Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1886. MR MONTGOMERY'S SPEECH.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5884, 21 April 1886, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1886. MR MONTGOMERY'S SPEECH.

Thk hon. member for Akaroa, who, somehow, has constituted himself, in his own opinion at least, the Sir Oracle of the House, has* been addressing his constituents, It will "be remembered that he went Home towards the close of last session, and that he has been travelling about Europe and had time to digest matters since. But his speech bears no sign of travel having extended the horizon of his understanding — indeed it would seem to have contracted it, if that were possible, which some people doubt. He says he made a mistake last session in advising the Government not to accept the rejection of their tariff proposals as a vote of want of confidence. This is the first time we have ever known Mr Montgomery to admit anything so human as the making of mistakes, so we suppose there is still hope for him, and that one day he may awake to the fact that he has made other errors of judgment, and is not infallible. Like so many others who condemn the Stout Government, Mr Montgomery utterly fails to shew wherein they have been at fault, or where they might have done better ; he has no statesmanlike scheme to save the country with, and hiß whole ideas are comprised in two words — "Stop borrowing." It is easy enough to stop borrowing ; but what then? aye, there's the rub -, and even Mr Montgomery has a glimmering of sense, and admits it cannot be done all at once, but must be tapered ofi to a vanishing point, His idea ia to ( cut down the cost of Government, and to only borrow up to the extent to which the saving will pay interest. What a charmingly simple scheme j true, like all great discoveries, its value lies in its simplicity. But Mr Montgomery seems to forget just one thing, and that ia, that if the cost of Government can safely be cut down £200,000 a year, as he says it can, he has been untrue to his country, and allowed a wasteful public expenditure, which, as a prominent member of the House, it was his duty to expose and curtail. As a man with a following, and a powerful voice in the affairs, of the colony, he should have spoken on this subject last session ; but perhaps the idea only struck him whilst enjoying his brief holiday trip $ it is only charitable to suppose so. Admitting, for the sake of argument, that there is something in the idea, we feel quite certain Mr Montgomery could not give effect to it if he were in office tomorrow, as it has been proved too often to need any further trial, that the j permanent charges cannot be cut down, ! and that they are more likely to increase than the contrary. Let Mr Montgomery take the estimates, and go carefully through them, and see where he can save us this £200,000 per annum, and then let him tell the House and the country of his discovery, pointi ing out its component items, and then we will belteve him, but not before. It is so easy for a person like Mr Montgomery to get up and tell a meeting that he could do the work of the country so much cheaper and better than those who are now paid to do it ; but we know full well what a mess he would ■make of the job if the country was -silly enough to entrust it to him. At one time it was thought that he would blossom into a useful Cabinet Minister, but the experiences of the last two sessions has dispelled the illusion and shewn us that in Mr Montgomery we have no latent statesmanship awaiting the favourable moment for its fullest development $ but that on the contrary we have in him a very estimable, but crochetty elderly gentleman, with a very mixed set of political ideas — ideas, evidently picked up, like a virtuosi's cherished collection, in all parts of the political world. High Tory tenets sit cheek by jowl with Eadioal dootrinea, and a stranger would be puzzled to tell to what party the hon member for Akaiea really belongs — a thing the said member is not quite sure about himself, judging by the erratic course he steers. Those personally acquainted with him esteem him for his private excellencies, and this accounts for the position he has occupied as a prominent member in the House, where as yet he has shewn mo real talent for the duties of a leader. Of all the postsessional criticisms of the Ministerial policy, his has been the crudest and the weakest, and must convince even his warmest admirers that he is not the man to whom the country ia to be beholden for a new and miraculous cure for the world-wide complaint yclept " Depression," except we take his Akaroa speech as a homcepathic nostrum of the simiUw simiWbws cwmiwr type.

* # * The Herald will not be published on Good Friday and Easter Monday, our staff obtaining then their usual holidays. Sir Jamea Prendergast is still confined to his room by illness. AH the banking Institutions in town will be closed from tomorrow afternoon till Tuesday morning for the Easter holidays, Mr L. H. Jones, who is the latest addition, has connected his private residenoe with the telephone exohange ; No. 74, , Mr Macalister, Government Auditor, is now on a visit to Wanganni, and has commenced his duties at the Education Board Offioe. David Fugh has just expired at Oaerawo, Montgomeryshire, at the age of 102 years. He worked at his trade as a joiner till prevented by the illness which took him off. At the Police Court to-day, a Maori case, Tahana Turoa v Himu Materoa, claim £5 for dog killed, resulted in favour of the defendant, Mr Ward, R;M., occupied the Bench, Hares must be getting plentiful between the town and the Heads as a few days ago a nest containing four young ones was discovered in the cemetry, It is said that hares are frequently seen near that spot. It is understood the Union Company, in accordance with their oast-iron rule, intend to dispense with the services of Captain Hansby, of the s.s, Hawea, on account of the recent grounding of that vessel at Kelson while in charge of the pilot. The Wellington Woollen Factory has now received all its plant in good order, and the manager expects to be able to lay before the shareholders at the general meeting in June, blankets, tweeds, and flannels of the Com* pany'a make* Mr South, Clerk of the Court at Hokitika, who was formerly engaged in a similar capacity in Wanganal, haa been eeriouoly indisposed