THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3299, 18 July 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1879.

The probability of the overthrow of Sir George Grey's administration, very naturally induces the thought of how would the change affect the Thames. For many months past the Opposition journals have made the Thames and Waikato railway a handle on which to base their attacks on the Ministry, and Opposition members, in their pre-sessional utterances, have not been backward in stigmatising the starting of the railway as a black piece of political jobbery. These attacks have given ground for a widespread belief that the railway would be one of the indictments thrust in the faces of the Ministry during the present session. That the surmise is well founded is proved by the question asked by Jlr Eichardson on Wednesday last, which may be taken as a premonition of danger to the interests of the Thames. We are glad to see that the matter is to be taken, up by the Thames people, and the hands of the Government strengthened on this behoof by a public meeting, to be held 'to-morrow evening. We are surprised that Mr Eichardson, of all men, should be disposed to oppose the pushing on of the line, seeing that in 1874, when Minister of Public Works, he expressed himself favorable to the scheme, and pledged himself to its construction. We do not intend to reply to such aiiertions as " The line leads to nowhere, and will not pay for grease "—our readers know different td that—but simply to point out that the stoppage of the railway works would be a direct and unpardona-

ble breach of faith on the part of the Government— -no mutter of whom composed—to tho people of tho Thames, fcio convinced were they that the line would pay that, in conjunction with neighbouring districts, they inaugurated arrangements to construct tho line at their own expense, and would hare done bo had not the Gofernment stepped in and said " The line is a main trunk line of the Colony, and shall be made out of funds from the Colonial Exchequer." On these grounds alone we think the people of the Thames could make out so good a case that no Parliament for a party purpose could have the face to inflict'such a dire injustice oa the Thames as to stop the prosecution of the railway works. '