SCENE AT A DEPUTATION. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'S SPECIAL WIRE.) Wellington, Jan. 3.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2082, 4 January 1879, Page 2

SCENE AT A DEPUTATION. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'S SPECIAL WIRE. ) Wellington, Jan. 3.

At the railway aUtion aite deputation to-day, the following aoene occurred : — Hia Worahip the Mayor asked, without desiring to be too pressing in the matter, whether they might asaurae that the two aectiona referred to would be withdrawn from aale ao aa to be uaed for a passenger station. Mr Macandrew : If necessary. Mr Gardiner said that Mr Macandrew qualified his promise by the words ( Ms 9 necessary." Mr Macandrew thought that the responsibility of the necessity or otherwise of any given course of action should rest upon the shoulders of the department. < Mr Nathan did not agree with Mr Macandrew on that point. He thought a great deal more weight should be giren to the wishes of the public under the circumstances. Every interest in the city was represented by the present deputation, ' and he thought the Government should pay deference to their wishes.— (Hear, hear.) This was not a political matter. It waa a mutter purely of common sense, and what they asked was for the good and the interests of the public ; and whether it should be carried out or not, it should not be left altogether to tl • department. They knew quite as well as the department what they wanted at the present time. They had to pay 2s 6d cartage on goods to the railway, whereas, were the station more centrally situated, they would have to pay only Is. This represented a good deal on the sales. (Hear, hear.) The people of Wellington, under such circumstances, should have something more than a half promise from the Government. (Hear, hear.) Otago had not to sue in this manner for what she wanted. (Hear, hear.) This was a necessity, and they had a right to demand that their wishes should be complied with. (Hear, hear). Mr Macandrew informed Mr Nathan that he did not intend to go on the stump. Mr Nathan did not intend to go on the atump either. This was not a political matter, and he did not desire to introduce politics. Mr Macandrew (to Mr Nathan) : " You might have saved your virtuous indignation." He was of opinion that the Public Works Department had a right to be judges of what was necessary. (Cries of no, no.) Mr Nathan thought the people ought to know best what they wanted, and had a right to ask for that. Mr Macandrew thought people did not always know what was best for them. However, he had nothing further to say in the matter. He had no personal interest to serre, bnt he did not think the Government could afford to give up all the reclaimed area which would be necessary. Mr Dransfield pointed out that they only asked that the two sections referred to should be reserved. Mr Macandrew understood Mr Nathan to practically ask the Government to give up all of it for railway purposes. (No, no.) Mr Macandrew continued to say that all he could promise the deputation waa that the reserve asked for should be made if it were found necessary.