lately. According to the West Coast Times he has had to be removed to the hospital. In noticing, in yesterday's issue, Mr Newmans display of fireworks to come off on Friday we Btated that the affair would take place at the Heads. This is an error as the advertisement in another column states that i the display will be given at Balgownie, | The Tuhua will leave Betts's whart, proceeding down the river, on Friday morning, at about 10 o'clock, or as soon as the transports are signalled, This will afford an opportunity to those desirous of witnessing the passage up the river of the boats and the landing of the Volunteers, Tha third competition for the Petty Officers' trophy will be fired by the Navals tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. The following are the handicaps : — Seamen Corby and Galpin, scratch ; Aneley, 4 points ; Fenn and Hall 6 pointa ; Bevage and Reid 15 points ; the remainder 20 points. The Grey River Argus states that Mr Hugh Caldere, the local postmaster, who has been in very indifferent health for some time back, has received aix montha' leave of absence in consequence. He will proceed to the old country, his medical adviser recommend* ing a long sea voyage. We (Advooate) understand that the location of the sitting of the Native Lands Court to deal with the Awarua block and other matters will not be fixed until, the 24th instant, when Chief Judge Maodonald (with whom the decision rests according to law) will arrive in Wanganui. The Dog Tax Colleotor, Mr T, Coakley, is now making a tour through the Wanganui County. AH the defaulters will therefore be called upon individually, and, as it will probably be the last time that payment will be demanded without the intervention of the R.M., they will doubtless see the wisdom of paying up. The Hutt racea last week were, so far as licensed boothß went, a strict teetotal tryst ; but tho amount of alcohol imbibed was rather over the usual average, nearly every one having a supply on the off chance of being taken ill for want of a drop of spirits. The local Licensing Committee failed to stop the consumption of intoxicating liquor by refusing to license the booths this year ; on the contrary, a larger amount than usual was consumed. Judge Gillies' absence from Auckland does not seem to have been attended with good results to the jurors. On Monday one hundred and twenty jurors were in attendance at the Supreme Court, only to be told by the Registrar that, on account of the illness of the Chief Justice, the Court was further adjourned tilljlOth May. Mr Albert ßeetham, on behalf of the jurors, expressed their an. noyance and dissatisfaction at such treatment. Be said that for his part he would not attend again after such scandalous treatment, and his sentiment was loudly applauded. The disgasted jurors then left. Another of the interminable Kaiwhaike oases is now dragging its weary way through the Supreme Court, In this instance Mr Pieroy is a defendant, his opponents being Earekana Tahau and others. Mr Fitzherbert, with him Mr Marshall, appear for the plaintiffs, and Mr Hutchison lor the defendant. So far as the plaintiffs' case haa gone, it would appear as though their contention was that the natives, in granting a renewal of the lease to Mr Piercy, did not know that the original reservation of their kainga had been cancelled. The natives appear to have taken six years' rent in advance from the defendant at the time of the Parihaka trouble, a sum, amounting in all to over £700, which doubtless went to swell the oof- ! fers of the great prophet. The plaintiffs' oase Is now finished, and for the defence it is probable that Messrs Bees and ft. W; Woon, who gave evidenoe in another of the Eaiwhake cases at last sittings, will be placed in the box to state what occurred ! when the deed was signed. Dr Newman mentioned in a speech lately delivered at Wellington that Lord Salisbury ' had at ono time been a resident in New Zealand. The Poat argued that if the dates in "Men of the Time "were correct thia could not be. Pr Newman, in a letter to the same paper last night, said, " I did not think I had made a mistake in this matter* Some months ago the Wanganui papers said he had lived in that pretty town, and that many old residents had known him. In the General Assembly Library is a " Life of Lord Salisbury," in two volumes, written evidently by one having a full knowledge of his doings, and in this work it is stated that he lived for some time in New Zealand* Many months ago I asked an old Wellington resident, an MiL.O. about the matter. He at onoe said that yeara ago Lord Salisbury had been living in this city, and was in the Civil Service; he had been introduced to him, and was positive about the faots. In reply to my question, Sir George Grey very courteously sent me a letter, from which I quote :— " Lord Robert Cecil, (now Marquis of Salisbury) resided with me for a time at Wellington about the year 1851 or '62 ; I forget the? precise date. Withhis usual love of buainess and of the acquisition of knowledge he devoted himself to the study of New Zealand affairs, and became thoroughly acquainted with the early history of thio country. He was not conneoted with the Government. H6 was then, although so young, remarkable for the thorough goodness of intention, talent, and constant assfduity, which have since raised him to his present hi«h pceition. I saw much of him subsequently to bis residence in New Zealand, and regard him as one of the best men I now know." I think the evidence above cited is sufficient to prove that Lord Salisbury himself had been in New Zealand, and that so far I was right, I believe abo that he was, whilst in Wanganui, in the Civil service of tho colony. Truth and Sobbbness.— What is the best family medicine in tha world to regulate the bowels, purify the blood, remove costiveness and biliousness, aid digestion, and stimulate the whole Bystem 2 Truth and soberness compel us to answer, American Hop Bitters.belng pure, perfeot, and harmless, See. Beware of packages of injurious stuff pur. porting to make genuine Hop Bittera ; also preparations and fluids said to contain all the properties of American Hop Bitters. They spring up on account of the great popularity of the genuine, which is only put up in large square-panel amber-coloured bottles, with the name "Dr Soule," and "Hopßittors " blown in the glass, and 18 the beat amlly medicine ever made, Read.