The Debate in Reply.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 151, 28 June 1895, Page 2

The Debate in Reply.

Sir Robert Stout and Mr George Hutchison divide honours as yet in the debate in reply ; but tbe two speeches were framed on such entirely different lines that comparison is out of tbe question. Sir Robert was denunciating and patriotic. He briefly took up one point after another of the Government's administration during the past year, and tore it to rags. He exposed the statements and documents of the Treasurer and Agent-General in London, and finished up a slashing speech with some robust advice on the advantages of telling the truth. Mr George Hutchison's hour was a merry one. His dramatio desgrip.

tiou of the Parihaka comedy was immense, and the Premier himself had a good laugh at the ridiculous figure his delineator made him ciit. Some of the epigrams he delivered himself of, were very teise and cutting. Said he—" We have had . the Gospel of Labour, the Epistles ,to the Unemployed— Now we are going to have the Revelations." Later on, again referring to the Ministry—" Their cup is not yet full. We should fix them in the pillory of publio scorn ao that people may know them for what they are," and, on Mr Reeves's Uundeßirable Immigrants Bill, " Money makes the man, the want of it the.felon." The Premier's reply to Sir Robert waa vigorous in tone and action, but lame in argument. He quoted largely from the figures of the Canadian loan for the past four year's averages. They had no bearing on the matter whatever. The only guide to the success of our loan was the price of other eeourities when ours was offered. The prioe of money has gone down so muoh and so regularly during the past four yeara that the comparison . is worthless. Altogether the verdiot, even among Government Bupporterß, ia that Sir Robert Stout soored heavily,