THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1881. MR. THOMSON AT THE GAIETY THEATRE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2361, 28 October 1881, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1881. MR. THOMSON AT THE GAIETY THEATRE.

Mr. Thomson Las filled a considerable number of public positions since be has been in this province, and has, wo confess, on several occasions, managed to mako himself rather unpopular than otherwise. Mr. Thomson is not oversuave, and wore ho transformed into a courtier, would probably be nowhere. Ho not only does not mako the worse appear the better cause, but frequently is unfortunate enough to mako the better appear the worse cause. Mr. Thomson has consequently started on his electoral campaign under const-

derable disadvantages; and ill ° r OP a cularly shall we see tha this is the case when we remember that, Ins adversary is a gentleman who runs the popular ticket to its extremes! limit, and whose political backbone is of the very supplest. But this much at least can be said of Mr Thomson, that he is no time-server, that when he adopts a platform he sticks to it, and that he possesses one quality which all Englishmen admire, namely, courage. It has been our duty on several occasions to disagree with Mr. Thomson when discharging his public duties, but there has been this satisfaction about the process, that there has been something to fight against. Mr. Thomson has been selfassertive and somewhat irritating in consequence, but it was easy to see that he held decided views and meant to stick to them like a man. In these days, when the whistle of a small boy in the hack of the gallery is apt to frighten candidates into promising yet another onslaught against things in general, it is refreshing to find a man with the ring of health about his declarations. Mr. Thomson has the courago of his convictions, ho knows what he is talking about, and he evidently means to stick to what ho says ho believes in. Recognising this good quality in Mr. Thomson’s utterances on "Wednesday night, it is with all the more pleasure, therefore, that we are able to agree with the bulk of his speech, and to state our belief that he has by its delivery considerably raised himself in the eyes of the electors of Christchurch North. After a personal explanation, he began by calling attention to the error of describing the past session as a barren one. Seeing that several measures of the utmost importance were passed during its currency, it is difficult to see how anybody could be found bold enough to state that nothing was done; but still there are candidates who are over particular, and there are electors foolish enough to believe them. That much time was wasted is, of course, patent enough, and wo quite agree with Mr. Thomson that an improvement in the mode of procedure in the House is as much needed as an improvement in the mode of local self-government. His idea of fining members who waste the time of the members is crude, but that something will have to be done towards keeping obstructive and talkative members under control is very evident. His views on the Licensing Bill and the question of compensation were equally sound. He approved of the principle that the residents in each district were the best judges of whether they should have public houses in that district or other wise, but on the other hand he set his face against tha theory that has been set up in some quarters that the present holders of licenses have no vested interests. To us it certainly seems out of all reason to argue that the fact that licenses are granted and renewed at comparatively short intervals vitiates the claims of license holders to be considered as possessors of vested interests. The question is one to be ruled by custom and precedent, and license holders have every reason in equity to consider that they shall continue to possess their privileges as long as they behave themselves. One of the brightest pages in English history is that containing the sacrifices made by the State to compensate the loss sustained by the Jamaica slave-owners on the abolition of slavery. It was perfectly possibly for England to argue that slavery could not be recognised by a state that on its own shores could not by common law admit the legality of slavery. England might well have held the position that the slave-owners bought their slaves with their eyes open, and were not therefore entitled to compensation. But it chose to take up the position that the vested interests of the owners were formed under another regime, and it shrunk from crushing those interests by a mere ipse dixit. In like manner we should be very sorry to see holders who took out their licenses under our old regime treated in the unfair manner in which many say they should be

In matters educational Mr. Thomson stands by the present system, and throws out a suggestion regarding higher education not unworthy of consideration. Seeing that in the ordinary schools hut few scholars pass into the higher grades, he asks whether it would not bo a saving of labour to relegate the higher branches entirely to the care of the secondary schools. Mr. Thomson holds strong views on the governmental management of railways, stating that the political element introduced is fatal to the success of the arrangement. But wo would aak him if it is not possible to eliminate this element. We fancy a carefully devised scheme would effect this. There are, for instance, Government Departments that are already worked on a purely commercial basis, and the principle only wants to be extended. With regard to a direct steam service, Mr. Thomson does not take the popular side, but very cogently points out that while the San Francisco contract is in force it would be highly inexpedient to spend another large sum of money over a second service. This, of course, is not equivalent to saying that he is unfavorable to a direct service, hut that two services at once are rather too much for a young colony. On a considerable amount of Mr. Thomson’s speech our space does not allow us to dwell. He takes, as is natural, a large amount of interest in Hospital and Charitable Aid work, and, if returned, would, wo presume, pay particular attention to this question, and ho also holds well-defined views on the question of free-trade and protection. Taken as a whole, his speech is outspoken and lucid enough. He evidently did not appear at the Gaiety Theatre with the sole object of pleasing his audience, hut with a determination to to let them know what he thought on things in general. If certain weak-kneed and trembling candidates for senatorial honors were to follow his example, the pnhlic would be no loser.