A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11056, 6 May 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION.

jfil, SCOBIE MACKENZIE'S SPEECH. One of tho most important speeches delivered during the recess was that by Mr, Scobio Jlackcnzio on April 27 at Dunedin, the jliiyor (Mi. W. Swan) being in tlio chair.

Jlr. Mackenzie, who was received with general and prolonged applauso, said The jde» is common in some quarters that the correct thing to do in a recess speech is to give a review of the session, what is called jo I lie cant phrase of tho day an " account of your stewardship." It is a very easy and at its best a very dreary performance. And at jts worst, when you take tho Bills that came before tlio Houso and analyso them, it is enough to put an entiro audience into an hypnotic sleep. (Laughter.) But 011 tlio pre6ont occasion the task need not bo either dreary or lengthy, because the Inst session practically resolved itself into

THE OLD-AGE PENSIONS BILL. Now, I think the best, simplest, and most effective way I can set forth my opinions upon that Bill is to detail to you a conversation I had about it the other clay. It was with a strong and outspoken, but, I am sure, very intelligent and vory honest, opponent of mine member of the Labour parly. I have 110 doubt he is in the hall here to-night, lie was complimentary to me, said that they recognised they could not sliilt me, to which I modestly replied that one couldn't be euro. (Laughter.) TUo man is a fool who makes himself cocksure of an election. He said no regretted I was not on his sido. I said, "My dear fellow, it you'd only believo mo, I am on your side." "Well, then," ho said, "why did you voto against the Old-age Pensions Bill!" Let mo here explain that I voted for tho second reading of tlio Bill, which affirms the principle, because I do strongly beliovo in that principle; but I voted ngninst tho third reading because tho Bill was not what it ought to be. Well, I said to tho man: " Suppose someone has throughout his life, wliilo his neighbours have been toiling and saving, deliberately squandered his earnings upon mere self-indulgence, upon drink, or gambling, or some otlie; vice, do you really think such a man ought to receive a pension at the hands of his fellow-men?" "No," ho said, "I don't." Well, then, that is one reason why I ultimately voted against tho Bill. (Applause.) It permits that. "Now, let Hi take the other side. Suppose you liavo worked and striven, and denied yourself for the purpose of educating your children, and have worthily perlormetl all tho duties of citizenship, and saved to got together a homo of your own, do you really think you ought to he doomed to toil 011 to tho end while your spendthrift neighbour is in the receipt of a pension to which you contribute?" Ho admitted at once that it was wrong. "Well, then, there is another reason why I voted against the Hill. (Applause.) It permits that also. And when I gavo him my own notion of what a pension should he, that it should be the reward of a fairly well-spent life —(applause!— assented at once. The fact of the matter is, that when you enter into detail no one really believes in tho Bill as it passed. They are simply caught with tho name. (Applause.) The cost will start with at least £150.000 a year, which iB tho equivalent of the interest of five millions of money, and this will go 011 increasing at a rate which no ono is in a position to estimate. My own fear is that the colony will not he able to stand the strain of it, and that tho first lean year that comei there will bo howls against the system, especially when peoplo see it is being abused, and I am afraid it is being abused already. The fact that numbers of very worthy people are getting pensions is no argument in favour of this particular Bill, for of Course the same would have boon tlio ease with any conceivable Bill that could have been introduced. Hut tho Bill is now law. and two things are very clear to mo in connection with it. The first is, that those who have had pensions properly granted to them must go on receiving those pensions to the etui uf their lives. You cannot piny fast and loose with tho hopes and fears and vital interests of aged people. (Applause.) The second point is, that tho Act must receivo not only a fair, but a most generous, trial. (Applause.) The three years' limit is an absurdity. it was introduced, I believe, at iho instigation of the Government supporters who were in mortal fear ot what they were doing in passing the Bill The system will require at least a ten years' trial, and during that period every effort must bo made to perfect the measure before there is a thought of repealing it. (Applause.) But you may take my word for this, that all tho difficulties surrounding an old-age pension system, properly so-called, liavo got to be solved in New Zealand yet. (Hear, hear.) Now let me turn to a recent

