The Telephone. EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, APRIL 22.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 112, 22 April 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, APRIL 22.

The speech of Mr. 'Rolleston at Papanui, on Saturday last, like that of his predecessors, is merely a vague generalising and ringing the changes on the several subjects which have been gone over by his colleagues. There is

nothing definite or original, and it consists more of apologetical explanation for past action than any distinct foreshadowing of policy for the future. In dealing with the present depression in trade, he attributed the same to the curtailment which had been exercised by the. present Government in the matter of borrowing, to the holding of large blocks of land which had been entirely unproductive, and to the great falling off which had occurred in the estimated value of staple productions, combined with the L..d harvest. He also gave it as his opinion that all future borrowing should be conducted on a strictly economical scale, and then only resorted to for the purpose of specific works, and dwelt on the necessity which existed for extended immigration, which he asserted must prove highly advantageous to the working classes —a statement which it is somewhat difficult to see the force of, while so much capital remains locked up in large tracts of unproductive lands, and labor is so scarce. He stoutly defended his land policy, and attributed the strong opposition shown by the Liberal party to the same, more as an endeavor to oust him from office than anything eke. In supporting the increased railway tariff, he defended his own action at great length, and indignantly denied Mr Montgomery’s insinuations as to the Government having squandered the public money for the purpose of gaining support and popularity, and that the South Island was neglected and impoverished for the sake of benefitting the North. With respect to the Armed Constabulary question he based his objections to the disbandment of the force on the frivolous grounds that it would create a feeling of insecurity in the North. He next took credit upon himself for having effected retrenchments in his department equal to £lO,OOO a year, and stated his antagonism to any alteration of the present educational system. He concluded his address with a strong defence of the Government policy, and said that when they left office, “ they would leave behind them a record of reduction of expenditure of both borrowed money and ordinary revenue, of law and order re-establi-shed among the natives, of taxation placed on the right shoulders —on the rich and oil absentee proprietors,-—of liberal land laws and the people settled on the land, of the foundations of political power widened and deepened, the registration simplified, and the franchise so extended as almost to amount to manhood suffrage.” The whole tone of the speech tended to show that the speaker did not feel very hopeful or sanguine as to the future, and whatever amount of confidence he had previously felt must have been considerably shaken by the no-confidence vote, which was passed almost unanimously by the large meeting. The political horizon becomes more and more clouded, and the situation more perplexing as time goes on, and we await with no little curiosity the turn affairs will take in the South, and how Major Atkinson will be received there and what amount of support will be accorded him in Otago and Car, *rbury. Although the speech of Me, Montgomery has undoubtedly proved disappointing in the extreme, we have yet to hear what Sir George Grey has to propound. The main strength of the Ministry will, no doubt, be in the jealousy and divisions which are known to exist among the Members of the Opposition, but not until the session really begins can any accurate or definite opinion be formed as to what turn affairs will take. Till then we can only surmise and wait patiently.