POLITICAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9909, 15 December 1892, Page 3

POLITICAL.

THE HON W. P. REEVES AT THE THEATRE ROYaL. The , Hon TV, P. Reeves addressed his -constituents at the Theatre Royal last night, Thera was a large attendance, and in the dress circle was a considerable number of ladies. His Worship the Mayorv Mr W, Pmdhoe, presided, and on the stage were the Hons W. C. Walker and J. E. Jenkinsoa. the Rev A. Chodowaki, Messrs W. W. Tanner, M.H.E., E. Meredith. M.H.R., H. Boyd, C. Louisson, W, H. Cooper, G. W. Russell, C. Hansen, W. I. Ballinger, J. Joyce, M.H.R., J. Gapes, Eden George, B. Bull, C. Hood Williams, T. Gapes, Winstanley, C. Sch'olfield, T. J. GJ.edhill, C. Payling and several other gentlemen. Hia Worship briefly introduced the Hon W. P. Reeves, remarking that he was sure that the past acts of the present Government and its intentions for the future were such as would lead to the general prosperity of the country—(applause)—and that he was sure he did not need to ask for Mr Reaves a patient and impartial hearing. (Applause.) Mr Rsevhs, who was received with cheeve, said that he had to thank them fcpr their very kind greetings. He had also nad to thank them for a greeting equally aa kind about tea months ago, and, going still farther back, for a very hearty reception about two years ago, at the time of the crisis of the general election. It was meet that he should in addressing them for the third time, look back briefly upon those other two occasions on which he had met them there. It was just two years since the general election. As they knew, that was a stirring time, when there was great searching of spirit ; their Conservative friends feared that property, if not even life itself, was not quite safe, and banded themselves together to resist the “ party of riot and destruction (Laughter and applause.) The Conservatives were quite certain that if unfortunately the Liberals should gain office, there would a very bad time indeed for the 'Colony, but if they were certain of this, they were still more certain that the Liberals would not attain to power. As they knew, the Liberals had disappointed the Conservatives not only by winning the election, but also in regard to their subsequent actions. (Applause.) One Conservative paper went so far as to say that the general election and the strike combined had dealt a fatal blow to the industries of the Colony. As to the •'fatal blow/’ they had only to look to their newspapers to see that the local industries of the Colony were chiefly engaged iu declaring dividends, ordering new and improved machinery, and carrying forward substantial sums to their reserve funds. (Applause.) He had stated the condition of matters two years ago; let them compare the condition now. As they knew, it was a time of commercial soundness and political calmness and rest, and their prosperity had come to ha observed all over the world. One could not take up an English newspaper now without seeing some reference to the revival of prosperity in New Zealand. As to the political position, the prospects of the Liberal Party had never been brighter than they were now. The industrial prosperity was undoubtedly largely due to the efforts of the Colonists, but it was also duo iu part to the self-reliant financial policy of the Government, to which the Premier gave his imprimatur about six months ago. When that policy was announced the Conservatives were blister in their denunciations of it, and in 'cheir attacks upon it. They said that it was not a policy of self-reliance at all, and they said that the English capitalists would be irritated and alarmed. Instead, the English capitalists honoured Mr Ballaaca for hia bold words, and New Zealand had never. been bo well spoken of in the Mother Country as within the last few months. (Applause). Ha would now pass oa to the time of his second meeting. The political atmosphere was not so warm thenaa at the time of the election, but tho policy of the Government was on its trial, and the Land and Income tax was being warmly discussed. It was declared that Ministers were galloping to a deficit; that they were opening the gates of the Colony to the riff-raff to be scat here by General Booth ; and that they were driving money away. As far as tho charge of “ galloping to a deficit ” was concerned, one would have thought that the Conservative critics had had enough of it. But it was not so; ha had even seen it stated in a newspaper that the Premier’s illness was due to his fretting as to the outcome of his ilaauc;. (Laughter.) So far from the Government being afraid that its finance would not “ pan out,” it never saw more reason for confidence, and he was pleased to be able to state 'that not only had it reason to expect a surplus, bub a substantial surplus. (Applause.) As to tho statement that the flood-gates would be opened, and that General Booth’s thieves and drunkards would descend upon and overwhelm them, he (Mr Reeves) had told them at the time to keep their heads cool. They had not seen the invasion that had been prophesied. and they wore not going to. (Applause.) Eo would ask them to keep this prophecy and his declaration regarding it in mind when he came to refer to another prediction made by the Conservatives. It had boon eaid that the Government was driving capital away. Now when he took up the Now Zealand Finance and Insurance Journal, which would be admitted aa an authority, what did he find? He found