Untitled

Dunstan Times, Issue 981, 4 February 1881, Page 2

The reception given to Ministers at Invercargill seems to have been of the “ Bread-and-cheese and cus'es” order They were cheered and jeered, saluted and hooted, hanquetted and bullied, and must liavo felt verv hipped notwithstanding all the hurraying. Certainly they could not complain of the affair being too monotonous. Indeed Major Atkinson, with his customary pluck, declare I that he rather enj >ye 1 it, because, said he, it showed that the people were politically alive. The astute Major knew very wed that h : s colleague, Mr Oliver, rather than himself was the object of popular dislike, an 1 cleverly hinted ns much in his speech. Vet all New Zealand knows that Atkinsin is the head which conceives and Oliver only one of the hands -that “ wonderful wean ” Dick, being the other—which executes all the mischief. And who sha'l wonder if the people of the South hold Messrs Oliver and Dick responsible for the wrongs inflicted on them? Di I they not record their votes in favour of robbing the South of the last shred of i*s local land revenue to squander it in the North? Even the redoubtable turn-coat Shanks had not sufficient audacity to fol'ow them lead in this matter. Only Mr Patrick McCacghan of all the Otago Members po=s ssed the brazen effrontery to venture such extreme lengths. Verily these also have their reward. Since the above has been in type we have learnt, by telegram, that the Major sprained his ankle at Lowther, and could not come further. This very convenient sprain is typical of the standing now occupied by tlie Hall Government.