THE PREMIER AT NAPIER.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9892, 19 January 1895, Page 3

THE PREMIER AT NAPIER.

The Hon. Richard Seddon arrived at Napier by the 12.20 train from Danevltke yesterday, accompanied bv bis two secretaries and Mr Hall, M.H.R , and was met at the station by his Worship the Mayor and other citizens. He was driven to the Criterion Hotel, where be received a nnmber of callers in the aiternooD, and was afterwards taken out to the breakwater and to other pieces of interest, returning to the Working Men's Clnb, where he was hospitably received by the members. He also received a deputation of members of the Harbor Board, who asked him to have the duty taken off the cement nsed in the, construction of the harbor work*. The Premier replied that he could do nothing without the cooperation of his colleagues, but he would consult them and in the meantime ask the Commissioner of Taxes to report on the subject. The Gaiety Theatre was crammed last night when the Premier gave an address on the political situation. There were present on the stage (with many others) Sir Patrick Buckley, Messrs Cornell, Plranl, and Hall, M's HiR., and W. C. Smith.

His Worship the Mayor presided nnd gave Mr Saddon, as the leading pnblic man, a hearty welcome,

The Promler, who was received with great cheering, thanked ijhe large number who bad assembled to hear him. He said he had come to place before them the true position of their native land. Tho description of him glvn by the chairman was somewhat different to those which were often applied to him. For instance, he bed been called a charlatan, an impostor of the first w&ter, and a Seqaab. (Load langhter). Perhaps the chairman would be able to reconsider the fact. His first speech after being made Premier was given at Napier, and the reception he then got had given him heart, and the promises he then made with the assistance of his colleagues be had been able to adhere to. Though the colony had passed through severe trials, they could compare New Zealand with any other conntry in the world, and find this colony in the vaD. (Cheers). This town had shown great confidence in the Government at the last general election ia electing to Parliament sneh a supporter as Mr Carnell. (Cheers.) He hoped the Mayor would nob take nmbrnge at this, tor it appeared to him, in the case of the ladles at least, that It was a case of " How happy could I be with either were t'other dear charmer away." (Laughter,) He was there that evening to try and correct abuses, and to try and put heart into the people of this grand country. The forlorn view of things taken by some pessimists wa's very regretful, and he might say that sneh people were no good to a new conntry like this. If they did their duty, and stood shoulder to shoulder, (his country must progress to a greater extent than any other of Her Mnjesty's dominions. Ministers had been accused by certain sections of the Press of contiunally complaining of misrepresentation. If It wns so they hudarlghttocomnlniu. (Ghrera ) They were misrepresented by some of the most representative papers in New Zealand, and their only opportunity to justify themselves was on occasions like this when they could <nee!i the people, the electors, face to facn, (Cheers.) They wcu'd think that his utterances that evening would go forth untrammelled to the world, but on the last occvlon he spoke here he bad been limited to 1500 words hy the Press Aesocia'ion, and on this occasion the local representative of that body had been advised to limit himself to new matter. And who wns to select this new matter 1 Why, the representative of a paper here which was opposed to the Government. The taxpayers' money wbb spent in giving concessions to this body, and the management was not doing Its duty by (he action It wns taking on this occasion. He was sure the free Pressmen who guided the working of the Association would not approve of this conrse. They were there to hear what he said that evening, and they C3u!d judge him, bnt the public at large had to judge him by the reports of an Opposition Prets. The last time he spoke he asserted that one section of the Press was multiplying its work against the good of the country. An example of tbn wns in tho fact that the acting editor of the Post fvroto articles nnd sent them per Press Association to Conservative papers in the big centres of the colonv. Thus the artioles written specially for the Post were telegraphed abroad nnd the fact concealed. When the Post wns aconsed of this the real editor came forward and denied both that ho had telegraphed those articles to other papers, or that be was corrcnpond<m<i for any other papers. That gentleman had then been away, he was sorry to say, owing to ill-health, but at the time he (Mr Seddon) referred to (he subject his statement was absolutely correct. He never complained of criticism, bnt it was this sort of thing that made it necessary for Ministers to appear before the people to explain the nctcml position of things.

