The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1883. A Post-Sessional Speech.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1094, 7 November 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1883. A Post-Sessional Speech.

The season forpost-sessional speeches has not yet set in, and up to the present only two representatives have ventured to meet their constituents to render an account of their actions during last session of Parliament, namely, Mr Dargaville and Mr M. W. Green. The member for Dunedin South certainly “ spoke a piece ” some little time back, but be limited himself to the purely local matter of the Oiago Harbor Board, and did not dilate upon general politics. The immediate reason of Mr Green coming forward thus early was that certain strictures had been passed upon his conduct by Mr Fish and he was eager to defend himself. Consequently we find that a large proportion of the address of the member for Dunedin East lasc week was taken up with Harbor Board affairs, concerning which the colony in general does not care a brass farthing, and which even the Otago people themselves must by this time be pretty well tired of hearing discussed. But the rest of the speech is not without interest, and we rise from a perusal of it with a greater respect for Mr Green than we ever had before. Not that this is saying much, as we always regarded the gentleman as a bore of the first water, and our opinion of him has changed only in degree and not in kind. The episodes in which the members for Dunedin East and South carried on their petty squabbles in the House stand out decidedly as the most undignified events of the past session. Still, if we were called upon to express a preference between these two representatives, our vote would be for Mr Green. At any rale he shows improvement, and that is more than can be truly said of Mr Fish. There was indeed something so touching in the naive simplicity with which Mr Green explained how he left the Opposition ranks and joined those of the Ministry that criticism is well-nigh disarmed. He told his audience in effect that although he gave a general support to the Opposition during his first session, he did so as an independent member, but when he had obtained a wider political experience he declared definitely in favor of the present Government. This is no doubt true enough, but the fact remains that when Mr Green sought the suffrages of the Dunedin electors he was so ignorant of politics that he did not see the necessity of allying himself to one or other of the two contending parties. And after all it is questionable if his ultimate decision to break away from the Opposition was not due to personal feeling, his chief objection to the Government being supplanted evidently arising from a fear lest Mr Fish should become a Cabinet Minister. We quite agree that the latter contingency would be a disastrous calamity, but we fail to see in this a reason why the member for Dunedin East should have altered his ’’political faith. The whole argument of Mr Green seems to be that he supports those at present in

power because they are the stronger party, but he is equally ready to go back to the Opposition when they show themselves capable of administering affairs satisfactorily. The allegiance of such a man is not of much value to either side, and considering the lime he occupies in speechifying in the House, there is probably no member whose opinions carry with them so little weight. In what way, then, it may be asked,

has Mr Green risen in our estimation ? He is as great a failure as a politician as ever he was, but he appears to have in some degree realised the strength of his weakness, and has consequently became less dogmatic than he was formerly. Constant snubbing has compelled him to recognise that the idea that he alone possesses the power to do a great work of regeneration in the colony is a gievious error. To have made a speech in which his irrepressible conscience was not referred to was in itself an achievement, and shows that experience has not altogether been wasted upon Mr Green, and the fact that his conduct as a whole during last session was an improvement on that during the previous one leads us to hope for better things in the future. Useful legislation from such a quarter we do not expect, but we fancy we can discern a self-repression in his address to his constituents that warrants us in anticipating that the member for Duhedin East will not waste so much of the time of Parliament by ineffectual speechmaking as he has been accustomed to do.

The immigrant j ex the ship Westland were released from quarantine yesterday. Mr Hutchison, M.H.R,, has definitely decided to stand for Mayor of Wellington. The barque Caberfeidh, which struck on the rocks at the Wellington Heads, has received but little injury, only a few feet of her false keel having been carried away.

The Customs revenue for the colony for last month was L 122,467, as against L115.C90 for the corresponding period last year. The beer duty last month was L4,99C, as against L 4,398 for the preceding month. Reference to our advertising columns will show that the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will hold an important sale of pure bred shorthorns at Christchurch on Saturday. These cattle are the first over imported to Canterbury by the Auckland Stud and Pedigree Company, and the sale will consequently attract much attention.

