The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact lustice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 1891.
At the banquet recently given by the members of the Opposition to the Hon. .John JJrycc on his retirement from .Parliament and from the poHiliou of leader of the party, (.lie action of the House in censuring Mr Bryco was discussed ( at considerable length. The speeches delivered on that occasion have bean reported in full, and will repay a careful perusal. The remarks of Mr Eryce, however, in responding to the toast of his health, are naturally possessed of greater interest than thoso of the other speakers on this absorbing topic of political discussion. There can be no question that the speech delivered by Mr Bryce was an exceedingly able one. In addition to the ability which marks the whole address, there aro several othor foaturoa connected with it that cannot fail to illicit hearty admiration. Mr Bryce, when speaking, bolieved himself to be— as tho public generally bolieve him to bo—a doeply injured aian. Ho beliovod that his political onpononts had acted in an unscrupulous and quite unprecedented mannor, in Booking to drive him from Parliamentary life. He was convincod that tho Speaker had failed in tho discharge of the functions of his office, and he knew that ho had boon guilty of no political offence deserving of censure. Under tho circumstances, smarting as Mr Bryce must have been, under a sense of bitter wrong and unjustico, his speech, is a marvel of toleration, breadth of mind, and displays a power to sink personal considerations before thoso which involve tho public honour or the public good. It is, in short, the speech of a statesman.
There is one matter in connection with this unfortunate business which previous reports of the proceedings of the House left in an indefinite position, and which has now been made clear. It wan by no means elear before, whether the Speaker had called on Mr Hryee to withdraw his words as unparliamentary and therefore out of order, and whether Mr Bryco refused to do so, and by so doing defied the chair. Indeed, the impression left upon the mind of any one readingthe Premier's remarks was distinctly to the effect that Mr Bryce refused to obey the Speaker's ruling, and this was certainly the issue upon which the members were called upon to vote. The reason given by Mr Ballanee for not expunging the vote of censure wua that ho could not pos-
silily do so as long as Mr Bryce set tho chair at defiance. It is now however, abundantly clear that the Speaker never called upon Mr Bryce to withdraw his words, that hf never afforded him the opportunity of making an explanation, and that thn Speaker ever expressed a doubt whether the words used were unparliamentary ones after all. Mr Bryce was thus condemned, not only unheard, but also unaccused. The strictures passed on the Speaker by Mr Scobie Mackenzie are no doubt severe, but we consider they are quite deserved. The position is well put by Mr Mackenzie when he says that the principle involved is the same as that of a judge trying a prisoner uncharged with an offence, and sentencing him without asking him if he had anything to say on his own behalf. Mr Steward has shown himself quite unfitted for the position he occupies. He has been the direct means, perhaps unconsciously, of deeply injuring one of the moat gifted statesmen in the colony. There are two courses, we consider, open to him, by which he can make amends for this gross dereliction of duty. He can either try and induce the Government to expunge the vote of censure on the ground that the whole proceedings were irregular; or, if he should fail in this, he ought to resign his seat at once. To retain his present position while the odium, for which he is largely responsible, still attaches to an innocent man, would !>e, to anyone possessed of fine feeling intolerable.
It is quite evident that Mr Bryce will not seek re-election whilst the vote of censure passed upon him by the House remains uncancelled. He has, in fact, intimated as much to those electors who were anxious to nominate him again for the Waikato district. He has throughout been prompted by the first principles of integrity and honour. Thie can be gathered, not only from his own conduct, tout also from his parting words of counsel to his party : "I would enjoin upon you as a party to use your energies and your devotions in the interests of tlio country, and not in a narrow souse. Treat the claims of every class in tho comuunity with the utmost consideration and tho utmost justice, treat tho weak with generosity, the strong with courage, and so you will be doing your duty to tho country, to your constituents and yourselves. Igo back now, as you suggost, to ray home—as I havo said, not alas ! with the same feeling as regards the House of Eepresontatives that I hitherto had ; but although I have changed my mind in that respect, I have not ceased to remember that I am a New Zealand colonist. And, gentlemen, I ask you to remember that you too, as New Zealand colonists, have high trusts committed to you. I entreat you to do your duty as a matter of conscience ; do it fairly to all men and to all classes in the broadest possible spirit, and the colony will reap tho fruit of your endeavours, aud you will havo your roward." The interest of any party would indeed bo safe in the koopiug of a statesman imbued with these as the ruling principles of his life. The giving expression to such statements under the peculiarly trying circumstances which call them forth, cannot but add to the honourable estimation in which Mr Bryce is held by his fellow-colonists in all parts of New Zealand.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18910912.2.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2990, 12 September 1891, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,006The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact lustice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 1891. Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2990, 12 September 1891, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.