MR J. B. WHYTE ON THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday Night.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2171, 8 June 1886, Page 2

MR J. B. WHYTE ON THE NO-CON-FIDENCE MOTION. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday Night.

Thk following is Mr Whyte's speech on the no-confidence deb ite:— He said jits had ii feu remarks to make upon the Govern ment programme :is set foith in tho Queen's Speech, «md on tin* Financial Statement. He was glad to say they would be, t<> n large extent,of a congiatulatoiy n.ituic to tin* Government, and to ,1 \eiy sm.ill extent towards limi-pif. Wiii'n upon the stump lately in ni-> own distnct, after m.ik mg some ii'in.nk*. wlucli, upon tho wliolt>, could haidiy be looked upon as complimentary to tho Guveinment, he had concluded by saying that when he rumunibcied the individual ability of ministers, when he tememheied the zeal and al-o the trials and tribulations through which they hid parsed, he could not help thinking that out of it all pood must come, and that they would ultimately learn what the colony really nended. He was glad to say that in this, judging by the Speech and by the Financial Statement, lie was not likely to be dis ippointed, as it must be evident to all that the Government had at all events learnt a good deal of what the colony did not need. He therefore hoped that he would tins .session be able to accord to the Government even more of that loyal support winch he had accorded them in the. previous sessions. It was true that be had assisted to reject nine out of ten of their measures, but still he had always endeavoured to approacli them without bias or prejudice, and to treat them on their merits. If it had been his unhappy lot to be compelled to reject many of them he had in one respect differed not even in degree from many avowed Government supporters. This year he hoped to be able, if the Government survived this division, to accept four out of five of their measures. He was glad to be able to say this, as it mattered nothing to him who occupied the Government benches, so long as the affairs of the colony were managed with an average amount of ability, and. he hoped, with more than an average amount of honesty. It must be evident to all that the Government had lately learnt many useful lemons, amongit others not to make too many rash promise*. Ministers had also learnt a great deal in their peregrinations, which, as far as he had been able to ascertain, had been made for three purposes, fiist to attend to departmental work, second to find out how popular opinion tended, and, third, to render the Members of the Opposition as odious as possible in the eyes of their constituents. For the sake of the colony he was glad to say that they had been much more successful in the first two of these objects than they were in the third. Then it was evidentUhat the pilot balloons of which they hoard mi many during the recess had also served some useful purposes. For instance, they heard no more of the intention to misappropriate the North Island Trunk loan, on the contrary it was to be more carefully ear-marked thunever. Thon they heard nothing of the proposed large borrowing policy ; in fact it had been repeatedly disavowed by its reputed parents. The great question of Protection versus Free Trade had been removed from the spheie of piactical politics ; the bogie of an immediate dissolution had also disappeared until that afternoon, when the Minister of Lands hud again trottPd it out for the purpose of this division. This had, however, he had no doubt served its put poses during the lecess by frightening stiaying sheep back into the fold. Referring to the Queen's Speech, the House might be surprised to hear that he had read it several times and that he had found a good deal it, and also a good deal out of it, and yet for both of these reasons he rather liked it. The same he could say of the Financial Statement. For instance amongst the omissions, as compared with previous Speeches and Budgets, were, Ist, the great question of a radical change in local government. This had formed an important plank in the Government platform and pet haps in some respect it was not a pity it was not dealt with, but on the whole he thought that Governments, like individuals, should not meddle with matters which they did not understand. Then there was no mention of the repeal of the propei ty tax. In previous declara tions of policy this only existed to be repealed. Now, however, they were t >ld in the Statement that this tax was " meant to be adjusted year by year." The laud ta\ had disappeared. Then the question of railway management had also disappeared from the Government policy. This was no doubt a pity ; and it would be the duty of the House to bring this important matter under the notice of Government before the end of tho session, but meanwhile it was perhaps too much to expect that a Government which had now got an expert at the I head of the railway department should take the initiative in finding fault with their own management. They had heard nothing of any reform in the Legislative Council. Thi* also used to be a prominent feature m Government policy ; nevertheless it was too much to expect that the parents of thirteen new lords should turn round and massacre their own offspring. Further, they heard nothing of the promised readjustment of taxation. For these reasons he thought that Government supporters ought to have a much easier task than they had List session. Their difficulty then was to keep Government in but to keep their measures out. Now they probably would be able to keep the Government in because the Government themselves had kept their measure out. There were many things in the Speech and Statement which ho was pleased to hear if they were true, as he hoped they were. For instance, they were told that in the matter of public works the Government had kept within the amount allowed to them by Parliament. Now, Although he had his doubts about this, still he thought that it must surely be the case, because they had heard .so much about it during the recess. Whenever a Minister was asked to erect a cattle pen, a coal shed to a court-house, or anything of that sort, the answer invariably was, at all events in districts represented by a member of the Opposition, " We would cheerfully have done what yon want, but the Opposition would not let us. Owing to Capt. Russell's motion the thing is impossible." It was true that at this time the Government were building a traffic bridge at Ashburton at a cost of £10,000, alongside of a combined railway and traffic bridge, but then the effect of Capt. Rnssell's motion was not felt in that district. Then they were told by the Government that " in future " railway construction was to proceed on ecnnoinonal principles. He was glad to hear this, as of course during the last two sessions it was quite impossible that this could be the case, while that monstrous work, the East and West Coast Railway, still stared them in the face. Then they were told that the depression had, after all not passed away, but that it should make them increase their exertions, so that thereby the farmers from other countries might be induced to come find aid them in these exertions, and thereby " materially aid the progress of the colony." He was also glad to hear at last that local works were admitted to be essential to the advancement of the colony. Previously the Government had always said that railways and bridges were not productive. Then he and the Auckland members wete delighted to heat that a. grand Exhibition was to be held in that district in 1800. Ho thought that this almost verged upon the prophptic, but perhaps many of them might still be in 188' J. He thought also that if the Government went ou as heretofore developing their "adhesiveness" they also might still be in office in 181)0. Then they were told that the construction of the Midland Railway having been arranged for under the Act of 1884 wa» a matter of hearty rejoicing. In this he entirely agreed, not only because the colony had been hereby saved £07,000 a year and working expenses, not only because a disturbing element had been removed from the politital atmosphere, a disturbance which would have disturbed any ordinary Government from its seats, but also that now some 20 or 30 members hailing from Canterbury, Westland and Nelson would be at liberty to vote " according to their consciences. He was not one of those who thought that in this instance it was a case of " first catch your conscience " ; on the contrary he thought these hon. gentlemen, judginr by their appearance, were a very decent lot of fellows, that they had conscience^, and that on the whole, other things being equal, they would prefer to be guided by them. In concluding his remarks he thought he could not possibly do better than quote of the language of the Financial Statement. Some of the phraseology was admirable. For instance, it must be evident to all that thn Government had very nearly learnt[what pleasing the market meant, that the Government had again reluctantly yielded to pressure, in thus abandoning every shred of then* policy, that, in the words of the Statement, " the ways they are many but tl^e end it is ojie." He (Mr Why te) trusted that thi,s was aiso not owing to thfttcauat of \\fsy fcnrd

