THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5914, 28 April 1887, Page 3

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

THE MOVER AND SECONDER. In regard to the Address-in-Reply, Mr F. H. Fraser, the mover, is a man of about 50 summers, with something of the alderman cut about him. He wears the bit of blue in his button hole, and altogether he seems to be quite contented with himself. His voice is pleasing, and his delivery good, but there was nothing in his speech but a string of commonplaces, in the rorm of comments. He was well received, however, though there was not the faintest resemblance to anything approaching to enthusiasm elicited by his deliverance. Mr Jones waß extremely nervous, and the reporters had to lean over the gallery to catch what he was aaying. J did not manage to understand a single sentence j that fell from him, but from the applause • that greeted the conclusion of his remarks, I \ feel sure they must have been very excel- ! lent and edifying. The fight which followed was sharp, short, and decisive, the Major had his full war paint on, and I j have seldom seen him in better trim. He I commenced by making some sarcastic re- | marks regarding the weakness of the i speech from the throne, paying ironical ; compliments to the proposer and seconder, j He assured them they bad done wonders i by making so much out of nothing. He i declared that it would be a futile task to , attempt to criticise a thing in which there was nothing to criticise. He then told j the Government that the Opposition were j determined to force Ministers to bring on i the Representation Bill and their financial { proposals, and he concluded by indulging j in a little quiet banter at the expense of ! the Government. His supporters gave J him a round of applause when he ! had finished, and some of his more pronounced admirers smiled at each other in a knowing manner. Sir Robert, who appeared to be slightly nettled, made a short, pithy, and trenchant speech, in which he completely refuted the Major'a ! arguments, re the waste of time. He ! pointed out the outrageous inconsistency of j his opponent in charging the Ministry with I wasting the time of the House, and asserted that no Government had ever pushed business ahead like the present occupants of the Treasury benches. It was generally conceded that the Premier managed to score a "victory.