SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8732, 19 February 1890, Page 2

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

(FfiOH Oon Own Correspondent.) Auckland, February 17. The Herald saya:—"Mr Bryce's speech at Hamilton on Saturday eveuing was well received by his hearers, and a hearty vote of confidence accorded to him at its closo. Mr Bryce has the credit of strong political convictions, and of never been afraid to give those convictions full expression. His speech bears out this character. Mr Bryce has now taken the proverbially difficult first step. He has met the constituents who elected him, a stranger to their district, ts one who commanded their confidence by his past career and his conduct of Native affairs in the Ministry of which he was a prominent member. He is now in touch with them. The frankness of his speech will command their respect and strengthen the hold which his reputation arid proved ability had already obtained." The Star remarks:—"Air John Bryce is regarded by many people as the coming man. It is pretty well understood th.tt if Sir H. A. Atkinson's illness were to incapacitate him from continuing to guide the ship of State, Mr Bryce would at once take a seat in the Cabinet Council, not perhaps as Premier, but still with a potent influence upon the Government policy. As the Premier ia said to be rapidly progressing toward recovery, the role marked out for Mr Bryce by his friends and admirers may be indefiuitely delayed. Meanwhile he appears to have assumed- the duties of a canriid friend of the Ministry, and if his utterances at Hamilton on Saturday do not alao entitle him to rank as their champion and apologist, they at least prove that as head of the State his course of action would differ very "little from that which has been pursued by the present Premier. No doubt the new member for Waipa would be less pliant than his predecessor, more liable to kick over the traces, and pretty sure in the compass of one brief session to bhipwreck the Cabinet and fail utterly in the attainment of his end." February 18. Tho Earl and Countess of Kintore leave fo' morrow for the lake country, and return in time to catch the San Francisco steamer for Sydney en route for Adelaide. Mr Macarthur, M.H.R., one of the Knihu Valley Railway Commissioners, expresses himsulf as greatly pleased with his trip North, and favourably impressed with the capabilities and resources of the North. The commissioners found that the traffic on the Kaihu railway was small—2o tons of gum, a week's stores for the gumdiggors, and a few passengers,—but sufficient forest there to keep the railway going for several years. They finish taking evidence tomorrow. Nothing is known as to the report of the commissioners. Mr C. Y. O'Conor, "undersecretary of the Public Worts department, has gone carefully through the accounts of the company, and goes to Whangarei to inspect the proposed route of the tramways into Puhipuhi forest and the silver mines both from Whangarei and from tho Kawakaw.i side. j