SECOND EDITION.

THE GENERAL ELECTION4 THE OTAKI SEAT. The writ for filling the vacant Otaki seat will in all probability be issued on Saturday, and will be returnable in twentyone days. In the meantime those electors who have been disfranchised through not voting in the recent election will have au opportunity qf getting on the roll. At. was anticipated, Mr. W. H. Field, brother of the late member, has consented to contest the seat. It is understood to have been his brother's wish that he should do £0, and he will run as the nominee of the Government. Representatives of the late member's committees met yesterday afternoon and decided to ask Mr. Field to stand for the seat. He gave an affirmative reply, and will enter upon the campaign immediately. It seems likely that the contest will rest between Mr. Field and Mr. Morison. Mr. T. K. Macdonald has finally decided not to be a candidate, and Mr. Jellicoe will not stand against Mr. Field. Tne "dark horse" which the Government Party intended to bring out in the event of Mr. Field declining nomination was Mr. W. Ross, of Ross's Gardens, Lower Hi tr. He was to have had the full weight o1o 1 Government support, and tho assistance of all the late member's committees. In T .he present circumstances he will not come forward Mr. Hugh Cameron, of Gollan's Valle}', has decided to become a candidate for the Otaki seat. The friends of Mr. Wi Pere, one of the native members in the hut Parliament and a candidate in the coming election, writes the Poverty Bay Herald, will regret to hear that he is at present seriously ill with dysentery. His condition was considered dangerous by his medical attendants on Friday evening, but improved during the night. Owing to tha state of his health, it is probable that Mr. Carroll will visit a number of centres in the Eastern Maori electorate for the purpose of furthering Wi Pere's candidature. Mr. T. M. Wilford, the new member for Wellington Suburbs, is to be entertained by his Brooklyn supporters to-morrow evening. The candidates for the Rangitikei seat up to the present time are Mr. F. Y. Lethbridge, the former member, and a member of the Opposition, Mr. J. J. Bagnall, of Feilding, Mr. Gascoigne and Mr. Dick, of Apiti, all three of whom are professed followers of Mr. Seddon, while the lastnamed is also a prominent and ardent Prohibitionist. Mr. Johnston has withdrawn in favour of Mr. Bagnall. Mr. D. B. Duncan, one of the unsuccessful candidates at tho Wellington city election, has filed a statement of his expenses as f ollows : — Advertising, £6 9s ; printing, £3 Os 6d ; petty expenses, 13s. Total, £10 2s 6d.