It would be a fatal mistake to ; institute anything like a poor-law to levy | rates in different districts for the purpose of maintaining the poor and infirm. It was now costing something iike £1(10,000 for charitable aid and hospitals, and perhaps more. He favored the idea of hospitals being ! supported as of old, partly by the General Government and partly by the district. Local control was wanted, but even that was not always sufficient. He wanted to see an end put to tbe system of referring everything to the Government, and if tbe electors would only take this matter np a large sum might be saved, and they might once more evoke that spirit of charity which was of the greatest Importance. With regard to charitable aid and the support of the old and of women who had been left by their husbands, that, for the present, must be administered by tbe General Government, and not by the benevolent societies, whose work should be rather that of giving temporary assistance to those wbo wanted aid for the time being from their neighbors, rather than permanent assistance from the Government. Something like £50,000 a year might be saved by reforming the hospital and charitable aid system, and the people of the colony would be all the better for it. As to the education system the people of the country were proud of it, but it cost a great deal. Tbe cost of primary education was £284,000, of which £21,000 came from reserves, and the balance from the consolidated fund. The cost of secondary schools, exclude ing fees, was £26,000, of which £22,500 came from reserves, and £3500 from the consolidated

revenue. The colleges aud universities COflt also £26,000, of which £8 00 came from the consolidated revenue and £IB,OOO from the reserves, so that the total coat of education from the consolidated fund was £384,000, and that was exclusive of the interest on the money spent on buildings. Since 1876 £600,000 had been spent on school building?, yet the necessities of the position had not been overtaken, for in some districts there was not sufficient sitting room for tbe children, and tbe applications from the school boards amounted to three times the money at the dis posal of tbe Government. 