CAPTAIN RUSSELL. Ho was going first to refer to something said by the member tor Hawke'a Bay, who was now claimed as loader of the Oppotitiou. Daring last session he denied that) he was leader, or that there was any lender at all, and Ministers found that most inconvenient, for sometimes they hud to discuss matters with the member for Hawke's Bay, sometimes with the member for Eden, sometimes with one of the Wellington members, and sometimes with the member for Wellington Suburbs. On some occasions it seemed as It the Opposition was like the Duke of York's army, which had more officers than men, (Lnuehler.) He (the Premier) took very little notice of abuse levelled at him. But when the leader of the Opposition referred to him as a charlatan, an importer, and the Sequah of politics, it was time he took notice. He did not claim to bo a gentleman by birth or education, bnt only a man of the people. (Applanse.) Bat If be were to use such language of an opponent bia critica would shrug tbotr shonlders and say, " Well, it is only what you may expeot." But it wrs the unex-

peoted which oft time happened. It was not the first time Captain Ruesell bad so abused ( las With whom hfl did not agree. Sir Harry Atkinson wns a man to whom ha (Mr Seddon) was politically opposed, bnb he fcolieved him to have done his be9t for the conntry, and to have been an honest, conscientious man according to his llgbfp. (Applause) But, in 1888— It v/n.s la Hansard— Captain Kussell leforreti (o Sir Harry aa wortu tlij.n n liiehwnyman, lor he was a footpr»d, Yub n few nnnlhs oftor that Captniu Uuisell sut by S!; Hurry Atkluaou's >i<lu ns h collciiguc. (Liucrhter.) He (Mr Seddon) hoped tlint nla abuse of himself was nob a portend

I that Captain Rnßsell won goiog to join the present) Ministry. Captain Ru=sell described himself and boose who thought with him as " the reapeotable family practitioners." He had never heard that Captain Itueto 1 was a doctor, but he had heard him oilled an aposble. (Laughter.) He said the people had deserted the family pnctltloner aud gone to Sequab, That might be naid In other terms as going to Jericho politically. PRESENT PROSPERITY. He woald go back a little, to the time when the family practitioner had charge of the patient; Did he prescribe for and benefit his patient? No j he sucked bis patient's Ilfeblood for bis own gain and benefit; (Applause.) Land monopoly, and money .monopoly ruled, and tha people were taxed beyond endurance, while tbb^e who were able to pay were not culled upon to contribute to the grent burden of taxation, (Applause.) These wnre the prescriptions given to the people by the family physician; He would show from rdcords wliit was tllb result; What was the condition of the people in 1890! In the previous thre"3 years 14,000 people had been driven from the colony, and yet there were twenty unemployed for every one last winter. (No, no.) He wonld prove it la thb" three years after tho .present Ministry tool: office there was an increase in the population approximately of 59,000 souls. Contrast this with the 14,000 driven nway for lack of employment and beennse they could not get land to.s?o jjpon. Yet despite thas influx he repeated that there was not out of work one man tor every twenty then. (Dlnsent,> Property had fallen in value, thrift was crippled and taxed, indnstries were stagnant, and there was no heart in the people When there was a change of Ministry there was an immediate change Id the condition of the people for the better. The property-tax, which strangled thrift, was abolished, and there was substituted for it a land tax which exempted improvements, and that was the first step taken towards placing taxition on a fair basis. Co operative works were started, people were settled on the land, and comparing the condition of the country now to what it was in 1890, be waa surprised at any inteiliß.-ut Pressman felling them that it was in a worse boeitlon owing to a Liberal Minis; try b'eiDg in power. The cause of depression waa easily stated, lie would go to a Conservative paper for )t; and toe Conservatives would then nq doubt accept it, as they had no politics of tbeir own, but took them from their papers. (Laughter,) That paper, in an article on the year 1891, said it was one of depression all over the world —it was not confined to New Zgaland. It was a year oi industrial disturbances, financial crises, and low prices for produce. Wool, grain, and frozen mutton were all low in prfc?, and the only silver lining to the cloud was the outlook for dairy prodnce and for meat. That was the answer given by tfce Conservative Press, and he agreed with it.

