Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1878.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 210, 14 October 1878, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1878.

The sole apparent result, up to the present time, of the demand made by the people of Nelson that this district should be treated as a part of the colony of Now Zealand in the matter of public works, lias been the insertion in the schedule of " Tbe liailways Construction Act, iB7S," of! four words and three dots. The words are "Amberleyto Cook Strait"; tbe dots very fairly represent thefullamountwhich Mr Macandrew purposes inviting the House to authorise for the construction of the line. Such au impudent attempt to hoodwink our members we should have thought beyond the conception even of a Macandrew. We publish below that portion of tbe schedule which relates to railways in the Middle Island, leaving it to the settlers of Nelson to form their own opinion on the mautier in which the present Miuistry proposes to treat them. In order to assist them in so doing we have indicated by asterisks the railways which are to be made in Otago, the Public Works Minister's own district. Tbe following is the schedule: — Lines of Railway. Sums Appropriated, Any sum uot exceeding. *Otago Central. — Dunedin to Albert Town, Lake £1,100,000 Amberley to Bruunerton ... 950,000 Greymouth to Uokitika 220,000 Canterbury Interior Main Line, Oxford to Temuka 380,000 Main Line to Upper Ashburtou... 55,000 Opawa Branch Extension ... 110,000 *VVaipahi to Heri *t Burn ... 112,000 *E'leiiflale to Toitois 110,000 *Otautau to Nightcaps 75,000 *Clutha to Catlm's Eiver ... 95,000 *Waimea to Swiizers 70,000 *Lumsdtn to Mararoa 180,000 *Palnierston to Waihemo ... 35,009 *Oai))aru to Livingston K'5,000 * Alain Line to Shag Point ... 8,000 Amberley to Cook Strait Total ... £3,605,000

The second reading of " The Railways Construction Act, 1878" i9, we believe, to be moved by Mr Macandrew to-night, and it will then devolve upon our representatives to stand up in their places in the House, and do their very utmost to obtain for Nelson tbat to which she is justly and fairly entitled. They have before them the pledges of former Ministers, and the enactments of previous Parliaments, and ample statistics to support their demand that these shall be carried jnto execution. The course they intend to puisne js pojufed out in J.ho following telegram which we received from Mr Richmond this afternoon. We trust, and believe, that while determined to divide the House on every clause, they will be able to render that course unnecessary by persuading, by sheer force of argument, the majority to agree with them that justice should be done to the north of this Island hef ore money is expended so lavishlyjas is proposed iu the South, fbe telegram referred to runs as follows : — " Nelson" members met to day, and passed the following resolution :—" That all the members should be united, and oppose the second reading of the Railway Bill, and, if necessary, divide the House upon each clause with a view to adding in the second schedule, after the words ' Cook's Straits' in the last line, the words ' via Abaurq. and }}eefton to, Kelson and Blenheim.' "