THE PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13906, 3 December 1910, Page 9

THE PRIME MINISTER.

UPPER HOUSE PAYS HDI A TRIBUTE. I (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") j WELLINGTON, December 2. I A tribute was paid the Prime Minis- ! tor. Sir Joseph Ward, by the members ;of the Legislative Council just before the supper adjournment to-night. Sir Jcscph Ward was asked to mept memf>ers <>t the Council, and when he ivadf hi* appearance in the Chamber, the -Hon. W. C. F. Carncross, in the temporary absence of the Speal;er (Hon. Sir ('has. Howen), said he wished, on behalf ot the Council, to express their sincere sjinpathy with iSir Joseph in connection with certain anonymous nttafks v.'hich had been made upon him. Tbry did this, not because of the position they he!'.l. but because they believed no 1; -ii should be subjected U> fciich underhand influences as he (Sir Joseph) had been made the victim of. (Hear, hoar.) The Council felt i'hat it was justified in meeting and expressin" their dtcp sympathy with the Premier in having to bear the attacks made upon him. (Applause.) The Hon. \V. C. Smith also expressed sympathy with the Prime Minister in the attacks made on him. Sir Joseph stood higher to-day in the opinion of every fair-minded person in the Dominion than he ever did. The Hon. C. M. Luke spoke in a similar strain. Probably nothing in the history ot New Zealand, he said, had been m> scurrilous ac the document they aU had in mind. The vindication of the Prime Minister's character was made in a magnanimous spirit, and must elevate Sir Joseph in the eyes of the country. The Prime Minister, in reply, tendered his sincere thanks to the Council for what he regarded as a unique compliment. He valued very highly what had been said. "Whatever one might do in tho public life of the country, there was always eonieone to disagree with one. The knocks that one gavo and the knocks that one received were looked upon as necessary. Ho did not think any man would be fit for his position if he could not take strong criticism and, figuratively speaking, hard blows. In the battle of life, however, thero were some people who would adopt methods that would be recognised ijven amongst eavages as cowardly, and Hseaesin-like, and one appreciated kindly -words such as had been spoken that night. Ho had never been defeated since he entered public life, and bad carried oi:t difficult public positions for a number of years. If he had betn anything like he had been painted in ji bcurrilous document, people would not have stood by him in the way they had done. (Hear, hear.) He recognised that a man in public life must make strong opponents, but ho could say that throughout his long public career ho had tried not to injure ;i fellow man, but, on the other hand, had always, and frequently done his ' V.'st to help him. In regard to tho .natter which had just been ventilated, lie had Jinown of what was going on. Hut on account of the official position he held, he recognised that the proper course was to maintain a quiet and dignified silence. An opportunity to reply in tho House had come unexpectedly, and he took it. Hβ believed that every right-thinking person in tho country, of whatever shade of political opinion, would recognise that the attack that had been made on him was a low-down, underhand thing. Hβ believed that the boomerang would come back and hit those who threw it. He felt deeply the liigh compliment paid to him, and he was sure his wife and family would appreciate the graceful compliment as much as he did. After the Hon. Sir Charles Bowen had expressed his opinion of the "disgraceful attack made on the Prime Minister," three cheers were given for Sir Joseph and one for Lady "Ward.