PALL IN £XPOR?9. A few figures he would quote would b'jow the true cattse of depression. In 1890 the exports of the.nolony werova'uod afc £9,428.7611. In 1893 they were valued at £8,557,443. Tbat fall of nearly a million was the trouble. Had it not been for the policy of the Governmant in increasing the number of people on the land and the quantity of products, New Zealand would now have been in a worse condition than Victoria or New Sooth Wales. That policy had saved the country, LANDED ESTATES IN HAWKE S BAY. Why was Hawke's B\y in a worse condition than any other part of the colodj' if The answer was a very simple one. It was carrying all its eggs in one brisket. It produced only wool and tautton, and it was iii these products there wbs the greatest depression In prices. He was told that wool was 2J a pound lower this year than last, and sheep oud lambs were lower. That wr.B one reason why there was greater depression hero than In Tnranaki and otbc'r parts, Another reason was that tha population of Hawke's Bay had during the last ioiir years not increased so fasd in proportion as the population of other pans of the colony. Comparing the census of 1891 with the present e^tiunred population the increase had been approximately :— Auckland, 12,000; Hawke's Bay, 3127 ; Wellington, 10,139; Canterbury, 11,798 : nnrt OreßO, 13.960. What was the causa of thi3 ? It wus land monopoly, (Applause.) He would piva them figures they hud never had Lefore *o show this, la the colony there were 3!) public companies owning 2,000,000 acres of land, valued nt £4,000,000 ; 232 persons owned between them 11,000,000 acres ; 30 persons ownfd over 50,000 acre?, or 9 000,000 between them ; 37 bold between 100.000 and 2C0.000 acres, or 4,952,000; 11 over 200,000, or 4,533,000 ; 48 persons held laud valued at over £9,000,000. Thirtytwo million acres were held by 2028 individuals, and one Gentleman drew, or did until recently, £85,000 a year from the land, Coming to Hawke's Bsy, he found tbat 23 persons owned between 1000 or 2000 acres, or a total of 30,000, of an improved v.ilne of £103,000, unimproved valne £91,000; 13 owned between 2000 and 3000, or 32,000 acre?, improved value £172 517, unimproved value £103,311 ; 11 owned between 3000 and 4000 acres, total 37,000, improved value £153.000. unimproved £$7,173 j 11 owned between 4000 and 8000 acres, total 49,000, Improved value £181,000, unimproved £110,000 j five own»d between 50C0 and 6000 acres, total 27 000, improved value £120,000, unimproved £73 000; five owned between 7000 and 8000 acres, total 36,000) improved value £95,000, unlm.' proved £51,000 } fonr owned between 8000 and 9000 acres, total 34,000, improved value £65,000, uulmproved £39,000 ) one owned between 9000 and 10,000 acres, total 9157, Improved value £7080, inlmproved £455d i 24 owned between 10,000 and 20,000 acre*, total 304,555, improved value £1,194,913, unimproved £775,154 j 11 owned from 20,000 to 30,000 acres, total 283,946, improved value £1,018.000, unimproved £643,000 ; feven owned between 30,000 and 40.000 acres, or 234,000, Improved valuo £491,000, unimprovfd £406,000 -not much " improvments " there ; one person owned between 40,000 nnd 53,000 tore.-, total 45,000, improved value £201,753, unimproved £147 SOD ; two owned from 50,000 to 75,000 ncres, or 125,784. improved value £161,114. nuimproved £109 02S, nnd one hold 86,736 ncres, improved value £102 045, nnlmproved £66.726. A total of 124 persons he'd 1,431,391 aores, tho improved valne of which was £4,307,275, and the unimproved value £2,770,738 Now they knew tho true causes of the depression in this district when compared with other districts, and why the population did not increase in the same proportion. The posilion was actually worse than in IreUnd. or Great Britain, though the difficulty was not now felt so ranch owing to tho difference In the density of population. But If tbeae large estates were to continue, their owners would in the future have great power, and the policy of the Government was to discourage largo estates. Let) the people tnke warning by what had happened in the Old World, and so admiulster affaire I that the curse of the Old World should sever take root in New Zealand, (Applause.)

LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT ACT. The Premier then denlb with the Lands for Settlement Act, repenting his remarks in provlons speeches. He Bald bo did not desire to deprivo any man of his land unless It was required for settlement, SDd then it should only be taken lib a fair and honeab valuation, fixed by a properly constituted Arbitration Court. He condemned the amendments attempted by the Legislative Council in limiting the amouufc to bo expended, bnt said that the House had atood Grin, and, having the pcopla at Un b».ck, bud triumphed Ho quoted and ridiculed eevoral arueuiiiopnts moved by Ciptalo Russell, proposing that in addition to tho area reserved to evory owner nnder the Act every child n landowner had shonld be entitled to ft further reservation. The Opposition in the Legislative Council, be said, baaed their opposi tlon to the Act ou the professed ground that lt> was n borrowing m«»Bure, bnb ho claimed that) the real opposition !o it v.-as because It was a blow fit land monopoly. The £250,000 a year under the Act would be expended in three districts, of which Hawke'a Bay was one. lie claimed that the operation of tho Act would be to promote prosperity nnd to en'imce tho value of land, <\u Increaso in which all landowners would participate.

NATIVE LANDS. The Native Lands Acquisition Act was next dealt with, MrSeddoustating that the opposition to it came from land-grabbers and Pukeha-Maorip, who Imd fattenud on the old state of tbirjpa. Tlio Govern- I mend had now £250,000 a yeur to spend on native lands, and u great part of that would bo spent in rJawkc'n Buy, whore, though the natives hold largo trficls of i land, they left it unutilised, mid lived 111 a state of degradation. The Government was determined to raise them from that stato of degradation, and at tbu Rame time to settle their lands. The natives ronld, he explained, cither soil to the Government direct, or tluough the Government, under Iho oponition of thß land laws of the colony. 110 bollev^d that within twelve months, when tha Maoris understood the new law, I hoy would tuko fldvantfige of it very lr»rj;t;!y, th'\t ihr: Hawke's Ray Liu.d Board, which now had almosb Bothlng to do do, would bo busy, that there would bo land for nil applicants, instead of numbers applying for every teelioi:, as wiit uow tho cisf, anil that those who hid oppoiel the Act would bo convinced of its lion ficiul npoui tlonn.

HATING ON VjmiPUOVM) VALUES. Mr Seclilon dMmeil thut ub tlm las! gouornl olectlou tlio pt'Ojilii Iwd uimiiHtakably exprceacii flidr wlnh tb;i!/ l;ca) rating should bo on theuiiimpioved value of land, yet the Legislative Council, in

