SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 395, 3 August 1877, Page 2

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

[FROM OUH OWN UOItItESFONDENTS.] WELLINGTON. OAMARU-NASEBY RAILWAY. POLITICAL GOSSIP. August 3. A depiitation consisting of Messrs. Hislop, Shrimski, De Lautour (member for Mount Ida), Teschemaker (member for Waimate), the Hons. Robert Campbell and Mathew Holmes, and the Mayor of Oamarn, waited upon the Government with regard to the proposed interior railway. They submitted the plans and a synopsis of the Bill, and explained the proposal in connection with the railway. The Premier appeared to be favourably disposed towards the project. The introduction of the Bill into the House has been postponed until Thursday next, by which time the Government will have given a definite reply as to whether or not they will support the Bill.

The overtures to Sir William Fitzherbert to resign the Speakership and take the lead of the Opposition have been resumed, and if a sufficiently strong party c;m be formed, there is little doubt he will comply.

Tnere is every likelihood of a strong party being formed to oppose the Government. The Canterbury members are being conciliated, the Auckland and Otago members abandoning Separation. Mr. Roes gave the Government a nip over the knuckles last night for their action in regard to the Walca Maori libel case. He said that servants of the Government should not be allowed to go out of their way to commit a wrong, and the Government then step in and defend them. They should be allowed to fight out their own battles. He said the case would cost not less than LlO9 a day. The Government had no right to have a publication that could be made the vehicle of calumnious attacks against an3 r body, especially a member of the Legislature who happened to be an opponent of the Government. If members of the Government were found to be responsible for the libellous matter, the legal sequence would be that the members of the Executive could be placed in the dock as criminals.

There are only a few increases in salaries proposed in the Estimates sent down by the Governor last night. The vote for Education is put down atL135,000. The vote for prizes for Colonial rifle shooting is omitted altogether. A sum of L3OOO is set down as the honorarium to Sir Julius Vogel for services in England. <► DUNEDiN. TRADES DEMONSTRATION. August 3. Two thousand people are expected to take part in the trades demonstration tomorrow. The following resolutions will be proposed :—" That the system adopted by the Government of importing the manufactured material required for the public works is not only injurious to a number of artizans idle in New Zealand at present, but is detrimental to the interests of the country at large." "That it is the duty of the Government to do all in its power to keep capital in the colony, and that the system at present carried out of importing that which can be manufactured here is not the means by which that desirable object can be obtained, but the policy is more likely to impoverish than to enrich the Colony." " That New Zealand can probably manufacture all rolling stock and bridge materials required for public service." Dixon captains theDunedin footballers.