Second Day—Saturday.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 23

Second Day — Saturday.

The South Island Prohibition Convention reiumed busineis in the Y.W.C.A. Rooms, Moray place, on Saturday lnoraing, the Rev. A. Dewdney baing in the chair. At the morning session the convention discussed in committee two questions on the order paper with regard to legislative proposals. On resuming at 2 p.m., Mr A. S. Adams was voied to the chair, and the following resolutions, carried in committee, were confirmed :—: — "That this convention begs to remind Parliament that the solid vote for 'no license' cast at the late local option poll amounted to 98,500 ; and, having been more than doubled in thtee years, represents a rapidly growing force. ' The convention therefore urges that iegialation ba at once passed providing for : (1) Ttfe submission of the question of colonial prohibition to the vote of the electors ; (2) the application ; of the tame principle of the majority rule to : this subject as rules in all oihfr political ques- ' tions ;- (3) the subjection of club charters, along, with other licenses, to the popular vote, and clubs subjected to inspection acd oonfcrol ; (4) the abolition of all battle license. 1 ?, in accordance witb the well-known intention of Parliament iv 1895, and of conditional and packet licenses." " That this convention is of opinion that the proposal for reduction should be deleted from the local option ballot paper?, and adequate provision made by vesting in the licensing committee absolute discretion to reduce all licences up to 25 per cent, failing th« carrying j of no license at the local option poll, leaving j the electors to elect committees pledged to i definite reduction, as they may deem expedient." " This convention requests that provision be made for taken the colonial option vote on general election dsy, and for takiug the local option vote on come other day ." THE POLICK FORCE. Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R. (Chrietchurch), in speaking to a proposal to ask for a commission of inquiiy into the conduct of the police, said there mutt be a great need for cuch &n iuquiry or they would not find tho newspaper press supporting it. Tbe press was bo slow in coming to a conclusion of suoh a kind that when they '- were a'most unanimous in recommending an in- j qulry they might depend npoti ifc th»t there was ', some lo'.id ground for the position the prohibitionists took up iv regard to this queation j He had detailed information— but that was not; j tbe place or the time to use it — to show that a | large number of appointments to the police forcrf had been made on political grounds aole'y. The , men were physically fit for the position, but in j a score of oases no question had been Raised as . to th&ir moral or educational fitness. That was ) one very strong objection to some of the appoint- j mento made to the police force. Tho Probibi- ', fottion party had absolute proof that a majority j of the appointments made during the ! last two or three years were political appoint- j merits, and that a very large percentage \ of the appointments came from two or three j electoral districts. He wa6 not going into j details that afternoon, becaueft he held it was j unnecessary to do so. All they wonted to do . , was to satisfy themselves that there waa 6uffi- , <«. cient evidence to demand an inquiry into the j Xconduct of the police force. Ho maintaiued, j first of all, that the method of appointing the jtnen wag faulpy, and that the tssts applied to the men appointed were also faulty. Then the considerations that weighed with the Government in making appointments were almost j entirely political. There was, further, a larger j amount of undetecttd crime iv New Zsaland j than in any other Australasian colony. If that ■ was true, it; was a very severe reflection upon th» police force of this colony. We ware paying over £100,000 a year for the maintenance of the polico force in New Zealand, and we all knew that the force was not effective. There ■were scorns of men and wom*-n who knew of instances where the men neglected to do their j duty. As to enforcing the licensing Jaw, I sbhere might just as vrell be no licensing law so far as the police were concerned. If ever the polics acted they acied not of their i own motion, but owing to pressure being brought to bear npon them by the extreme Prohibition party. He knew of no instance during j the past four years where the police had moved to secure the enforcement of the law, excant the Prohibition party had forced them to do so. Again, thera were certain regulations supposed to be observed by inspectors at the various centres, and he was in a position to prove th^ many important regulations were completely neglected. For instance, there was a regulation to the effect that classes of instruction should fee held by llie inspectors at the diff <■. rent centres. That regulation was to a vary large extent a dead letter throughout New Zealand. The matter was, too, of vital importance, because if a body of men did not know what their powers and duties were they could not be efficient. Tuey might know that they had got to wear a uniform and draw their pay — and at present they did that with a certain degree of proficiency, — but they kuew little of the scope and limits of their duty. Another maker with regard to the force was that political interference was rampant. He knew of removals thathxdbegu decided on aid had been cancelled within a few hours through •the influence of someone ableto exercise political power. Now, these things were a scandtl. We ought to hp.ve a body of men active in the diecharge of their duty, and something more than perambulating ornaments. At the back of the liquor question was ths source of most of the crime that these men had to c^pe with, and if they were sleek in enforciag fhe provisions of the licensing law, it meant that the sources of orime were unchecked. Thab was the justification of the Prohibition pa^ty for attacking them exclusively, or almost exclusively, in regard to the licensing question. It was no use referring to .Colonel Hume. They had au utter contempt for him ; and it was absurd to imagine that he exercised any control over the police force. HebeJieved if the prohibitionists succeeded in placing the police force of tbe colony under investigation fey a Royal commission they would at the same Simo be placing the Hor. R. J. Seddon under the commission ; and if they established their ca3e they would prove such an amount of corruption and interference on the part of Mr Saddon as would bring about his removal from I

