WANGANUI.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 19

WANGANUI.

Sir Robert Stout's meeting last week was well attended, as it was the oidy attraction offered, and there was a large number of holiday-makers in town who had to pass the evening somehow. They were disappointed somewhat in their expectations, as Sir Robert was not up to his best form .and seemed depressed by the knowledge that iie was standing before an audience who could not forget that he was now a member of the very party which had done its best to hound his friend the late. John Ballanee out of public life and pursued tho dead patriot to the very grave with their vituperative abuse and false charges. Time was when John Pallance and Robert Stout were as David and Jonathan, but that was when David was King, and Jonathan participated in. the triumphs of his friend. Put things arc different now j David is dead, and Jonathan, who expected to reign in his stead, finds himself out in the cold, whilst David's other friends are still in oflicc, and likely to be so for some time. .All this was no doubt in Sir Robert's mind on Monday evening and depressed him. There was no fire in his speech, which was intended as a crushing reply to that delivered hero by tho Hon J. G. Ward lately. Though the meeting was polite enough to award Sir Robert Stout a vote of thanks, it immediately afterwards relieved its pent-up feelings by giving three ringing cheers tor the Hon ft. J. Seddon and his Government, and three more for the Hon J. G. Ward. Sir Robert Stout's speech has in no wise lessened the good effects of Mr Ward's manly, straightforward defence, of his own acts and the Government policy.