CELEBRATED STUMPING TOUR of a few week? ago. (Laughter.) I don't know whether people were really deceived by the reckless statements that were flung at their heads duYing that remarkable tour. It they were 1 think I can open their eyes to tlio character ot some of them. The law courts havo a very good way of testing the credibility and the accuracy of a witness. They have an eye to the consistency of his story. they inquire whether ho lias always said the same thing, and if ho has been in the habit of tolling a different story at different times—(laughter)—they plaeo small reliance on his evidence. I propose to apply that test to tho Premier. Any one speech of his is a literal sample of all the others, lint we'll take the Auckland speech because we have a full report of it. Ho there speaks of his opponents as '• a party whose maladministration had reduced the people to poverty and dragged them to degradation." (Laughter.) 'then he goes on to warn the people of Auckland that if tho Opposition came into power th<r "will send thi., fait colony to perdition." Ivow for the test of consistency. At tho opening of last session Mr. Seddon put it in 'he mouth of the Governor to congratulate the colony upon tho Otago Jubilee, as showing the " wonderful progress —it's a good Word wonderful(laughter)— wonderful progress the colony had made in 50 years, '"hen Mr. Seddon lias to put a speech in the ffloulh of tho Govornor, or is speaking in parliament, ho has to come reasonably near the language of truth and sense. When he speaks before his Liberal audiences lie thinks them—for he lias a poor opinion of human nature—he think.' them so ignorant and so credulous that he can say anything he likes. (Applause.) Anything to get a vote. (Applause.) That's about the size of it. But then, no doubt, you'll say to mo what about THE PREMIER'S FIGURES ? You know that figures don't (laughter) —except when they are put in v particular Way. (Renewed laughter.) Don't they show that the material progress—for Heaven knows riobndv can say the moral progress has been accelerated— (laughter)— the material progress of the colony has been increased during his term at a greater rate than before? The answer is that the figures show nothing of the sort. Ho never said so, mark you, in en many words, except perhaps in the coun- . try districts where they havo no means of Verifying those things. (Laughter.) What lie did was very cunningly and most audaciously to leave that impression in the minds of tho people. N'ow to show the style of thing. Everywhere he went, and I have tho speeches by me here, he dilated upon the progress of the manufactures of the colony in his day. I am sure you all believe that progress baa been wonderful compared to former periods. Well, I hold in my hand the Official Year Book of New Zealand, which is compiled by the Registrar-General, as we are told, under instructions of tho Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, B.C. (Laughter.) Now, just listen to what the book says about manufactures."The annual value of all manufactures increased between 1890 and 1895 fM.\ Seddon's period and the latest for which wo have any statistics] by the sum of £775,523; while the increase fo. the previous quinquennium, 1885 to 1890, was as great as £2,062,458." In other Words, the incroaso of manufactures during I the period of Mr. Seddon's predecessors was two anil a-liaJf limes greater than during the ! corresponding period of the present Government. (Applause.) Of courso it was the expansion of tho frozen meat industry that accounted for the increase in those days. Your own common senso will tell you that Governments have little to do with it. Now, let me show you how the export of New Zea-land-manufactured articles lias gone down in | Mr. Seddon's day. I have tho book of sta- . 