the position he occupied in New Zealand politic?. ! Mr F. Thompson (Christchurch) moved— ! " That in view of the frequent incidents demon- I strating the widespread nature of the corrup- ] tion and inefficiency of the police force of the I colony, thi>< convention urges the immediate appointment of a Royal commission of inquiry, authorised to thoroughly investigate the morality and organisation of the force." Mr Fhaseu (Kaitangata) seconded the motion. The Rev. Mr Joky thought they should be careful about blaming the police. Many men had been shifted for doing their duty. The convention had got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It was not the polioemon, but the j men over them, who wanted looking after. After further discussion the motion was ! carried unanimously. LOCAL OPTION REGULATIONS. The Rev. F. W. Isitt brought forward the question of amending the local option regulations, and moved — ''That this convention • recognises the urgent netd for the appoint- j ment of scrutineers to represent the Prohibition-*' party at the local option polls, and requests Mr A. j S. Adams, the Rev. E. W.Uker, the Grand Chief Templar, Mr A. R. Atkinsou, and the Rev. F. i W. Isifct to submit a proposal for the appointment of scrutineers to the general council." The motion, after some slight discussion, was envied unanimously. The next two suggested alterations were as I follow :—(1): — (1) Polling day to be made a holiday for all public offices ; (2) a'l officials under priucipal returning officers to be chosen from the civil service— preferably school teachers and post office officials . The R«v. F. W. Isitt, in speaking on the proposals, said tha latoer was rejected by the, ( Canterbury Convention. Those who knew most j of the corruption existing under the present j Government, were most afraid of placiog ' in their hands additional power. It was feared that if r selection were made from the civil service tbe Government wou'd have power to put their own tools a« clerks at the polling booths. I He moved the proposals pro forma. The Rev. E. Walker said they must have more sntisf artory poll clerks than had recently bseu appointsd. J Mrs Newton (Christoburch) suggested that magistrates should make tha appointments ; end Mr A. C. Broad thought the judges should do so from the civil service. Mr, Milligan moved as an amendment — "That this council consider thi conduct of tho poll should be under the ju'Jgffl of the Supreme Court, at;d the aopoiutment of retnrning officers made b> them." This on beiug put wag carried as against; the motion, but it was ultimately decided to refer the madter to the committee previously set up. The Rev. P. W. Isitt moved— "That uniform official instructions be issued to returning officers, deputy returniug officers, and scrutineers for the whole colony and be j?az<stfced ; thai uniform books of voting papers be issued for the whole colony, with number on each paper cDrrespondiug with block ; blooka to ba sealed up before the voting papers are counted and returned with used papers ; and that forms b« i issued Betting cut full particulars required to' bo reported from each polling place and KB2ttberi." The icotion was carried unanimously. Ie was also resolved that the time for cWUengicg irregularities be extended to 28 days from the declaration of the poll ; that loiterers be excluded from the precincts of polling booths ; and that distribution of imitation voting pnp?rfl on the day of the local option poll ba made illegal. On ihf motion of Mr F. Graham it was resolved, after some discussion, by 30 votes to ' 20— "That the convention approve of the issue ] of electoral rights." The Rev. V. W. Isirr moved—" That iv those electorates which return three members the roll should b3 so divided as to ensure voters voting on tke local option poll in their own districts. " Mrs Nkwton seconded the motion, which was carried by 19 to 13. It was also resolved, on the motion of the Rev. F. W. Isitt— "That all the provisions of the Corrupt Practioes Prevention Act which can apply be made applicable to the losal option poll and be spec'fied." The Rev. F. W. Isitt moved— "That this convention urge the Colonial Secretary to give instructions that the voting papers of the local option poll be not destroyed uutil Parliament has had an opportunity of determining whether tb.e irregularities that occurred in connection with that poll were not of sufficient magnitude to < render necessary a reount of votes." The R«v. E. Walker secouded the motion, which was carried unanimously. ■„ The following motion by the Rev. Mr Walksb, was after some slight discussion, referred to tho committee set up to deal with the queation of tho appointment of scrutineers : "That all supplementary rolls be closed eight weeks prior to the poll, and bo forthwith printed, and be open for objections for 21 dajs from the p-iblicatiou thereof, and thereiffcer be i printed and published as fically-amended. :

l-URTHER ORGANISATION.