that money was abundant, discount eaey, and credit fairly good. He found that in Sapt,, 1890, the bank deposits were £8,600,000. In Sept., 1891, the amount was -£8,700,000, and by the same month of 1892 it had risen to .50.000.000. Within the last quarter the increase in interest-bearing deposits had been between £300,000 and £400,000. The opponents of the Government said that it was not a good thing for the banka to have all this money. He was not going to argue at this stage whether it was or was not, bat it was a flat contradiction to the statement that money was being driven out of the country. Then the Conservatives foil back on a email diminution of the exports. He did not know whether it was sought to make the Government responsible for this, but if so , then the Government was responsible for a decrease of £200,009 in the amount of specie sent out of tho country, end for the abnormally high prices of stock which had reduced the export of meat. It was worth while taking notice of these high prices of stock, because when a protectionist tariff was under consideration the freetraders told thorn that a local market was very little good indeed, and that they must look to London, which governed their market here. Now, he did not deny that the London market governed their prices, but their local market was of great importance and was of growing importance. (Applause.) TE3 EXODUS. There was an article of export which he frankly admitted had fallen off in the last twelve months. Ha referred to the export of human beings to tho Australian Colonies. (Applause.) For twelve months after the Government took office the exodus went on, and thoGovermr eut was laughed at and abused by the Opposition because it had not. stopped it. But the Government was just as roundly abused when it did stop the stream. Now that the tide had turned the other way, they were told that they would have a deluge of j auper immigrants, who would make it impossible for their sons to get wort. He would give them a few figures in regard to this matter. As the present year had not expired, he would take the twelve months from Deo. 1 in the two years from 1890—Dec. 1, 1890, to Deo. 1, 1891, and Dec. I, IS9I, to Deo. 1, 1892. These periods, too, had an advantage for the purposes of comparison, because tbo general election—tho beginning of ruin and dismay, according to the Conservatives—took place in the beginning of Deo., 1890. In the twelve months from Deo. 1, 1890, the general arrivals were 14,300, and the departures 17,500, the net loss being 3200. During the twelve months ending Dec. 1, 1592, the arrivals numbered 16,700, and tho departures 12,900, the gain to the Colony being 3788. (Applause.). Now-that'gaia, though .not a.

large one, was a very important one, because it was the largest New Zealand had been able to show for a number of years. It was said that this influx was a bad thing for New Zealand; but let him go a little further. The increase in the number of arrivals in 1892 over that of the preceding year was 2400, but the decrease in the number of departures was 4600. It was not so much a large influx from outside as that our people were ceasing to run away. (Applause.) Whatever might be said about the influx, all would, ha thought, agree that it was most desirable that our people should atop here. Ho had promised them two years ago that he would leave untried no-endeavour to pub an end to the exodus of our population, which was then going on, and if he had helped to bring about this desired end he felt that he was entitled to their confidence. The Opposition critics said that the altered condition wes due to the policy of the Government towards the wage-earners, and some of them did him (Mr Reeves) the honour to say that his Socialistic speeches had largely induced Australian working men to pack up their traps and come to New Zealand, expecting to find a working man’s paradise, As they knew, it was largely due to economic causes, and not to his humble speeches on the platform or in the House, The Government, and especially the Department of Labour, was keeping its eyes very carefully fixed upon tho arrivals from Australia, and the character of the passengers*. They saw a great deal made in some of the newspapers of the fact that two hundred or three hundred man arrived in one of the steamers, but this was only to be expected at this time of the year. During the same season last year about two thousand people came here, bub their Conservative friends thought nothing of that, maintaining, on the other hand, that it bad nothing to do with a return of population. It did not Ha with them now to esy that there was an influx of destitute persons. A large number of those arriving here from Australia were saloon passengers, a fact which showed they must have moans, and these who came in the steerage were anything but destitute; many of them were prepared to at once take up land in the North Island, and they had money in their pockets to take them them there. (Applause). A steamer arrived at Wellington the other day with tho largest number of passengers that had yet arrived from Australia. Was there a rush to the Labour Bureau to demand work ? No! On the following day about twenty men came to the Bureau and simply asked where work was to be found in the country, and having received the information they promptly went out into the country to do that work. (Applause). THE LABOUR BUREAU. It was said that the Labour Bureau was a Socialistic