'tislics in my hand, and will baud it to tho '\ chairman. When the chairman retires from jyjhis present dignified position and descends to 'the levol of a member of Parliament— ter)—it will be hard to puzzle him over figures. (Laughter.) In Sir H. Atkinson's last year (1890) they amounted to £548,000; 1891, £420,357: 1892, £367,677; 1893. £345,636; 1894, £224.958 ; 1895, £188,702 : 1896, £198,081 ; 1897, £197,601. The failure of the flax industry accounts fo* a good deal of the decline, and again I _ remind you that the Government have little to do with such things, but you can see that bad the figures been tho other way Mr. Seddon Would have dinned them into youi onrs, like the 14,000 souls who left the colony in 188 . (Laughter.) Those same souls have _ been doomed to a sort of purgatory ever since— (laughter)— you wero sick of the whole subject. It is precisely tho same with

ALL THF OTHER FIGURES. quoted by Mi. Seddon.. They were cither irrelevant and raeaninglesss or wholly misleading. I want you to understand this,, that there has never been a time, not pvenuUfinS-

Pr l«on, in which a urc ? to^hZ I t\teMr qu , % « tho nature of a yomgcl,? ru colon )"- K whoever is in office. (13™ i to expand, may depend upon this that if «' Bllt >' ou ho taken as a test they are i 1 t"£" ro3 ar to previous Governments I»m V" faVOUr of Bent you with a fnKI 'l • & 0!n i? to prethe Xy in decZ r? 8 ' 1 ' 0 progress of Tl>opreontdee£:rl P ; sc n ?;\ nt ' l .V n V but tho seven years of Ihl ' " 0t smshetl'5 mshetl ' «>ont, for W hi4 "e have the T show tho comnarnh-vn r!.- L fi S u res, will whole of the figures n! \ Iro1 ro 8 ress - Tho shoot taken from tho vl 111 a P nnteil Hon. Mr SeiUlon P C n i tlleßi e bt fend i. I ws£%ap , 7 M *„' manife tlv ,L„ f laU6e,) Now . » would be croaso in Dm 1"f com P ar o tho ratio of inyears of ti l, f T , yWS with the ol,rl >' Hi© period of r 5 " } shall ' therefore, select and 1890 V c oCl) .,? oresainn between 1880 period tho Yo ? » Wlll - find that during that Fn Mr te latlon lcrcasc(l 29 Per cent.; cent ti? 8 ; ™ d ik increased 16} per SSL i CXP ° rt f in tlle first Period inVr2Sj*Z*i ? M " SctMon ' 9 tim « is aL. C , ? land , ln cultivation—that sSiirl" °i» mTW The Jl 8 i ™ 6 3PM Cent ' (Laughter.) or!rod AyS . nng - 11,0 fast Period in " crowd 43 per cent,; ln Mr " Seddon's period cL T?" \u m ° miltin & fractions in all E' / rather significant that the only icWnn- t'° 'of m 101 has increased in Mr. -eddons time is the imports, which went up 1 o 28 per cent. In 1890, on the other hand, to imports vera nearly three million under ,Inn'f, P ? ' ," how,l ? ff that wo w °™ then producing Largely and paying our debts. We m 101, lily " lff 11,0 foundation of tho e y soundness ,° iavo to-day—(applause)— anl which I'm afraid, 11,0 way wo are going . 2 M ° n t last long. Now, I want to draw your attention ' ~1 curious and most significant feature in the political history of the present moment-a featur* which linn not, I ,!v I' - y r , eon , , nnticoa b y anyone— Winch 16, I should say, uniqno in political us orj. It. is this, that the Government followers have not ono particle of confidence in tho Government. Let mo give you instances which go to prove it. Tako Mr Can,cross, of the Taieri. Ho is acknowlodged to bo ono of tho steadiest of tho (Jovol nment supporters. Yet in public speeches delivered to his constituents during May of last year this was just after some anjxnnlments had been made to tho T'ppei Houso which were notoriously rewards for private servieog rendered—(applause)—ho advocated that tho power of appointment to tho Upper House should lie taken out of tho hands (if tho Government, that the ( T pper House should he reformed in the direction of making it independent of tho Government. [ halo ono of these speeches by me here. Then tako Mr. John Hutcheson, tiie Labour member for Wellington. I suppose there is r.i man in the House who has more steadily nson in tho estimation of both sides than ho. (Applause.) In a speech to his constituents during' last recess, after pointing out the gross corruption, approaching Tammany, which was now eating to the heart ot our political