then 1 as ' to' the; Gdvernment's 'proposals re 'a land >( taxV ' If"-' was' , '/true thVPrbperty^Assesfiment'Bill aid notgothe length of -a land tax", 1 buMt made ' enormous advances 'towards it." He' twitted r the member for Napier' with not' being/ sincere on the question of a general. land ' tax,| 'and that when the Property ■ Assessment" 1 Bill went" to ' division, s he would ''be found voting against the ' Government. ° Th 6; hon. member for' Napier 1 , would', not 'succeed in getting a following 1 till' he threw "over personal and districtfeelings and went in for colonial feeling— he would' go higher, and say ,a humanitarian feeling* When v that hon. gentleman stated that the Government had made no< step 'towards acquiring land along the line of the North Island trunk rail way, he was saying what wasdevdid of truth. He admitted at once that there were tw© or three parties in the House, but the Go vernment were not to blame if party lines were so laid down that there could not be found one party sufficient to'forindmajority. The Government had attempted to carry on the business of the country, and,' as he had said,' when 1 the time came/he should take measure after measure they ' had' proposed, and see if they had not submitted; liberal proposals.' He said that' Mr Ormorid was afraid to meet his constituents— at leasts he had not done so before \coming. to the House this time. So' far as ; he (the Premier) 'was concerned, he had never done that. Not only was t he not afraid to meet his constituents, but he was 'willing to go to Napier before 1 Mr Ormond's con stituents and contest an election there with him. (Cheers.) In all his political actions he (the Premier) • had ' always" had the good of the colony at' heart, -and' no one could say that he had ever acted from personal feelings, or with a desire to' self advancement. (Prolonged 'cheers.) Mr Smith promised to fill in some details in the member for Napier's apolitical life, not supplied by ■ the Premier. The hon. gentleman, after working hand and glove with the Hall Ministry, suddenly left them^ and without 'notice moved a no-confidence vote against them. 