institution, whose duty was to throw upon the Stats tho burden of finding work for anyone who chose to ask for especially to find work for the constituents of Liberal members, should those constituents be of the “ right colour.” Two or threa paragraphs had recently appeared in a Wellington paper iu which this view was emphasized, because some men had been sent up to tbo North laisnd from Christchurch. The answer to these statements was evident. If their friends in the North Island were prepared to allow the money to be expended on public works there expended in Canterbury, and laud acquired here for set; lament, they would not be troubled by men being sent there from Christchurch. It was tho good fortune of the North Island to have large areas of Crown lands to be opened up by roads and bridges. The question as to the “right colour” was too ridiculous for him to dwell upon at any length. (Applause.) They were told that the" Labour Bureau was of a Socialistic tendency. The object of the Bureau was cob to bring the work to the men, but to taka tho men to work wherever there was work available. The department did not profess to make work, but it did say that if there was work in one part of the Colony, and men able and willing to do tbab work in another part, it was the truest possible economy to 'bring that work and the men together. (Applause.) The Colony was fortunate enough to own its railways—(applause) —sad if there was a tree which needed to be chopped down bo that grass might grow in its place, and a man looking for work, it was a good thing to bring that man to the tree, put an axe in hia hands, and tell him to chop down the tree for wages. (Applause.) If it was Socialism that turned that man into a contented wage-earner ho would sijy ; Give me Socialism in preference to that form of Individualism that would dismies that man to charitable aid and the breaking o£ stones. (Applause.) THE CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM, The last occasion oa which he had the pleasure to address a large audience was in Auckland, when he was invited aa Minister for Labour to dwell at considerable length on the Labour Bills. Many of those present had read tho newspaper reports of hia remarks, and, therefore, he did not propose, on the present occasion, to deal with this subject at any length. Ho would, however, like to nay a few words about the co-operative contract system. It had been iu operation about twelve-months and had had a fair trial, and he maintained that it had achieved better success than any of its friends had a right to hope. It was a novelty, and had there been friction that was nothing more than might have been expected. On the other hand, however, the system had been a remarkable success, and blunders had been few and far between. (Applause). He hoped that the electors would see that there was no breaking down of the system in the future. As they knew, public works were not many, and money hitherto paid cut of loan must in future be provided for out of taxation; consequently there was all the more reason that tho earnings should go to the workers and not be snapped up by middlemen. He hoped that the electors would intuat upon the system being extended to works done by local bodies. (Applause). THE TRUCE ACT. It was said that when tho Truck Act passed tho Legislature it had been so cut about that it would remain a dead latter on the statute book. Legal decisions, however, at Dunedin and Wanganui* showed that it was very far from being a dead letter, and that people who wished to infringe its provisions had better beware, SHOP AND SHOP ASSISTANTS ACT. As they knew, this A of, in its present form, was not as he drew if, and not as it passed the Lower House. The recriminations, bickerings and trouble which had arisen during the last few months had shown that a Bill was not necessarily improved because the Legislative Council had tinkered with it. (Applause.) Even as the Act now was it was the half loaf that was better than no bread, but as originally drawn it was plain and (straightforward, and would have caused no bickerings and trouble. He knew that some people objected to tho half-holiday, and he saw in the AwsfmZasicu some time ago a statement that the Creator had exacted one day out - of the seven as one on which no work-should be done, and that Mr W. P. Reeves had taken half a day Horn the remaining six. (Laughter.) That air of regret that the Creator should have set apart one day from work was one of the funniest things he had ever seen iu a Conservative newspaper. (Laughter.) Fancytalking about that blessing, the day of rest in each seven, aa being “ exacted.” Ho had never seen why people should ba made to take six days to do work which they could do in five days and a half. It was amusing to hear the people who had taken half a day off the factory week talk about the Shops and Shop Assistants Act. The work in a factory was a work ci production, and added to the wealth of the country, but it could not bo said that buying and selling iu a shop added to that wealth, aud there was no reason why the same amount of business should not be done in five and a half days as was formerly done in six. Ho had accepted the Act as it came back from tho Legislative Council under protest, and ho had prophesied exactly the trouble which had since nrisen. He had pledged himself to reintroduce the measure next session in its original form, and this, pledge.he would carry out. (Applause.)

