Captain Russell at Hastings.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 177, 13 March 1896, Page 3

Captain Russell at Hastings.

The Hon Captain Russell, M.H.R., addressed a crowded meeting of his constituents at Hastings on Monday night, Mr C. A: Fitzroy presiding.

- Captain Russell compared the Government to the boy's knife which, although its blades and handle had been separately renewed, the boy declared to be the same knife. The Government still called themselves the great head of the people, but Mr Reeves, Sir Patrick Buckley, Mr Montgomery, and the Agent-General had gone, aud poor Ballance, the great head, had also gone. Their head had gone, and the great election at. Christ church proved that the tad had gone too. Tue Government were discredited, and would shortly be hurled from the seat of power. The additions recently made were inexplicable, and he presumed that Mr Hall-Jones and Mr Thompson had been selected on the same grounds as that in a salad two parts of oil, represented by Mr Jones, was put to one of vinegar, representing Mr Thompson. Not only bad the head and tail of the Government gone, but their policy and their credit also, and the latter could not be renewed. The people were now asking whether the confidence they had placed in the Government was justified, whether their promises had been fulfilled, was the country more prosperous ? The auswer was, No. Employment was scarce, wages more difficult to earn, and a depression was settling down on the country instead of its being one of the brightest places in the •Southern seas. The five year's policy of bounce, bluster, banquets, and bunkum had taught the people they had placed their confidence in a rotten reed. They were taught that under a Democratic Government everybody would be cared for ; but unless a man was a sycophantic supporter of the Government he stood no chance. The Government had not by any proposal endeavored to meet the difficulty of the unemployed. The cooperative system had been worked as a political tool, and contracts had been let where the Government support was the weakest. They had been told that flesh and blood could not bear the strain of the Ministerial duties, but yet Ministers could find the time to be flying about all over the country for the purpose of obtaining political support, and when vacancies occurred, although they were so hard worked, Ministers were a long time before they filled the vacancies. In giving a short sketch of the session Captain Russell said it was a peculiar thing that although the Government had a very large majority there were not twelve who believed in the purity of the policy of the Government, and yet they voted for it. This was owing to a great number of new men being in the House who had given a written pledge to support Mr Seddon. Happily there was only one session left, and few of them would fall into such traps again. At the conclusion of Captain Ru s sell's speech a vote of thanks a n confidence was unanimously carrie d.