Sir Edward Watkin on Wednesday moved the second reading of
the South-Eastern and Channel Tunnel Railways Bill, which was opposed by Mr. Chamberlain, who related the history of the reiterated evasions by which Sir E. Watkin and the Directors had staved off from week to week and month to month the visit of the Government Inspector to the tunnel, while they pushed on the boring far beyond the point at which, according to the conditions accepted by the Company, it ought to have been stopped. Mr. Chamberlain expressed in the most explicit way his distrust of the management as regards its dealings with the Government, and asked the House accordingly to give the scheme its coup de grace. This, accordingly, the House did, throwing out the Bill by 222 votes against 84 (majority, 138) ; but not till after Sir E. Watkin had made a furious though impotent attack on Mr. Chamberlain, taking credit to himself that be had not made his fortune by 'the grossest of monopolies," and that he had not been "blown into office by the bad breath of the Caucus." By these sarcasms, however, Mr. Chamberlain was not absolutely withered.
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