POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1665, 19 January 1895, Page 3

POLITICAL ADDRESSES.

-*r (By Telegraph.) NAPIER. January 18. The .Premier addressed a densely .crowded jiqieetjing at the Gaiety Theatre to-night. HjeVdeyoted some attention to Captain Russelj^' recent speech at HasJtifigSi.: saving tJiat "Captain Russell had 'described '" him as ' a charlatan and pjqlitiical; \seqoah, after whom the pedple had run, instead of employing the regular family practitioners. He claimed that the policy of the Government had restored prosperity to the colony, and that notwithstanding what the Conservative press said about the unemployed, there was not one unemployed now for every twenty when the Government took office. Captain Russell had once stigmatised the late Sir Harry Atkinson as worse than "a highwayman and footpad, but soon after he joined the Atkinson Ministry. He hoped that his reference to himself was not a pretext that he was about to join the present Ministry. Much time wns devoted to details of the large estates m Hawke's Bay, which district was m consequence worse off than any other part of the colony. With reference to Mr Ward's visit home, he said that he went on matters connected with the mail services. Ministers were allowed to do as they liked so long as their work was not neglected. They accepted full responsibility, and would be answerable to Parliament for their conduct. He bitterly complained that the Press Association was a partizan, and did not report his speeches sufficiently fully. Last year when he had spoken m Napier, soon after he had assumed the Premiership,, the agent here was told to send only 1500 words, and this year only any new matter. That was because he was connected with a Conservative journal, so that he was likely to get scant justice. Mr Seddon spoke for over three hours. Votes of thanks and confidence m the Ministry were carried by acclamation. * With reference to the last statement the agent of the Press Association declined to state to Mr Seddon what instructions he had received, stating that on the last occasion his confidence was violated. As the Premier, however, repeated the instructions verbatim he presumably got a copy from the Telegraph Department. WELLINGTON. January 18. Mr Duthie addressed his constituents to-night. He thought that the cheap money scheme would not be the success Mr Ward anticipated. As to their land settlement policy, he said that from personal inspection of Pomahaka he was confident that the Government had paid too much,.. as the land was not fit for profitable cultivation. He regretted that Mr Ward was leaving the colony without giving information respecting the £2,000,000 for the Bank of New Zealand. He thought that the House would have been justified m rejecting the Bank Guarantee Bill, and that no disaster could have overtaken the colony if the bank were allowed to take its course. He justified his acceptance of a seat, on the Tariff Commission, and said that though about to visit England he would not resign, as on his return he would be m a position to confer with the Customs officials, and might be of assistance m drafting a measure. He received a vote.of confidence.