dtiiinue of this expression of opinion, had a secM.'il liiiuc thrown out w bill lo < (Let that o)j :cr. However, the objectors were merely making a rod lor their own tncks, The measure Introduced last session was a oeni'Hfive one, the local bmtlps beiue left to adopt it or nob. Bat If the Uonnoll proved obdurate the Government), with the pople at their back, would force through a compulsory meanine. He could nob Understand why a principle which was adopted and universally conceded to be wise In the exemption of improvements under the land tax should be objected to in councc.lan with local ratio;?. The present system, he urged, favored the Speculator, who hold land Until it was enhanced in value by due improvements of Burroandirjg dwnerB r , and then sold and pdpketed the profits. A man who had 100 acres, worth £100, and ipeut £200 on Improvements, had to piy nnre thnn the moo with 300 acres adjoining, who left his land idle. It had beoa ascertained that the average value of improved land, as compared wibh unimproved, was about double, Consequently the speculator only p.iid half ai tanch in rates as the working cccnpler who improved his land; Speculation was thus encouraged and beneficial occupation discouraged. A man who had unimproved land valued at £150 now paid in Coiiety and Road Board rates, at $ I in the fA for each, 18s a year, wbife ttio than with on etjnnl (iron; who improve.! it nnd. riiade it , worth £440, would pay £2 153 in rates. Under the proposed system the ratiug would be about etjual. He would reply to the charge that the Government. bad made no progress in acquiring native lands. A retnrn compiled showed that they hsd on the 31st March, 1894, acquired 774,000 acres. They were empowered by the eatiuiatea to acquire another 300,000 fierce, 80 that during the time the Liberal Government had beeu in power they had acqnired 1,074,000 acres, as compared with 78,000 pnrchp.aed by the Atkinson Governmenb from 1887 to IS9O. G'oroloß to the cheap money scheme be characterised the newspaper critics as childish. Tho ssheme was the ellver ltulng to a cloud which bad biiDf» over the colony for years. Instead of the people being obliged to depend on gebtlDg the money from loan Companies at a high rate of interest they got it from .the Government ab a reasonab'e one. Tbe system was sanctioned by the people at trie last elections, when hwas stigmatised as only an election cry, now phe Conseivattve Press Bald it had never been before the people. The fight was not over yeb| as their critics were so exasperated that they were endeavoring to injure the oredib of the colony, They called the cheap money scheme a huge borrowing concern, atked "Where U ib going ti end," ami predicted a crash, bub where was the crash poiog to come from. Surely if private speculator could obtain loans and make 4 per cenb profit on local security the Government shonld be able to get them on the same securlby and let the '.ettlors have the advantage.

THE DANK OP NEW ZEALAND. He came now to what had been done In reference to tbe Bank of New Zealand. They had bee.u colfl the Government had boirosved £2,000,000 to get the bank out of difficulties. This weß not true. The 'institution made known to the Government its true condition, and the Government, with Parliamentary canct.lon and ci-operp.tlon, had agreed to guarantee it) up to £2.000 000, at) the same time taking care to safeguard the olony in every way. He then explained tho ramifications of the biuk and the position in which it stood

at the Urns it waa token over. Their uctlOii hud been taken to avert a crisis, end they were successful. If this had heeii done iu respect to other coJonies they would have been the same. The Frtsi bid ulmo't nnnninionsljr suppo'tad tlem in (heir action, but directly tbe o'oud bad bsen lifted they attacked tbe Government, and blamed the Government for contracting a £2 000,000 loan. He could tell them things were better now than tlio last time he oame amongst them. At ihit lime the banks were increasing tbeir reserves in anticipation of a crisis. Now the danger had passed money was again becoming available for commerce, industry, and the pastornlist. He could tell them, and prove It, that the finances of tbe colony hid Improved since the Government had been in power. They had saved £53,000 by their loan conversion operations. This system was established by the Atkinson or the Stont-Vogel Government. Acd If it waa right) for these Governments to convert loans anrely they were entitled to do the same. Ho combated by an array of figures, of his RDd former Governments, tbo statement that their credit had been injured by Government financing, and Instanced tho feet that New Zsnland stocks had risen gradually from 105 j till they reached lo9g In September, 1894. in support of his comeution. He said also that since they Lad taken office tho gvoes Indebtedness per man, woman, and child had decreased by 53 per head. He would now deal with an item of what had been called their large borrowing policy, viz., the sdvauce to settlers of £3,000,000. Tho advances were made on freehold property, and those who borrowed had to pay interest, so it did uot coat the taxpayers one penny piece. He justified the loaos for setl'emtnt nnd roading as highly nccass'.ry for the advancement of the colony. THE CONSOLS BILL, He admitted the soft impeachment that they had taken power to raise half a million's worth of oonsolp. It had been done tor miny years in the Old Country, and, he believed, in one of tho sister colonies as woll. Tbe Idea was ti give every person with money in tho colony an opportunity to tovest If, the Government paying them 31 per cent, and tbe eecurity was — New Zealand. This was done to stem the shrinkage of money which waa bsginrjiog to take place; £800,000 disappeared which tbey could never trace. He believed it must have f»one isto teapots. (Laughter.) The consols were peifectly negotiable, and a msn with a £20 consol could get it cashed with his tradesman, and whoever hfild it at the end of the year could daw 3J per cent. It was really only an extension of the ordinary Post-office Savings Bmk business, with this difference — bhat In the Post-office the money was available ut eill j with the consol it was lodged for a stated period. Their idea in circulating these consols was to encourngo thrift — they could take them or leave them as they liked.

