THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 3439, 2 January 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1880.

I In another column we give extracts I from the speech of Mr Swanson, the member for Newton, at the banquet given him. He gave but. few reasons for his defection and said not a word about the mysterious document he was supposed to have in his possesion, and which provided such gifts for the people of Auckland and the North. We are disappointed; we expected more from Mr Swanson, he who has had the reputation of being one of the most consistent and devoted followers of his party, and one of the last men to be caught by chaff. In fact the perusal .his speech leaves the impression of a flban trying to hide the fact, patent to himself, that he had done a foolish thing, and the linowledge he possessed so disconoert^Va that he could not offer any excuse for his conducl. Mr Swanson says in order that the public business might proceed, that the Ministry, then in a minority in the House, roigtft acquire funds to pay contractors, and one of his friends, he promised to support the Government. Why, if he had remained true to his party he would have had a ministry of his own friends in power in a few days, and the delay in getting money might have been borne by; the contractors and his friend, when so many advantages to the Auckland district hung in thei^ balance. If Mr Swanuon cannot give better reasons than those he is reported to have given, what ieaccuses will his fellow seceders, Messrs Hurst, W o^od and Colbeck, advance. The simple fact is, these men have been out- witted by the Ministry, and the longer they live the more convinced will they be of their folly, and the more will their constituents and the people of this part of the colony have cause to regret their action.