THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. Consideration of the New Contract.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, 3 December 1887, Page 8

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. Consideration of the New Contract.

The new Midland Railway con ti act was under consideiation dm ing the whole of yesterday aflernoon and evening settings,, your readers are well acquainted with the details of the subject, and little or nothing was elicited in the debate. The Premier laid the contract on the table and mo\ ed its adoption. He said that the Committee had gone to a great deal of trouble in endeavouring to put the contract in a reasonable form. He did not propose to go into the general question now, but would point out .to the House that there were tsvo points to which they might direct their attention. The first was as to the guarantee clause. The company asked for a guarantee of one million and a quarter, or that a guarantee should be given that the land would be worth that sum. The Committee had arranged that that guarantee should be allowed within the area but not outside, and he thought that was not unreasonable under the circumstances. The other point was as to gold mining rights. The Government had thought 750,000 acres out of the authorised area for gold -mining purposes should be allowed. He wished to say that if the House agreed to the repoi t of the Committee the Government would endeavour to get the contract made out in legal form, and to get it signed before the House rose if pos&ible ; but if not that the Government should be authorised to enter into negotiations with the Company for a revised contract. A long discussion ensued. On clause 3, providing that, if tho original area of land shall not bo of the value of C 1,250,000, then tho Company should select further land