New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5117, 17 August 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1877.

The Hon. Donald Reid on Wednesday last took an opportunity of replying to more than one attack that has been made upon him this session in consequence of his having joined the Ministry. Dr. Hodgkinson made himself specially anxious on this subject, and, in the tone of vapid insolence and “dour” selfsufficiency which is common to him, endeavored to convict Mr. Reid of . all kinds of political dishonesty and dishonor. Mr. Reid, who has hitherto treated attacks of this kind with the contempt they deserved, evidently felt that further silence on his part might be misconstrued, and therefore replied to Dr. Hodgkinson in a very plain, pretty unimpassioned, but none the less forcible speech. Mr. Reid denied that he had forsaken his party, and asserted as a matter of fact'that the political immorality in question was on the side of the present Opposition. . With telling effect he pointed to the fathering 'of the first abolition resolutions by Mr. Reader Wood, who is now the carping critic of all that led to and has resulted from abolition. As a matter of fact, in 1875 Mr. Wood joined the Provincialist party, turned round, and was found' voting against what he formerly declared to be his conviction on a question of vital importance to the country. The Minister for Lands stated, and this without fear of contradiction, that when he had belonged to the Opposition, his party trusted to certain leaders to meet the Government and effect a compromise; and the result was a compromise which completely neutralised the effect of the determined stand previously taken by the Opposition. This was the true state of the case, and after abolition became an accomplished fact Mr. Reid had no further sympathy with the policy of the Opposition, which was simply one of obstruction, and therefore turned his mind to do what he could for the country and his constituents under the altered state of things. In point of fact it is very well known that the Opposition of the period mentioned were only united by one tie—resistance to abolition ; and abolition having been carried into effect by the will of the country, as plainly expressed at a general election, not only could they have no further bond of common- union, but as a matter of fact they must fly into' a few incoherent cliques. This being the case, Mr. Reid dared any member to say that he was actuated by mercenary and unworthy motives in the course he had adopted. He believed that by accepting a position in the Ministry he should be iuabetter position to serve his constituents than byaitting on the benches opposite. He hoped the House would raise its voice against time being wasted by such unseemly attacks of a personal character, for which the hon. member for Riverton was peculiar, together with other members of the Opposition. Mr. Rees, it may be noticed, in his conceded character of Thersites of the House, endeavored more than once during Mr. Reid’s speech to goad that gentleman into losing temper. In order to effect his object, Mr. Rees adopted a line of conduct which effected an - unhappy compromise between that of a coarse circus clown and an Old Bailey lawyer. But Mr, Reid very discretly brushed Mr. Rees to one side, as people dispose of those troublesome and turbulent flies which an early spring brings forth. Mr. Rees has more than once lately been put into a similar unfortunate position. Were he other than Mr. Rees, it might be hoped that he would learn a lesson in such case ; being Mr. Rees, itis of course impossible to anticipate that his thickskinned egotism will permit him to appreciate what men of ordinary feel-: ings would readily apprehend.