Fort Wrangel news., 1898-07-27
POLITICAL.
British Columbia Politics Still Controlled
 by Premier Turner.

by Premier Turner.
 From reliable party, whose name IS withheld by request, the News obtained the following information which Will be read with interest:
 There are thirty eight seats in the parliament of British Columbia, of which the government, has seventeen, the opposition seventeen and the inde- pendents two, which differs from the report given by the P.-l. on the first page of this issue. Two seats are yet to be filled by the election in the Gas siar district. The printed list of voters tor great register, as it would be called in the United States) was shown to d News reporter. It shows 5S registered voters, or "claimants,' as they are called, in the Skeena division, or pre- cinct, and Is in the Stikeen division, making total of 376 in the Cassiar dis trict. Of this number some are gone, but there arc quite a number of trans fers, which will probably make it even. There are at least l2 new votes for the Stikeen division, making about 30.
 There are three candidates for the two seats from Cassiar: Commodore John Irving, G. s. McTavish and c. w. D. Clifford. Irving is the best known of the three, and is q government can didate. McTavish is the manager of a fish cannery on Rivers Inlet, and is the only opposition candidate. Clifford is manager of q cannery at the mouth of the Skeena river. Nominations closed on the l6th inst With only one oppo sition candidate in the field, the gov ernment is sure of the election of one of it's candidates, which will give the government IS votes in the provincial parliament The government is certain of the election of Clifford. The fight is between Irving and McTayish. 1rv ing is under the disadvantage of being absent on his trip to Dawson, via St. Michaels, and McTavish is working the temperance racket among the church people. Still, however, it is not be- lieyed that Irving's popularity can be overcome. If Irving is elected, the government will have l9 votes-just one half. The two independents have promised to vote with the government for the Lake Teslin wagon road
 The provincial parliament does not meet till next February, until which time no further action can be taken on the wagon road, but, in the meantime, if the government does get the two Gas siar votes, then Premier Turner will have the trail between Telegraph creek and Lake Teslin immediately put in good order, and next February will in troduce bill in the provincial parlia- ment for the construction of the wagon road, the work to be done as soon there after as possible.
 In the meantime, Mackenzie, Mann & Go. are keeping fifty men at work on the railroad" between Glenora and Lake Teslin in order to hold the subsi dy of S40O0 per mile, as granted by the province of British Colum bia, and will keep them to work, hoping to get an additional subsidy from the dominion government.
 A counter-mine has been sprung by the English syndicate which is building the railroad at Skaguay. They sent in a report to the dominion government that the Hootalinqua river is not navig- able and the party of surveyors, which went through Wrangel last week to Telegraph creek, were sent by the do minion government to ascertain the truth or falsity of the Skaguay report.
 If the surveyors should report that the Hootalinqua is navigable, then a bill will be introduced into the domin- ion parliament for the construction of the railroad between Glenora and Lake Teslin, and it will be built next sum mer.
 The election in the Cassiar district will take place on August 9th.