THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2070, 23 August 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1875.

Me Stafford, regarded by many and not without reason as the ablest man ou the Ministerial benches, has delivered his much looked for oration ; ■ and Mr Fitzherbert, one of whose merits it is, according to our synonymous contemporary of Auckland, to be able to speak for ten hours at a stretch, has harangued his followers for just half that time. -Of Mr Stafford's speech we have the longest account sent us, and t may be briefly described as consisting

of two portions—defence of the Governmen and its friends, and counter attacks on its foes, each of course illustrated by reference to the past in a way which seemed, we suppose, to the speaker most suited to his end in view. We cannot, however, congratulate Mr Stafford on one of the analogies which he draws between New Zealand at present and other countries in which constitutional revolutions have been effected or attempted —we mean his allusion to America and the war between the Northern and Southern States, undertaken ostensibly to further the nbolition of slavery—and for this reason, that though the party in favor of abolition were successful in their aim, yet, so far as an analogy exists at all between the Americans and ourselves 3 it is decidedly in favour of Mr Stafford's opponents. The Northern party — the victors fought for the maintenance of that system of a Federal or Provincial Government which Mr Stafford and his party wish to abolish; and the Confederates were defeated on the point which was really the subject at issue, viz., their attempt to form a confederation of a few provinces governed from one centre. Neither dp we think that Mr Stafford was very happy in his reference to Elijah's mantle having fallen on the new member for Rangitikei, unless, indeed, he wished to claim for him the gift of prophecy, which we hardly think likely; and if he wished to imply that the new member, Mr Uallance, was endued with the virtues of Mr Pox, his predecessor, it would certainly have been better as well as easier to say so. With these two exceptions Mr Stafford's speech was jfretty much what might have been expected, and contained, except in the way of saying it, little but what had been said before. He pointed out how entirely useless were the existing institutions of Provinces, which could not even legislate on such a subject as " scabby sheep " without coming to the Assembly to confirm their enactments. He gave experiences of himself as Superintendent of Nelson, and other Superintendents elsewhere to show that they were powerlers to effect any change for good which they might wish to bring about, unless-they chose, as he had done, to pay the money out of their own pockets. In fact, it all came to this, that these Superintendents who were represented to be the safeguards of the liberties of the people —which liberties, as far as the Superintendents and Provincial Councils were concerned, were contained in the Acts relating to dog ordinances, horse trespass, and impounding—were utterly unable to help the people at all. and were, in other words, merely "abject slaves." Since these things were so, why should they exist? Why should not these laws affecting such important interests as the dog tax and other kindred subjects come direct to the people from a central Government, and avoid all the cost and individual bickering of a H'little, petty, sham Parliament." Mr Stafford also defended the Colonial Treasurer and Minister of Justice from the attacks made on thftin by Sir George Grey; and though we have not at present the verbatim report of his speech as actually delivered, yet we have no doubt that it will be found to have deserved the praise which has been awarded to it as a brilliant piece of oratory. It contained, as we have said, little that was new to the point at issue, and little that is new could have been argued in a question, of this kind. Where one side argues that a particular thing is useless, the other that it is useful—for in point of fact the arguments of the case are soon exhausted—and where, as in this case, each member seems detertermined to have his say on the matter, little is left for those who speak towards what we hope is the end of a tedious debate, except mutual recriminations and defences. We are right glad, however, that "brave old Fitz" (vide A. Star) has finished his speech, of which we have but a brief account, with an assurance from a correspondent that it was an utter failure, and many of the members sought relief in sleep during the five hours of its duration.

Theee has lately perished—we can use no other word—in our midst a woman whose death was painfully accelerated, if not occasioned by most culpable neglect —neglect, too, at the hands of one from whom above all others she had a legal as well as a moral right to expect support. Mrs Mack, to whom we allude, had often at different periods been relieved by the Thames Ladies^Benevolent Society, although her husband was living and perfectly able to work and support his wife. However, as fast as relief came it was taken from her or applied to purposes which the donors never intended; and when too late, she was found by one of the ladies of the society we'refer to utterly destitute even of bed covering. That lady* immediately supplied her with blankets and other necessities, and promised to obtain her removal to the hospital. Thither she was removed, although reluctant at first to leave what was her home—-heaven save the mark !—and to which she still clung, and there soon after her arrival she died. Mr J. C. Williams in a most kind manner came forward and collected a few pounds to defray the expenses of the funeral, so that her husband niight be able to pay the poor token of respect to his injured wife in death which he seems persistently to have denied in life. Her two shoeless children were also, by Mr Williams' aid, enabled to attend their mother's funeral decently dressed, and Mr Williams, according to his published statement of accounts, still holds 12s on their, behalf, having most properly refused to-give one shilling of bis subscription ?:st for the use of the

husband. So affairs stand. The police, owing to the persistent refusal of the poor woman to swear any information against the brute who neglected her, aro unable to give him the punishment he so richly deserves, and the "children deprived of their mother are left to experience such treatment as they may expect to receive from a father who has shown himself such a husband. Something, it is hoped, will be done to force this man I to pay for the support of his children being properly brought up, instead of allowing them to run at large to increase in after years the crime and misery of the country, the necessary result of their neglect now.