THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1413, 23 July 1881, Page 2

THE LOBBIES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

pukekura, Licensing, District. 1 Wellington i Last Night. The Public Petitions Cortitnittee reports on ( the Pukekura licensing application. Petitioned state that .Pukekura has been created an additional licensing district •without sufficient grounds for doing so, and pray that the House will enquire into the matter and afford relief. They report that sufficient evidence has not been submitted to justify the committee recommending any interference with the constitution of the licensing district as provided by law, but if the petitioners have suffered'any injury it appears to the committee from the evidence that the Licensing Bill now before the House will provide a remedy.

Railway Tickets. Major Harris has given notice of the following :—To ask.it Government will extend the time for the use of the railway rettirn tickets on the Waikato line to the following places :—Runciman's, Drury, Hunua, Papakura, and Manurewa; whether Government will cause an inquiry to be made in Auckland into the grievance of the railway employ6s there in respect of pay due to the date of the 10 per cent, reduction being given effect to, with a view to the grievance being redressed as speedily as pos&ible ; that a committee be appointed to enquire during the recess into the claims of persons for services rendered as Volunteers in the provincial district of Auckland, consisting of Messrs Whyte, McDonald, Swanson, Whitaker, Tole, and Harris.

The Cambridge Line. It. is toleiably certain that the extension of the line to Cambridge will be agreed to by the House. A genera] feeling exists that it should not be called a branch line, but a part of the main line from Auckland to Wellington. The No-Confidence Motion, A great change has come over the Opposition re the no-confidence motion. At the outset its supporters were perfectly sure of success, a majority of seventeen being upoken of. The number dwindled down to ten, afterwards to six, and now to day they are barely confident of their ability to carry the vote at all. On the other hand the Government party, who have all along observed a modest demeanour, are now beginning to bpeak of carrying a majority of three. It i" evident enough that the Opposition reckwniug upon their host of members, are now beginning to consider the real effect of the amendment. As pointed out by Mr Whitaker, Onnoud cannot potsibly combine with either Grey or Sheehd.ll, and without their assistance it would not be po-sible for him to form a Ministry. On th» other hand it is shrewdly surmised that the latter are only making use of him for the purpose of shunting the Government, and that so soon as they were out they would be bound to dmp him. Under the-'e circumstances, his conduct in moving the amendment is regarded as rash and inconsideiate. Then again Grey's speech List night was most intemperate. He was most unctuous in the extreme ; his declarations were most unreasonable, and his conclusions false and frivolous. All these facts are now beginning to have their due weight, and the result is that those who were at one time disposed to support the atnondment are now drawing off or, or, at all events, holdinsr back. They still pprsist in asserting that they •will carry the amendment with a majority of three, and in the present unstable position of public opinion it would be unsafe to predict that such might not be the case. Both parties are doing their utmost, and so far as the Lobbies are concerned no stone is left unturned. The warning thrown out on behalf of the Government, that if the araeudment was carried redistribution would be defeated, at least tor this session, has sorely exercised the r/rinds of not a few. To counteract its effect, the Opposition have given Government to underhand that if they are in a position, and a dissolution is giantpd, they will refuse to vote the interim supplies unless the Government undertakes the passage of the Redistribution Bill before going to the countiy. As Messrs Finn, Driver, and Pyke are absent, and the Government refuses to errant pairs, the debate will be kept on till Tuesday. These members will, it is expected, arrive in the iuterim, as urgent telegrams have been sent demanding their immediate leturu. Swanson has given no decided avowal of how he will go. The Government, however, claim him, and it is not improbable he will vote with them. Hurst is also standing back, but it is generally supposed he will go with Swanson.