His Excellency the Governor and Lady Onslow had an afternoon tea party at Government House to-day from 4 to 5. It was attended by about 100, notwith standing the boisterous weather, and a considerable number of members of both Houses of the Legislature were present, and' a very pleasant hour was spent, ; ' *• Mr Walker is to ask the Premier- if hia "attention has been called to the apparent illegality of demanding, payment for audit of County accounts from County funds _o long as Section 175 of "Th&- Counties Act, 1880 " remains on the Statute book. Mr Lawry has given notice to ask the Minister of Lands (1) If be is awar* of the difficulties experienced by Road Boards in compelling landowners to clear gorse, &o._ from roads adjoining their prope-tiea through technical difficulties in the Boad i Board Aot. (2) Will he during the present sea-ion introduce an amendment in tbe said Act making landowners responsible for clearing half of all roads bounding their properties, and allow the police to prosecute instead of the officials of local bodies, the cost of all such prosecutions to be defrayed by the local bodies. r Mr Guinness will ask the Government whether they will this session plfcde a tun upon the Supplementary Estimates as a subsidy towards the funds of pubiio libraries and reading rooms. Mr Duncan will ask the Minister of Lands what is tbe intention of the Govern ment with regard to the relief of the de ferred payment settlers, who have been found to have paid more than the value of their holdings, as shown by valuation made since last session.
