MAJOR ATKINSON'S SPEECH.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1044, 8 June 1883, Page 2

MAJOR ATKINSON'S SPEECH.

What the Papei’S say. Major Atkinson’s address to his constituents is very much what we expected it to be—a review of last session, with sarcastic references to the Opposition, and a plain, ■ensible statement of Hie intentions of the Government. There is no attempt at setting forth a sensational policy, no bid for popular favour, ho high-flown ; sentiment, and, it must be added, no gleam of anything like originality. The Colonial Treasurer is a man of very considerable ability] and of clear, sound judgment | but he is no genius, nor, in truth, does he make any’pretensions in that line.— Otago Daily Times, We never read a more wretched speech; than that which has been looked forward to with so much expectancy. It literally contains not one word that is of the .smallest political significance. More than •half of it is occupied in a puerile attack on the Opposition, almost every word of tfhich we have heard from the Colonial Treasurer himself before, and from the rank and file of. the Government party over and over and over again.— Timaru, Herald.

The speech'of the Colonial Treasurer, at Hawera is eminently satisfactory in which had previously .gained ground, that the Government intended to attempt a ; great political coup. Holding the opinion,: as we do, that no good ever yet came of: great pplitical cdyps. in this country] and that "the present' Ministry arc especially unfitted for performing any such exploits,; we confess it was with a sense of relief we; read in Major Atkinson’s speech that, “ as; to the future he had nothing very startling; to. re veal.”-— Press, . i To those who were led to believe that, at last the Ministerial policy was about’to be declared at Taranaki the speech of Major Atkinson must be sadly disappointing. He refers to the past and present, bufthe political future is not even dimly; foreshadowed. Like Micawber he is: hopeful, but a policy die has none, — Wairarapa Star. ; Major’ 1 Atkinsdh’s speech' has left ’us very much where we were before he spoke.— Patea Mail. Flat, stale, and unprofitable.— Standard When the head. of the Government addresses his constituents, it is, of course, the speech of the recess. Major Atkinson’s speech is, therefore, the speech of the recess. It is. not a little curious '-that the speech of the recess 1 contains the assertion the most damaging! that has yet been made against the Government. The head .of the Govern-' merit “admits that the Government only exists by sufferance. Nobody cares for Hie Government, but the majority endures it because it. likes the Opposition less.; The great mass of the Government papers have of late been assuming a critical tone, and many of them have gone into open opposition. W e were hardly. prepared, however, to find them so strongly corroborated by the head of the Government. It was an* unfortunate beginning for the speech of the recess, — Lyttelton Tivies, . v. To say that the Colonial Treasurer’s speech at Hawera is disappointing, is the mildest possible way of describing the impression it makes upon those who had hoped the Ministry were at length about to announce a policy to the country. A statement, evidently inspired by the Government, had been circulated all over the colony by telegraph, that this speech of the Colonial Treasurer was to be a “ political speech,” in contradistinction, no doubt, to his non political lectures on pauperism, the nationalisation of the land, and other large topics. Thus the public were led to suppose that Major Atkinson, as the mouth-piece of the Ministry, was about to make that disclosure as to their political views and intentions which has never yet been made since they, took office a year ago. It is manifest now that he had no such intention, or, if he had, he signally failed to carry it out. — -Morning Herald. ■