THE LYTTELTON SEAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13889, 25 October 1905, Page 6

THE LYTTELTON SEAT.

Me C. Xj. Russell’s first appearance on any stage in a . “ star ” capacity v,~06 undertaken last night at Lyttelton. when for forty minutes he entertained a packed house with what he was pleased to designate a “ political f address.” The uses of definition are various, and in this instance Mr 1 Russell certainly strained’ them to the

utmost. It is difficult to treat his rambling political preamble seriously. It was more in the nature of a series of set academics from an Opposition point of view than a legitimate commentary upon the political situation and political possibilities. Mr Russell was careful to explain that he was not a Conservative, but that he was an Opposi-tionist-Liberal, and the value of this distinction was made evident by his subsequent utterances. Although these were brief as first love, and bald as a first standard narrative, they were at least suggestive of the candidate’s attitude. He wooe the electors of Lyttelton pledged to veto against the present Government on a no-confidence motion, as an unqualified freeholder, who is prepared to throw the balance of the colony’s lands to tho dogs quite unconditionally, as an freely and frankly, and as—a* Liberal. This sort of Liberalism, of course, will 'take more swallowing than, even the whale was disposed to bestow upon Jonah, and if Mr Russell cannot subsequently make out a Better case for his candidature his prospects of election will be pitiable in the extreme. Outside his generous announcement of himself as a straight-out Oppositionist there was little in his speech which calls for comment. Ho had contain safe generalities to enunciate concerning the Harvester Trust, the Education system of the colony, the Legislative Council and the Public Revenues Act. So fat as education ; is concerned, his policy was on© of tender trivialities of a vague and inconsequential character, concluding with tho trite and amiable suggestion that any attempt to interfere with the colony’s free and secular system of education would bring down upon the offender ilia own magnificent wrath, accompanied by what the “Private Secretary” would call “ a great big alap.” This was, indeed, typical of the address, which wandered in vague but brief platitudes from the enormity of the Public Revenues Act to the unrighteousness of asking a workman to live at economical ease in a cottage not of his own choosing. Mr Russell, indeed, made only on© significant /admission, and that was that, so far as finance was concerned, h© could not understand it. It would have been well if he had been as frank in the treatment of other questions.