SIR R. STOUT'S RETIREMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2293, 10 February 1898, Page 36

SIR R. STOUT'S RETIREMENT.

■» MR DUTHIE ASKED TO CONTEST THE SEAT. (Fbom Our Own Cork*2Spondbnt.) Wellington, February 4. There is a political ferinant here over the bye-election For tha House of Representatives that is to take place on the resignation of Sir Robert Stoat, who says he does nob send in his resignation forthwith because he desires thib all persons nob already registered should have time to get their names upon the roll. His address to the' electors intimating his intention is published tj-day in the local papers. His speech at Waug&uu?, iv which thft first announcement was made, contains, some veiy poiutod things. A report haa been industriously circulated that he has received an off"? from the Government of £3000 for his support. The^e is ho truth whatever in this statement. The rumour waa circulated to discredit the late member for Wellington, but he has. turned the tables by censuring the conduct of those who enter Parliament for the pake of making money. People hete are still miodful of the famous speech made by Mr Se-ldon ab Fuilding when he first took office. The irony of fate, bo far as Mr Seddoa is coucerned, has decreed that Sir Robert Stout should be the man to unveil the memorial to John B-Ulance. Among the people who knew Mr Balance best, and who now oppose the continuance of Mr Seddon in office — people of all classes here — \ say the " tide is turning," however slowly, i There is no'doubb whatever that during the last few weeks political opinion h%s become i absolute in its utter condemnation of the prac- | ticca and methods of the Premier and hia colleagues. It is said that even the railway system has broken down under the number and | variety of small accidents that are occurring — j Buch as tho derailiag of locomotives aud trucks, I the lack of punctuality in the despatch and ; arrival of trains, and the multitude of "all but " accidents arising from irregularities dangerous to the general public but kaown only to the officials, who certainly do not couceal their knowledge of the weaknesses of tho system. Recurring to the coming election for Wellington, several candidates are already in the field. Amongst them areMr R. C. Kirk (Mayor of Petone and a supporter of the G-overnnienb), Mr A. S"uart Menteath (Opposition), Mr A, R. Atkinfon (Opposit on), and Mo E. J. Lsgrove (who is described as the " jeddeab of red Republicms," and is the cup-bearer of our political Jupiter at the banquets of the proletarian gods). Everyone talks ot the possible cftVcts of Sic ; Rjbort Stout's resignation. " Will it h'jlp the j Left Wing ? " " No." it is said ; "to them ib j is a great loss." " Will it be a Io?s to the j Opposition ?" "No, because the labe member i for Wellington differs in many ways from the ' Opposition." Sir Robert Stoub was avowedly j radical, bub in his tolerance of difference of opinion he was liberal perhaps to a fault. It is said by some that this resignation of oue of the ablest, perhaps the ablest, political man in the j coloin r carries with it the near fall of the Seddon Government. The argument for this is not quite conclusive, but it posspsses a certain amount of cogency, beiag an inference from the tact that many membets of the Seddon Government feared the accession of Sir lloberc Stoul to office much more than they feared the fall of j the existing Government. A leading member of the Houae said to me this afternoon that the resignation of Sir Rjbert will be a loss to the House, a loss to liberty aud democratic opinion in the colony, and in some respects even a loss to the Opposition, but his retirement from politics will be a gain to the Opposition in one particular direction. When his opinion coincided with that of the Opposition he was sometimes a source of embftrrnssruenfc, for he could I nover be reckoned as a supporter. He stood j alono. That position, it is affirmed, created aa uncertainty from wbioh Sir Robert himself, as well as the Opposition, was mora or less a sufferer. The position was untenable, as his present retirement proves, bub Sir Robert retires amid the heartiest professions of sympathy and respect from men of all political opinions.

A requisition was presented to Mr John Duthie this morning that he should allow himself to ba put iv nomination for the reprasentutioa of Welliugbou Cily. The requisition v/aa

signed with the names of 4-0 of the most in« fluential persons in the electorate. They approached Mr Duthie as one who could discharge a great public service at a moment •' when suspicion haunts the doings and sayings of public men," who, they affirm, have converted tne powers of government into the purposes of. faction, The deputation to Mr Duthie wa3 headed by Mr H. D. Bell, who waa the spokesman of the occasion. He referred to the present state of the colony, to the need of patriotic service from all who could give it, and to the valuable services already rendered by Mr Duthie to the colony. It may be necessary to bear in mind that the great value of Sir Robert Stout's services to the colony was the outcome of his firm grip of all financial questions, his intimate knowledge oE legal issues, and his high personal character. Tue question of finance is the present questioa of questions. In high personal character, with, his grip and knowledge of Government finance, Mr Duthie is the equal if not the superior of Sir Robert Stout, and the strong common sense in him is quite a match for Sir Robert's law. Such is the estimate of the political stature o£ these two eminent men.

Mr Duthie, in reply to the deputation, said that the management of his business had required him, while he was a member of ths House, to spend two winters in London. He had hoped to be able to spend this summer in London for the benefit of his health as well as his business. He asks until Wednesday next whab his reply should be. It. is believed that Mr Duthie recognises the claims of the colony as urged by the deputation, and will allow himself to be nominated. With regard to Mr Atkinson and the political significance of Mr H. X). Bell headiog the deputation, the Post has the following: —

" Ths.t Mr H, D. Bell was spokesman for the deputation was doubly satisfactory, because we take it to mean that not only are recent; rumours of misunderstanding in the' party without foundation or cleared away, but that ifc is ft siga that the friends of Mr A. R. Atkinsoa will not urge that gentleman to enter the lists against Mr Duthie. As we pointed out yesterday, to put two such competitors in the field would be to court disaster to both and racks victory for the Government certr.in. Tfaab Mr Atkinson has a strong claim upon the electors of the city goes wichoufc faying, and under ordinary conditions he might tairly consider it a pl*in obligation to his many supporters and his undoubted following to proffer his service* ; but with Mr Dachie & caudidsii-e Mr Atkinson may fairly give place to a tried politician so much hi<* senior without; tJc-ogat.ing in any w-ay from tha strength of his ciainis or lailitadug againab his political fortunes."