The Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1896.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5700, 20 October 1896, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1896.

Rarely has it been our misfortune to listen to a more depressing political address than that delivered in the Theatre JJoyal last night by Mr Charles Lewis. It was bad, utterly bad, both as to the manner of. the speaker and as to the pabulum that he had concocted. Before Mr Lewis went up to Wellington, there did seem to be some promise that he would develop into a fairly good speaker, while his more ardent supporters were exceedingly confident that he was going to make the House and the Government " sit up." But what wretched results from those vast expectations. If Mr Lewis had never mounted a platform till last night, he could not have comported himself to greater disadvantage ; one hand wedded to trouser pocket, and the other making feebly inconsequential gesticulations ; the voice a weary monotone, with never a relieving inflection from beginning to end ; and the matter, a '.' dry hash " concerning some of the measures that have occupied the attention of Parliament, and with regard to which every newspaper reader is at least as well-informed as Mr Charles Lewis's account could possibly make him.

Noe is the cause of the deadly dulness far to seek. Mr Charles Lewis is not as other Parliamentarians, as he was painfully careful to explain. He went to Wellington, he religiously sat out pretty nearly every sitting, and — he kept his mouth ' shut, giving a silent vote in some three hundred and odd divisions. Sir Eobert Stout and Captain Eussell, it seems, took tho wind out of his sails. At first, indeed, he studied some Bills for himself, in the quietude of his temporary abode, and "carefully went ! back prepared with what ho thought was a neat little speech." But the neat little speeches were never allowed to reach the listening world; Captain Eussell and Sir Eobert Stout had invariably filched from him every blessed idea that he could formulate, and all that remained for him to do was to " go it blind " along the mental calf -paths prepared by those astute Oppositionists.

Some few facts Mr Lewis did succeed in bringing out prominently — that he had an appalling lack of political knowledge before he went to Wellington ; that he endeavoured to pick up what he could; that he had no ideas on any subject save such as were formulated either by Captain Eussell or Sir Eobert Stout ; that he regarded it as useless to "fire off his popgun," and that he played the part of the dumb dog to perfection. Now, in all sober seriousness, is this the kind of representative who ought to be sent to Wellington to take part in shaping the destinies of the country ? Mr Lewis claims that

He always voted at his party's call, And never thought of thinking for himself at all.

But is this the kind of thing to suit the electors of an important constituency like the City of Christchurch ? Mr Lewis got elected by a fluke, aud the result may be looked upon as a somewhat interesting political experience ; but it is scarcely the kind of experience that a pronouncedly Liberal electorate will care to repeat. It is somewhat significant that the deadlyliveliness of last night's speech communicated itself to the friends of the candidate, one of whom pronounced over him a pathetic funeral elegy.

Mb D. Lumsden, who has always evinced a keen and intelligent interest in everything pertaining to our system of national education, is doing good service by persistently directing attention to the truant question, and to the urgent necessity for preventive measures. Writing to the North Canterbury Educational Institute the other day, he placed before that body certain facts, and left them to tell their own story. It was a case of " Look lon this picture and on that." The Wel-ino-ton and North Canterbury Boards have had this subject pressed upon them. The former body, after due consideration, decided to appoint a truant officer for the city, at a salary of .£l5O per annum. The Canterbury Board, on the other hand, has feebly decided to ask the police to assist the School Committees. In the one case, therefore, tho absentee children, will be methodically and thoroughly looked after, 1 while in the other case such intermittent < investigation as may be made will leave matters pretty much in the old groove. Tho Canterbury reformers will have to try again. .