PARLIAMENTARY

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1596, 4 September 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

Wellington, SeptemW 1. I In tbe House this afternoon there I was a long discussion ending in noth- | ing, and arising out of a question, ! which took place as to the advisability lof periodically removiug GoldtiekU' Wardens. I In answer to Mr White, the Government sai'i they would In* able to supply ammunition to Volunteers for practice i at cost price. ; Mr Guinness gave notice of the ; following question : — Whether tlie i Government area*are that during the j year ended March 31st, 1885, the : the residents in the Greymouth dis* ! trict contribntt'd towards the supply of the Gieymouth Hospital the sum of : £889 17s ; whereas in Dr Urahham's | annual report the aniouut stated to : have been sul«cribed was nil ? Will ! the Government therefoie cause the report to be recalled and amended ? The Auckland Railway Land Compensation Bili and the Criminal Code Bill were read the second time. The Weseland and Greymonth Educatioual Boards Bill was transmitted by the Governor with inconsequential amendment*, which were agreed to. It is anticipated that the session will come to a close at the end of the next wtwk, and Govern uieut propose to take Saturday for the consideration !of the Annexation question. It will be rnoienliered that a very similar course was adopted last year in reference to this question, and it appears more than prolable that the result will be the same— in fact, it is very doubtful whether the House will consent to sit on Saturday evening for the consideration of Federation. Alarming rumors are ailoat as to the position of the East and West Coist Railway, which is for the present in the same condition as tbe coffin of Mahomet. It is stated wi b, I believe, a considerable amount of truth, that a number of Government supporters have decreed that Government shall not make the question a party one. Of course the East and West Coast railway question is the question of the hour, and it is a difficult matter for the House to dispose of. The Canterbury, Westlaml, and Nelson members from thistime forward are bound to stick } together to demaud the construction of the line, now that their appetites have been whetted. They are sufficiently powerful to turn out any Ministry that may oppose their wishes, or so to obstruct business as to make | the lives of Ministers unendurable. Although the majority of the House may be opposed to the proposals, it is thought that sooner or lat*»r tho work must be proceeded with, and the majority cammnndcd by any Ministry iv tbe present Parliament may not by worth an hour's purchase unless supplemented by the " railway ' vote, tli« nienil>cr9 interested apparently holding the balance of power. Members are in cabinet this evening carefully considering the resolutions, and it is suspected by some people that an attempt may l>e made to turn tho Hanks of the Opposition by stratagem. For instance, it is suggested that if Major Atkinson' resolutions are moved substantially, it will be competent for any member to move an amendment upon them; whereas, if they had taken the shape of an amendment upon the next motion for going into Supply, tins eonrse would not have been practicanla The idea is, therefore, that Ministers may put up one of their party to move as an amendment that all the words after •' that " be omitted, for the purpose of inserting " some other words " in the form of a mere general declaration that | anybody might vote for, and would in reality mean nothing. However, if. remains to be seen whether this will b • done. It it said that Mr Sront is at leugth determined not toholdofti c on sufferance any longer, but to fonv matters to a definite issue, which shut make it dear and uinmV«k. m-i---whether or ngt his Goveruiaeut

possess sufficient support in the present House to carry what it deems fundamental measQtvs of policy.