AN EXPECTED DELIVERANCE.

Evening Star, Issue 9185, 14 July 1893, Page 2

AN EXPECTED DELIVERANCE.

Mr bAbnshaw i&Nft PRINCIpkE B&O^f^AßTi "*~' ir( '', • * **' •• ■» rjFWM Owl pARIUMJIMUkire RBfOßttSft.] . July U. the feature of last ,wa> the attack wade by Mr Barnshaw on the quondam friends and supporters of the Ministry. finish to a dull evening. J|r Kawwuw evidently epoke with much suppressed passion. He said he. regretted that the Premier should have dragged down to the level of the gutter the stemnohest of his supporters in the way he had by pandee* lug to the brewing interest Look at the jHisfirable scene that,had been enacted for days. The question of regulating the liquor trafflo must attract attention, on the floor of • theHpuse, and,the Government.must give attention to their representations. The recent Temperance Convention sent a deputation to the Premier, and were received in a courteous manner. Shortly afterwards a brewers' deputation waited.on him, and taught him, forsooth, something about " tied houses." How absurd! Did any-one;^beUeve.this-i. tflokati saw with the,brewing Interest and their mercenaries on the floor of the House. Mr Fish took exception to the word " mercenaries," which was withdrawn. Mr Eabnshaw, continuing, uaid* that the Leader of the Opposition had at midnight on Tuesday very properly aßked for the de-. bate to be held over for. two private members' days, but the Premier refused, to his disgrace; and they saw the spectacle of Mr Fish usurping the place of the Leader of the Opposition, and saying: "If no one else will start I will." The Government had thus allowed a political Isbmaelite and a political apostate to do their work. Mr Fish took exception to these terms, and'they were withdrawn. Mr Eaunshaw said after that they had seen memberaftermember of the Government and the House getting up speaking merelv to keep off any discussion on the Liquor Bills; and when the Government found this even then they put up the member for Napier, who talked out yesterday afternoon. The member for Napier was even inaudible most of the t'me. And so the Government and the brewing interest had triumphed.— (Applause.) But at what a cost? If the Government thought that they had disposed of this question they were mistaken. He was told that in consequence of his representations he would be opposed at the next election, but he did not mind that. They knewtliat the Government would not give any proper opportunity of dealing with this important question. The Minister of Labor here interjected an inaudible remark, whereupon Mr Earnshaw said that the Hon. the Minister was as much under the thumb of the liquor ring as any other member; and if he continued to interrupt-him he would hear a good deal more than he bargained for. Resuming his remarks the member for the Peninsula said that there had been another departure from constitutional practice in the Premier failing to reply to Sir John Hall, and so further prolonging the debate. In the faoe of all this he was bound to ask what was his position towards the Liberal party ? The way the Government had dragged down their party into the gutter and burked this question of social reform was a disgrace to them, especially as the measures came from two of- their own party. But they could not, leave their party. They must adopt a different course i they must effect reform from within } they must see to it that their House was cleansed. He was a Radical, and would be a Radical till he went to his grave 5 therefore he could not leave the Government. But he would be on the demand for internal reform { and he would tell the Government that during this session, while he would not leave them, he would not be a blind voter, and would freely use his vote and express his opinions on any measure they brought forward. Further, he would assist any party that would force through the question of temperance refonn. "These men "—he continued: " I waa not sent to this House to support these seven men—(hear, hear)—l wat sent here to support principles. —(Hear, hear.) Hitherto I have supported them, and, as a good party man, I have often in my constituency and in this House endeavored to defend them and their measures when I felt myself that I could not approve of them. I will not, however, support them on a matter in which they are playing into the hands of the enemy. Now, the Government talk of retaining the land for the people, and yet talk in Uiis Statement of disposing of lands for cash. The mass of the Liberal party believe in land nationalisation." Mr Lawrv : No. Mr EarNshaw : Does the hon. member speak for the Government or for the Liberal party ? When did he become a Liberal ? Wai he a Liberal when he entered thiß House? No, sir.—(Laughter.) The member for Peninsula, continuing, said that he fully approved of the formation of the Labor Bureau ; and if the Government went out this year, this at least they could look back to with satisfaction. He would oppose to the utmost of his ability the proposal to sell the fee simple of the Cheviot lands. If the purchase of lands by the State could be justified, it could only be justified on the ground of the State retaining the fee simple and not parting with it again. He would again oppose the Civil Service Insurance Bill. He approved of the co-operative system of public works, and considered that the Government should secure postal and telegraphic communication with Vancouver instead of with the United States. The Munroe doctrine of the United States showed it to the world as the most selfish democracy of the world. Wc had nothing to gain and everything to lose by continuing the connection with the United States, while we had everything to gain and nothing to lose by the helping to build up the Empire. He thoroughly approved of reciprocity with Australia, as the colony had everything to gain thereby. He thought Colonel Fox's report altogether too personal, but he agreed that the defences must be confined to the four centres, and that there should be added to them a training ship manned by the boys now Bent to the Industrial Schools, a system of ~ dealing with neglected children with which Tie did not agree. Though a strong believer that all improvements should be exempted he did not consider the time for this had arrived, as the present system of taxation was still on its trial, and had only been tried for twelve months. Seeing that we were living upon our revenue ana constructing public works oat of revenue, he did not consider that the Government were justified in giving up at present this amount of revenue. The proposed State audit of banks should be extended to all public companies. The Government were shirking their duty in not bringing down their proposals regarding the Tariff, and this notwithstanding repeated promises. The fact was that the Government were not prepared to carry into effect a new Tariff this session. They should have brought down their proposals, and have gone to the country on them. As for the'railways, he thought a change should be mado, and that the Government should not only amalgamate the Public" Works and Railway Departments, as they proposed, ' but they should also take over the harbors of the colony. He regretted what he feared would be the Premiers failure to complete the Otago Central Railway te Hyde. In conclusion, ne said that he would have been failing in his-duty had he not stood up in his place and spoken as he had done when he found the Government burking a great social question. He stood in this position: that he satisfied neither the publicans nor the Temperance party. However, ( if it meant his' political extinction, he did not mind; he expected that he csuld still earn his livelihood and return to his trade. It was 12.25 a.m. when the member for Peninsula resumed his seat, and the debate was adjourned, members gathering in knots to talk over the matter of the speech just delivered. ■ ■■ ■ .