The Star. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1891. Midland Railway.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7178, 1 June 1891, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1891. Midland Railway.

On Saturday we were able to announce j that Mr W. B. Perceval had been in com- | munication with the Minister for Publio i Workß about the Midland Eailway devia- | tion, and that he (Mr Perceval) regarded '■ the matter as practically settled. In the j afternoon a telegram from the Hon E. J. • Seddon arrived at this office, unfortunately '. too late for publication, stating that a '"final settlement" had been arrived at. ! The telegrams which have closed the breach between the Company and the | Government will be found on our fourth j page to-day. During the continuance of j the little difficulty between the Company | and the Minister we have kept silence, j not because we felt no interest in the j prosecution of the work, but because we had no desire to intensify in the slightest degree any misunderstanding that might have existed. We felt sure that there was nothing more than a misunderstanding, and that a little explanation on one side or the other, possibly on both sides, would set matters right. It is satisfactory to know that the Eailway League has acted with as much discretion as vigour. An attempt was made by the Conservatives to turn the late hitch in the progress of the railway into an excuse for a strong attack upon the Liberal Government. The Conservative organs, which remained silent, during the long and desperate struggle that the Liberal journals carried on for years, while a word from them would have been of great eervice, eagerly seized the opportunity given them by the late little trouble to denounce in unmeasured language the bad faith, as they called it, of the Ministry. The League, they fondly trusted, would thus be led into taking up a position of hostility to the Government, and they hoped that its doing bo would wean from the Ministry the support of the people of Canterbury, who are so anxious to see the east and west coasts of this Island connected by the railway. But the League, very wisely, determined not to follow the lead of disappointed politicians, who never weary in the task of vilifying those by whom they were defeated at the last elections. Had the League fallen into the trap, and quarrelled with the Ministry, it would have deserted friends who had been tried and found true, to follow men who, if not opposed to, were certainlj quite careless as to the Buccess of, the agitation of a few years ago; The League may have many a task to carrj out yet ; for the railway has many enemies and not a few half-hearted friends. Ii what quarter difficulties and obstruction! may be found it is impossible to say, bui the railway will not be free from danger til it is in a far more advanced state than it ii now. However, we are not disposed to mcci trouble half way, aud therefore, whili trusting that the League will keep its eyei open, we heartily echo the hope of the Minister for Publio Works, that the worl may henceforth be followed up " vigorously and satisfactorily."