The adjourned meeting of Guthrie and Larnach’s New Zealand '1 imber and Woodwaro Factories Company yesterday was attended by only one or two shareholders. The business was purely formal, consisting of the passing of a motion for the appointment of an inspector to inspect the accounts, books, etc., as provided by the Act.

A criminal information for libel has been laid at Nelson by Mr James Sclander (■'danders and Co.) against Thomas H. Mabin, accountant, of Wellington. The libel is said to have occurred in a letter written to a third person, wherein Mr Mabin accused Mr So’anders of forging a letter from Shaw, Seville and Co. The information will be heard on Monday next.

The monthly meeting of the Waterloo Library Committee took place on Friday, all the members being present. After the minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed, the secretary placed in the hands of the number of new books, which are now open foe selection by subscribers, and all those in the district who are not subscribers at present would do well to become so without delay. After several accounts were passed for payment to the amount of L 5 10s lid, the meeting then adjourned.

A meeting of the Longbeach Presbyterian congregation was held at Flemington, on Thursday evening. The Rev Mr Beattie presided, and was accompanied by Mr Andrew Orr, from Ashburton. Mr Beattie explained the position being taken up so as to place a minister south of the Ashburton rive r , and said he

wished those present to express an opinion as to the general scheme laid down, and whether they would be willing to unite with the other portions of the district. A desultory discussion took place, after which Mr Gilmour moved, and Mr Tayl r seconded —“That after hearing the ex-

planatioa as to tho necessity of having a minister placed south |of tho Ashburton, that this congregation is willing to unite with the other portions of the district named, and also to contribute a fair’share towards his maintenance, and that the moderator be empowered to take tho necessary steps to have a minister brought into the new district.” A large audience assembled in the Oddfellows’ Hall last evening, when a service of tong entitled “John Tregenoweth ; his mark,” was rendered by the Primitive Methodist choir, under tho direction of Mr Bevan. Assistance was

also given by several friends from other choirs. The chair was occupied by Mr A. Orr, and Mr J. E. Buchanan read the narrative of John Tregenoweth in a very able and impressive ma ner. The choir sang the various musical items introduced into the story in a very creditable manner, giving evidence of much patient study and careful training. A solo was allotted to little Mabel Trez : se, and the child’s singing was so good as to win the hearty appreciation of the audience. Solos were also rendered by Mrs Nixon and it is needless to say that the lady sung both with correctness and expression. At the close of the service hearty votes of thanks were passed to the choir and the friends who had assisted them, as well as to the mem bers of tho Baptist Church for the use of their organ and the hall for practising. Mr J. E. Buchanan and the Chairman were accorded a similar compliment. The second annual meeting of shareholders in the New Zealand Native Land Settlement Company was hold at Auckland yesterday, the Hon Dr Pollen, Chairman of Directors, presiding. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, said he had only to sta‘e that the directors, acting on the authority confided to them by the articles of association, had authorised Mr Thomas Russell, who had himself a very large pecuniary

interest in the Company, and had taken a very active share in its promotion and in its operations, to dispose of 3,000 shares in England, to appoint, if he found it necessary, a local directory in England of five persons, and generally, if circumstances on his arrival there ware found to be favorable, to make arrangements for the formation of a new company altogether, with the same purpose as this one, into which the present Company might be absorbed. Shareholders would be aware that a number of gentlemen of considerable influence and position in England, had taken a very large interest in the disposal and settlement of Native lands in this colony. It

was thought possible that an amalgamation in some shape or other could be effected in England with these gentlemen, and Mr Thomas Russell had from the Directors such authority as they were able to give him to effect an arrangement of that kind. Of course, before any settlement could be effected the consent of the shareholders must be obtained, and they would be consulted in the usual course. In reply to Mr Aicken, the Chairman said proposals of a final and formal character had been made to the Auckland Native Land Colonisation Con.pany as to amalgamation, but no reply had been received. The Hon J. Williamson, Mr J. C. Firth, DrOampbell, and Mr Seymour George, the retiring Directors, were re-elected. A special meeting was then held, at which articles of association weie altered so that the directory might be increased from ten to thirty. The object of the directors in this proposal was chiefly to give an opportunity for certain Loudon gentlemen being placed on the directory.

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