PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5198, 14 September 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP.

[By Tblegbaph.] ' (fbom our oww cobbbspondbnt.) i WsiiiNaTOK, Saturday night. | ■ It ii probable that at a distance in the j country diitrietß, where hope deferred in the expectation of expenditure for public works has already made the heart of pioneers sick, that the fall realisation of fast night's work in the House will just be felt, and presently we shall have a howl of indignation through the colony; but even here on the spot, in the midst of the ex- j eitement accompanying the act, we have some realisation of what it means. The Post to-night says:—" The success which the Canterbury members hare achieved by trading on the mixed motives of other sections of the House, and obtaining a majority for Capt. BusseH's motion, has established a most dangerous precedent, which will, no doubt, hereafter be extensively used for other purposes. No thoroughly honest politician could, directly or indirectly, encourage such a combination as that of the East and West Coast Railway Party. The reductions which were made last night at the instance > of. these members will go to depress the !f"~reßt of the colony to the level of Canterbury; the suspension of necessary public j works, necessary to open up the country, and to render profitable and reproductive the large expenditure already incurred on many of them, will lead to large numbers of men being thrown out of employment, and will not only shake confidence within the colony, but will materially injure its credit. Abroad the capitalist will look with disfavor »n a community which, having • put its hand to the plough, looks back— which having entered on a large scheme of works, and partially carried out, gets frightened, and stops midway, leaving the portions and links essential to a completeness unfinished and unproductive. The full extent of the sacrifice demanded is probably not even yet apparent." The Evening Press, on the other hand, says : -±" In one of Sir James Stephens' lectures on the reformation he said, •The reformation was a great work, brought about by some of the least amiable of mankind. These words apply with absolute accuracy to the signal measure of economy and prudence which was effected' last night by the Opposition working through the discontent of the Bailway party; by no other means could so trenchant a stroke of reform in tLe publio works policy of the colony have been effected. It was an opportunity that never occurred-before, and may never occur again, and it was seized upon with deftness, and acted upon with ""vigor and persistency. The net results of the estimate for this year will be actually reduced] by half a million ; the proposed new loan of a million will not be authorised; the colony will be spared £40,000 6f taxation for payment of interest next year, and the policy of reckless borrowing and expenditure will be checked as it never if as checked before. There is great trouble about the Hansard going to sleep, but the failure to report the speeches delivered last night and this morning was a fitting conclusion of the farce, for it was notorious that all those members who spoke were simply talking to their constituents, and in order that by having their words recorded in the Hansard, constituents might see what valiant efforts were made for their interests, but every such speech was a sham, excepting, of course, the speeches of those voting against any reductions. There is grim satisfaction in the thought that these sham defences and sham appeals which occupied so many hours have been lost to the country." „,,. , *:•■.-. This day. The Committee appointed to inquire into the alleged disqualification of Mr Seddon will probably bring up their report to-day, and it is understood the report will exculpate Mr Seddon. There is a rumor this morning to the effect that although Ministers will do nothing in the face of the House, there ' will be a reconstruction of the Ministry very shortly, after the close of the session. It is expected that the reconstruction will take the form of the resignation of Mr Stout, and his recommendation that Sir Julius Yogel be sent for; this is the rumor, and I give it to you for what it may be worth. . It is expected that there will be a rumpus this afternoon over the Mines and Other Estimates, and it is alleged that a section is determined to knock off £200,000 for sludge channels, water-races, j etc. It is a noteworthy feature of the j present proceeding that the usual course of things is being reversed, and instead of the Government supporters getting all the plums, they are having their votes knocked off for supporting the Government.