POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2331, 18 June 1887, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

[fly TI'.LICCJRAPIT.— Sl'l'.OlAL reported.]! The new Electoral Boundaries. | Wellington, Thursday. 4 It is quite impossible as yet to obtain exact information of the new boundaries. The Surveyor-General informed me to-day that the commissioners have completed the North Island boundaries, but they absolutely refuse to disclose the nature of the changes in the electoral districts,till they have sent their report to'the Governor. This report, Mr McKerrow states, will not bo ready till the end of the month. Thp feeling of the commissioners is that as they have received their commission from tl)B "Governolf, : it would be*a"n"act of dislifiurtesy to HisJExeellency if they furnished any inform atloiuas to tlie result' of their labours before the Governor_ has been first put in possession of the details. Mr however, assured me that the boundaries will receive full publicity throughout the colony as soon as possible after His Excellency has recej^d.the commissioners' report., /"••-, ]

! ThVRe-Asembling of Parliament

Although! the fcwork of the commission is in such a/forward state it? is considered unlikely that Parliament will meet before the 20th of September owing to the length of.tiifie that will be taken up in preparation of*the electoral rolls, and issue of the writs. The Premier contended before the House rose that 4C days must elapse between the date of J issuing the writs and. holding. the electibh ;but: Major i Atkinson, a,nd other members demurred from, this, opinjon and said the time could be, materially shortened in the present ; emergency. Nothing definite, .lioyveve.r, wjis.'elicited on the point during the discussion.' ; '" j '

The Premier

.-Sir Robert Stout leave.s for Dunedin next rweek,'to:look.,,up his constituents.., I hgar .th'aji. strong opposition exists in ,I)unedin lsAßt..against the Premier, and he is'lty nb means sure of his re-election. Tt is still stated by Sir Robert Stout's friends that .he would not at all regret his defeat, as' he is in reality anxious'to retire from public life for a time to, attend to his own private business. It was also a subject of, general: remark ~on the night -of Ministers' defeat in the House that the Premier's face beamed with satisfaction after the division, and his laugh was louder than'ivsual, while Mi,'. Ballanee could not conceal his chargrinat the result of the noconHdence'vote. Further,, it is no/secret that the Premier is\soinewhat doubtful as to the verdict of 'the county on the Minsterial policy and .is. not so sanguine of success as some of his colleagues, notably Mr Balianco, who has expressed himself as being confident that Ministers will secure a good majority at the coming elections. "

Mr Richardson's Constituency.

It is reported here that the Minister for Public Works will have a hard fight for reelection at Kaiapoi,, owing, tct. the hostile feeling of his constituents against him, which has been growing for a considerable time past. Mr Scobie Mackenzie who is a strong Oppositionist recently received a requisition to deliver a political address at Kaiapoi, but declined the request, prefering to wait till Ministers had commenced their stumping tour throughout the colony.

New Protection Newspaper.

I informed you some time ago that a new protection newspaper was to be established in Wellington, the object of which was to advocate the cause of) protection, and also to serve as a Ministerial organ during the elections. It is stated now that the proposal has fallen through.

The Post and the. Times.

A rather brisk controversy is going on between the Now.Zealand Times and the Evening Post, over the alleged conversion of the former to the protection interests; The Post yesterday 'referred to the Times' sudden change of front and said it had been foreshadowed in the Lyttellton Times during -th«session byaspecial correspondent who is a prominent politician and a pronounced protectionist. The Times this morning repudiated the correspondent's assertion, and says that the Lyttelton Times for years past has achieved an unenviable notoriety, and with respect to some of its special correspondence. The Post refers to the matter again in to-night's issue, and says, "We can leave the Lyttelton Times to defend itself and its correspondent. It matters not who published the facts, so that they are facts, and it was undoubtedly to the interests of the public that they should be known, so that the arguments and constructions of our _ contemporary might be estimated at their true worth. Changing front, especially in presence of the enemy, is always an. evolution of considerable delicacy. Our contemporary, as we said yesterday, is performing it very clumsily, and it is exceedingly amusing to the spectators to watch -its attempt to wriggle round."