GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5210, 29 July 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(PER "HERALD'S" SPECY.iL WIRE.) [FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Saturday. KAIPARA EXTENSION. It is not correct—at least it is not yet an accomplished fact—that Ministers have consented to the carrying out of the inland Kaipara extension line, and there will be n 0 little difficulty in inducing them to consent, and probably they will not. The engineers, both from an engineering point of view, as well as on commercial grounds, unauimously condemn the inland liue as a waste of means and usefulness, and as entailing great expense, both in construction and in the future working of the line. The gradient in the inland route is one in thirty-five, in the coast route one in fifty. There are four miles of extra distance by the inland route, and the steep gradient is equal to four miles more, and would cost for every ton of goods carried along th,e line tenpence additional for moving, which is a very serious fact. Moreover, an engine could drag up the incline only three trucks of goods, which would be a practical stoppage of all real usefulness. These are statistics and statements, on the accuracy of which full reliance may be placed. The money saved ia.mediatoly by the uso of the coast route would' carry the line further north, and I am toXd it would be a far wiser course to make a br&nch line to the Waitakerei timber blocks than to spoil the main line by a circuit which would be a grave injustice to settlers northwards, towards which the line must ultimately be extended. AUCKLAND STATION AND RECLAMATION. The proposals regarding the railway station removal and the reclamations thereby necessitated are to be on a large and, as I think, judicious and wise scale. The works, however, will cost a large amount of money, but they will be most complete and valuable. I have a plan before me of the proposed works, drawn, of course, to scale. As I cannot send you a tracing by wire, a written description must suffice, and will prove clear to those who know the locality. Firstly, then, taking the Watermen's Steps as a starting point and extending thence towards the railway station, a straight line, OCO feet long, gives you the length of the reclamation. Its breadth, from Custom-house-street outward, to the aforesaid line, is 500 feet. Along the 900 feet a good quay is proposed to be built of stone work, as I believe. Along this quay will be formed a street, to be called Quay-street, S5 fset broad. This will give the Harbour Board additional wharfage to the extent mentioned. The "knoll" which still remains of Point Britoinart will, of course, be cut away, as well as some considerable amount of material from the adjoining and somewhat dangerous cliff on its landward side. The present station buildings will be all removed, and the station erected at the corner of the present harbour, opposite the Thames Hotel, v. ustom-house street, will ba cleared of all the little buildings which now encumber it, and Queen-street will be extended from the Custom-house-street crossing right down to its junction . with Quay-3treet, faciug the new steps now forming on the west side of the wharf. This will be widened to the breadth of 100 feet, the street line on the west aide of Queen-street forming the western boundary of this Queen-street extension., The railway will be carried along the reclaimed ground on the inner side of Quay-street, taking a curve at the watermen's steps, and thence running along the Queen-strcct Wharf. Another line of railway will be nlacp'l u-:i~ «y AlOert utreet will be extended parallel with this extension of Queen-street, according to the old plan published in the Harbour Act of 1574, a ccpy of which can be found either in the appendix of that year,, or at the Harhour Board office. Between these two streets extensions —Queen-street and Albert-street ■ -will bo two blocks, the one abutting on Queen-street, containing fourteen, and that on Albert-street, thirteen allotments, each facing to two streets. They are nearly all 33 feet frontace, witli 125 feet of depth from street to street. The centre street dividing the two blocks is to be called Little Queenstreet. The total area, including the site of the knoll, is 11J acres. These details are decidedly dry, and a good deal has to be done, and much money spent, before the locality to which they refer can merit j the application of a similar adjective. | A passenger station is likely to be erected a little below the corner of Custom-house and Queen-streets. The line will ba brought in from the station, —not along Quay-etreet, but along the reclaimed ground* by line parrallel with Custom-house-atreet,* and about 120 feet below it. The quay facing the reclaimed land is proposed to be a substantial' work of stone, the bottom to be dredged by the harbour authorities all along the new quay, so as to afford deep water, on which British ships may lie at all times. Regarding this dredging, I suggest that the fine Canterbury dredge should be borrowed by the Harbour Board. It could be obtained cheaply, and would do in a day more work than the Auckland dredge can do in a month. Canterbury will be able to lend the dredge by-and-by. tJ oods sheds will be built along the line of Quay-street; and from trucks to ships, and vice versa, goods - may bo slung as occasion requires. The whole coat, except dredging, will be done by the General Government.

THE TACTICS OF THE OPPOSITION.

The Opposition, from all I caa learn, are not likely to be obstructive in any respect, but are disposed quietly to accept the inevitable, and wait their turn to come when it ma3'. A few still entertain the hope, and it is surprising to find how the idea, prevails, that disagreements among Ministers themselves, aud the alleged determination of Sir George Grey io bend them all to hia will, must cause some serious disputo, in the Cabinet. Some of the leading members of the Opposition have set the story afloat, but it is now looked on, even by the most extreme section, aii a very forlorn hope indeed.

HEALTH OF THE PREMIER.

