The announcement that the Hon. the Premier (Mr. R. Stout) would address a meeting of the citizens of Auckland at the Theatre Royal last night, at the request of the Liberal Association, was sufficient to bring together almost as large an audience as ever assembled within its walls. The body of the hall was a dense mass of humanity, and the dress circle, which was reserved for ladies, and gentlemen who accompanied them, and for admission to which a charge was made, was well filled. The stage was also filled with a large number of leading citizens, members of the City Council, Harbour Board, and other public bodies. Amongst them were the Hon. Sir Fredk. Whitaker, the Hon. W. Swanson, Messrs. Thompson, Peacock, Hamlin, and Dargaville, M.H.R.'s.

When the Hon. the Premier entered, accompanied by Ilis Worship the Mayor, he was greeted with prolonged applause, which was continued as he advanced to the front and took his seat.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. W. R. Waddel) opened the proceedings by reading the advertisement and briefly introducing the speaker.

Mr. Stout, who, on rising to speak, was received with renewed cheers, said : Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,—Before I begin to address you on the subject that I have chosen to-night, I wish to say a few words as to my position here. Some time ago the Auckland Liberal Association sent a request to me that if I came to Auckland I should address a meeting under its auspices, and I at once assented, because I call myself a Liberal—(cheers),—and I am exceedingly glad to see that in Auckland there is still political life and still anxiety for liberal principles. (Hear). I have not forgotten that in years gone by—in 1875—I was fighting on the same side as the majority of the Auckland people, fighting in favour of Provincialism, and I felt sure that the people who then had fought so nobly for local self-government were actuated by some high political principles, and had not forgotten them. I felt, however, in a difficulty in choosing a subject on which to speak. My colleague, Sir J. Vogel, had spoken to you on general politics. Your own representatives have no doubt, and others will no doubt, give you an account of what took place in the House of Representatives, and I do not desire in a meeting of this kind to enter upon any question of party politics.