THE MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8929, 20 October 1894, Page 7

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY BILL.

.»• THE PREMIER'S ACTION. EXCITEMENT-IN THE LOBBIES. (Br Telegraph.) [rxtou oub special correspondent.] WELLINGTON, October 19. When the House rose after one o'clock this morning it was to adjourn to a scene of most admired disorder in the lobbies. The notice of the Premier at too last lnomenc that he intended to restore the Midland Railway Bill and would move the second reading cm the morrow, simply astounded an assembly that presently voiced both derision and anger. Even Sir Robert Stout, usually most decorous, was stimulated to say that the Premier was fooling the House. As events have proved he has certainly fooled himself, and the pledges and assurances of the Canterbury contingent that seemed so fair last night melted into thin air this morning. Ib happened thud:—A meeting of Canterbury and West Coast members was held lust evening, and the result was that at 10.30 Messrs Uuinness, O* Regan, Buddo, Collins, Joyce, Mitchelson, Meredith, Montgomery, Tanner, Steward, add Reeves waited on the Premier and urged that another effort should be made to have the Midland Railway Bill read a. second time, as the motion which was lost was that the Bill "be now read." The memDers present expressed their convictions that, should the question come to the vote again, they would be able to reverse the decision of Tuesday. In a moment of what, in the light of the result, aeema most extraordinary weakness, the Premier agreed to notice for the re-instatemeufc of the JLJill, and at the last moment, prior to the adjournment, gave the amazing intimation. The resulting excitement iv the lobbies was, I believu, of the liveliest possible kind, aud the indignation of some of the staunchest followers ot the Government who are not Midlaaders was a very startling revelatiou to her Majesty's Ministers, the chief of whom must have quickly found it expedient to reconsider his intention. As a gauge of the chief measure of their discontent, I may mention that so consistent and loyal a supporter as Mr Piokerton declared that if the Premier persisted in his declared iutention as to the railway, he must not consider him (Mr Pinkertou) any longer a supporter of the Government; further, the angered member for Dunedin desired the Senior Whip of the party to convey that intimation to hia chief, which, I believe, ho did. This was about 2 a.m., and will sufficiently indicate the sultry nature of the atmosphere. This morning the political clouds still lowered angrily for the tribune, and he speedily Was convinced that he could only dissipate them by abandoning the Midland Railway to its fate, which, to do him justice, he did with businesslike promptitude, aud he 'is apparently now only intent upon getting all his non-contents started for their homes at the earliest possible moment.