In the evening there was a general discussion in committee with regard to further organisation.

Third Day— Monday,

The South Island Prohibition Convention was resumed in the Y.W.C. A, Rooms on Monday afternoon. Mr Frank Graham was voted to the chair.

VOTE OF CONDOLENCE

Mr A. S. Adams said tint before anybuMDes; was transacted he had a very sad and painful announcement to make to the delegates, and a resolution to propose which he was sure would be cairied with very great sorrow, but with heartfelt sympathy. The speaker then announced that Mr Wa^km*, their hon. £e3retary, had received intimation thit his sou, who was 27 jears of age, and had gone away to enjoy his holidays at the Lakes, h^d been drowned at Paradise. He moved — "Thia convention denirds to express its profound sympathy with Mr Watkins and his wife aud family in their present sad and sudden bereavement, and trusts that the God of all consolation will be very near to them in their great eorrow." Mr A. TnoMSON seconded th? motion, which was carried unanimously by all present rising to their feet. INSTRUCTION IN TEMPERANCE. The Rev. E. Walker moved and Mr Innes seconded — "That in the opinion of thi3 convention it is urgently required that temperance instruction be introduced into the public schools ; that the Hon. the Minister for Education be strongly urged to take the matter up, that the teaching may be uniform for the colony ; and that the bjok, ' Alcohol : Its Effects ou Bjdy and Mind," by W. Taylor, published by the Church of England Temperance Society, 4- Sanctuary, Westminster, is the best classbook upon the- subject, and is strongly recommended." In the course of the discussion that followed, Mrs Hislop ureed that something more sboul^.

