The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Vrritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1886. THE ADDRESS IN REPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1421, 20 May 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Vrritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1886. THE ADDRESS IN REPLY.

Tin; debate upon the Addrcss-in-Keply calls for no special comment, its most remarkable features were clearly satisfactory—it was brief and good humored. The mover, Mr Hevan, had nothing to say, and, to employ a Hibermcism, he succeeded in saying it fairly well. Mr Taylor, the new member for Sydenham, was placed at a disadvantage in having to make his debut as a Parliamentary speaker under circumstances which would have taxed the savoir Jairc of an accomplished debater. U’e trust expeiience and intercourse with men holding more comprehensive views will induce this embryo statesman to extend ins observation beyond the coniines of the Addington workshops and the Canterbury railway system. Ihe leader ol the Opposition made a sound and temperate speech. He congratulated the Government upon having brought down a speech which expressed nothing, but thought the omission to refer to the representation question was not justifiable, and that the counuy would say that the Government had made a mistake in this matter. We

agree, so far, with Major Atkinson. The readjustment of the representation should not be postponed beyond the present session. Tne people in this part of the colony, who, U is generally believed, will suffer by the readjustment, have -no desire to exercise an unfair voice in the direction of public affairs, and, for all practical purposes, the results of the last census —the groundwork of the measure —will be available ,m the course of three or four weeks. Ihe Premier’s reply to the leader of the Opposition was singularly weak. ff, he said, Major Atkinson could not discover anything worse to find fault with than representation and roads, then the

country would admit there was not much to object to in the policy of the Government. We are not prepared to admit that “ representation and roads” are unimportant questions ; we are not disposed to discuss them just now j but the Premier’s professional instincts appeared to have led him to overlook the fact that Major Atkinson explicitly disclaimed any intention to debate the policy of the Government at that stage. The remainder of the debate was unimportant, and the adoption of the Address at an early hour in the evening was a very barren victory lor the Government.