NOTES BY COLONUS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1062, 28 January 1879, Page 5

NOTES BY COLONUS.

THB ATTORNEY aENKRAL'B SPEECH.

I have perused with a considerable amount oi interest a report of the able speech of the Hon,

Robert Stout, Attorney General, and Minister for Lands, jubt delivered at Dunedin. Mr Stout has an open frank way cf speaking, calculated, I think, to leave the impression that he is not guileful, but has an honest heart, and is earnest in his endeavors to exer jise bis abilities for tbe p public good. Mr Stout's intellectual capacity is nuquestionable, and as moreover be possesses a large fund of that useful commodity i ovl'ed common Berne, I t'vnk his services to the Colony in tbe matter of the administration of public aff iirs are 1-kely to be very valuable. Going over a portion of tbe ground traversed by Mr Stout, imprimis, though I am not well posted up %a to the m°ri-s of the pn/essorial eh-ir quistion in the University 7 , I entertain a lurking suspicion that Mr S out is in the right, and that the large amount of abuse Mr Stout w a* made the recipient of, was not justifiable, especially, cor sidering tbat be did not stand alone, but that the Bill was approved of by some of the foremost personages of the Presbyterian body. Regarded from a social print of view, I should thijk tbe Act of last Session which rere„ogDises the legality of combination of workmen to resist the enslaving power of capital was a wholesome measure, and more likely to have a pacifying cff act than other. The special juries in criminal cases Act, which seems to provide against what are commonly called packed juries, seems all right. I don't know whether the " Law Amendments Acts," which attempt to bring our complicated legal system within the knowledge cf every man, will make every man his own lawyer. Perhaps it may still be requisite lo recogniee the truth of the saying, that ; " a man who is hia own lawyer, has a fool for his client." Doubtless, however, it would be better jf people had more knowledge of the law of the lr cd than they usually possess. I have not much to say about a Local Option Act ior the Natives. I suppose they can have one if they want it particularly, A Local Option Act for the Natives, and one for the Pakehas, are two distinct pairs cf boots altogether. The Acts mere eftcctua'ly abolishing the law of promogeuitu« providing for the sale of the laud of the land tfa deceased person for the payment of debts; aod allowing certain relatives of a deceased illegitimate per.* oa to inherit his property, seem all legislation iuthe right direction. As to the Electoral Bill, allowing women with property, and all men resident a certain time in the country, holding, or not holding property, to vote, seem considerable strides in the direction of extending the suffrage. Perhaps it was as well the Beer Duty Bill was thrown out for tbe present. Beer is probably required more by people engaged indoors, in sedentary occupations, thau by outdoor work men, who, for the most part, woik probably as well, or better without it. It is not usual to drink beer in the harvest field here, as it is in many of tbe agricultural districts at Home. tiers, however, harvest bands gefc good Bub

u autial meat dinners ; something better than bread and cheese and ouious, As to education, I agree with Mr Sccuv, that we don't want denominational education, and I think we don't intend to have ifc. I thought we had quite made up our minds a out that. As to Bible reading in school, it may not be a snare ; but; I rather think ifc is a delusion. 1 wonder where the thoughts of children mostly are while they are reading it. Let the iao ed B <ok be read at home, or in church. Ifc is satisfactory to find Mr Sfcoufc quite sound on the land question, and thoroughly hostile to laiid monopolisation, the great curse of the country. I think Mr S'jout is quite sincere in expressing the disinterested motives which have iaduced him to t.;ke an active parfc in politics ; I do nofc think laßt session cau be called barren by any means ia useful measures, and though, if he did not occasionally carp and find fault with any Government ia ofiice, a journalist's occupation might be said to be gone ; and, though no Govenment can be immaculate, yet, for my parfc, I tbinJt Sir George Grey and his cc adjutors have done very well — all things considered— and I should be disposed to say to the present Government, "Go on and prosper !"