be done than the passing of a resolution which was a repetition of a resolution that had been passed at previous conferences. She would like to see a committee formed by eaoh prohibition convention, and have the book plsccd in the h»nda of each committee. She believed that the education boards would bo quite agreeable to the introduction of temperance instruction, but the difficulty was in getting a suitable book. Mr R. Clabk urged the capturing of the annual meetings of sohool committees by those favourable to the introduction of instruction in temperance. Mr J. RiionES favoured the suggestion of the last speaker, and strongly supported the ! motion. Mra Nbwton said the matter lay in the hands ! o? the school committees, ior the use in schools of Dr Richardson's text book had already been authorised by the Minister for Education. The CnAiHMAN said it was hardly correct to say that only a resolution had been passed last • year, for inquiries had been made on the subject ', liy a committee, by whom it was generally con- ; sidered that*Dr R : chardson's book was lot I heavy, and Mr Taylor's hook was sent on t) { the Otago Education Board, but that body ! refused to take any steps iv the matter. The R»v. E Walkrr amended his motion by the addition at the cud of the words ♦• to be added to the list of books 'which may be used in the public sohoola," and the motion as | araendcl was?, after further discussion, carried unanimously. , i TEMTPKRANCE WORK AMONG THE YOUNG. Mr Bannerman (-Waimate) proposed the following resolution : — "This convention desires to record its deep sense of the value in yeara goce by of temperance work among the young, and waraaly urges its continuance. It suggosts j to the friends thus employed a most valuable i enlargement of their field iv lookiug after tha | youog people who during tho nexb three yeara will become <>!igib'e as electors " The Rfv. F W. Isitt seconded the motion, which, aftor discussion, was carried. SELECTION- Or CANDIDATES. Tbe Rev. F. W. Isrrr moved— "That whereever practicable an early selection be nude of ' caudidatfis for the text general election, and i fiteps 1 aken lo make the election public." Iv I doing co, he read a paper prepared by Mr H. A. Atkinson for the Canterbury Convention. Mr R. Clark seconded the motion. The Rev. A. Dewdney thought the motion wns suggesting a very diffarent and in some respects a very dangerous line of policy. They would faavrt to let every constituency be governed j by local circumstances. i Mr J. Rhodks agreed with the last speaker, i and expressed the opinion that the selection of candidates was a weakness to the prohibition movement. What should ba aimed at where there was a surplus number of candidates pledged to their platform should be to leave them severe'y alone, excepting when, as was tha case in Christchurch. there were men standing who ntood head and shoulder above all othav candidates. He would not at this stage bind himself to vote for any ona man at the next election. The Rev. E. Walker counselled caution againet bringing forward candidates who had not a ghost of a chance of being returned. After further discussion, the motion was pub and carried on the voices. j THE OTAGO EDUCATION BOVRD Mr A. S. Adams said a large number of school j teachers had been rendering fine servica to them in the last few years, but the eyes of the Liquor party had been upon them. A few months ago a matter was brought before the Ooago Educa- \ tion Board affecting a teacher at Naseby — brought before the board by the solicitor and agent of the Liberty League, who, after having heard that the teac aer was to address a meeting in a neighbouring district, not only wrote to the board but telegraphed to it to prevent the teacher from giving the address. That was a monstrous impertinence — (applause). — which should have been resented by the board, and he was aware that representations had been made respecting other teachers which, it was believed, prejudiciouely affected their'position in the eyes of the board. The position now was that the board had passed a resolution as a consequence of which teachers in its'service were afraid to do what they had a right to do as individuals in connection with temperajice reform. He did not know if the board was going to follow this up or if the suggestion that was mado by the Hon. Mr MacGregor that feichers gave too much time to religious work on Sundays wag to ba followed by a. resolution. It was possible that when the Liberty League extended its operations far enough to challenge the creed of the churchea pressure would be brought to bear on the Otago Education Board to prevent its employees giving their service*, as they did no.v, to the cause of Chrint. It had been said that the resolution passed by the Education Board was iv the minds of members for mon'hs before, and that it had actually bean drafted long before ie was proposed. If that was so it was only an unfortunate coincidence that the telegram and letter from Messrs Inder and Cutten should so shortly have preceded the resolution of the board At any rate, he said thi3 : that no education board, no public body, no Government had any right to attempt to exercise a control over the conscience of its employees — (applause), — or to interfere with their exercise of their function* as citizens, or to prevent them from engaging in social and moral reforms. — (Applause ) Unless a firm stand wero taken it would be found that the system of espionage they had heard of so much iv Wellington, under which civil servants were afraid to cast honest votes, would be j expended all over the colony. He moved — j " Thi3 convention begs respectfully to protest against the resolution of the Obago Education Bjard, which seek-i to limit the righti of teachers in the servioe of the board, and practically interferes with the exercise of their rights of citizenship, and cla-'m-s tb.it teachers are entitled to the same freedom o? action outside of their schools be any other citizens. The convention therefore requests the board to rescind the above-mentioned 'resolution." — (Applause.) Mr Pahkinson seconded the motion. Mr A. C Broad did not thiuk the school teichars or anyone else need be at all hurprised at tho action takeu by the Liberty League. They kaew enough to recoguise that this was only part of what was being done by th"? Libsrty League. He had it on the authority of a member of that league that a list was being prepared containing the names of certain tradesmen connected with the prohibition movement, and pressure was to be brought to bear on members and sympathisers of the league not to deal with this, that, or the other tradesman. The secretary of ths Liberty League had written aho to one of the papers in the city stating same'hiug respecting a certain tradesm\n connected with the Prohibition party that he had no right to write, and he wrote what he dared not sign his name to. Mr Adams : Hear, hear. A disgraceful case ! Mr Broad sai<i there were those connected with the Liberty League who did not go the length of the league, and who, though nominally members of the league, let out little | thißge about it, The speaker inquired vwhy,

