The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1890.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11595, 21 March 1890, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1890.

Mr Samuel, the well-known lawyer o* Now Plymouth, who has represented tha* constituency in Parliament for the las* seven years, delivered his farewell ad" dress to the Taranakians on Monday night last. Mr Samuel was very explicit in his stafomont. He had now, he said, decided to sever his connection with political life, with the view of attending to his own business, which had, of course, suffered very soverely by the time he had devoted to politics. "We can well believe that Mr Samuel moans all that he says. Any lawj er who depends largely upon court practice, and who is worth his salt, must almost suffer loss by absenting himself from his usual haunts in order to attend the sittings of Parliament. Indeed, we have known* moro than one promising advocate, whoso business being largoly personal, has gone to tho dogs through frequent and continued absences from homo, Mr Samuel, then, is fully entitled to re-' tiro from public life for a season; nnd having, on tho wholo, served his country well and faithfully white in Parliament, ho will have the good wishes of all for speedy and signal success in his private pursuits. We have looked through the report of Mr Samuel's speech with all the more interest because it contains his la3t words to his constituents. Always candid and outspoken, Mr Samuel was particularly so the other night. A member who is about to retire can speak his mind freely: What, to him, is the possibility of an adverse vote, or the remonstrance of a party whip? He cares for none of these things, but says straight out what he has a mind to, and enjoys tho freedom of utterance "that liberty brings. Mr Saimxel was, and is, a staunch member of tho Opposition — and we propose to put such an outspoken and fearless witness in the box this morning, in order that our readers may learn what ho has to say about tho obstructive tactics of the party with which, under the circumstances, it was his dishonour to be associated. At the commencement of tho session, he says, " there appeared to be every chance of the work being got through expeditiouslyj but unfortunately thia was not so, as there ultimately arofe a good deal of unseemly obstruction — moro, indeed, than had occurred in any 3ossion for many years previously." Again, "in the last session he was in the Opposition, and had all along being allied with the anti-At-kinson party. He must, however, admit that there was a sad waste of time by tho Opposition, some of whom made continual personal attacks on members of the Government, who were attacked on almost evory act they performed, and wlion tho Government had done something which could not be cavilled at, some of the members of the Opposition seemed to regret that they wero unable to find faulb. Some members of. the Opposition had wasted the timo and money of tho country unnecessarily." This is candid enough, and its perfect honesty is evidenced by tho fact that the speaker contemplates not going over to the other side of tho Houso, but retiring 1 from activb politics altogether. Read between the lines, however, it would seem to suggest that Mr Samuel abandoned politics, not merely because of the claims of his business, but because he is ashamed of the party with which he has been associated. That fact, however, if it bo a fact, will not lessen the regret with which his departure from the field of politics" will bo regarded, nor tho feelinga of esteem and s, regard which, will follow him in Mb retirement.

j| { —^ &\.s a prominent Liberal, and one of the Mnost reputable monitors of tho Opposition, Mr Samuels views on the education question will bo read with interest. '• Ho was in favour of froo secular education to the fourth standard, but no higer. (Appaluse.) That was one of tho opinions ho held when ho first camo out as a politician, and it was one he had never changed in, although he had altered his views on many points since then. He wished to point out, however, that it was deoply to ho regrotted that one-seventh of the population of the colony should be debarred from taking advantage of this system, for which they were aliko taxed, on account of their religious views. Ho would not support the Roman Catholic Schools Bill because that was a armed solely to ajd one denomination, but he] was in favour of a capitation grant to all good private schools of one-half of that granted to the Stateschools. Some affirmed that'education as at present carried on was afailuro, as Bible reading was riot carried on in the schools, and insisted that the Bible should bo read in our public schools. Could anything be moro cruol and' harsh, and moro likely to bring about a rebellion, than to expect one-seventh of tho population of tho colony to allow their children to be brought iip under a system which they firmly believed would bring them to eternal sorrow." (Applause)