LABOUR LEGISLATION. There was another Labour Bill which he j would like to discuss, but if he were carried away by hia pet measure, the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill, he was afraid that he would have little time to refer to anything else, and be would take another opportunity of dealing with it. Before quitting the subject of the Labour Bills he would like to say that it was one thing to pass Bills and another to carry them into effect. The matter rested mainly with the workers themselves. No matter how zealous the department and the inspectors might be their zeal went for little if those immediately affected were apathetic. He was glad to say, however, that the workers were beginning to take an interest in the measures affecting them. A few days ago he received a request, through Mr Rhodes, that all the Labour Acts should be put together in oho volume. He should be very happy to give effect to that request, and before long these Acta would bo printed and available in a cheap and convenient shape. It had been said that the Government in its dealing with labour legislation had been pandering to a class and setting town against country. It was a preposterous charge, but it had been so often repeated that he felt himself bound to notice it. It had been said that the Government wanted to set them, the dwellers in Christchurch, against their brethren in the country, but he asked them would the Government, even if it was so wrong in heart and head aa to think of such a thing, be mad enough to set half its party against the other half ? If the Government was strong in the towns, it was even stronger in tho country, and a reference to the map would show that it represented a larger geographical area than did the Opposition. Some of ifca most bitter opponents were representatives for towns or for suburban districts. But putting aside the questions of tactics, policy and good taste, if they looked at the administration and actions of the Government, they would there find the best answer to this ridiculous charge. (Applause.) Where was the expenditure of the Public Works and Land Departments made? That money was spent in opening the country, aud they, as sensible men, knew that the prosperity of the town sprang from that of the country. But if it was true that the towns could nob do without the country, it was equally true that the country could not do without the towns. Was it the case that the Government had passed nothing but Bills to benefit the labouring classes ? They had only to look at the statute book for an answer. They would there find that the greater part of the legislation was framed for the benefit of the genuine farmers and settlers. The most important of these measures was the Land and Income Tax Act. This, it had been said, would relieve the towns of taxation, aud increase the burdens of the country, but that humbug had been knocked oa the head. (Applause.) What it did was to relieve the working farmers, and compel the holders of large estates to bear the share of the burden of the taxation which they had previously escaped. (Applause.) In their outcry against this Act the large landholders and their representatives had mistaken their own voice for that of the constituencies. The only class which bad escaped under the Property tax and had to pay under the Land and Income tax was professional men and salary earners, of whom ninety-nine out of every hundred resided iu the towns. So far, therefore, from the towns being relieved at the expense of the country, it was a town class upon whom the only really fresh taxation was imposed. (Applause.) Mr Reeves then enumerated a list of measures passed by the Government, and dealing solely with country interests. Referring to the labour legislation, ha refuted the charges levelled against the supporters of that legislation of “ pandering to tho masses ” and “truckling to the working man.” Why should it be said that they voted for these measures because they were afraid of the indignation of their constituents did they not do so ? Was it not the fact that their constituents sent them to Parliament because they knew that they believed iu those measures, and would give them ail the support in their power. (Applause). Ho paid a high compliment to the Labour members for the manner in which they performed their duties. They had gained tho respect not only of their friends, but also of their opponents. (Applause.) _ Iu his position of Labour Minister he had been constantly brought into contact with them, had consulted them, and looked to them for support, and he felt for them nothing but the warmest admiration. They had not gone to the House to satisfy personal greed or ambition, or with aa are to grind, but with tho object of benefiting their feilow-men. He strongly protested, however, that none but the Labour members should be considered sincere in their support of radical measures, aud that it should ba said that their votes were influenced by fear of their constituents. Was it not the fact that their constituencies sent them to Parliament because of their belief in, and the certainty of their support to, these measures when there. (Applause). WORKING MEN JUSTICES. Oaa of the charges of pandering and truckling levelled against the Government was that it had appointed certain working men Justices of the Peace. So far from considering that pandering and truckling, be was astonished that even