; (from our own correspondent)

) Wellington, Friday, There was intense excitement about the lobbies when it became known that the bargain for the purchase of the votes of^Bgader Wood, Hurst, Swanson, and Gfttjlrck had been' finally concluded. At 10.30 the Liberal committee of manage ment met, and EeaderWpod, who was a member, briefly announced that he and the others named had gone over to the Ministerial side,. and he at once left the, robm before anything could be said. At 11 o'clock a caucus of members wis held, and efforts were made' to get the stray ones back to the fold, but in vain. The greatest indignation is ex pressed, at the action of these four, and. Reader Wood's attempted defence of his treachery was one of the lowest arid most miserable things, ever, listened to. The more honorable , Ministerialists privately regard their action with contempt. The promise given them by Mr Hall is this :— That an accdunt is to be as between the Auckland provincial district and .the .other provincial districts' :in regard to' the expenditure of the public wfarks loans iri each jn proportion to popu lation and' reveiiu'e^and that whatever may be found due to Auckland on this basis shall be made up to it from the present loan. The probahle amount likely to be demanded under this arrangement is believed to be about a million sterling. Of course this re establishes the very worse feature of- Provincialism, and lays down the prin ciple that public works are to be carried on — not because they will open the ceuntry, or prove remunerative, but in order that, a certain proportion of the public money may be expended some how within certain boundaries. This will be very bad for the smaller pro vincial districts. The Otago men are greatly alarmed at the evident jealousy shown by Auckland of Macandrew, and at Auckland's determination to grab all it' can get. A caucus of Ofcago men is called for to-morrow morning to con sider the position, and it is by no means unlikely that, except M'Lean, Olliyer, and Dick, a block vote will be determined on against the Government, so that they will really lose instead of gain by the Auckland purchase. At any rate a most determined effort will he made to prevent the promise made to the Auckland members being fulfilled. 