POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Sir Julius Vogel's Claims. Wellington, Thursday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2036, 25 July 1885, Page 2

POLITICAL NEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Sir Julius Vogel's Claims. Wellington, Thursday.

The piolimiiury inquiry into Sir Julius Vc«el s chin)-. n\is taken to day by the Petions Cl.is-vinc.ition Committee. The petition tame befoie that Committee this morning for the purpose of deciding which of the Sessional Committees should enquire into it. I understand there was some difference of opinion on the subject. Some memhois wcie inclined to treat tho petition as .n ordinary grievance, whilst others aigued tli.it, as it concerned in some respects the public accounts of the colony, it should bo enqumd into by the Public Accounts Committee. A motion was proposed to tli.it effect, but an amendment \s.v> ino\ed, rcfeim.g the petition to the Public Petitions Committee, winch was eventually cirned.

The East and West Coast Railway. It is pietty generally acopted that the (Toveriuiiant li.ivo no chance of carrying their ptdpr^als foi tlie East and West Coa^t Railway, The Cantei bm y members aie also \ery doubtful of being able to socute sufficient votes, a*> .ill the south Cantei bin y men aie strongly against tho piopoiaK, while the Atkinson patty, consisting of 3IJ vote-*, aie expected to be unanimously against them. The Grey section will also, of couiio, go into the lobby aiMintt Ministctf, so that, a-> far as one can pi edict, their defeat on the question 1.1 a matter of cintainty, especially as Minister! w ill not make it a }>\rty dnision. There was a leport ab iut today tliat Major Atkinson intendid to vote \\ ith the (-Jovernment on the question. Tlie ruiuour, a« far as I have been able to gather, is quite without foundation, but the probabilities* are that the Majoi m ty lefiam from voting altogether when the division is taken.

Public Works Statement. The Public Work Statement, iccording to the pie^ent intention i> to be brought down (in Friday week. The (io\ eminent intend putting t~»000 on the estimates aa an evpeument for shoithand reporting ia the Supreme Courts of the colony. The Government in Another Fix. It is luniouied to-night that the motion relating to the K.ist and West Coast Railway-, n to be post))oned till'Thur-day so as to give the Ministers furthei time for consolidating ttieir p.uty.

The Government and the East and West Coast Railway. WKU.iNiirox, Fiiday. Rumour is unusually busy just now, and all sorts of l.'poits aiii in circulation as to the outcome of the X ist and West Coast R lilu-.iy scheme. It is stated vv ith n itronjj air of piobabihty that if the Gin eminent persist m going on with the railnay proposals as at present brought down a direct vote of no-confidence, w ill bo tabled by Government hiipportor*, and tint the Opposition proper will vote against Ministers, is well-known that about l-"> of the prewnt Government party air so thoioughly disgusted with their chieni tint they would be only too glad of getting .1 decent change to break with them altogether, and the piesent idea is that » "scratch Mmistiy " should be formed out of the 1") so as to pievent the Government from doing any further mjuiy to the colony. Such a pioposal is meeting with lai£» snppoit f i oin the Opposition, but Majoi Atkinson is understood not to be altogether in favour of it, as he desiies if possible to keep the present Ministiy in omce for the session, and has lepeatedly expressed his views m thil dnectmn. Another repot t is that Mr Wakvhcld is to be asked to move, the noconfidence resolution, and will be supported by Mr Scobie MacKenzie, Mr Richardson, (member for Matauia), and other Government supporters, as well u the bulk of the Opposition party. A fuither innionr is that .Sir Geo. Grey will be asked to join the Ministry in place of Sir J. Vogel, who would letire from the Cabinet, but this is considered so iirprobable that little notice is taken of it. Ona thing is pretty plain, th.it if a no-confi-dence lesolntion is moved in the present temper of the House it is almost sure of being can led. L \tkh. It is icported to-night that enoinious" piessme is being biought to beai on memS beis to suppoit the (4oveinmcnt m their East and West Coast Railway pioposals. It is undeistood that the resolutions will bo postponed till Tuesday, and probably till Friday ne\t. In the meantime the «nppoiteis of the scheme. aifi vvoiking hard to secnie its being canted by the House.

The 'Frisco Mail Service. Papers relative to the receipts and payments of the San Francisco and direct mail seivice have been laid upon the table of the House. Payments m regaid to the San Fiancisco seivice dining the year ended 'Sift May last amounted to £41,004, and the receipts to t'38,284, leaving .v cobt to the colony of £3,330. Payments on account of the diiect seivice since the commencement of December last to May last wat. £1>,517<», and the receipt-- £7,3."i7, the net cost to tho colony being t,'2,1i1!1.

The Southern Railway. I midci stand that one of tho airangemeat-, t<> lie u-,cd in faumr of the construction of tho E.ist and West Coast liaitaay is that a coal mine proprietor on the "\\ est C".i«t i^ piop.iied to guarantee the company fiDKht to the extent of £50,000 per annum for 10 yeai*, if guon the milo right of sending coal on the line from the We»t Coast to C.uiteibui v.

Messrs Meiggs and Sons' Identity. Mr P\ke had a question on the older paper to day which created considerable inteiest in the pi esent position of affairs in tin 1 H«w->e. The question was whethoi th(r - " well known Hativ Meiggs, of Califourian, Mexican and I'eiuyian notonety is in »ny way connected with the him of Messrs Mcipgs and Son, referred to in the Tieasniei's Eii.st and West Coast Railway statement as a well-known firm of lailway contractor and financier, and if the Government h not in possession of Mich infui inatinn, whether they will make the necessary rnqnuios.' Sir J. Vogel said, in leplying, he had no perional knowledge of Meiggb and Sons. They were a very l.ircfe firm, but through losses they were not so wealthly now us previomly. As to Mr H. Meiprgs, he Luhtived that gentleman was dead. He w»s not awaro that the firm had anything to do with the Tasmanian railway.-. The Go\ eminent weie not pledging the nun, and before enteiing into engagements with any tinn they (the Go\ eminent) would take caie that they were in a position to do jus* tico to the colony.