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New Zealand Mail, Issue 661, 24 October 1884, Page 18

The District Railways Leasing and Purchasing Bill, concerning which the Government had from the first displayed a good deal of anxiety, was killed in the Legislative Council Monday night. On motion for the second reading Mr Waterhouse moved as an amendment “ that' the Bill be read this day six months.” It was, he said, a money- Bill, and as the Council could not amend it,, his only course was to get rid of it altogether. The Speaker ruled that it was a money Bill, and thereupon a long andwarm debate ensued, which terminated, in the Government being beaten twentyone to nine. It is clear that whatever may be the Ministerial strength inthe House, the Legislative Council is not to be depended upon to accept Sir Julius "Vogel’s programme as a matter of course. The fact is that the Lords regard the Colonial Treasurer with a very iarge amount of distrust, and it will not in the least surprise us if a few more of his Bills are rejected in quite as marked a manner as the one which was disposed of last night. On the whole it would have been better if the Bill had been passed, though concerning one of the railways affected by its provisions no good thing could be said, and the State would in that particular case have been, no gainer. No doubt the Treasurer and Mr Stout will be disappointed at-the result, but they can at least comfort themselves with the reflection that they did their best to carry out their pledges, and that their political supporters in the House will give them full credit for good intentions.