j if teachers were to be stopped from taking park i in temperance work, no notice was taken of the fact that the schoolmaster of one of the city schools was lo be seen night after night standing j in tha door of a publiohouse. I The Rev. F. W. Isitp would have wished tho ' resolution worded more strongly, so that an emj phatic protest might be mads to the board I instead of a respectful request. They had a I right to protest against au abominable exercise j of tyrannical power. It was only history re- ■ peatiug itself in the spirit of the old command '■ You shall not preach or teach iv the name of Christ " and the old answer would bs given. The Rev, A, Dewdney expressed tho opinion that they would not accomplish much until j they had cleared oufc some rntmbirs who hid bsen too long on the Education Board. Mr T. E Taylor, M.H.R., asked if the Government were subsidising the Liberty League in every large city in the colony. The secretary of the Liberty Lsague had got au appointment in Dunedin as iuspeobor of fisheries at a nominal sa'ary Iv Chrietchurch i the secretary of the Liberty League, which was I not the Liberty League but the Licensed Victuallers' Association — (Mr Bro*.d: "It is the same here"), — had been appointed inspector of masters' and mates' certificates. In Wellington the person who was praotically I secretary of the Liberty League had besu *p- | pointod inspector of the lunatic asylums at £50 ( n year, aud in Christchurch the founder of the ! Liberty League win inspector of the lunatic asylum at £60 a year ; and so the public money was being used from one end of New Zealand to the other in giving employment to men who were the recognised mouthpieces of the liquoreellers of the colony. It was as well the public should kuow th«t money was being squandered < in that way. The Education Board of Otago i ncesned in the master under discussion to be i the creature of the liquor iutt?iv.sU. His advice , to the teachers was to go straight ahead aid ■ snap their fiugers at the board. Tho CiiAimiAN remarked that a teacher would be placed in a vary difficult position who ' followed the advice of given by Mr Taylor. After some further discussion, Mr Dash moved and Mr Gaudner seconded the amendment of the resolution by the aubstitutimiof the words Renters its emphatic proi test" for the words " begs respectfully to I protest." ! Mr Adams said he had no desire to lessen the i force of the protest, and if tha convention preferred the amendment lie had no objeccion to ifc, but he wished to vindicate the right of public bodies to be addressed in respectful j serins. J Mr J. W. Jago said the difficulty of tho J teachers iv sparsely populated districts, and i the difficulty of the Education Board in dealing j with them, arose from the fact that public feeling ran very high in these districts, and the school teachers were in positions in which serious injury might arise to their schools if they took up very prflnouacsd sides with either j party into which the community was divided. . Ho (Mr Jago) was not prepared to say tb*t th<j Education Board was actuated by hostility to j the temperance movement in passing the resolution it did, but he believed it was actuated by a | desire to maintain the peace of the community j so far as thaft would protect the pchool. ! Mr T. E. Taylor said the Education Board { haa an sdusational function to perform, anil j had no power to issu^ a sentence thab would ; deprive a teacher of his or her right ; and i' any dissensiou took place and ohildren were taken from the school, tho board had an effectual weapon in the compulsory clauses of the act. The Rev. A. Dewdnet mamtaiaed that there was distinct; and unmistakable animus iv the pa^siDg of the resolution by the board, j Tha resolution aimed at certain teachers who j had been prominent in temperance work, aud the intention was to cru3h tho movement they were advocating. The Rsv. J. N. Bottle said he did not believe the board was actuated by any aaimu<; against the movement for temperance reform, but he thought the members were the victims of \ misguided judgment. 1 Tne Rev. E. Walker said a prohibitionist; j member of the board had juatiaed his action to ! him by saying th»b civil servant* were debarred i from takiug part in political affairs, and that ! the prohibition movement was a political move- I ment. He asked if there was a distinction between school teachers and civil servants. — (Voices : "Yes.") The amendment was carried by 36 vote 3to 27, and as the substantive motion was adopted on the voices. SCHOOL COMMITTBW ELECTIONS. The Rev. A. Dewdsh moved — "This convention expresses its earnest hope that the householders of the various school districts of Ot»go will, at the forthcoming election of comuaittte 1 !, take a firm stand for the principlu of civil religious freedom and elect as msmbera of those committees parsons who will in their hum elect to the Education Board men incapable of tyrannical interferenca with the teachers' liberties." Mr Rhodes seconded the motion pro forma in order to protest against it as simply holding out a challenge to the •' tradi." The motion wat carried ou the voices, PROHIBITED AItEAS. The Rev. E. Walker moved — •' This convention appeals to the Minister for Justice to use the means at his disposil to stop tha scandalous, easily preventibl-3 violations of the licensing law whicli are prevalent in the King Country, and recommends that the law be so amended that section 33 of ' The Alcoholic L : quors Sale Cmtrol Ait Araeudmbnt Act, 1895.' ba made applicable to the Kiu;j Country, the Uriwera Country, and all prohibited areas." In submitting the motion, he said that tb^s police, if they took the slightest care, could intercept the supplies of liquor that were being sent to the King Country, and put an end to it ; they could do it with the greatest possible ease. Everythiug about ifc was perfectly well known, and it only required the authorities to say " It must be stopped " in order to ensure its being stopped. S The motion was carried unanimously. j POLITICAL ORGANISATION. j On the motion of Mr A. S. Adams, the following resolutions, adopted iv committee on Saturday night, were confirmed : — "That this convention urges the organisation of the prohibition movement in this colony upon tha folJoiving lines — viz., the division of the colony into two or more districts; the appointment of an organising agent in each of such districts ; the adequate representation of the Prohibition party by a central executive authority in Wellington ; the financial responsibility for the maintenance of the organising agent in each district to ba assumed by the provincial prohibition councils within such districts ; that a committes consisting of Messrs A. S. Adams, A. C. Broad, A. C. Bsgg, G. J. Smith, T. E. Taylor, J. S. Baxter, G St. George, J. H. Milligan, H. M. Jones, Rev. F. W. Isitt, Rev. W. Gillies, and Rev. A. Dewdney (convener) be appointed to further consider the details of the above scheme with a view to its final settlement at the convention to be held ia Wellington during June next." COMPLIMENTARY. Votes of thanks were passed to those who.