THE QUESTION OF LABOR, He now came to a question cffecliug this district), that of labor. They had been condemned for their labor legislation, but they were obliged to keep pace with the times. What they had done In thin respect was really a safeguard to the propertyownero themselves. Ho pointed to t'ue Arbitration and Conciliation Bill

In proof of this, us showlDg that whilo all the rest of tho world was suftdtlng from cnnHlc's between capital and labor, iu Now Zealand no seriqus disorders occurred. He said thr. Tn'nholdera who told men to go to tho Government for work were not to bB blamed, because they really had no work to give— not due to any notion of the Government, bat owiuj; to ihe world-wMo depression rcßulting jn prices for produce going down all round. They would give work whenever they eould to thofe who needed it, but be could tell them thle, that f buy would spend nothing but what) wan required for reproductive works, such as ro«d-muking nud putting settlors on tho laud. With reference to the men being brought np from Chrlatchurch to work at Wniroa, ho could simply say thnt they hnd their officers to look after this kind of thing. Nothing wao known of distress existiog at Napier at the tl.iie these men were nent up, becausenothingbadbeennald. Of course men ware not generally drafted from a distance if local hands wero in v/ant ot work. Now he was coming to something interesting. (A Voice : " I hope so.") MR WARD'S ENGLISH TKir. : He would tell them o littlo about Mr Ward's visit toEoglai:d. He had always thought New Zealand wan a free couut'y. If n Minister were bo be prevented from going homa in the interests of tho colony on the advice of his colleagues to do important business for thn colony, and to be aeked to resign becauso ho intended to do eo, all ho could say was that New Zealand would bo a very good place to iivo nut of. When Mr M'llwraith and Sir G. Dlbba and Mr Reid, Premiers of tho other colonies went Home tho papers rather supported than opponcd them. Sir Georgo Dibba had gob knighthood by going Home. He did not know if his eollooguo would, but ho hoped not. (Applause.) Mr Ward's work would fall on the shoulders of his colleagues, and if they didn't complain who should ? They wonld remember the Ottawa Conference, at which a delegate of this colony had attended. Thoy hnd received nn offer from Messrs Hnddart, Parker and Co. in respect to nn alternative mail service likely to greatly benefit Now Zealand. They wanted (as a telegram stnted that day) New Zealand to be mado a port of call. That was banging in tt'e balance, and there wero many ooi>/llctiug interests, »o it wns thought that a Minister with such tjood repute nb home nud ohrond as Mr Ward possetßcd would bo the verv man to comhiet tho whole ' business. Ho objected to bhe Government) being nsked to mnlcu nandwich men of themsplviH and benr on their bucki state miM'tß f\p to fchelr policy. Sir \V. Perceval hud (ionn good win k lu (he pinb, aud they had no fault to find with him, hut It won foil) flit Mr Wind's prepencn would fortify him in the negoii.tlioup. They hud accepted (lie responsibility j they were not) time-sorvtri!, find if Pftrli;iment waa uoo B.itisficd with whuti they had done they cou'd gfit obhora to tako their p'.uccii,

