government did not give the Hcuse an opportunity to discuss the question. The Minister'for .Justice said the Premier intended, with the leave of the House, to have the subject debated on Monday i night. BAD VENTILATION. The Premier was indisposed and did not appear iit the House m the afternoon. Mr Seddon was also unavoidably absent. The late hours also begin to tell on members. The Premier is suffering from diarrhoea and a generally low state of health brought on, it is said, by the foul air and defective ventillation of the House, of which members generally are loudly c«mplaining. THE LABOR BILLS. On the motion to read the Labor Bilis a third time, Mr Rolleston entered a protest against the haste with which the Bills was got through Committee at a very late hour. He feared the legislation, if carried out, would not be satisfactory to the colony, and reviewed the Truck Bill dismally. PARTIES. The state of parties remains unaltered, except that a hardening process is going on, and the line of demarcation is more rigidly defined than ever. The fight over the Land Bill is expected to be severe, and the'rejection of the Labor Bills by the Upper House is looked upon as certain. THE FACTORIES ACT. The Select Committee finished consideration of the Factories A«t to-day, making one or two trifling amendments, the most important being that no person under sixteen years of age should work, more than forty ei<?ht hours per week. ' , THE AGENT-GENERALSUIP. Many eyes are turned on the AgentGenerakhip, and Mr Bryce asked to-day, without notice, whether the AgentGeneralship was to be filled. Mr Reeves requested him to give notice of the question. THE LAND BILL. The Waste Lands Committee reviewed another section of the Land Bill and approved the one-man-one-run clause and considerably reduced the punishments for evasion. It is understood Ministers will agree to the proposal that the period of years over which instalments under the deferred payment, system are. payable - shall be extended.Clause 84, which debars a person from purchu&ingin trust/, whether for children or others, was passed ; Mr Richardson called for a division, and found himself the only opponent of this as well as the one man-one-ruu clause. The reduction m the term of imprisonment for breach of the Land Act was " from five years to two years Consideration of the much-debated clause 85, -which prevents any person from holding more than 2,000 acres of land, was postponed. TAXATION. It was expected that the Property Tax Assessment Bill would have been brought down to-day, but owing to the illness of the Premier it was postponed. , BEWARE. Mr O'Conor raised a laugh m the House this evening by observing that the auctioneer? were a set of men of whom xh® community should beware. "Yes, sir," pursued the hon. member when the House laughed, 'M know. I've been an auctioneer mysslf." At this the laughter was redoubled,- and more so when the Buller lion extended his hand towards Mr T. K. McDonald who was conversing with the Minister m charge of the Bill. "He is an interested party, sir, let the hon. gentlemen beware."