The Bruce Herald. " Nemo me inpune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, JANUARY 27, 1885.

Bruce Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 1614, 27 January 1885, Page 2

The Bruce Herald. " Nemo me inpune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, JANUARY 27, 1885.

There seems to be a general consensus of opinion on the part of the press throughout the Colony that the Premier's speech was eminently unsatisfactory. Even those journals most devoted to Mr Stottt find it difficult to discover anything in the address worthy of praise. The 'Timaru Herald 1 characterises the speech in the North Dunedin drillshed as a sort of special pleading on behalf of a client whose identity was not very easily discovered at first. This client, our contemporary remarks, was spoken of in an impersonal way as "the Government," but a closer inspection revealed the fact that " the much injured person for whom the learned gentleman had the honour of appearing, whose sufferings in the cause of righteousness and truth were so eloquently described, and whose political virtues were descanted upon so fervently, was Mr Stotjt himself." As every one knows, the Premier has the bump of self-esteem very largely developed. "We do not regard this as a failing in his character. A man who does not esteem himself will never be held in estimation by his fellow-men, and just in proportion to the value a man sets upon himself will be the world's appraisement of bim. But there is a wonderful difference between this proper pride and the assertive vanity which Mr Stout too often displays. Mr Stout is a man of whom the Colony has reason to be proud. He is emphatically a se'f-made man, a man who has by dint of sheer energy, ability, and skill raised himself to one of the highest positions in the Colony, but he spoils himself by imagining or appearing to imagine that all the world should bow down to him. A radical of the radicals, it is questionable if he is particularly proud of his position in society, of his worldly possessions, or even of the exalted place he holds in the Councils of the State, but he is intellectually proud and vain. This is manifest in all his utterances. Despising, as he probably does, the aristocracy of birth, breeding, and wealth, he is a firm believer in the aristocracy of mind, and holds those who do not think with him in as utter con- . tempt as the worst specimen of oldworld aristocracy holds the illiterate boor upon his estate. It cannot be denied that Mr Stout has filled the exalted position of Premier with credit, and discharged the duties of the office with efficiency. But this unhappy Post-sessional address has done him infinite harm. It "has offended many of his friends, and placed weapeas of attack iv the bands

of his enemies. It is chiefly remark* able for two things — Dotn^J| x " cesaively bad taste — the one xaeiinnecessary abuse he heaped upon his predecessors in office, the other the fulsome compliments which he lavished upon himself. Take away from the speech all that relates to these two matters and there would be surprisingly little left. Although Mr Stout has been taken to task, and his speech severely criticised by almost every journal in the Colony, we believe the feeling prompting his critics has been more of sorrow than anger, and they have pointed out his defects in order that he may take heed to their friendly advice, and shape his future deliverances accordingly. Even bis bitterest political' foes hold Mr Stout in the highest esteem as a man, and feel nothing but sorrow that he should have so belittled himself in the North Dunedin drillshed.

We hare already referred to the excessively stringent nature of the Police Act of last session, which is now in force, and are glad to notice that many of our contemporaries hold similar views to our own. Among others of its provisions not the least objectionable are those which relate to Sunday trading. Upon this subject offences of the most trivial character are made highly penal, and if rigidly enforced it is questionable if any Sabbath-day occupation would escape a penalty save psalm-singing and hearing sermons. We" observe that Mr Wabdbll, the R.M. at "Wellington, as an administrator of the law, feels somewhat the burden of this very pious piece of legislation, and in the Court last week gave the police some very sensible advice as to how to deal with publicans. What he said amounted to this, that their duty ended with seeing that hotels were properly conducted, and that they were not expected to take every hotel and its proprietor under a system of espionage with the object of laying an information against him if he surreptitiously dispensed a half- ~ j pint of beer to some thirsty soul .during prohibited hours. If, he said, they confined themselves to seeing that hotels were conducted in an orderly manner, : so "as" - not to cause any public scandal • or. Tniisance, they would sufficiently carry out the spirit of the Licensing Act. :. As a rule, when a smart constable gets up a case, it turns out upori~trlai~that he has found a mare's nest ; the publican easily proves that the transaction upon which the charge is founded was quite a legitimate affair, and the officious constable gains the kudos of a common " informer " for his trouble. Our Wellington contemporary says : — " There is no use in blinking the fact that the general public; doesj^-ag-gard Sunday trading in the wwht of a crime," and adds that "Straday traffic cannot be suppressed, and all that is required is that it should not be offensively obtruded on public notice, or be made the occasion- tfor public annoyance or any disorder." We quite agree with all this, but there is an old saying of King Solomon's, "Stolen waters , are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant," which applies with much aptitude to this question. The "mere fact of Sunday trading being stringently prohibited has, we believe, a reverse effect to. what . is intended. Why cannot the law upon this subject be assimilated to that which worked, and, for all we know to the contrary, still works, so well in England? Let the licensed houses be opened at certain specified hours on Sundays, so that people can get their dinner and supper beer fresh from the hogshead, and stringently impose penalties upon all doing business during any other part of the day. At Home there are thousands of persons who for genuine piety and reverence for the Sabbath are fully the equals of, any > . l New Zealanders 'in--geiieF^>bt; : *'O^j|Qnians in particular,: ;wiid^oul<l^ esteem it an intolOTabjle v -l%ardship:-'-^ : 'tHe': law prohibited them from getting their drop of beer for dinner anof supper on Sunday .the .same as on other days. These are not the publichouse soakers, but people who perhaps do not take a drink in a bar once a year, and never sit down to. booze in a tap-room. One thing is certain : people will have their beer on Sunday; and it would bo far better to allow them to purchase it openly at certain specified hours than to compel them and the publicans to resort to all manner of tricks and subterfuges to evade the law.

The Hon. Mr Ballajstce was feted at Woodville last week. When responding to the toast of bis own health, he made reference to the important question of land settlement. He remarked that there was not much goo<l land left, and they had just to take what was left after speculation had done its work. "At no distant date," he said, " they would have to grapple with the question of the monopoly of land. The time was coming when there would be no land to spare, and when men who were letting their land lie idle would be compelled to utilise it." There was one thing said by Mr Bjlllance which is worthy of careful consideration. He remarked that while we were introduc-> ing immigrants from distant countries, the great colonising force in the Colony was too much overlooked. The sons of settlers were, he considered, the^wn who would turn the country il^^^ garden. This is perfectly true, but- un> : fortunately too many of the sons of settlers imagine that because they are'

educated than their fathers, they |Rt*e capable of something more genteel farm work, and so they gravitate into the lavge towns, and lead lives of respectable mediocrity. If the dignity ;of labor and true gentility of agricultural pursuits could be impressed upon -.. their minds, it would be doing them a good turn, and be of unspeakable advantage to the whole country.