The Present Ministry.

He would first say one word as to the raison d'etre of the present Government. Why did they exist as a Government? Prior to the last session there was a feeling abroad that a change was necessary. Enterprise generally was dead, and in some districts the people had altogether lost hope, and it was felt that the Executive rather deepened than relieved the feeling of despondency, and therfore that there should be a change of Government. Whether this was so or not he would not say, but there was one thing he must say, that it was not good for a democracy to be trained to the belief that there was only one set of men that could govern it. The ancient Greeks knew better than that, for if in their day a man became too powerful or popular he was ostracised from political life and banished from Athens, for they thought that if he became too popular he weakened the Government. They should bear this in mind in this democracy and be careful not to train the young men of the colony to believe that there was but one set of men who could conduct its governmental affairs. He was not going to refer to the past or to any blunders of administration, but would merely say that when the Government took office they did so with a full sense of their responsibilities, and in the hope that the people too would recognise their responsibilities and assist them with their support. Finding that enterprise was so dead, upon what lines was his Government formed? They considered that the first thing to do was to inspire the people with hope, and encourage them to carry on the work of colonists. Their duty in this respect was not yet half accomplished but they had introduced certain measures which had already had the effect of awaking hope and enterprise, and even the people of Nelson had got up an enthusiasm over their railway line which had been dead for years past. They also recognised that too many industries had proved unprofitable, and they recognised it to be their duty so to stimulate enterprise that those who had failed in one might be induced to enter upon another, and thus to lead to the accresion of wealth which meant the promotion of happiness. Nor had they neglected social matters and reforms, and he was glad to say that one important measure, introduced originally by Mr J. C. Richmond, forgiving married women control over their property, had become law. Another very important Act was that giving workmen a lien on their work as security tor their wages. But as he had said before, he did not wish to touch on party politics, but he would say a few words on democracy. A democracy they were and a democracy they must remain, and that they should always keep in view, for even if they had the will they had not the power to make the form of government anything else, the people must rule, and they must rule for the good of the people. But they must not shut their eyes to the