Tuesday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 40, 29 January 1886, Page 11

Tuesday.

At a large and influential meeting of the Anti-Waimea Railway Bate Committee, held at Gore yesterday, a Committee was elected to wait upon the Premier, with the member for Hokonui, to prerail upon the Government to purchase the Waimea line forthwith. Mr. Lamach will alto be interviewed, upon his arrival here this week, in reference to the matter. During his visit to Cambridge (says the Waikato Tines) the Minister of Public Works may be said to have " scored one " against the deputation of gentlemen who waited upon him. Mr. Wellaaad a few other gentlemen, Mr. B. Whyte being one of the party, took Mr. Richardson down to see the courthouse. Every defect of the old temple was enumerated, how the presiding justices were constantly being affected with severe cold, swooning fits, and nausea ; how the public were frequently suffocated out of the building, and how the want of sufficient accommodation so seriously affected both public and officials generally. After a patient hearing, Mr. Richardson asked :—" Have you not previously set forth these complaints to the Minister of Justice ?"—" That we have, and rery frequently, too, for the last four or five years," replied one of the gentlemen. " And what reply did he give you 1" asked Mr. Richardson. " That owing to the stringent nature of the retrenchment policy which the Government were obliged to exercise in every department, they could not reasonably entertain the request for the present."--" Now," concluded Mr. Richardson, " This is one of the effects of the retrenchment forced on the Government by the Opposition; you cannot therefore blame the Government, but the Opposition who have deprived them, of the means of letting you have what you require. Your member here is one of the strongest retrenchment men we have." Mr. Whyte politely informed the Minister that what he had said about him was perfectly true. He was in favour of retrenchment, but on the usual Parliamentary principle—in other people's districts, not in his own. The European Powers, acting upon the proposals of Russia, have agreed to take collective action of a more stringent nature, and compel Greece and the Balkan States to reduce their armaments to a peace footing.