The Opposition on the Warpath.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 4999, 13 June 1891, Page 3

The Opposition on the Warpath.

THE ANNIHILATION OF GEORGE FREDERICK RICHARDSON. (by telegraph.) [FIIOM OITR OWN CORRESPONDENT] Wellington", June 12. Tliere was little done during the afternoon but giving notices of motion, and appointing" standing committees. When the Public Petitions Committee came on for discussion, the Opposition played its hand. Mr Richardson indignantly claimed tint there were eight Government names, and only two Opposition men, on the Committee, and that the names had not been submitted to the Opposition whip. The Premier, as urbane as ever, denied that this was the usual practice, and said that the Committee was a fair one. Almost every committee was objected to afterwards. Mr O'Conor pointed out that Bellamy's had a debt of LSOO, which the House Committee would have to take over. The ready Premier suggested that the Committee should report to the House, and so seek relief. Then it was Mr John M'Kenzie's turn to be badgered. Mr Brycc thought Messrs Richardson and Rolleston should have been put on the "Waste Lands Committee, to which Mr M'Kenzie replied that half the members of the House were qualified, and that some must give way. Sir John Hall's cue was to pave the way for a surprise from Mr Richardson, who, instead of replying to Mr M\lvenzic s Palmerston speech, during the debate on the Address-in-Reply, sought to catch Ministers unprepared, by viciously attacking it 011 the motion for the appointment of a Live Stock Committee—quite an unprecedented course. He absolutely denied any unauthorised expenditure in the Stock Department when he was in office. He thought it a disgrace to the colony that the slur should have been cast on the officers of the Dspartmenr. by appointing an outsider. He made a pointby quoting a motion of Mr M'Kenzie's in favor of six divisions instead of one head; and asked, if the rabbit pest was so bad, how it was that in Otago and Southland sheep had increased in number by three hundred and fifty-five thousand during his administration ? He spoke with evident ■ feeling, but hesitatingly, and with little effect. He elicited no applause, anil the only danger was in the suddenness of the attack. The Hon. John disposed of the only i point in the speech by pointing out- that he supported the change to sis divisions in order to get rid of the then head of the i Dejwrtnient, who was wholly unfitted for the position. Mr Richardson had the moral courage to discharge him, and had adopted that plan to let the ex-head down easily. As for the increase of sheep, Otago was never in such a deplorable condition from rabbits as at the present moment. As for the denial of unauthorised expenditure, L 8448 had been disposed of by Inspectors in unauthorised contracts. What control had the Minister over this expenditure ? The contracts were not carried out, and the whole affair was discreditable. Mr Richardson, who was evidently surprised at the ready replies to an unexpected attack, continually interrupted the Speaker throughout, and. at this point, protested that nothing of the kind had occurred. " Why, sir," retorted the Minister, " the honorable gentleman has again and again signed vouchers for inspectors claiming payment for the use of their own horses, and must admit this.'' " Certainly not," interjected Mr Richardson, wriggling uncomfortably. •'But, sir," went on the remorseless Minister, "here is a voucher signed by the honorable gentleman giving a Chief Inspector 5s per day for the use of his horse ; further, he has signed vouchers for rents of offices, when those offices were Inspectors' own private houses, which had been declared offices so as to secure rent from the Government. " I was not aware of that," said tlie crestfallen assailant. "No. sir," retorted burly John ; "and there seem to have been a great many things in the hon. gentleman's department of which he was not aware. Was he aware that the Treasury returns showed that the inspectors' travelling expenses amounted to Lo6o lfls 9d, and that one inspector alone, drawing a good salary, had received L 147 10s Gd ? That, at 10s per day, meant that- he was away nearly all his time. Yet his experience went to show that these inspectors were nearly always at home. If there was a cricket match, a tennis match, or si good bowling green, there they were to be found iu twos and threes." _ i _ Thereupon the ex-Minister shrieked aloud at the bare idea of defaming men who were absent and could not defend themselves, and the Hon. John finally disposed of the matter by grimly asking who had dragged these officers before the House, and whether he was to hide their failings behind the door while be himself was defamed and slandered from end to end of the colony. That settled the question, and the next business was proceeded with.