system—(applause)—Mr. Ilutche.'iou urged that the Government should liavo no hand in the appointment of civil servants. There's confidence for you! Mr. Hutcheson in etleet says, " We'll allow you to have the namo of a Government, hut wo really can't tolerate your making any appointments to carry out your administration. (Laughter.) Then let us tako Mr. Montgomery. Ho was for somo time classed as a Left Winger, hut ho showed clearly enough last session that ho was much more of a Government supporter. Ho was a membei of tho Puhlio Accounts Committee, which committee, though like all others it has a majority of Government supporters upon it, reported that a bogus salo of stores from ono department to another had had tho effect of increasing last year's surplus by £30,000 at least, and possibly bj £51,000. I shall have something to say about another aspect of that matter presently. Well, Mr. Montgomery noticed that the Auditor-Gene-ral and his assistant, who are fortunately officers of Parliament and independent of Parliament, like the Judges, gave their evidence in a perfectly fearless and outspoken way, while the Secretary of the Treasury, who is at the mercy of the Government, dodged and twisted about a good deal before he was at length compelled to admit that the surplus had been increased to tho amount named by the bogus sale. Mr. Montgomery therefore urged that the chief Government officials should he made independent of tho Government, liko the Audi-tor-General and the Judges. (Applause.) Then let us take the celebrated Police Commission. They are not, of course, Parliamentary followers of the Government, but they were their nominees, and I can safely leave you to judge whether the Government, driven by Mr. Taylor to set up a commission, • were at all likely to appoint men who would bo hostile to themselves. And as a matter of fact they quito obviously tried to let the 1 Government down as easily as they could. Well, the commissioners reported—l am | quoting their own words—that "with all I deference, the Commissioner of I'olico should ! havo absolute authority as to ail appoint-1 ments, promotions, transfers, dismissals, and I distribution of tho force." In other words I thes« gentlemen "with all deference" veil-1 ture to suggest that the Government were not to he trusted with the appointment and | transfer of policemen. And lot mo here toll you what the commissioners had not the ] courage to say, hut what tho evidence docs very clearly—namely, that up to 1891 when the Government took office, such powers really wero left entirely with tie commissioner. Colonel Hume, Inspectors Broham and Partly, and a nuinbo: of others gave eviiloncc to that effort in t ho plainest t-rnis. Here, then, we have a Government which is overflowing with Liberalism, and yet Kill t lie trusted even by their own supporters «' d their judicial nominees to perform the most elementary acts of government—can't 1)0 trusted to appoint Councillors; can't be trusted to appoint, transfer, promote, or dismiss policemen; can't be trusted even to appoint civil servants, and which requires to have the chief civil servants safegua.'.bd against their Ministerial masters just as He judges and tho Auditor-Genoral are secured. (Applause.) Now, isn't that a most extraordinary significant and altogether unique state of affairs ? And lot me ask yo i this question. If the inquiry into the Harrir Wrigg business, the New Zealand Cross affair—l haven't the time to go into it new, but it is, I think, the most revoltiig, the most despicable episode of our politics even in this ora of scandals—l say that <<1-11 if the Parliamentary inquiry into it had b'en concluded do you suppose any honest man would recommend that the present Government be allowed to retain the right of advising the Governor in tho mailer of bestowal of tliii: most coveted of honours ? (Applause.) And if an inquiry wore made into the creation of J.P.'s—(laughter)but I really needn't go intc this matter. You know as much about it as I do. Their J.P.'s appear regularly enough in court, but it isn't always on the bench they fit. (Loud laughtci.) Finally, if an adequate inquiry were made into t"h*' method of dealing with tho public moneys— I mean to allude to ono or two matters presently by way of illustration,—it is as sure as I