There were men who would not scruple at anything | the present Government did, but there were signs of a turning tide, and he hoped the country would soon see a change. It was a fact that there were more working men wandering about the country looking for work and finding none than there ever were before, and they told him ib was in consequence of the female franchise arid the present Government. For the first ! time in a long experience he had seen the other day a typical swagger come along with his " missus" with him. (Laughter.) Men had been willing to work for their bare food ; they had cried to the Govern ment for work, and they had been given a shingle-pit and their spokesman turned out of doors. There would soon be more men tramping the roads and clamouring for work, "and he would ask them all to pause before they turned this country into a gigantic factory — one half workers and one half inspectors with power to fine or imprison any people who dared think or act for themselves. He was surprised that there were bo many men in. the country who believed in such an iniquitous tax. The only point on which he agreed with the Ashburton Liberal Association was that the present system, of education must be maintained. The national education was a great fact, and must not be j lightly tampered with. If any one body holding certain religious views were granted State aid for its schools. State { aid must be granted to all. And if that were done the present system would be j broken up entirely. He respected religious feelings, but he did not see how it was possible to introduce even Bible ! reading into our State schools. The platform of the Liberal Association maintained that the qualification for voting should be residential, except in the case of commercial travellers, seamen and shearers. He did not agree with this, as it waß want ing in liberality. There were other classes to whom this privilege might have been ex tended — sick people and women. The ci aze for universal suffrage had gone a great deal too far. 