Political Notes and Comments

Southland Times, Issue 13269, 20 July 1895, Page 2

Political Notes and Comments

(from our own correspondent.) [By Telegraph.] Wellington, July 19. Mr Saunders thinks that if the Government were turned out of office they ’would be sent back again by the country, but he also thinks that it would do them good to be turned out. The language used in the no-confidence debate has assuredly been ‘'painful and free, ” A bad example to begin with was set by the Premier, who compared the members of the Opposition to Cornish wreckers. This refined personality was surpassed by another elaborated by Mr George Hutchison when he spoke of the Colonial Treasurer as a Jabez Balfour and hinted that he might yet become acquainted with the punishment meted out to such offenders. Other members indulged in compliments hardly less complimentary than these, even the venerable Mr Saunders this afternoon, in speaking of the personalities flung about last night by tho Minister of Education, dropped himself into the sin he was denouncing and characterised the Minister's speech as “grossly personal, vicious and vulgar,” The member for Port Chalmers would like the Government to take the note issue into its own hands and crush out the banks which, he says, have bled and will continue to bleed the country.—As an indication of the views of other members this statement was received with considerable applause. Mr Saunders says that every member believes in his heart that the Ti easurer made a mistake when he spoke as he did before the London Chamber of Commerce as to the securities of the Government trust departments being unpledged but pledgable by the Government, but the mistake, though deeply regrettable, was not a thing for which to hang the Treasurer nor the Ministry. The member for Nelson put ths case for the Government from this point when he said that the Treasurer’s statement was made as an answer to misrepresentations which been published in London to the effect that the colony would have made default if the land tax had not been collected some months before its due date.

In his speech to-night in the no-confidence debate the Colonial Treasurer spoke with vigour and categorically denied the charges made against him. He complained that his political enemies had even tried to destroy his private credit outside the colony. His defence was traversed by Sir R. Stout in a severely critical speech. Dr Newman wants the Minister of Rail; ways to reduce the passenger fares upon a'. I suburban lines of railways. Mr Meredith is to ask the Minister of Defence whether, a view to more strictly enforcing the administration of [he laws, particularly the licensing law of the colony by the police force, he will consider the advisableness of frequent removals of the police so that a police officer shall nob continue in charge of a station or do duty in a district for, say, a Jonger period than five years unless under exceptional circumstances.