am addressing you now there would bo a demand to tako the Treasury out of the hands of the Treasurer. Now I want to ask you this: When you find the supporters and friends of the Government so anxious to tako the functions of government out of their hands, how is the curious fact to be accounted for J (A Voice: "Corruption.") Mr. Mackenzie. The gentleman has taken the very word out of my mouth. (Laughter.) Well, now, with your eyes open to at least something of what is going on, can you have any doubt about | tho reason ? Isn't it hecauso of the firm con- ; viction which is settled in the minds of Go* vernment supporters that DEEP-SEATED CORRUPTION AND DEMORALISATION

has spread itself over every branoli af tin public administration and extends largely over the people of the colony. Taking tho people first, wo see that the public mind a everywhere deeply impressed with the idoa that public billets of every description are for those who soli their opinions for them. Tho veil is lifted every now and then, and lets us have a clear glimpse into the ideas people now havo of how place and pay aro distributed. The other day there was acaso in -court here—(laughter)— 18 typical in its way. A Legislative Councilor was netting up a testimonial to a Minister(laughter);— wanted a gentleman to run the thing for him. The man hesitated, because he said he had done a lot for the Government and hadn't yot got a billet for it, (Laughter.) Ho felt that lie had been exceptionally treated. (Laughter.) 1 don t blame the man at all. He was simply giving utterance to an impression wluoh is m everybody's mind-that political service brings public reward, and that nothing else doe» It is my deliberate opinion that if . l '.. v ™f no corruption there would be proeious little of the present-day Libera ism in New Zealand. (Applause.) But when tho curtnm is lifted upon tb,- public service can anytlun be more utterly demoralising than the sight that is revealed ? Take tho very latest reV °l ßtlol THE MARINE SCANDAL.

The bare outlines of the story, no matter whether you regard it in its moral or m its political or its social aspect, would hei an outrage in the administration of a South American Republic-ail outrage almost m China, " (Laughter aud applause.) Let me

hero say that perhaps tho most odious part of the business is tho way Ministers are saving their own skins at the expense of their unfortunate victims. (Hear, hoar, and applause.) It leaks out quito by accident— here I have to remind you that all tho scandals of the past eight years have been accidentally revealed, I Bay it leaks out that p. man who had not qualified himself for a mate's certificate, and who expressed himself as hopelessly unfit to try for one, goes up before our Marine Board, who are among the highest officials in the publio service, and by a bogus examination gets a master's certificate. That certificate enables him to tako command of an ocean-going vessel. That is where the social outrage comes in—the callous, criminal indifference to the safety of the lives of tho people of tho colony. Weil, tho publio mind is outraged at tho revelation, and the Premier, who is on 0110 of his Liberal tours at tho time, to quiet it declares in the most solemn manner possible that he had no knowledge of tho business—that ho never heard of it till .it- was mentioned in tho House last session. He had never seen or spoken to Jones—there are two Joneses in the case. (Laughter.) Never in his life had he written to his colleague, Hail-Jones—you had better take note of tho word "written," for you'll find that is where tho defence lies; he didn't write— telegraphed— to tell him practically to "do the best ho could for Jones." I myself folt perfectly sure ho had said something of tho kind. Tho internal evidence was strong enough for me. And you may depend that previous to this Jones had done the best ho could for Seddon. (Laughter.) Previous to this tho chief officers of the Marine Department had given evidencebeforo the court that what they did they did with the sanction of the Minister, and this tho Premier also deniod. Then comes tho later court caso and tho wholo squalid story: the wholo series of debasing subterfuges is drawn from the mouth of tho Premier himself. Hero is tho moral aspect of the caso, and I am not going to dwell upon it. It isn't a pleasant business, and I'm sure you don't require mo to lay down tho elementary principles of morality in public life. (Applause.) I liopo tho time is yet far distant when the peoplo of Now Zoohind on any side of politics axo going to ondorso as Liberalism tho cynioal philosophy of Byron's couplet:

