He is certainly the best man of business, and on the whole the fairest and moat reasonable member of the present Ministry, and ha has many qualities which go far to counterbalance the grave defects in his political character. He is an unselfish public man, and is capable, when not swayed by local consideration* or warped by intrigue, of taking a very broad view of public question*. For example, the bold and statesmanlike way in which ho dealt with the subject of immigration, when under discussion last session, was in singular contrast to the narrow views of many of his party, and still more so to the Premier's disingemxou« and # populanty.hunting treatment of the question. Mr Maoandrew frankly ad: nutted that the Government had enoouraeed immigration, and, instead of apologising for having done ho, or talked about the pressure of the 'landocracy,' maintained that they, had done perfectly right, and that they ought to continue in the same course. He ridiculed the idea of putting * stop to immigration in oonae quence of the 'unemployed' agitation, deolariri* that the present depression was only temporary, and that m soon as : public works were gone *7n with on a large seals, labour would ba ai searee S V?' £ fe ster who > mW « Position aJ that time, bad the courage honestly to express opinions hke those, ha. something in him which is invaluable in public affairs. He hat too % spirit of enterprise though it often carries him away into vuionarylnd ffl.con. sidered schemes, yet renders him of immense service to a youug country. Personally he is universally popular, and we fancy that thera I will ba few, even arnqng hio bitterest politioal The annual conferenca of railway managere, re the traffic rates, was feeld at Chriitchuroll during last week, and was attended by Mr Conyers, the commis«ionor of railways for the Middle Inland ; Mr Laweon, commissioner of railways for the North Island ; three railway man*g»rs from the North ; the manager of the Pioten line of railway, and several Southern managers. The recommendations re the rail way tariff, if approved and adopted, will be ia due course published in tha Government Gazette. 