WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10969, 25 January 1899, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[BY TELEGRAPII. — CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday. BRIDGE FOR THE AWATERE RIVER. Tim Government intends calling for tenders at once for the construction of an iron bridge over the Awatcre River, near Blenheim. At pit sent this is the only nnbridged river between Pic-ton and Invcrcargill, and it is one of the most dangerous in the colony. The bridge will be for road and railway traffic combined— railway above, and the road traffic beneath. THE OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN. Referring to the resolution of the Opposition leaders to enter on a campaign against Stddonism, tin Post to-night says: " Above all this campaign to succeed must be thorough, and to be thorough it will prove & costly affair, in time, labour, and money, to all engaged in it. It will take a big fighting fund as well as much public-spirited effort to fitly tell the electors from every platform in the country how it hag come to pass that those who will not follow at the heels of the Premier, have come to be almost deprived of the right of representation in Parliament upon the lines of constitutional usage. The Opposition is not lacking in the power of platform oratory, and that power must be brought freely into play in every town and village in New Zealaha long ere the year be passed, or the rule of Seddonism will be firmly fixed upon our necks for the period of yet another Parliament." Great satisfaction is expressed in political circles at the action of the Opposition, in determinedly coming face to face frith the Government before the country, and already promises of assistance towards an immense organisation have come in. A strong committee has been formed to undertake the preliminaries, and a confident feeling is abroad that the forthcoming election will go hard with the Government party. The Government canvassing agents are fully allive to the significance of the recent Ultimatum, however, and there are not wanting signs that the ukase has gone forth for a counter demonstration on belialf of Seddonismj from one end of the colony to the other, so that a lively time may lie expected during the next few months. THE RAILWAYS. Seventy thousand more sheep were carried on the railways for the 10 months just past, than dtiriug the corresponding period last year, but there lias been ft dropping off to theextent of 9000 in pigs in the 10 months.