so much, the caii-.! 1 to which many of tb«ir tr<uil"l"s nci<" attributed, namely, " th# jppn ci.ition of p.ld ' And tins wjih what w.i-, c illeil assisting in the h<:r<iic work of colonisation. He, houoviM, w<ml<l conclude hy congr itwl.itiii'j tin- (li.vonmient on th* miny iidnur.ililc qu.ilitifs which were displayed both in th<* Speech and in tha Statement. They had shown a docility and what n»ii:ht b» termed a teachableness, which was ab-olntely surprising. They had shown also ,1 niude-ty, not t» say humility, which was (|iiite ple.usinj,', and the only f Jhnsti.iM v ii tin- w lsich w.ih agam conspicioui hy it 1 * absence and which was required to make up the measure of their repentance w.\-< tli.it of " lesifjnatinn."

Opinions of the Press. Tho (foirriiiiiKiit <>r#.in, t he Evening I'nit, *ays, in a le.ider tins morning, that Mr Whyte "delivered one of those satirical, harri-hitting, ainusinfr, ,md perfectly huniomod speeches, for which he possesses quito a unique reputation."' The Presi also «!iys : " Whyte't bnlli.int cnncaten.ition of epigram I',1 ', whilst it put the Hou-e in the best of humour*, and c.in ifd unny ti utlis hiui:e more forcibly th mi the ni<i-.t \iolcnt declani.vtions, and might very well have been the signal for the closing of the debate.