The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1890, 23 January 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875.

The Hon. 0. C. Bowen, Minister of Justice, has been returned for Kaiopoi. Instead of the " dignified ease" of the Upper House, the new minister will now have a fair opportunity of showing his aptitude fora political career in the Lower House. We learn that the election caused a great deal of excitement, more than was ever seen in the district before. Both candidates worked hard, and Mr Bowen has been returned by a majority of 102. This majority may be accepted as an indication that the abolition of Provinces resolution has found favour amongst the Canterbury settlers, where Provincialism is fostered by a large land revenue and has not ceased to perform the functions for which it was called into existence. Mr Bowen's opponent was an avowed J?rovinciaiist, and he has been rejected. Mr Bowen is a member of the Government whose declared policy is to abolish Provincialism. In the face of this and similar events there are to be found journalists who say that the proposal to abolish the Provinces does not meet with approval from the people. Judging by the result of recent elections, and the posfc-sessioDal utterances of Members of Assembly, the next meeting of Parliament should give the Government a two-thirds majority for any measure founded on the abolition resolution of last session.

The ship Berar from London has arrived at Wellington with twenty cases of scarlet fever on board, twenty-one deaths from the same eauss having taken place during a passage extending over 89 days. The suggestive fact is recorded that the fever broke out—made its appearance the day after leaving Lendon. It is, we say, suggestive that the final medical inspection of the passengers must have been of a Tery superficial character, or else some signs of the disease which appeared so ■oon after would surely have been apparent. The Hon. Mr Vogel will have arrived at home ere this, and it is to be Loped that some radical changes will be affected in the arrangements for the despatch of immigrants. A depot in some eligible place on the banks of the Thames, from which immigrants could be drafted after being partially isolated from diseased districts, would be a very good way of obviating what has frequently occurred— the shipment of a large number of people with, a disease in their midst just ripe for appearance in a malignant form.