Wellington Items.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5608, 3 May 1886, Page 4

Wellington Items.

seems pretty clear, so far as a judgment can be formed at present, they will come back stronger than ever. My impression ia that the Government havo something of a surprise in store for the House, and that they are keeping their actions more than usually quiet. This may account in some measure for the absence of political intelligence which I mentioned at the commencement of this , despatch.

THE WEST COAST EAILWAY. WOEK OF THE MINISTERS. THE COMING SESSION. [By Telboeaph.] [FKOM OTJB OWN COBBESrOSDHNT.3 WELLINGTON, Mat 2. The country having been relieved of the responsibility of constructing tho East and West Coast Eailway, those in thia part oi tho Colony who so bitterly opposed the project eagerly look forward to any freeh development respecting the floating of a Company at Home to undertake the work, which, it is now admitted, will benafit Wellington enormously, Consequently the intelligence received by the Treasurer on Saturday, and publiahed in the Post, that tho contract with tho Syndicate for the construction of tho East and West Coast and Nelson Eailway had beon assigned to a Company, which had been duly formed, and the prospectus of which had yesterday appeared in the London papers, created a very considerable amount of interest. Sir Julius Yogel was good enough to telephone to me immediately upon the receipt of the cable message, and the effect of that message I sent you by an urgent; telegram. Por some time past ther*} has been an almost entire absence of interesting political news. The Premier has been frequently absent, Mr Larnach has been away for a lengthened period, and Mr Ballance has had occasion to visit many Native districts in the North. There-are complaints at the peregrinations of Ministers, the pro longed absence of some of thorn from the seat of Government, and the expense entailed upon the country thereby; but 1 think it will be found, when a reckoning is made, that the country will havo cau^e to be satisfied with the result of these flittingE to and fro. It is of great importance that Ministers should see for themselves the working throughout the Colony of the Departments over which they preside, and should also make themselves acquainted with the requirements of tbe Colony generally, and this cannot be done by remaining for ever in Wellington. It is true the Premier has devoted a good deal of time tc private business affairs, but even while attending to these he has not neglected hia public duties. His wonderful breadth of grasp, and almost phenomenal capacity for work, enable him to do more in lese time than any public man I know, except; perhaps, Sir Julius Yogel. Sir Julius, too, during his long stay at Waiwera was by no means idle, as all whe watched his movements can attest. What other man, suffering physically as the Colonial Treasurer suffers, and has suffered for so long, could have undergone the bodily and mental fatigue which he hat endured, and that solely in the interests ol tho country ? He lives almost entirely in his office, and works incessantly from Monday morning to Saturday night, and of teß throughout the Sunday. Mr Larnach has been making a special study of the goldfields, and he will doubtless, daring the coming session, be able tc give a good account of his stewardship. No Minister has over taken a deeper interest in the welfare of the mining industries than the present Minister of Mines. Mr Tole has made the gaols his special study during the recess, and Mr Ballanct has been, as we all know, extremely active in regard to the settlement of Crown and Native lands. I have kept you well posted as to all that he has done since the prorogation, and I have no hesitation in saying that his record for the year will be superio] to the record of any Minister who has previously held the delicate and difficult poet of political head of the Native Department Mr Eichardson has not been absent verj often or very long, though he haa done much good work, and Mr Buckley ha 3 onlj been out of Wellington once during th{ recess. What the latter gentleman did while away, or what he has dono while at the capital is not very clear. - As to the measures likely to be introduced in the session now so close at hand, these can only be guessed at from tho public utterances of the Ministers. That they will not be aa numerous as during last session may be taken for granted. Some oi the consolidation and other measuree dropped then will bo re-introduced, with the measures necessary to givo effect tc the policy of the Government, as sketched out from time to time. Until the meeting of Parliament it must remain a matter of doubt as to whether or not there will be a Dissolution Act. A dissolution is certain, because the Government will not again submit to their measures being thrust back on them, even at the request of the whole of their adherents. It is possible, however, that the Opposition will see it is to their advantage to accept the policy of the Government, in which case I predict a short and highly satisfactory session, but looking at all the bearings of the position, I am rather inclined to think that the Government will, before the closo of the session, find it desirable to appeal to the country, and if they do co it