Fear not lo lie, twill seem a lucky hit; Shrink not from blasphemy, 'twill pass lor wit. Now, just a word about tlio officers of tlio Department to show you how thoroughly domoralised the publio service has become even in its higher branches. It is cleai that in this business theso officers, tlio Marino Hoard itself, Mr. Glasgow (the secretary), and Mr. Allport (tlio ehiel clerk), were anxious to do their duty honestly. Wo now know that they look their cue from tlio Premior and (lie Minister for Marino. But lot us suppose for the purposo of argument that that was not the ca6e— there was a mistake somewhere. I just want to draw your attention lo the significant wording of the Crown's writ against Captain Jones. Ono court alleges that Captain Allman—l am quoting now—" falsely represented to the .Marine. Department that tho Minister had authorised Jones to sit for examination, and reiving upon such representation, was allowed, etc." Now, supposo this wore true, and that Captain Allman had made a mistake of some sort, doesn't it still show that tho Marine Hoard—for even Captain Edwin, the gentleman who is always threatening us A'ith storms in fine weather—(laughter)—only shut his eves to the examination fraud and signed the document afterwards— it show that lie Marino Board and all tlio chiof officers of the Department forgot their duty to themselves, forgot the law and tlio regulations, and forgot the safely of tlio publio the instant the Minister's will beeamo known. Isn't that a tcrriblo state of affairs! Could such a thing liavo happonod beforo the present Government, took office ? But, mark you, I don't blame the mfn. They are under one of the most odious forms of tyriniiy conceivable. (Applause.) I know what lam talking about. I have seen it. If you ask me why they did not firmly resist being dragged into tlio scandal I shall toll you. It was becauso THEY DARE NOT. It isn't given to everybody to be a hero. It would have been as much as their billets were worth. (Applause.) Lot mo give you a couple of instances of how tlioso tilings aro managed now. Dr. MacGregor—you know what a blunt, outspoken sort of man lie is —in his last report gave a moat distressing account of tlio overcrowding of tlio asylums. I think ho said Seacliff was ovorcrowdod by 140 people. The unhappy inmatos of tlio asylums were huddled all over tlio floors, breathing foul air and dying from septia pneumonia. Parliament, as in duty bound, took the matter up, and Mr. Seddoil wound up the debate by hinting in the most unmistakable terms that ho meditated getting a man from Home to supersede Dr. MaoGregor. (Applaud.) Dr. MacGregor isn't wauling in courage, but I think you'll find that next time ho will do what the others heads of departments now do. He-will suppress anything that is di-agreoalile to tho Government. lino other instance will sulfiec. When the Auditor-General refused to pass the entries for tlio bogus salo of stores, and reported tho inattor to Parliament, as the law required him to do, the House ordered nil inquiry into the circumstances. Then the Minister for Railways proposed an amendment to add to tho inquiry the question whether tho salarioa of j the Auditor-General and hi? assistant ought I not to be (applause)—and only tho I forms of tho House prevented his doing it. | And, mark you, the Auditor-General was i appointed by tho present Government. Ho is independent of the Government, but not of Parliament. His officii was that ho had done his duty and complied with the law. But lie lias now got a pretty plain hint that if he does the same sort of thing again his pocket will suffer for it. Now I want to deal with nnothoi mat tor, which is still moro disagreeable for a 6peakor to dwell upon, and quite, as dangerous, if not, indcod, moro dangerous, to the well-being of this colony, [Mr. Mackenzie then showed that tho expenses of Mr. Sneddon's secretary on his trip to England were hidtlon away in tlio postoffice estimates.]

