GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS BILL

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 221, 18 September 1893, Page 4

GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS BILL

A NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

AN ABSURD RUMOUR.

(BY TELEGRAPH.— PARLIAMENTARY

RKPOKTEfI.)

Wellington, this day. TnEEß'ia an amount of suppressed excitement on the subject of the Hon. Rolleston's amendment, moved on the second reading of the Railways Bill. The course pursued by the Leader of the Opposition in moving a resolution traversing the Government policy instead of moving rejection of the measure, is construed into a challenge, and will probably be accepted as a want-of-confidence motion. It is rumoured thab at leasb twenty members of the House intend to speak on the subject, and thab an important debate lasbing over two days will ensue. The division on the motion will be very close, but if the Cabinet resolves to treab it as one oi no-confidence it will have tho effect of hardening up Goverumenb supporters and ensure the second reading of tho Bill.

Another reporb has ib that this motion is tt covert attack on tho wornau'a franchise, the enemies of the franchise being aware that if they defeat the Government on this question while the fata of the Electoral Bill is in susptmao everything may como to a stop and a dissolution take piace. This rumour is so wild that ib only worth recording on the principle that in politics the unexpected is not to be ignored. One immediate effecb of Mr Rollesbon's motion has been bo delay bhe bringing down of the

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. This document is all ready and mighb be broughb down to-night, bub I believe the Government have resolved to take no other business till Mr Eolloston's amendment is disposed of. In some quarters Mr Rolleston's action is looked upon as a tactical blunder, ib being contended that had he simply moved that bhe Bill be road a second time thab day six months his motion would have been carried. He may, however, have astutely calculated upon uniting the forces of those opposed to the Railway Bill and the women's franchise to deieab both measures at one blow, and force an appeal to tho country.