The Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1882.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4537, 8 November 1882, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1882.

Two jolly tabs, it is recorded, went ashore at Portsmouth iutuut upon frolic. They were attracted by tho "javiu? tackle" of an itinerant pro tohrr, whom thoy regarded ai ft f.ur mark for r dieule. But they were in the end persuaded to outer tho " Little Bethel," and— bo the story go<!t— " They went in •inner* , ond came out converted." Some people have applied un idea of thu sort to two of the Rcntlcmon who attended the West Coast Bail war Convention at the City Council Chambers. But the simile doet not hold good either for Mr E. G. Wright or Mr T. 8. Weeton. The former has bad too much ezperionco not to recognise at a glance the enormous udriintapo?. of the East to Weet connecting line, as compared with the Government's projected political line along the cliffs of the Eatt Coast. What is more, Mr Wright it far too honest a man to muk bis convictions, lie htss received v certificate to that effect from the Ministry, who haye — because of bit known opposition to their precious scheme — uncompromisingly rejected his aid as Minister for Public Works, and have instead tuknn unto them- ! solves a member with East Coast ! proolirities. MrWoitton ia arnoogsi> the most ! sanguine of the Weil Coast Hue promoters ; ! he may hesitate hb to the, best mode of procedure, but to the end in view ho has the I constancy of the irrsgnelic u-'cdle. | The outcome of tho Convention is ' that a Kuilway Loflf,u:> hus been ostabI lished upon v iirm and broad busio, with ! its object dearly defined, ut>d with momberg j who will assuredly iißcevi-ry legitimate moons '. for the accompliihmout of that; o ; ject. The ' proceedings worn YolumimiH, and lho.»e who have studied the full report published in the columns of tbc Ly licit on Timpa can acorcoly 1 havo failed to notice ono cj)Rcially inelructive feature almost at tho bopinnirig, certam gontlemen woie proposed he odirn bearer* ; but at that stage therowoaacorUiinnnountof hoiitation on the part of aomo few who were present, aa to how far they ought to commit themselves. Mr Gbryutall, who had been nominated as Chnirnmn, wanted to hare certain principles discussed, inasmuch as the disoussien "might dear away diflicultio?," and "might affect hia uocoptanco of the Chairmanship," llio election of office-bearers wa3 therefore deferred until llio end of the mooting. When the ond wnw, the same gentlcmon who had bnen nominated at the baginning were roady (o urcopt ofiioo : they were unanimously eltc'ed. The simple fact was, thut everyono pro ■ent was constrained to ugroo with Mr B. Q. Wright, who stated thn underlying prin« ciple as concisoly as wus pofdiblc: — "Now that tho Fnrliamont l.ud gone in for loans, the pcoplo of Canterbury raid mor<t emphatically that the East and Wost Coach lino was the most important that could bo conf*truct*d." Whuf. tben, was the une of beating übotil tlio bush ? Tho Convention rapidly grow moro outspoken. An amendment, by Mr J". Q. Wright, whioh was not so emphatic as tho resolution it referred to, was withdrawn 11 because the fssling of the meeting was aq^

«ry dear," and the Bailway League entered, unfettered! upon its imporkant work. There ara few g»thermgs whioh may not he studied under a humourous aspect. One of the Convention jokes was the gravely stated •ssuranoe that the Government " were not opposed to receiving the fullest infarmatioa in io important a question, and henoe their willingneia to refer the matter to a Commission." Subsequently the obvious reply came, "the position of the Government was a very weak one ; " for if the Government were fully convinced of the advantages to be derived from the East Coast lino, they should have carried it out, no matter what opposition was made." And there was that other delioious specimen of humour, a pearl from the member for Lyttelton : —" Ho would suggest to the m*eting, before Parliament re-assembled, to make their voices heard by compelling their representatives to inpport the West Coast line." Mr Allwright had become con§oious whioh way the wind was blowing ; and ho kad begun to appreciate the faot that it "-• blowing strongly.