the Conservatives had not thought it a most enlightened and desirable thing to do, because it was most desirable and necessary to associate every class of the community in the administration of justice, to make every class feel that it was oa the side of law and order. (Applause). He wanted to get rid of that old cry and notion that there Was one law for the rich and another for the poor, and there was no quicker way of doing so than by putting working men on the Bench, clothing them with authority, giving them responsibility, and making them feel that they had a part in tho administration of justice. (Applause). What they had seen in England did not tend to prove that confining J.lVshsps to the wealthy was a useful and necessary thing. Some of the sentences passed by English j ustices were revolting to the feelings of every right-minded man. (Applause.) Whatever our working men Justices of the Peace did, it was not likely that they would give a man a week’s imprisonment for sleeping by the roadside, or make a man pay 12s 6d for stealing a loaf of bread when he had been two days without food, or fine an independent gentleman 40s for riding in a train without a ticket, and then send a poor woman to gaol for a month for doing the same thing, or when some brute stripped his wife naked and savagely beat her, merely bind him over to keen the peace. Personally, he did not think "that Messrs Tanner, Sandford and Baliiuger were likely to lower the dignity of the Bench or to interfere with the purity of the administration of justice. (Aoplause.) It must be remembered that the working classes now were educated, and that many of them were men of wider readin g and broader thought than most of the English Justicea of the Peace of two or three generations ago. THE LAND QUESTION. Though he did not like the second Land Bill as well as he did the first, it was the best the Government could get passed, and the best ever passed by the Parliament of New Zealand on the subject. The Lands for Settlement Bill was the best Bill they could hope to get through both Houses, and he had reason to believe that it would do all that was necessary at present. The land problem was always with us, but it was not always the same. Twenty years ago, when hia father occupied the position of Minister which he (the Hon W. P. Reeves) now occupied, the problem was how to get people for the land; now it was how to get land for the people. If they were to keep oa the work: of settlement; they must acquire Native land in the North Island and private land in the South Island. (Applause.) They must (stimulate and encourage the subdivision of large estates, and must purchase laud ou non-interest-bearing debentures in the same way as tho Native lands in the North Inland. He hoped that the constituencies would insist on their repr«BeQtativi6|j r a^je69i^s;^;t^ l ejaseiyea. to

the task of reforming the Native lands question. The Government had done something in the matter, bat he hoped the constituencies would take interest in it, and would insist on their representatives taking even more. He was happy to say that he had got land for a State farm in the North Island, and he hoped to be able before very long to say that he had got land for one in the South Island. (Applause.) / EDUCATION, Referring to questions connected with education, he said that he considered that the State school teachers of this Colony had two or three real and substantial grievances, and that they should have the sympathy and support of the public with regard to them, because they affected not only the teachers, but the children and parents of New Zealand. They had a real grievance in regard to school inspection, which was unequal in various districts, and under the present system there, were no means of finding out how unequal it was; there were no means of gauging the relative quality of education in the various districts of New Zealand. Moreover, he thought that the inspectors should not be allowed to stay many years in the same district. (Applause.) They might be, and were, most excellent men; but they had their likes, dislikes, prejudices and passions like all of us, and if they stayed too long in one district they were apt to get into a groove, to contract likes and dislikes and to entertain prejudices. Many people thought that inspection should be taken from the Boards and given to the Central Department, and administration taken from the Department and given to the Boards; and he himself bad been in doubt as to why, when the Education Act was introduced, it had not done so, and had not provided that the Central Department should have to do only with the schedule and the syllabus, and to see how the work was done; but that had not been done, and he had not, under the circumstances, auy intention of trying to do it. He would like to strengthen the Boards by reducing their number from thirteen to nine. He would appeal to the Boards to decide upon some uniform plan of action with regard to inspection, because if they could not. Parliament would insist on the Government taking the matter in hand and doing it for them. He hoped that Parliament would face the important question of technical education, and allow him to pass a Bill which would make a very cautious beginning with that very important branch of work. He was determined to attempt to pass nest session a Bill dealing with the serious and increasing evil of truancy. (Applause.)

