AN ABORTIVE DEBATE.

Evening Post, Volume XL, Issue 63, 13 September 1890, Page 2

AN ABORTIVE DEBATE.

© The debate which occupied the wholo of last night's sitting of the House of Representatives was a very unprofitable one. Some of the speakers evidently felt they wore in o, thoroughly false position. They deaired to court popularity by abnsirtg the Eiiilway Commissioners), but unmistakably felt they had no good grounds to go on and that thoy wore utterly powerless to injure or influence those officers. Mr. Ballance spoke in an almost despaiiing tone of tho Commissioners being, as they tortunatoly are, out of tho control of the Houso. His action in this matter, and his associating himself with Mossrs. Fish, Fiaher, and Beeves in it, will certainly not tend to inorease public confidence in him as a political leader. Tho speeahes of Sir John Hall, Mr. Withy, Mr. Marchant, Mr. Bruce, and Mr. John M'Konzie were excellent in their way. The attempt to get up Parliamentary excitement on the bubjeot was a dead failure, and oven Mr. Fish did not venture to test the feeling of tho House by moving any resolution. Had this been done tho result wonld no doubt have been eminently satisfactory to the Commissioners. Mr. Ballanoe's accusation against them, of trying to foroe'the men to strike, was, we are convinced, quite unfounded, and the oharges of harshness may be plaood in tho same oategory. The fact that in the recent ballot a large majority was against striking, notwithstanding the influence of the Executive of the Union, is the best anower to the allegations that the railway servants are dissatisfied with their position or havo any grievance against the Commissioners.