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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 59, 4 May 1878, Page 2

If there be the slightesfeiposSible^par- ; ticle^ of^ufchjn the fpi^mng.jtrhich ; we extract from Monday's "Evening; Poßt;*'^thjen certainly it is' going away from home with a vengeance to learn news;--^ :. ' : . :~ l ir!^:d -"".'■■ "Mr Walter Johnston, M.H.E: for Manawatu,, has. notified distirictlyf tlo his constituents that he will riot seek reelection after the; dissolution of the" present Parliament, which is expected to take place .1 shortly after the . ensuing session. Mr I Johnston further expressed his entire willingriess,. to resign : his. seat at once, if it were the desire of his constituents that 'he should do so, without waiting for j a dissolution. In reply to his suggestion, .however, Mr Johnston received a large requisition, strongly urging him. to retain his seat, which he has consented to do, until after the 'coining session,-: -when, he purposes visiting England, arid remaining absent from this Colony • f o*f " a year or two. Several candidates already awinentioned for the seat at the next eleotion ; indeed some mav be consideredas, already;in the field, including; Dr. Buller, Mr. Snelson. (Mayor- of Palmerston), Mr A. F.'Halcpmbe, and others; A subsci-iptiqnvlist has been set on foot towards defraying the;expenses of Mr Snelson and it is understood that over £150ias been raised to begin with; Mr Snelson would comnaandsuppbrtin the Palmerston, Foxton, and Western part of the districtj while Mr Halcombe is strong in the Feilding Settle- : ment." '■ .-' • '•" ' ■;• : -' " ■':'■•■ "■ '-.'i ;'.L . ■; We are very much afraid our con-, temporary has been hoaied, but if not, the information supplied to it is not cmly totally ' untrue/ but ;must f have been furnished for some private! end. In the first place Mr Walter Johnston has not notified distinctly that he will not seek re-election ' should a .dissolution take place j (Secondly, Mr Johnston, has not publicly announced his willingness to resign his seat at "once, and consequently the little imajginative item with regard to the requisition asking him to retain his seatj issiniply and purely mythical. Mr Johnston may have experessed himself as willitfgto retire at once, but if so it was done privately, and therefore its secreay must have been jealously respected, as we can assert without fear of contradiction that n'o ten electors, in the district have even heard of the resolve. The portion of the statement with regard to the -^candidates in the field is decidedly premature^ -, and the news that £150 has -\>Wri. raised to defray Mr Sfi:§fe(Dn!S?eleMibn expeiises is rather an astonisher for those who should certainly^ be supposed to know some- i thing about the matter, and we believe to'none. wUl it be a greater surprise than to "the gentleman himself. Thfe only particle of truth or probablity in the whole article is contained in the concluding sentence, for we have no doubt that *Mr, Snelson ,or, any other eligible local man, would without doubt send a non-resident candidate to the roundabout.