The Star. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1882.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4545, 17 November 1882, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1882.

Mb Win*. Williams is a sensitive man— to the foroe of publio opinion. In Wellington he failed to support the West Coast Bailway, when his doing bo might have turned the ecale againßt the East Ooast Extension. Even when he returned to Ohristohuroh, after the oloße of last session, ho Btill thought little of the merits of the West Coast line. Nay, he boldly avowed himself a supporter of its Bast Coast rival, which was, as will all remember, to open up thoae two hundred thousand acrea of agricultural land, the preoise locality of whioh Mr Wynn-Williama has so far neglected to fix. But hia boldness ended with this avowal. He had the courage of his opinions eo far as to avow them, but not eo far as to stand by them. He made no secret of thia from the first. On the oontrary, ho stated that if he found that publio feeling in Canterbury demanded a line to the West Coast he Bhould feel it his duty to bend to the storm. Everyone remembers the Amerioan politician who whea running for Congress concluded an elaborate exposition of his viewa by informing the eleotora, " Gentlemen, these air ay aentimenta ; but if they don't suit they kin be altered." Mr Wynn- Williams, it seems, has not forgotten to inolude a few Yankee notions among the curiosities picked up by him daring hit late trip round the world. Nevertheless we are quite prepared to welcome this latest ally of the West Ooast Bailway. Mr Wynn-Williams' consistency is his constituents' affair. His ability, experience, and shrewdness, conoern the whole distriot in whoie interesta the qualitiea are now (somewhat late in the day,! perhaps) ' being emplojed. Nobody oan do the oause greater servioe than the member for Heathcote if be chooses bo to exert himself. His letter, yesterday, to the Lyttelton Time* is an example of this, showing as it did the acuteneas of a lawyer and the plain speeoh of a man of common sense. Like most others, Mr Williama thinks that the Ohamber of Commerce was too easily satisfied with Mr Johnston's answers. He has oome to the conclusion arrived at by the Star and tbe Lyttelton Times some time sinoe, that the Commissioners' report is likely to be a foregone conclusion. The Commissioners have been ordered to report on the routes for a trunk line from Amberley to Cook's Straits : they may oonsider the West ; Coast line aa a possible means of getting to Cook's Straits, bnt in no other light. Are | they likely to oonsider it (for this purpose only) aa superior to the Bast Ooast and Top 1 House routes? Let onr readers refleot for \ themselves what they would do if restricted 1 within suoh an absurd limit f The Eailway League must at onct agitate io have the scope \ of the Commission's duties widened, so at to enable them to consider the advantages of connecting Canterbury with the West Coast. i