A Review of Pre-Sessional Speeches.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3845, 26 April 1881, Page 2

A Review of Pre-Sessional Speeches.

A correspondent of the Herald, at Christckurch sends the following extracts from a review, which appeared ,itf the Lytt^lton Times, of the speeches of* Mr Stevens, member for Christchurch city, and Mr Ormond, member for dive":— "Mr Stevens spoke as an independent man, tied to no party." The Government was not even named in bis speech. He approved of this and he disapproved of that, but his judgment was entirely on the merit of each question, quite independent of the persona or the questions affected. Mr Ormond, on the other hand, though he prefaced his remarks with expressions of bis deep regret at having to differ from his personal friends, of the Government, whom he respected greatly, made upon them the most damaging" attack that has been made since he >made ! his last famous assault during the session of last year. Having borne testimeny to the excellence of their private - characters individually, MiP^Drmond demolished their " collective political characters iato-l»»gmftnt3T—-Tlio best part in Mr Stevens' speech was that_injpjjioh ~ • he dealt with education. There he was^ statesmanlike, clear, and emphatic, He\ has no sympathy with those who think that the superior excellence of the system is the best reason for withdrawing from it the greater portion of the State aid. Like a sensible, practical man, he does not believe that the system is in the least degree too good. If he can be shown how the coat may be diminished without imparing the efficiency of the system he is ready to support the method, but interference of any other kind he will set'hisV face against it. His opinion is that'the consolidated revenue is the natural source of educational income. We entirely concur with Mr Stevens. Education being indispensable, must be supported out of the public revenue. Mr Ormond has made in one respect the most remarkable speech of the last six years. As a leader of the abolitionists, he has confessed that abolition was a huge mistake. Experience has convinced him of the force of all the - arguments which the provincialists urged on the stupid majority that followed the, bidding of Major Atkinson and Sir Julius Vogel. \He sees with melancholy clear- '- ness that the men who advocated amendment rather than destruction were after all ' right. Most probably he sees that none . but the wilfully blind could have missed see-. ! ing them as he sees now, and accordingly he laments the want of some living method of local government as the great want of the land. He therefore makes the absence of . any decent provision for such a method the strongest count in his indictment against the Government. The rest of the indictment is strong. It may be summed up as depriving the Government of every credit which they claim, and excusing them of every blunder which it is in their power to commit. The most extraordinary part of Mr Ormond's speech. I^in the conclusion of the speech, when he^denounces - the Government as quite unfit"/or their position, and stigmatises their'-call for political resfc'as by no means to be Jjpulged. It ends practically promising the 1 Government Mr Ormond's support to pass a few %. measures to get necessary supplies, and to go to the country when they like before next year. Finance, local government, charitable aid, public works, encouragement of private enterprise, to complete the works out of the colony's power—all these thingsand.many more are to take care of themselves for another year, some of them ' going on in grooves which Mr Ormond considers disastrous. Yet Mr Ormond expects to be considered a leader in this House of Representatives.