He shared in his views because he felt that an injustice had been done, and that an impor

tant section of the colony had suffered by the change that had taken place in the conduct of the emigration arrangements (Hear, hear), but he asked the House to look into the matter in a candid spirit and to say whether the Government was to blame altogether for those short comings. (Cheers.) He was per fectly well aware that the Government was responsible for the conduct of its subordinates, and of tbe conduct even of those who occupied the mostexaltedpositions. Hon memberswould see that under the circumstances it became absolutely necessary in the first instance to allow a large latitude of action to the Agent-General in establishing and inaugurating the important business of an emigration scheme, and that if the Govern ment had treated the gentleman holding the position of Agent-General in any other way than they did it would have been a proof that they had committed an error in choosing him for the important post to which he was ap pointed. The Government was bound to give him a large scope, and he thought it was far too early to condemn him or the Government for those shortcomings that had made themselves apparent. In regard to the termination of the old established line of vessels trading to Otago, would state that as far as he understood the he matter the Agent-General had acted upon a laudable but he believed a mistaken notion of exercising economy by reducing the cost of the carriage of the Scotch emigrants to an equality with the cost of the emigrants despatched from London. Whether he was justified in acting as lie did, in stopping an old-established line of emigra tion, was open to doubt, but the object was a laudable one, though he was afraid the Agent- General had under-rated the extremely strong national feeling which prompted their northern countrymen in Dunedin. The hon gentlemen must do the Government the justice to admit that since they became aware that this line of emigration was stopped they had issued instructions to have it reopened. (Heai’, hear). He could nob help thinking that the hon gentlemen from the South had laid a little too much stress upon the injury they had suffered. 