WELLINGTON NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 278, 23 November 1899, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day MR HUTCHESON.

The "New Zealand Times" describes Mr Huitcheson's meeting as .a "disjointed and uninteresting address," and says that the speaker was plainly embarrassed by his surroundings. "The audience," says the "Times," "was unsympathetic, and to an appreciable extent unintelligent. This address showed a total absence of that, convincing- ring that carries an audience. He had to adopt an apologetic and defensive tone, but Mr Htttcheson was completely out of sympathy with his audience when he endeavoured to explain his peace-at-any-price policy in opposing the vote for the New ZeaI land Contingent. The audience groaned at the mere mention of the fact that a man who had been a representative of labour which to a large extent supplies our best soldiers, should take refuge in the subterfuge that he would rather surrender the honour of the British flag than that one mother should ask him for her son. No British mother would ever ask such a man for her son or male relative. Women do not caire for men of this sort. Like the old Roman mothers, they would like to see our New Zealand boys bring back their shields or die on them, and a man who prefers to stay behind and talked veiled disloyalty in order to appeal to a socialistic element of his own will have no respect from British matrons." Thus much for Hutcheson. MR GEORGE FISHER. I saw Mr George Fisher to-day, and barring a. severe attack- of influenza, he looks fit. In a moderate and opportune address in tjhc "Post" he appeals to the Liberal vote. CAPTAIN RUSSELL. All Liberals feel sympathy with the Leader of the Opposition in the series of misfortunes he has suffered, inasmuch as he has never fought with rusty weapons, but has been chivalrous in his loyalty to his party. At all events I am justified in saying that he never had any sympathy with the guerilla tactics of the Left Wing when the struggle was most severe. THE CLUT.HA SEAT. It is understood that Mr Tom MacKenzie's registration on the Wellington roll for the general elections was merely intended to qualify him for his old seat —Clutha.