I h»d entertained visiting delegates and the preset The convention was olosed with prayer by th< , Rev. A. Dawdnoy and the dorology. I SOCIAL EVENING. ■ In connexion wjfch the South Island convention a sooial gathering was held on Friday night , iv the Choral Hall. There was a fair atteudi auce, the body of tho hall being well filled, and the Rev. F. W. Isitt presided. After some remarks by the Chairman the meeting was ! addressed by the Rev. B. Walker, who advocated the necessity of the Prohibition party " poundi ing away" for the next three years, in i which event they might look forward with , hopo, if not with abioluie confidence, to . doing something very glorious when the next j opportunity came round. Tue ohairmait asked if Mr Walker would propose a resolution to the eftiti that the moetiug should ask the Colonial Secretary to instruct returning officers to keep the ballot paperi cast at the local option votes in December last until Parliament should have an oppoi-bunity of deciding whether the irregularities that occurred were such as to , warrant a recount. Mr Walker undertook the responsibility of proposing such a motion, bufc tho Ray. Mr Dewdney, who questioned the wisdom of the proposal, asked it it would be open for discussion, and, .thereupon, on tho chairman's suggestion, the* consideration of the proposal was adjourned to a business meeting Mr Palk, the Ryv. Mr Nichol, Mr A. S. Malcolm. | aad Mr Icnes also addressed tho meeting, and Mr Buroard contributed a reading. I Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., the Itut speaker t of the evening, claimed that there wa3 no possiI bility of the prohibition vote that was cast in i December last altoriug by receding, while thsre j wai overy certainty of their opponents' vote | altariug by receding. At the last election they contended fo; tho first time with tho great apathetic vote thit had , never been registered before on the subject, j and that was always cast for existing condij tions. Now, they had got the strength of their ■ opponents, and they kuew it was the latters r j autumn while it was their own spring. — (Apj plause.) They were a growing parley, and ■ their opponents were a decaying piriy. On i the 4-th December la^fc the liquor traffic w*s on ' -its trial, »ad all sorts of people ranged themsalven in front of it in order to protect it. There were the mm who made tho liquor and his eoiployec3, the man who sold it and hi* employees, tho man who drank it and his appatits, tha bully and his victims ; then there were a large number i of decent; people who had no strong religion* or I other convictions, and who rauged thonuelves up for existing conditions ; and thcro wore tens of j thousands of men and women claiming to be Christians who joined naads with the proprietor of the brewery, the proprietor of tho liquor shop, the gambler, the proprietor of the brothel, tho harlot, the bishop, the clergymen, and the churchaisn to keep them b»o)c from tha detraction of tb.i liquor traffic. They had to get tusoiujh thu army of paople, and the ilrsl paoplo they had to attack ware tha bishop, tho clergymen, and tha churchmen, whom they had a pprfect right to criticise very sevecriy. — (Hear.) A 9 a party they hal one card tboy should play next ye&v for all it was worth, and it was worth- a tremendous lot. From ona end of New Zealand to another tho. newspapers had boen demanding sin inquiry iub i tho pollca loivc of tho colony. Ke balie.ved there were very few maa, e7en among thu spahh^io, who were aofc convinced that tha police tores wai demoralised from tho centre to tho circumference. As a party they had more to gain trim the result* of a Royal commission in oonnecliou with the police forca limn any oVaor ssction of the community had.. That commission was almost bound to come. He did u'w uee ho»v the Government could evade ifc. tjui,po3iTig ife was appointed, !.ho liquor-selier would not briug evidance forward lo prove that the police force was demoralised, because to-day the police wers a protection to vice more than anything else, aud tns policsmen would not bring evidence. Tne only section of tho com'tmuity which oould be expected fc» bo reiponsinlo for bringing evidence consisted of tvs prohibitionist people, for il was to the interest of everybody else to tonka the whole thing a farco. The polica force of Now Zealand was undoubtedly une of the gre*t€6jaid» the liquor-sellers had in the defiauce of the law — that was the thing in plain Eaglinh ; they could not have ir, any plainer — it was a shield to the liquor traffic ; it was a protection to vice more than a defunoe of virtue. H* bf.lieved these three propositions absolutely. For tha nsxb year, if the prohibitionists beut their energies to the collection of evidence broadcast over the land to prore these things, it would giva their movement a greater push ahead than they could dream of ah the present time, for men and women had a sense of justice that was vary keen when aroused, and if they could "prove au active partnership between the liquor-sellers and the policemen they would win thousands of voles by that fact. — (Applause.) GOSPEL TEMPERANCE MEETING. Oa Sunday night a gO3pel tempsranoo meeting was held at tha Garrison Hall in connection with the convention. The Rev. Mr Newbold presided, and there was a fair attendance, the following gentleman occupying szats upon th« platform;— Messrs T. E. Taylor, M.H.R , and A. S. A'lsmj, the Revs. A. Dewdney," E. Walker, A. Jory, and C. H. Bradbury. Gospel temperance addresses were givea by the Rgvs. A. Dewdney and E. Wa'.ker. PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting in connection with the convention was held on Monday nightin the Garrison Hall, whea there was a good but not a large attendance. Mr J. W. Jago presided, aud Sir Roborb Stout; and Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R.'s, the Reva. F. W. Isif-, R. Waddel', C. H. Bradbury, T. N. Griffin, Messrs A. H. Burton, W. Auld, A. S. Adams, and others occupied seats on the stage. Tue Chairman, in opening the proceedings, claimed vitality for a reform which could count as its supporters 100,000 voters in New Zealand, and said that as a party they knew no such word as " fail" aud no such word ai " retreat." They lowered not their flag — they had nailed their colours 'to the masfc, — and they would march straight on until victory crowned their efforts.— (Applause.) Sir Robert Stout, in the oolirseof a lengthy and closely-reasoned speech, said that if 25 or 30 year* ago anybody had told Mr Jugo, who had done more for temperance in New Zealand than any other man in the colony — (applause),— that 98,000 odd voters would vote for no liceuse he (Mr Jago) would have thought that hii informant should be sent to a magistrate to see if he was in his senses. The speaker believed there would be a still further advance in the temperance movement when the people realised what was meant by it. He believed that it was, in the first place, a labour question and a democratic question, and thosa who pretended to say that labour bills must be passed and that the functions of the State muit be extended and yet opposed the State, through the 1 people, dealing with the liquor question werq not logical and did not know even tut ABO of the politics they were advooaViDf.

