Of the new House, the Parliamentary cor respondent of the “ Southland News ” writes thus “ The House is an improvement on its predecessor, and may be described as a douce Assembly. There is little of the larrikin element in its constitution. There are thirty two Scotsmen among its members, so there will be a large amount of caution displayed, and a large quantity of whisky consumed.”

We hear that a few citizens are taking steps to prepare a petition to both Houses of Legis lature, pointing out the inexpediency of erec ting a. convict prison in the heart of the city, and praying that the Mount Cook Reserve, which, they assert, was obtained by the General Government from the Imperial authorities at the same time and under the same circum stances as the Albert Barrack Reserve in Auckland, should like that reserve be vested in the Mayor and Corporation of the City of Wellington for the use and recreation of the qoeople. It is rumored that owing to some malad ministration of the Property Tax Act passed last session, the revenue has sustained a loss of between £2OOO and £3OOO in the amount of tax legally payable by the various insurance companies in the colony. The matter has oozed out through the iusurance companies, who are naturally jubilant at having escaped payment of one-half the taxation to which they were liable. The subject will, no doubt, be inquired into by Parliament. Tho opinion is entertained that a searching inquiry into the whole working of the property tax would be of benefit to the colony.