Sir George Grey has, unfortunately, been very ill, and ifi so still. He was seriously suffering for nearly a week, and was considered in great danger. He is still confined to his room. It is feared, although he does not say so, for he never complains at all, that the extreme exposure to the bad weather which he underwent at YVaifcara, has induced an internal disorder, from which he has been placed in considerable danger. He is improving now but slowly. IMMIGRATION. Immigration returns shew that during the year ended 30th June, there were 5628 persons who immigrated to New Zealand from Great Britain, and a grand total since immigration commenced of 84,103. The following are the number of souls who arrived at the different provincial districts for the year and up to date:—Auckland, 498— 11,472; New Plymouth, 99—1925; Hawke's Bay, 405—6416; Wellington, 5G0 —13,004;

Marlborough, 93 —1210 ; Nelson, 120—1738 ; Westland, 145—1400; Canterbury, 2034— 22,773 Otago, 16,680—24,104. Another paper on immigration contains an unofficial roporfc on the German settlement at Wanganui, giving a complete and conclusive contradiction to the statement published by the German Government to the effect that New Zealand waß a bad country for immi-

grants. THE SPEECH. Here may bo added in supplement to what was quoted in my first telegram, a few words more as to the comments on the Speech : — The New Zealander say 3 :—" To those who say (as some delight in saying) that the Ministry have no policy, it, can now be fairly answered, ' Bead the Speech.' It deals with what has been done, and very plainly • foreshadows what is intended in the future." The same paper approves of the proposed law reform of Mr. Stout, and expresses a hone that the fourteen or fifteen lawyers who are members of the House will not frustrate the good work. , The Post further remarks Altogether, the speech of His Excellency indicates that Ministers intend to adhere to most of . the main features of their previously declared policy, that the present condition of, the colony is one of satisfactory and unceasing progress, and that the Government are ready to begin the wqrk of the session m a spirit of hope and confidence." All the Wellington paperß speak favourably of the Speech. liven the Times, which has hitherto written in a manner implyin 0 its fixed belief , that no good thing can possibly come out of the Galilee of th Grey Ministry, offers a frank snare of honest praise. It is such a contrast to the style of criticism hitherto adopted, by; tue Times, that not only is a general surprise expressed, but a belief is created that while there is nothing to find fault with, else it

would be found, there is much to praise. The talk ia that the Speech ia the best, most clear, frank, definite, and outspoken that has been presented to the Assembly Tor many years, and the quidnuncs are giving credit and kudos to Ministers. Th& Times believes " the Opposition will assist in passing all measures likely to promote peace, order, and good government." It refers to the work of Sir Donald McLean and Sir Julius Vogel, and gives credit to both without detracting from the labours of the present Ministry. Regarding the work of pacification aud the means for making it permanent, the Times says, "The import ance of extending the North Island trunk railway from Auckland to Taranaki cannot be over-estimated, and we trust that members on both sides of the House will support the Government and place funds at its disposal, to enable this undertaking to be completed within the shortest possible space of time. Immense traots of valuable land be opened up for settlement and occupation. 1 New Zealand is in good credit in the money i market of the world; funds to carry out ' this great and necessary work can easily be I raised, and the increased value of the land through, which -the railway passed would j more than recoup the outlay. The time is I opportune. We have able engineers, labour can be procured on fair terms, and it is more than probable that in the native districts a large amount of the work might be done by the natives. This would assist *in further allaying any ill-feeling that Btill exists. Get the natives into the habit of working and earning money, and, above all things, enable the work to *be proceeded with rapidly." The Ntio Zealander points to what has beenaccomplished for the benefit of the whole colony by the negotiations of the Premier and the Native Minister with, the King and Rewi, and in bringing about a good understanding, and •remarks, 41 No such step- has hitherto been accomplished, and Parliament willnot failto perceive bow greatlyin finance, in population, and prosperity the colony will gain by the work of pacification for which Ministers are fully entitled to take credit. The extension of the trunk lipe of railway from the confiscated-boundary, which it has. almost reached on the Auckland side, right through- a magnificent country to Taranaki, is what-few would have deemed possible a year ago, and twelve months ago still fewer would have expected it to form a definite point in the Speech with which the present session has been opened. Large blocks of land on the west coast of this Island, long desired to be obtained, are in a fair way of being opened for sale, and the large and rich Waimate plains are about to be surveyed with the same object, all obstacles in the path having been removed by judicious negotiations, marked by good feeling and a firm hand." The Post and the Chronicle both praise the speech, and, as a whole, I believe its influence on Parliament will be greatly to strengthen the already excellent position which the Ministry occupy. THE "WEATHER. We are again treated to bad weather, the sunshine of yesterday being a mere precursor of heavy rain and fierce squalls. The Nelson, West Coast, and Picton members are expected to-night, but they must have suffered on the passage. The Southern members who have yet to arrive will be here to-morrow or Monday. Sunday. There is nothing to relate, except that the weather is still most tempestuous, actually blowing active men a score of yards beyond the door of their dwelling-places, and making women with parasols or umbrellas feud before the wind like a a . hl P "J a gale, and in danger of D " >w . n "*to the harbour. People f W there is nothing new in **•"> Dufc for m ? P arfc 1 have nofc *icnossed, even in Wellington, a wilder wind than that now blowing.

THE FIRST SPECIAL WIRE. I sincerely and heartily congratulate the proprietory upon their enterprise in engaging a special wire between Wellington and Auckland, and feel assured that the readers of the Herald will now be kept as well informed upon matters Parliamentary—although residing several hundred miles distant from the seat of Government —as the people here can be.