SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9593, 7 December 1896, Page 3

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

(press association tet.koram.) WELLINGTON, December 6. A mfti>s meeting waa held by the succe?B--™1 candidates on the Liberal ticket last B W«t at the foot of Queen's wharf. Great "nthnmasm wa.s *hown. Messrs Hutcheson, *'«W, and Wilford, who were returned, *«<i Mr Wilson, who Mas only a few votes ueiiind, addressed the meeting, declaring wiat a great Liberal victory had beeu ■cnieved, ami that the labour vote has never before been so solid. /he Premier also spoke. Hβ was re- *»*«! with cheers. He sai<l the 4th of .wecemljer wns the emancipation day of the «ty of Wellington. Referring to the elecJjon. he Paid the people had been true to jnemselves, true to the Liberal cause, and Wβ to the cause of the people. Never wore had iseues of greater importance £*n submitted, and he referred with eratification to the three successive Liberal SnW 0 Wellin gton, Wellington Suburbs I™» ytaki. The support of the people was about a atat« of things that would

£M! Tv lly to a " ****** and p~niote the well-being of the people. The success of the ticket had caWcl rejoicing throughout the colony. They had lost several friends, and it was necessary to stick l?v» J M?, S?K I . He,lO P«» tb*t the caution given to Wellington would be taken by other opponents, that the people must rule*. Mr Seddon sajd the Opposition claimed a moral victory, but all he could say was that they could have their moral victory every time, so long as the results were the same. io£» pa^y ns ' he «m*«"ied, stronger since iß9 °; During the last session the Government had not a majority of more than eight on whom they could depend, while now they could rely on twenty-two, and probably one or two more to come. Referring to Mr ftißher, he said ih.-it in 1890 the party had done wrong to him. Now, however they started with a clean sheet. He eulogised Mr Hutcheson as a fit candidate to represent the city, and congratulated Mitt ilson on the position he ha<i secured at the poll. He urged the continuance of organisation in the Liberal cause, without which it would not successful. After referring to the success of Mr Wilford for the Suburbs, lie said the illness of Mr.? M'Kenzie had prevented the Minister for Lands speaking outside his own district, and this had entailed more work on him. He defended the action of himself in speaking to various constituencies throughout the colony, and pointed out that Mr Duthie, though not a candidate, had done tho same. Mr Seddon concluded by stating that the result of the election on the whole was extremely satisfactory, and while deploring the loss of some good Liberals, the Govern" ment had got two seats for every one lost, the loss being mainly confined to the middle party. The meeting concluded with cheers for the Premier and Mrs Seddon, and the Liberal members of Wellington and the suburbs.