MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 900, 15 October 1881, Page 2

MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

There was an interesting debate last even* iut; at 'he meeting of the above Society on the question " Is it desiiable that the Wairarapa should return a supporter of the present Government. t

The opener (if the debate briefly referred to each member of the present Ministry, 'lhe Premier whs a man. who, by ability mid inte»rity, had risen from a compara tively obscure position to the highest place in the colony. Mr Eolleston was .not only a man of oilture, but one who had the confidence of the people, as ihe former .elections for i he supermtendjiioy of Cniimrbnrv testified, Muj'ir A'kinsoii was the best Colonial Treasurer Nuw Ze:ilaiut,ever had. Mr Jtiek was tho'tpretentative min of the best comnit:rci;l centre in the coldiiy. *.Mr was the ablest politician in the Auckland Pro. /yiiiONßji and Mr Johniten's talent

were' likely "to " be of' advantigV tifflto colony. Moral worth and industry, was the characteristic of the Mmiitry as a whole. Ministers had governed ecenomically, maintained peace with the natives, settled mure people on land than any former Cabinet, and passed liberal measures which their predecessors had only talked about. Those, even who opposed the Hall Ministry were very unlikely to support a squatter, like Mr Ormona,'aN partisan of Otago like Mr Macandrew, or\ a man like Sir George Grey, who, though a tribune ofthe people, was,as agister, wanting in ability and lacked dii&etion in choosing his colleagues. Chicanery and intrigue was the result ef the Grey Ministry, - and the country was demoralised by the example set to it in high places, Hall Ministry had fairly faced the culties of the colony, but the Grey Ministry evaded them. The colony had passed from a state of turmoil under Sir George Grey, to one of tranquility under Mr Hall.

The leader of the other side then re- '• plied. Referring to the Premier he said that prior to his elevation to office he was a Legislative Councillor, and the speaker recognised very little difference between, members ef that body and the fat lazy beggars who applied to Benevolent Societies. On one occasion Mr Hall had said the people ought not to be leaders but to' be led, " a sentiment .worthy of the Czar of Russia," tor Hall left the Upper ' House to thwart the policy which the country dsmanded, He did not daro—liko Sir George— to face large public audiences. His Ministry was a Ministry of muffs. Though the present Goveri.nieiit had come forward to sneep away all big c spidera, they bad left the big building in - Wellington untouched. They had even created new offices and imported new officials, While admitting the blemishes of the late Ministry, he contended that the Hon Mr Dick in recommitting the Licensing Bill to insert the bottle license at the instigation of the wir.e merchants ofDunedin, had done a mora iniquitous act than any which could be charged against Mr Sheehan. Mr Hall was identified with the land monopolists of the colony, men who were virtually criminal and disloyal to the country, Major Atkinson, he said, had financed for the benefit of his own district, Taranaki. The Ministry had driven the bone and sinew from the country, had injured the credit of the colony at Home, and suspended immigration just when farmers were leaving England en masse. He believed that the exigencies of the times would bring forward men fit tc take charge of the affairs of the country instead of the present poor wire pullers, (Applause). The next speaker supported the Hall Ministry for its honesty in putting a true balance sheet before the public. Formerly colonists had gone mad with a land fever until brought tn their senses by the present Ministry. The speaker wit" followed contrasted the wages under i!i" Grey tig me with those now going, and advocated a change. He believed that better men than those in either the Grey or Hall Ministry could now be found in the colony. The next member shewed the difficulculties the Hall Ministry had to contend , with,and demonstrated that it had done its i < work of retrenchment well. He doubted whether the Hall Ministry would last very long, but they should return a member to support its principles. He emphatically declared that Mr Beetham, tho present member, was the best man that-SV could be found to represent them, and they would do good to the district and the colony by returning him. The next member opposed the Hall Ministry on the ground of the horrible system of giving subsidies to boroughs, ahd the heavy penalties it imposed on sheepowners,

Another member thought that unless new men could be found, it would be "six of one to half-a-dozen of the other" between the present Ministry and their predecessors. In this district it might be well to support Mr Beetham, as there was every probability, if the Hall Ministry survived, of his becoming a member of it. He was alto a man who thoroughly understood the wants of tho district,

The speaker who followed held that a certain amount of depravity was inseparable from tho Ministerial benches. The present Ministry was one without a policy-excepting that which it badborrowed from its predecessors. It had damaged the country in order to save it, had played fast and loose with local bodies, at the lajt moment, when the elections were coming, on Riving them a subsidy. He objected to the property tax as pressing heavier on tho poor man than the land tax. It was a " Tom, Dick, and Harry" Government.

The last speaker supported tho Hall Ministry, but held that the true solution nf the difficulties of the colony was improving its trade, and said he.would support any candidate who favored protection. After the opener had replied a vote was taken, which resulted in a tie—G for and 0 against—tho Chairman declining to disturb the equilibrium by exercising his casting vote. °