THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6095, 31 May 1881, Page 5

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

[by telegraph.—own cokrespon d ent. J Chri-vTCiiurch, Monday. Tjie Times, reviewing the Premier speech, says : "The Premier is 111 marked contrast to liia colleague, the Colonial Treasurer at Pa tea. Instead of the rest so devoutly prayed for by the latter, the Premier announces quite a programme of work. So he did last year. In spite of his ingenious reference to the business of the "last session, we cannot forget the fact that, however moderate may have beGn the number of Bills which the Government introduced last session, and however complicated in their details and voluminous in dimensions, a side of their character to which the Premier made no allusion, ' not unnaturally,' the greater bulk of these Bills failed to pass. We cannot, under the circumstances, give much credit to the Government for its mere intention to do the good work as expressed by the Government, whose members contradiet one another about it. We can only wish that the important measures may have more success than they had last year. The Bills dealing with the subject of charitable aid, representation, Chinese immigration, railway construction, licensing, retail, abolition of regulation of elections, merit general support more or less on the lines announced by the Premier, which is not saying much that is overpoweringly definite. Respecting the railways, no one, we hope, wauts to see them sold, or leased, except the particular set of men whom the Premier seems to be inclined to sit upon when they appear with their proposals. Regarding the native lands, something ought to be done, but the Premier tells us that the colony will be in the dark. The Premier refrained from enlightening us at Leeston on the true principle, ' not unnaturally,' because the Attor-ney-General is the proper person to enunciate principles in this connection, and lie ' not unnaturally' objects to have anything put into plain black and white an instant before the proper time. Regarding the Upper House, we do not agree with the Premier upon all his points of reform, but on that subject we must defer our remarks. Regarding the rest of the programme, we hope the Government will make an honest effort to get its work done, but the Premier recognises its want of power, as is apparent from his constant harping on the want of compactness. Of the compactness of the Opposition, he evidently relies on the Opposition's weakness rather than the Ministerial strength. That being the case, he has once more a difficult session before him."