THE WARD BANQUET.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9835, 18 September 1897, Page 8

THE WARD BANQUET.

THE HON. J. M'KENZIE'S SPEECH

Judging from the Hon. J. M'Kenzie's speech at the banquet iniionour of Mr Ward at luvereargill, it is the intention of the Ministry not only to welcome Mr Ward back to the House, but to take him again into the Ministry. The following is a condensation of the Olago Daihj Times report—

In reply to the toast of " The Government or Now Zealand," the Hon. J. M'Kenzie said he was always glad to meat the Southland people, and he was doubly glad on the present occasion, as he did honour to his colleague—their guest, the Hon. Mr Ward. It was not, perhaps, qmte correct to say his colleague, but still he spoke advisedly from the intimacy that had existed between thorn while Mr Ward was a member of the Government. Furthermore, lie hoped and trusted the day was not far distant when he would again be reslorea to that position. Endeavours had been made lo disparage Mr Ward, but, despite all that had been said against him, he (Mr M'Kenzie) had stood by him, and he believed he spoke the sentiments of every member of the Government when he said that was the feeling entertained towards him. For a period of seven years he had been on the most intimate terms with Mr Ward, and vow that he wad—temporarily, he hoped —out of the Govern men I lie felt his absence very much indeed. Amongst tho many attempts thai had been made to disparage Mr Ward it had been asserted that tho Hanking legislation had been resorted to solely in Mr Ward's interest. As a matter of fact the Banking legislation had nothing to do with Mr Ward. The B-nk of New Zealand had lost a sum of £4,000,000 with which Mr Ward had nothing to do, and it was iv that extremity that the Bank had come to the Government and that the legislation iv question had been undertaken. He was very glad indeed to see so many frienda rally round Mr Ward in the hour of his adversity. That was the true test of friendship, and it redounded to the great credit of the electors of Awarua that they had been so staunch and true to him in his trouble. The Conservative Press had sneered at Awarua, a/id had held it up to public ridicule, and would have them to believe that such were tho sentiments of the public at large. He (Mr M'Koii/.ie) knew otherwise. The action taken by Awarua in this matter not only met with general approval, but in very many quarters, which he was prepared to indicate, it was looked upon as moat creditable. There could be no doubt bat that Mr Ward's devotion to his public duties was the real cause of his present downfall. Had lie given the attention to his private affairs that he had given to the affairs of the colony ho would never have lauded into (he troubles into which lie had now got. He indicated these and many other insinuations against Mr Ward as samples of the inventions of the enemy, made to bring Mr Ward and his friends into disrepute, but he was very glad indeed to see these had not had the desired effect. As a matter of fact, if Mr Ward had belonged to the Conservative side of politics instead of being the pronounced Liberal lie was, he would not have now been in the Bankruptcy Court. A book of revelation had yet to be written of New Zealand politicians,' and when it was written it would astonish a few. And what was more he could tell them that they would find written on its pages the names of many of those who hart been loudest in their howls against Mr Ward. Hβ had only to repeat that he was still Mr Ward's friend, and anything that might be said agaiust Mr Ward would not have the slightest effect in changing his opinion towards him, and he thought he was justified in adding, the opinion of the other members of the Government. After defending the Government policy and administration at some length, Mr M'Kenzie said that if the Conservatives had any idea that they would get into power in consequence of split or slip in the Liberal camp they were very much mistaken, and all the stories they had heard about such were empty and an invention of the enemy. As a matter of fact, one man was employed in Wellington at a big salary to tell lies and circulate them free to the Conservative Press all over the colony. He had known that man invent news "when he could not get it otherwise. That was what they had to contend with at the hands of their opponents. He stated, in conclusion, that if any man imagined that John M'Kenzie was going to desert Mr Ward in the hour of his trouble, that man was very greatly mistaken indeed. Both he and his colleagues would stand by him to the very last, and he hoped that Mr Ward would soon be free of all his troubles, and tlwc he would be placed in the position of his colleague, as he had besu before. (Loud applause.)