TITLES AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11010, 6 July 1901, Page 4

TITLES AND THE WAR.

A DUNEDIN MEMBER'S VIEWS. SOME CRITICISMS OF THE PREMIER' a , (special to "the press.") •" WELLINGTON, July 5, The Address-io-Reply was resumed- t&ii afternoon by Mr Barclay, with some utter- - ances on the war that seemed to astonish most members. He also indulged in some adverse criticism of Mr Seddqn and Sir ~> Joseph Wand, apart from thie question; In refereuoe to a telegram; sent by tEe ~ Diuiedan Labour members expressing reg»t *' that Mr Ward should! have seen fit to accept a title, (he said he did not recede in aay way from the position he had taken up, ,* s " It was contrary to the ideas of the Liberal party that there should 'be a distribution - ' of titular distinctions in New Zealand. W« had come here to avoid' the evils of tis * Old Country, and history and , eaperienoe '" < showed that a titled aristocracy was not a blessing. He instanced the defeat of Sir t * Robert Stout by a man who ihad never set / foot on a political platform before, aa m ' indication that the people did not approve ■■ of titles. They had another instance of tha the other day in the defeat of Sir J. 0. - Graham in New South Wales by a ma* ' whom many of them knew, Mr Eden V George. (Laughter.) We should, he ' I added, set our faces Jike a stone wall against 4 granting titles in this country. (Cries of . "No" from the Government: benches, an) , * "Hear, hear" from Mr Meredith.) Mr Bar- '"" clay went on to express how pained he had - been at the remarks of the Premier in » ChristehuiTchi on. the occasion when he con" „" dsemned those Liberals, at Home who were ' opposing the policy of Mr Chamberlain. f 6 The fact of the matter was that the Pμ- ,'* mier was askin-g hie -party to tie tliemselvee , f to-the-chariot wheels of Mr Ghamberlaia'"and -the • Conservative .party in England. (Cries of "Hear, hear" and "No.") Mr' , Gtoamberlain's polioy, however, was not out* that was acceptable to *he bulk of the Liberals land the Radicals, either in England or this country. The time would come when the historians had> te> write ithe history " ,v .of *h» war in South Africa, and: would say J as dittle about its origin and' its conduct 04 h they possibly could. (Hon. members— t "Oh" and "Nonsense.") Mr Barclay went?" on to refer to Mr Chamberilain'e, history, 'f and! stigmatised lham as a (poHtaoal Judas "%' who hadl soldi his master. 'J t Mr McGowan, emphatically—You don't ."i lenow what you are ttalking abou*. (Laughter.) —',; Mr Hutchison — He really knows more than tihe Minister of Mines knows about '"- it. - Mr Barclay concluded with an «. ,' pression of regret that the Premier should have seen fit the other night to state that - it was his intention to go slower in soeiaJ A and labour legislation. Mr McNab,"who followed amid a chorus of "Heai , , liear-s," complimented Sir Joseph Ward on his well-earned title; and deprecated the remarks of Mr Barclay.