POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 663, 24 September 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[special to the standard.] Wellington, last night Sit George Grey asserted in the House last night that if it required 20 additional appointments to the Legislative Council to carry liberal measures he would appoint them, and further, that if the Government had mat the Council boldly during the present session none ot the present difficulty would have arisen, The Minister for Lands asserts that the three men who carved up the Land Bill in the Council were the manager ol the Mortgage Company, the head ot a financing firm, and one of the largest landholders in the colony. The House refused to adopt J'he amendments mads by ths Council in the Government Land Bill, and it had to bs dropped. The Minister for Lands promises that he will next year bring in a more liberal Land Bill than the pres’nt measure, and it will coqtaiq a provision for elective Land Board®, Negotiations are now being carried on bv Government for the acquisition of 800,000 ecrec ot land along the North Island Trunk railway route, for settlement purposes. There is already 630,283 acres of freehold and 199148 acres of leasehold land along the line in the hands of the Orowa. The Electoral Bill Conference resulted in a deadlock. The managers appointed bj the Council insisted on the retention of both tho freehold aud leasehold qualifications and registration on more than one roll. Tho other side remained firm upin the one man one vote principle. The report will bo to tho offset that no compromise wa§ arrived at. The Bill consequently will ba dropped. With very few exooptions the Bills remaining on the order paper will be dropped, and there is every reason to believe that the business of the session will be concluded to nigh’, including the debate on the Appropriation Bill. The prorogation will take place to morrow. The Hammorton Pension Bill and ths Native Rand Courts Amend men" Bill are the only bills on the order paper that Government intend to proceed with. Al! the other bills remaining on ths list arc to ba dropped, Ths probabilities arc that the Native BUI will meet with ac tn-ich oppcslttou as to cause it also to ba shelved,