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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6413, 25 March 1892, Page 2

Mb James Ailen is definitely "out" for the Bruce seat, vacant by the resignation of Mr J. W. Thompson. The Bruce constituency is not "Liberal," after the doctrine of Ballance, but the Government will be at no loss to find candidates to oppose the return of an Opposition man. In fact, there are three in the field already, the choice of the Government falling on a Mr H. Clarke. Mr Thompson has retired from Parliament through inability to stand the late hours of a session. He is no longer a young man, and has repeatedly complained at the work of thn House being continued through the whole of a night, and intj the small hours of the morning. At the last election he easily defeated his opponent, and any one opposing Mr Allen will have a tough contest before him. It will be remembered that it was Mr Allen who defeated Sir Robert Stout for Dunodin. Mr Allen, at the last elections, was in turn badly beaten by Messrs Pinkerton, Fish, and Hutchison. Mr Allen is a New Zea- t lander, and when in the House during tho previous Parliament gave promise of taking a high place in colonial politics. Mr Henry Clarke is a strong local man. He was at one time chairman of Taieri County Council, and is a member of the Education Board. He is a great friend of the late Minister for Public Works, Mr Fergus, and is just about as likely to be a Ministerial supporter as Hr Harry Atkinson, or Mr Swan. If Mr Clarke gets into the House he will probably turn out to be tho candid friend of the Government, and in that character be their worst enemy.