ABOUT THE LOBBIES.

Evening Star, Issue 4214, 29 August 1876, Page 3

ABOUT THE LOBBIES.

{From our own Gorresfomtent.) [By. Teleqbaph.l Wellington, August 29. Mr Donald Reid has been offered a seat in the Ministry. A Ministerial statement is to be made this evening. Mr Macandrew intends giviHg notice of an address to the Governor requesting him to dissolve the Otago Provincial Council with a view to having a new election to test the feeling of the electors on the question of Abolition.

The Press Agency telegraphs that the reports which hare been in circulation lately —that Mr Fitzherbert would vacate the chair for the purpose of assuming the position of- Premier are known to be entirely without foundation. There have been no formal proposals on the matter, but it is understood that certain prominent representatives of Otago, Wellington, and Auckland were desirous that Mr Fitzherbert should take the Premiership with the view of proposing a conciliatory policy, which would ultimately mean that the Abolition Act should be shelved for another year.

The «N.O. TimesV Wellington correspondent telegraphed to that journal on Monday:—"The Native Minister throws open 250,000 or 300,000 acres of land at the Thames for special settlement.—The most loyal Natives are bitterly opposed to the Native Land Bill. It is rumored, but not vouched for as a fact, that in consequence of the opposition of the Natives, the Bill will be dropped. It is generally considered here among Pakeha-Maoris to be the best B : ll ever introduced for the benefit of the Maori race.—Mr De Latour has given notice of motion that 'it is desirable an area of waste lands of the Crown should be set aside in the Province of Otago, the proceeds of which, under the waste land laws in force, or to be put in force, should be placed to a special fund, as a guarantee for the payment of any moneys hereafter to be raised for the purpose of opening up tl& interior of the Province of Otago by a main central railways.'"