If Sir 11. Atkinson had dono suoh a tiling you would novor have soon him oil a publio platform again. (Applause.) And you may depend upon this, too, that if those things are dono in small matters, larger affairs would bo all the better of having a little light thrown upon them. Hero Mr. Maokenzie, as another instanco of evasion, entered at length into the question of the bogus sale of stores, pointing out that the Treasurer had given 110 hint in the Finacial Statement of tho fact that £30,000 had boon added by tho transaction to tho. year's surplus. Continuing, Mr. Mackonzio said I ask whether you think it is good for tho colony that this sort of thing should go on ? (Applause.) We find that nobody really believes in tho Government, but limy continue to support them. What is tho secret ? I have told you a good many secrets tonight, and I'll tell you this. (Laughter.) The answer is that mombors aro not now free agents, as they were a year or two ago. (Applause.) They are sent in as delegates to support a particular man. They daro not oppose tho Government, howevei bad tlioy may think ihom. Mr. Seddon has tho power to lose them their election, and does not scruple to threaten it. They have tho fate of Mr. Earnshaw beforo thoir eyes. If that sort of thing goes on there is no reason why a Government should not remain in for ever. People blame tho Opposition for not putting the Government out, but the fact is tho Opposition are powerless under such circumstances. Now, for this state of affairs THE PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE. (Applause.) Years ago tho public mind in New Zealand was heated over a most unhappy strike. At that moment "an oxpert demagogue," to quote Dr. South's words, appeared upon the scene, and with two or three jingling words ho had produced all the evils I have alluded to to-night and a great many more. The words were: " Liberalism. Progressivism, and tho People's Government." The effect has boon to shut, the eyes of tho publio to all tho corruption that is going on around us, to tho bare-faced way in which the spoils are going to the "victors," tc the stuffing of the Legislative Council by political supporters who have rendered 110 possible service to the colony. (Applause.) I see a man silting in the hall to-night who lias been in politics for 40 years, who, I think, lias filled almost every Cabinet office, and whe lias been Premier on several occasions. (Applause,) Ho retired from public life on the score of ill-health. Would you not oxpeot his services to be utilised in the Legislative Counoil ? There was a vacancy in this provincial district, and tho choice fell upon Mr. Toomoy ? (Laughter.) The words I have mentioned have rendered the people blind to all that. They are blind also to the noble work that has been dono in this colony in 50 yearsblind to the way it has been turned from a desert island into a highly civilised State; blind tc the magnificent system of free education, which, with manhood suffrage and other democratic measures, was introduced by the very man who is in the hall to-night, and before whom Mr. Toomey was preferred; they arc blind to the fact that the foundation or- all our labour laws was laid before tho present Government was heard of; blind even to the fact that eomi-sooial in-stitutions-such as the Government Insurance and the Public Trust Office had been established, beforo the cry of Socialism was hoard of in the colony. And in your blindness you ready to believe the Fremior when becomes down hore and tells you that you were in degradation and poverty before, and that 'if you put in the Opposition the colony will go t$ perdition.. .(Applause.) All I say 1 ?.

t conclusion is this: I ask you who havo heard • ma to-night, and who perhaps will appreciate " the historic and moral truth in a good (leal ■ of what 1 have been saying, to remember it. I I would like to say to my opponents, if > there are any presont, that it is vain, it is 1 impossible to try to divorce morality and j truth and straight-forwardness in public life | j from Liberalism. You remember the words 1 of the great American Lowell: | In vain we call old maxims fudge. And pet our conscience to our dealing. The Ten Commandments will not budge, ■ Awl stealing still continues stealing. , ! (Applauso.) It is the same with every other ( J vice, every other evil thing is in precisely , : the same case, and I would not give a straw for the Liberalism that divorces itself from truth and straight-forwardness in the administration of public affairs. (Loud and continued applause.) The Chairman intimatod that Mr. Maokoniio was willing to answor any questions, and after a delay of about two minutes—no [ questions being asked, | Mr, Keith Ramsay moved, "That this meeting heartily thanks Mr. Scobie Mackenzie for his excellent address, and expresses tho utmost oonfidenco in him as the senior representative of Dunedin." Mr. D. Niool seconded the motion, which, on being put, was carried with one dissentient.