The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1885. THE PREMIER’S SPEECH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1294, 24 January 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1885. THE PREMIER’S SPEECH.

The Premier lias spoken, but what be said is devoid of interest. The present Government took office in very troublous limes, and if they were not able to put before Parliament immediately after forming a Cabinet a definite policy, they had the excuse that they had not had an opportunity of maturing their plans. It is now, however, four months since Parliament was prorogued, and the country might very well expect to get from the Premier’s speech an idea as to the Ministerial policy. Those who expected this must feel very much disappointed with Mr Stout’s speech. It is about the poorest Ministerial speech we have read for a long time—it is hackneyed in its subject matter, indefinite as regards future policy, and altogether unworthy of Mr Stout. We do not know whether the weight of office is bo oppressive that it tends to intellectual deterioration, or what caused this; but this we know from experience, that if Mr Stout had spoken as a private member his criticism of the political situation would have been far more interesting than he made it. when he spoke as Premier last Wednesday evening. He boasted of having saved the colony £9OOO in the way his Government managed the San Francisco Mail con tract. His explanation of this will be found elsewhere, so that it is not not necessary to go deeper into the question. We should, however, like to know whether he is positively certain that if the Stout-Yogel Ministry had not been in office, this £9OOO wouid have been lost ? Can ho say that no other Government could have worked the matter so advantageously ? He said the acts of the late administration wouid not bear criticism, but he would not make any charges against them. Now this is a mean way of putting it. It is as much as to say “ I could tell you a

great many of their misdeeds, but I wont,” He thus insinuates that there has been something wrong, but he does not give the wrong-doers means of explaining, because he makes no definite charges, Either he ought to have shown definitely that something was wrong, or else have desisted from indulging in such insinuations. A remarkable feature in bis speech is that the first measure he referred to was the “ Married Women’s Property Act.” Mr Ballance, when speaking at Wanganui, gave this Act equal prominence, and we then pointed out that the reason he did so was because it was the only Radical measure passed, 'and be, being a Radical, wished to show that be had been able to embody his views in the policy of the Government. Mr Stout gave prominence to this measure for exactly the same reason. Sir Julius Vogel rules the Cabinet, their lives have hardly been their own since they entered the Government, and as this miserable little scrap of Radicalism became law, they are trying to make as much capital out of it a« they can, and hence the “ crowing.” We are glad that on one point we can compliment Mr Stout. He admitted that the Government borrowed their land policy from the Hon. Mr Rolleston, and we compliment him on his honesty in making this admission. To us this is a pleasure. We have stock consistently to Mr Rolleston ever since he made known his policy with regard to perpetual leases, and it is a pleasure to us now to find that even bis bitterest political enemies have to admit that his land administration was irreproachable. But how does this chime in with Mr Stout’s action when Sir Julius Vogel accused Mr Rolleston of malfeasance in connection with some coal mine lease on the West Coast. Mr Stout knew Mr Rolleston’s worth then as well as he knows it now, but instead of bearing testimony to it, when a violent but grounhless attack was made upon him, he contributed his share to damage Mr Rolleston’s character. This does not speak well for Mr Stout’s sense of justice. He makes a great parade of his impartiality and sense of justice, but apparently he left both qualities at home on the occasion referred to. Space will not permit of our going more fully into his speech at present. He made a great attempt to fore shadow his local Government scheme, but we fail to gather one single comprehensive idea from all he said. But we shall reserve this for another article.