"SPOILS TO THE VICTOES " Now, theyliAil hoard * pronto deal nhout ouoiln to the victors, Hu could Bvjr tbie thai) dnriofi bboir term of oflico they had made no appointments (except) in the case

or q(aallfica.tton or emergenot O » hich bad vltrlated tho Cfvfl Service Aoli. Let him tell them a lew things the con inuous Ministry had done in this respect) ;he Hon. Mr Olliver, when Minister of ■Vorks, had established relief works and put mon on the work for 2a 6d aud 3s 6d n day. He coald promise them he wonld uovtr degrade the working men of the p.ilony in this wav while he held power in New Zealand. (Cheers.) They had been ccused of vloltttii'g (be Disqualification Act by the appointment of Colonel Praser. The Colonel deserved well of the colony, >\hich he h'ld nerved so long and f<»l:h.'ally in different vocations. Brit he couM 'ell them tbi.», that nntil be became ectibted to it by law he had not received u peany (jf either salary or expenses. Let 'hem look at the other tide of tbe House. Mr Bell hod toxin d out that the Disqualification Act did not apply to lawyers, and one firm alone bed drawn as much as £5000, whereas if Colonel Fraaer had drawn 0* ha nrnld have been liable to a fine of £50. Mr Gibbs vacntpd for an oppo nent and was given an appoltment by the Atkfiison Ministry of magistrate with no salary, brib "travelling expenses" £200. There was no talk of " spoils to the victors " , then: Another man, a Mr Morsp, of Raiatongi, was persuaded to

forego a candidature, and got for bis teward £500 a year " travelling expenses." Another cosa was a member of the legal profession. One week he was sitting there as the leader of the Opposition, the next week lie held a poMtion with a salary of £1500 a year. Yet there was lo cry of "spoils to the victors" over' that, Then there was a lawyer who hud a father Id tha Honse, end who voted on several occasions for his son to have a certain aiea of land, and which they got on tbe casting vote of a Cbnlrinan of Committees, which tact was recorded In Hansard. How coald such people and tha flona of such people cavil at the appointment of, tbe Sergeant-at-Arms. He was now going to accuse Captain Kussell of causing a loss to tbe colony of £1000. Arrangements had on one occasion been made by tbe Atkinson Government to bay tome land for a rifle range at Polbill Gnlly, near Wellington, from some Maoris, a certain lawyer acting for tbe natives. In tbe middle of tbe negotiations tbe solicitor becamG the purchaser himself, sold to tbe Government at an enhanced valae, and the wholfe transaction was signed by Captain Russell as Minister for Defence. Nothing was beard at. this time abont "spoils to the victors." Another gross case was in 1890 when ta'e.conntry deolared agalnsb tbe Atkinson Government, eeven members of Parliament who stood no Bhow of belnc returned being pht into the Legislative Council for life at a salary of £160 a year. This was a oaae rather of " the spoils to the vanquished." (Laughter).

PARTY GOVERNMENT. He expressed himself in favor of porf> Government, and rldicalcd the idea of setting Switzerland up db a model to govern by. He quoted Hansard to show that Sir Robert Scout, who now posed aa un advocate of the Referendum, had several tifnes expressed himself in favor of government by party. Mr Seddon then constltnted himself a special pleader.for tbe local Government organ, and asked all true Liberals to kqep it on its feet, deferring to the shipment of wood tO London, he said no district had preference in the matter as had been suggested.

Exporters were to receive Government assistance if they made a loss on trial shipments. Mr Jensen, a Napier man, had spoken to htm that day about the matter, and he hud advised him to go to Wellington at orce to make arrangements for a trial shipment. He concluded by reiterating that) botb he and his colleagues were doing their utmost to further the best Intercuts of tbe colony, and concluded amideti applause. Mr Cohen moved, " That this meeting Is desirous of conveying to the Hon. the Premier hearty thanks for the address which ho bas delivered, its congratulations at the practical results achieved by the present) Administration, in whioh it has entire confidence," Tho motion was carried amidst prolonged cheering, and the meftlng terminated with u vote nf thanks to the chair,