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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2011, 21 February 1907, Page 4

THE OPPOSITION. A complimentary garden party was tendered to Mr. Massey, loader of tho Opposition, at Pukekoho by the Political Rol'orm League. 1 Despite threatening weather, there was a largo attendance, tho number of people present being close upon 2500, including a large contingent from tho Auckland, Manukau, and Waikato districts. Mr. Massey, replying to an address, referred to tho position taken up by tho Opposition party last session. Ho said that tho Opposition had exercised an important influence for good on tho legislation then placed on the statute book. It was generally understood that tho duty of tho Government was to lead Parliament, but the present Opposition on many occasions had led tho Government. JIo instanced tho advances to workers, tho proper audit of the public accounts and other measures. It was only, he said, the determined stand taken up by tho Opposition that had prevented idle Government’s obnoxious Laud Bill from being' forced upon tho country last session. Had it not been for tho Opposition’s attitude, tho lands of tho colony would have been “McNabbod” (laughter), and successful settlement would have been rendered impossible. They had let the Government understood that' if they proceeded with the Land Bill they might make preparations for eating their Christmas dinner at Wellington. That prospect did not' appeal to the Government, and they know the result. He hold that a proposal that involved the nationalising of 17,000,000 acres of leased and unleased Grown lands and the making of it impossible for the tenants and their successors for all time to acquire tho freehold, should not be passed until the electors had been consulted. (Hear, hear.) That was the position the Opposition had taken up, and they wore prepared to adhere to it. (Applause.) Tho vessel launched in Wellington last session with the blast of trumpets and tho boating of drums, and with tho titlq, “Land Bill, 1906,” painted in big letters across her bows, turned out to be not a battleship, but a scow. (Laughter.) And Admiral Ward and Lieutenant McNab showed that they were more inclined to cut and run than to advance to tho attack. The dictum that tho defeat suffered by the Opposition at last election woidd prove a crushing one had not been verified. The Opposition party or the Moderates, if ho might use the expression, were now much stronger in tho country on years. That was proved by such a largo gathering that afternoon, if they wanted another proof, they had i-, in the prosonco among them tl "t day of Mr. Lang, M.H.R. In spite of the efforts of the Minister who had come up to the Ma nkau electorate at the public expense ; rd the assistance of the whole iplloiving of leaseholders, land nationalism's and single-taxers, Mr. Lang had won tho election. (Applause.) That “eternal vigilance is the price of was as true now as ever it was. Those who believed in the freehold should remember that the other side was working quietly and silently and working all he time. Tho peoplo of the colony wore simply boing played with in connection with the Crown and na'tivo lands questions, and public expenditure, especially public works expenditure, and appointments 1 3 the Legislative Council. (Hear, hear.) Referring to those appointments, he said he was no supporter of a system which allowed one man, or a section of men, to appoint legislators for the whole colony. Whilst, however, that system obtained, it was the duty of the Government for the time being to recommend' the Governor to appoint the men who were the best fitted to occupy the position. (Hear, hear.) He would not refer to any individual cases, but he would say that men had been appointed to tho Legislative Council who had not tlie slightest chance of boing elected to the Lower House, men who had never been of tho slightest use to their fellow-colonists and who never would be. (A voice; They are of the right color.) Yes, they were of the right color, it was true, but they would be of no use to the colony during tho sov n years for which they were entitled to draw £2OO a year and travelling expenses. Men had been appointed to the Legislative Council who ad vainly appealed time after time to the seemed to be a case of “If you can’t get in by the garden gate, get over tho garden wall.” (Laughter.) The present system of appointments under which the power of appointment was used for party purposes was a blot upon our democracy. The appointments of some of the men included in the last batch was nothing less than a positive affront to the electors. (Hear, hear.) He hoped that 1 the electors, assisted by the Press, would help tho Reform party in Parliament in bringing about a state of affairs more in keeping with. democratic principles. There was, he was glad to say, still a strong party in the country who believed in honest government and in a genuine democracy, and who were anxious to do the best possible for the people as a whole.

Speeches were also made by Messrs Lang, Horries, Bollard, and Mander, M.H.R’s., It. Monk, and C. J. Parr. Mr. Herries, in the course of his speech, said the time was coming when it would not be a question of Ward or Massey, but of a ; strong country party under the leadership of Mr. Massey. At the conclusion of the speeches, a presentation of a handsome feather boa was made by the ladies’ committee to Mrs. Massey, as a mark .of esteem and appreciation of her husband’s services.

INDIAN HORSEMANSHIP. Lord Minto and tlie Vico-Regal party witnessed some marvellous feats of horsemanship at Patiala recently by the Imperial Service Lancers. The Imperial Service, troops are trained for service by certain feudatory princes, under the superintendence of British officers, and constitute a splendid reserve. Some of those troops have displayed the utmost hardihood and courage in frontier operations. On this occasion four squadrons paraded to show what could bo done with trained horses under the excitement of service conditions. The first squadron galloped past in open order until they were almost in front of the Viceroy, and then in a moment the men dismounted and lay down. Horses that would not lie down wore thrown by lifting a fore-foot with one hand and twisting the head round on the same side with the other. Clumsily done, such a fall might injure a plunging charger, but the practised sowar causes his horse to fall softly on its flank and then has only to keep its head close to the ground. ‘'Lying prone in the grass, neither horse nor rider offers an appreciable target to rifle fire even at but hundred yards’ range,” runs the account of this manoeuvre in the Daily Mail, “and the stillness is such that a hasty or careless scout a little way off might easily cast a passing glance over the field without perceiving that it was alive with cavalry. All this takes time to describe, but is performed instantaneously.” When the first squadron had sunk into the ground in this way tho second galloped through their line and lay down beyond- tlienr, becoming equally inconspicuous. The third squadron then galloped up and passed through both lines without hurting a single horse or man, and also lay down. Finally the fourth squadron, without shifting ground, sank down. The steadiness of the squadrons while this difficult manoeuvre was being carried out was admirable. It is no easy task to keep a horse whose blood is heated lying down while other horses gallop past it a few inches from its noso. Some of the horses succeeded in struggling to their feet, but were at once thrown again. Every horse was now stretched out and the field silent and motionless. A whistle blew and like a flash every sowar rose and stood astride his horse so as to be in the saddle the moment the animal regained its feet. The next moment the entire force was galloping off. A few hundred yards away and with scarcely a pause the regiment formed up into perfect-line, faced about and charged down upon the Viceroy at a thundering pace until within a couple of horse’s lengths of the party of spectators. “A thrill went through everyone; it was grand.”

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