Among the reasons why the State should inter* fere on the question was the money reason, and that was putting it on a low foundation. We boasted about floating a loan of £1,500,000 on the London market, aud yet every year we spent more than that money we got irom the London capitalist in a most wasteful product that was of no value whatever to the people of New Zealand. We were spending about three-fourths of the total wages earned annually in the colony in all industries — except t anning, f-quatting, and mmmg — in a wasteful and useless expenditure. Our public works expenditure did not amount to £500,000 last year, and we spent three times that amount in liquor. The wages paid in all the breweries in New Zealand were ouly aboub £57,000 in a year, and with that expenditure of wages and the investment of about £250.000 of permanent fixed capital the profits ot the brewers last year amounted to about £150,000. If we ceased wasting our money in liquor, the money was still in the country, and it could be collected by the Colonial Treasurer in some form other than that of excise duty. -nother point was thi«, that we lived in what was called a democratic country, but if all the political power of the psople was used to put the government of the country in the hands of the brewers what was the use of the franchise to them. He Raid ''that New Zealand was dominated now. in politics by a ring of capitalist brewers. J (Applause.) At labour meetings they heard a j great deal about the capitalist, but the , capitalist had got the Labour party in his grip. It was of no use talking about havingt- & commission to examine into the police question, which was a mere detail of the administration of justice. He ventured to say that if ' in some towns in New Zealaud a poliooman was active in seeing the licensing laws j enforced his services would at no distant date be most necessary in some other town. At present the Government dared not move a finger against the licensed victuallers and brewers for fear they would be ejected from office. Looking at the question from the social point of view, he said we were demanding more measures of social and political reform, but what w»b the good of all other reforms if this canker was, after all, left eating into the social life. He twitted those who now "sneered at what they called the prohibition fanatics with not having lifted a finger in the past to help on temperance, and argued that the majority must settle this question just as they settled any other question. There were two phases to the j temperance question. There was the political | phaie under which the people had a right to call in the aid of the State to promote turn reform The other phase was the personal phase. A \ personal responsibility rested on each one to help forward this question by his example and his precept. It rested upon them so to act that hereafter, when their work was done, they ; might be able to look back and say that, while j they might have done this wrong and that ■ wrong, they had helped to preserve the lives of \ some and had helped to send life and hope into j (he homes of others, and through their example ; and ffforte they had been the means of bring- j ing pleasure and happiness into homes which I might otherwise have been sunk in misery and j wretchedness. — (Loud applause.)

