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New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12402, 26 October 1903, Page 5

floated, . the Government stated that it was impossible for them to give the House a return showing what the ,■ expenses of raising the loan were. It was perhaps impossible after a long and weary : :session ,to make a ; stand demanding this information, but there ■was one thing they could do, they could prevent 'the practice of rushing legislation through in the dying hours ef the session. {Loud applause.) He hoped everything possible would be done''■'to' prevent that.'■". (Applause.) ; The way the business had been conducted; this session was something scan- ; dalous. (Hear, hear.). Yet their© had been no obstruction on the part of the Opposition. There had been nothing but fair and reasonable criticism. The responsibility for what had taken place this session" must, therefore,':rest with' the Premier himself. Where were' his policy Bills ? They were •within. a few days of the close of the session, and the Banking Bill, one of the most important;measures, had not yet made its appearance. The time had been occupied with frivolous unimportant measures, and the Premier had an unhappy knack of attempting to drive where he should lead, thus often 'causing long • and weary discussions of an acrimonious nature. As to legislation, the Opposition could put a _ policy before the country, but he did not think the time had arrived for doing that. The proper time would be on the approach of a general election. (Hear, hear.) Make; no mistake about, it, he added, when that time comes the opportunity will be availed of. (Applause.) There was one point, however, on which he. would now speak. It was in regard to the Legislative Council. (Hear, hear.) Everyone knew that under the present conditions the Upper House had ceased to be useful as a revising chamber. (Hear, hear.) It , had ceased to be even indirectly representative of the people. It was representative of one man only, and that man was the Premier. He did nob wish to reflect; upon any individual members of the Upper House, bub the present position was one that could not be tolerated much longer by the people. (Applause.) It would either have to be ended or mended. He believed it could only be mended by the election of it* members, either by Parliament or the country. (Applause.) There was another matter on which he would touch, he had given notice of ah amendment that the settlers on Crown lands should have the right of purchasing the land they occupied when they were in a position to do so; provision being made to prevent an aggregation of large estates. (Applause.) Ho did not Know whether the Pre- | mier meant to give thfm an opportunity this session of discussing the Land Bill, but if the Bill did come on for discussion he could assure them that they would be given an opportunity'of voting on this question, so that members of the House would have an opportunity of either making good or of breaking the pledges they had given to their constituents. (Applause.) Most important of all was the question of , administration. What was wanted was clean, economical administration, instead of waste, extravagance, and nepotism. (Applause.) The Opposition would always endeavour to leave the country better than'they found it, and they would endeavour to lift up, instead of levelling down. (Applause.) If they applied their energies in that direction they would be appreciated by the great mass of the people, with the management of whose affairs they had been entrusted. (Prolonged cheering.)

OTHER SPEECHES. { ; Mr. William Allen, in proposing the toast! of " The Opposition," maintained that the only true Liberals of the colony in the House we're the members of the Opposition party. Mr. Jas. Allen,, in responding, said the Opposition had had hard work through many years Without any honour but that of the inner consciousness of haying done right. He deplored the ingratitude of Ministers in that they had given the Opposition no credit for having kept them on the Treasury benches so long by keeping a keen eye on the Government's " finances. The Opposition had kept them in power, but a" Ministry with so long a life was not to the advantage of the colony. He did not hesitate to tell the 'country that the Opposition had been an opposition based on broad-minded Liberalism, and that they had done a good deal to preserve" the rights and liberties of the people, which the country would 'come to recognise. He believed the present autocracy would soon make itself distasteful to the country, and that it was in fact already beginning to make itself so felt. He also believed' that the Opposition could put before the country -a constructive policy far and away ahead of what had been put before it by the Government. Mv. Heidman deprecated the threat which lie said the Premier had made in the House, to take into consideration the action of the Opposition ir speaking disparagingly of the finances of the colony when the Public Works Estimates came down. That simply meant that if any member spoke derogatively of the Premier's finances the gold for roads and bridges would not flow into that member's constituency. Mr. Hen-us proposed the toast of " The Press " and Mr. H. I). Bell that of "The Chairman."