The Government Denounced.

Manawatu Standard, Volume VIII, Issue 130, 12 November 1884, Page 3

The Government Denounced.

[Post] "Very jjreat indignation was expressed on the Queen's Wharf on Sunday forenoon, when it became known that the sailing of the Te Anan for Lyttelton had been postponed till to day. The Te Anau was advertised several da.vs ago to leave on Sunday, taking exenrtionists for the Canterbury races and show, and a large number of persons had booked by her, A. number of Southern members had also taken their passages. Yesterday morning the blue peter was flying until 11 o'clock, and by that hour most of the intending pns.sengers were on board, muny of them having incurred considerable expense m the way of cabs and expresses to take their things down on Sunday morning. Their feelings may be imagined when the blue peter was hauled down, and those on board were quietly informed that they could go ashore again as the steamer had been detained by the Government until to-day. We suppose the Union Company received satisfactory compensation from the Government for postponing the Te Anau, and so disappointing a very large- number of their ordinary patrons ; but the conduct of the vGbVernment m the matter seems^iQi/^ir^ntipely unwarranted. The^;||[j^^'^|e; sufficient * moral to be able to a 'ip^is^tt^fie transaction of necessary b>sme^s, -^i|hout having to resort to the eypedi.eni of stopping a steamer to prevent members r-mning away. They have- no 'right to pay large subsidies for such a purpose,; to the great interference with the ordinary course of trade and tile convenience of the general public/ The only wonder is that the members who have thus been forcibly detained have not sufficient pluck to resent their treatment by voting against the Government. It wonld serve the Ministry quite right if they recsived a severe rebuff,for they have blundered tremendously m their action on these Federation resolutions. To-day a further detention of the Te Anau, and indeed of all other steamers, was threatened by Ministers, but the Union Company properly and promptly intimated to the Government that, they felt bound to keep faith with the public, and that they absolutely "declined to | detain their steamers any longer to suit political exigiencies.