Tho Rev. F. W. Isitt said, with reference to the last local option polls, that the prohibition movement had at the second attempt gone up twice the height, in regard to votes, that it had attained before, and in face of all the facts before them as to the corruptions at the poll* and the thousands of votes they had been robbed of, they did not know how high they were. One very sad fact that was looming out before them was contained in the returns shortly to be published of the drink bill fo- the year ending March 31. 1897. That drink bill had gone up by many thousands ot pounds. The New South Wales bill had increased by something like 8d per head of the population, aud he was afraid the New Zealand bill had increased by 50 per cent, more so far as the proportionate cost to -members of the population was concerned. Who, he asked, were responsible for the increase in the drink bill of the colony ? In the first place, there were moat of the editors. The greater part of the newspaper prets was under the thumb and in the hund of the liquor ring, aud although he knew there were honourable exceptions, these did not alter the fact. Then there were many of the bishops. He cried shame on Bishops Neyill and Julius for having put themselves in the poiition of enabling themselves to be quoted in advocacy of a deadly traffic. He was very sorry Bishop Nevill was a bishop, for he did not think bit words would have one ounce of weight if be were not a bishop. He (Mr Isitt) believed the men responsible for the increased liquor bill were most of the editors, many of the bishops? and ntarly all of the clergy there, for while he did not forget the stand made by the Hawke'a Bay clergy and many of the Nelson clergy, he did not know of a man in the Anglican Church in Otago who stood (houlder to shoulder with those engaged in the prohibition movement, and -when it was remembered how destructive of life the traffic was he marvelled that these men, calling themselves ministers of Christ, it they could not keep silent, should speak to the injury ot the caute the prohibitionists espoused. There •was not a tiio bub a quartet of influence at the back oE the increase in the drink bill. The bill ■was increased largely by editorial, episcopal, and clerical influence, and the fourth party responsiblo for it was the devil.— (Applause.) Mr A. S. Adams moved — " That this meeting desires to express its appreciation of the splendid services rendered to the cause of temperance reform by the Rev. P. R. Monro, late of R»ngior», and express its most profound sjmpathy with his widow and children in their jad bereavement."

The Rev. C. H. Bradbury seconded the motion, which was carried by a standing vote. Mr T. B Taylor addressed himself to the connection betneen the liquor traffic and thp udminist ration of the country, and instanced appointments which had been made to the public lervice of the coiony as proof of this. The present administration of the colony was in the grip of the liquor interest, and as a msmber of the Liberal party he was going to see if he could not from his side of the Honse effect some a'teratioo in that. The day must come, and come speedily, when the imputation of the Liberal patty must be cleaned from this reproach. Referring to the position of the prohibition movement, he s&id that if they did not reach their goal bafore the year 1900 it would not be for want of an honest effort, or for want of the attempt to educate public opinion. On the motion of the Riv. C. H. Bkadbury, seconded by Mr A. H. Bukton, a vote of thanks was accorded to the speakers.

Lord Kimberley is a remarkably good linguist, and speaks Russian, French, German, and Italian with fluency.

From Wettport last week 5889 tons of coal were exported, of which tho Weatport Coal Company shipped 3559 tons aud the Cardiff Company 2030 toi.s.

Lieutenant Nichols has b°en elected captain ot tl.e North Ocugo Mounted Hussars. Capia : n ChafEey, w'no is leavii g (re d strict, was presented -with a bilver tea aud coffee service,