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT. Referring to local self-government, he would say that it appeared to him that they had mistaken numbers for strength, and had so many local bodies that they had not nearly as much local government as they ought to have. They should endeavour to improve local government by amalgamating these bodies, thus giving them greater strength, attracting ability to them, and giving more publicity to their doings. DEINS AND GAMBLING. He would not taka up their time by touching upon the licensing question, of which, no donbt, they would hear something at the next general election, when he would speak his views upon it with no uncertain sound. But the drink evil was not the only moral evil rampant in Now Zealand, and he would ask those honest and earnest men who seemed to forget everything else in their desire to put down the drink evil to give some attention, to the growing vice of gambling, which, he thought, was a greater danger to the Colony at the present time then drink, because the latter was slightly diminishing, but the former seemed to be increasing. The Legislature had tried to deal with it, or to tinker with it, but the only result was that every year we sent out of New Zealand to Australia money enough to pay the interest on four millions of our national debt. This money did not buy anything, not even experience, for the same folly seemed to be repeated every year. The Legislature ought to do something to stop it, or, if it could not, to say, “ Let people ruin themselves in their own way without meddling with them.” He, however, would be ready to support any reasonable scheme for stopping it. (Applause.) FEMALE FRANCHISE. Referring to female franchise, he said that a more grossly unfair charge had never been made against the Government than that of not acting honestly and fairly by the proposal for female franchise. The Government had put it into its Bill, and it had bean passed by the only branch of the Legislature over which it had control. It had been thrown out by the branch over which it had no control. It had a right to resent the action of that branch in talking on to it appendages which were almost an insult to the intelligence of those in the Lower House. (Applause.) If the Upper House was favourable to the principle of female franchise, why did it nob pass it ? What intensely amused him was that certain gentlemen who helped to kill that Bill in the Upper House, now posed as the friends of female franchise and the champions of the ladies; but, in order that the ladies might have a privilege which they had not asked for and did nob want, they prevented them from getting something which they wanted very much indeed. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The little peculiarities of the Legislative Council in dealing with the Liberal measures were matters of the past. (Applause). It had been said that the Government had treated it very badly, and had taken away from it all dignity, freedom, power and independence, but they had taken nothing away from it; they had given it a great deal the most valuable addition of strength and power and knowledge and sense and influence that it had ever had given to it—(loud applause)— and whatever they might be threatened with in the coming session in the way of obstruction in the Lower House, ho did not j think that they would be threatened with I destruction in the Upper House. (Api plause). 5 THE OPPOSITION IN THE LOWER HOUSE. la regard to the conduct of the Opposition in the Lower House he did not want to use strong language, because he did not want to imitate the Opposition; but ha must say that fha Opposition threw not only the traditions of their party, but decorum, fair-mindedness and business-like conduct entirely to the winds. They protracted the session to sixteen mortal weeks; they made Hansard 25 per cant longer and 50 per cent more dismal; they nearly killed two Ministers, and they prevented the discussion of a certain number of useful measures. He did not think they prevented the passing of many important measures; the Government managed to force through most of those, but at what a cost! '.('ha seven most garrulous members of the Opposition last session spoke about 890 columns of Hansard between them. One gentleman spoke 88 columns; another, 94; another, 95; another, 101; another, 123; another, 14iS; and one, the flower of the flock, 244 columns. (Laughter.) Two hundred and forty-four columns of Hansard were equal to 52 yards 2 feet, which, might not be a very great distance to run, but it was a mighty distance to talk. (Applause and laughter.) However, this was only part of the play. There were, besides, interminable discussions in Committee, which were nob reported; for instance, those over the Land Bill, which occupied days and nights, and in which the objections and speeches made against the Bill in the debates were repeated ad nauseam. He had often thought that it would not be a bad thing if, for one session, everything said in the House were reported in Hansard, and circulated among the taxpayers, who should have the pleasure of paying for it. Ha was inclined bo think that they would at once insist upon the reform of Parliamentary procedure. The Liberals of the Colony were much more interested than the Conservatives in seeing that Parliamentary procedure was made elastic. Just fancy any joint stock company allowing the meetings of its directors to be held under standing orders which gave a maa power to delay business for days, which, after a question had been thoroughly thcefihe&joufejouoaeJ) iaaob, insisted on, its

being threshed out in another. He quite admitted that there mast he free discussion in Parliament, many processes in legislation which should not be too facile, yet he would say that our Parliamentary rules were calling out for reform, and that it I was to the interests of the Liberal Party: to see that they were reformed. (Applause). It was necessary to have an Op-' position, and the present Opposition was; just the sort of one, as regarded many of its features, that a good Government would like to see. It was not too large’ and it was not too popular. It showed the Government great kindness in absolutely, declining to have any principles, or any shadow of a policy whatever. He admitted that it was not the business of the leader of an Opposition to have a detailed policy, a list of measures he would like to pass, and of principles he wished to have affirmed, but it was his business and that of his party to give the people of theColony some faint notion of what the Opposition would do in case it got into office. His own opinion was that the Liberal Party had the country at its back, that the country was anxious to see the work or this Government go on and was willing to give it a reasonable time in which to do that work. (Applause). PERSONAL. He wished to give a flat contradiction to an absurd story that he did not intend to stand again for Christchurch, but to come forward for a North Island constituency. Ha would not have thought of noticing the statement had he not been asked to give it a direct denial, which, ho had very much pleasure in doing. (Applause.) Though he had to .live away from Canterbury, he had been a Canterbury hoy and was.a Canterbury man, and ho would either be in the 1894 Parliament as member for Christchurch, or he would not be there at all. He had represented Christchurch for two years. No doubt he had made mistakes, but he did not think his worst enemy would him of truckling to his opponents, or of abandoning his friends. He had not done 1 anything to forfeit their confidence, but they would” have" an” opportunity at "the next election of saying whether he had lost their confidence or not, and he awaited their verdict- without fear. (Loud and prolonged applause.) QUESTIONS. In reply to questions, the Hon W. P. Reeves said that the management of the railways was entirely in the hands of the Commissioners, and one of the questions which would shortly be dealt with by the people of the Colony was what they would: do with their own railways. Generally, speaking, he was in favour of applying the oue-man-one-vote principle to municipal and local govenment. He was drawing, travelling expenses for his present visit to Christchurch, but he exercised discretion as to what he drew. (Applause.) Daring the last few years the local industries of: New Zealand had not made the progress ho would have liked to have seen, and when 1 the revision of the tariff came up for con-, sideratioa—and he thought it would before long that should ■he taken into account. When the present Government appointed men to the Legislative Council it did not consider: whether they were farmers, or doctors, or’ lawyers, but whether they were men who had the confidence of the people. He' believed that the gentlemen recently: appointed had, to a very large extent, the. confidence of the people in the country! districts. Government meant to have thA question of the conservation of flounders | gone into by experts, and dealt with next! year. As Minister for Education he had the power of declaring whether any inter-: pretationof the Edaoation Act submitted to him was correct or not. The question: of the action of the inspectors in regard to the Normal School had not been submitted to him. If it were he would go into it carefully, and would not shirk it in any way. He had not referred the matter of the Ell case to Sir Robert Stout, but had handed it over to the Premier, who, he was sure, had not kept back any of the papers. It was true that about ten months ago he had, in conversation with a friend of a gentleman in-; terested in the Ell case, said that it would do no good to ask him (Mr Reeves) questions about it at a certain meeting. The Government was going as fast as possible in the direction of exempting improvements from taxation. In regard to the question of exempting the Mount Magdala, Asylum from the operations of the Factories. Act, .the Inspector-General of Factories' had given it as his opinion that laundries were not subject to the provisions of the Act. The question had been referred to the Crown law officers, and he could not remember their answer. It was, not fair that a female teacher shoold get less pay than a male teacher for exactly the same work. _ He did', not think that female franchise would be deferred till after the next general •' election, but whatever action the Govern- 1 meat took on the question would be taken by the Government as a whole, and he would support that action. He thought that Kansard was very useful as a check) for the electors upon the doings and say-j ings of their representatives in the House.; The Government had given Lady Atkinson? .£3OOO because they considered it a right! and generous thing to do. Ho had opposed; Sir Harry Atkinson and had helped to turn! hia last Government out; bat Sir j Harry Atkinson was a great, a goodj and a patriotic man, and had ha ) devoted his great abilities to his own; interests he would have died a rich man.i but he preferred to serve hia country'; faithfully according to his lights, and had; died poor; and it was to the credit of the Colony that bo many of its public men did; die poor, and when they died poor it was ; right that the State should make an. allowance to their families. (Applause.) Ha considered that the increase in., the honorarium of members was right, because 1 it was in the interests of the elec* tors that their representatives should be paid a sum sufficient to keep them. The Government had done a great dealtowards providing work for the unem- 1 ployed by removing men from Dunedin-; and Christchurch to the North Island, and therefore should not be subjected to, carping criticism. (Hear, hear.) He considered that the Mount Magdala j Asylum was doing noble work, and that the £6OO granted to it by the Government was money well expended, and that if any other institution could show that it was doing similarly good work it should also get a grant of public money. (Applause.) Mr W. Millur moved— “ That this meeting thanks the Hon W. P. Reeves for his able and interesting address, and desires' to express its continued and unabated; confidence in him as one of the Christchurch representatives. 1 * Mr A. Joyce seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously, amid loud applause. The Hon W. P. Reeves briefly acknowledged the vote, and moved a vota of thanks to his Worship the Mayor, which was carried, and the meeting, which had I been most attentive and orderly, closed.