Our Dunedin correspondent writes : — The Hon. Mr Ward delivered a very long and a very angry and, therefore, a very vigorous speech at the social tendered to him by the Liberal Party here on Saturday evening. The object of the reunion, if the word describes such an assemblage, was ostensibly to give him what is familiarly known as a " send-off " on his semi-official mission to England. In reality the purpose of the meeting was to give Mr Ward an opportunity of telling the country what he thought of those who were strik ing at him and endeavouring to defeat the object of his mission, as far as it bore on the affairs of the colony, by cabling to England that there would be a deficit of a quarter of a million in the revenue of the colony. The object of this communication clearly was to inspire distrust of the Government in the London money market, so as to ensure the failure of Mr Ward's financial undertaking. Then the Opposition would cry out, "Ah ! we told you so. The Government legislation has killed trade at home and destroyed the credit of the colony abroad." Naturally, Mr Ward felt very wrathful at this proof of unscrupulous ness on the part of his opponents. Not, indeed, that they are incapable of such atrocious conduct on the other side, despite Mr Ward's passionate protestations of Liberal virtue. But to Mr Ward it was more than political — it was a personal matter; for by implication it damned his of the finances of the country; and you must know that Mr Ward with the pardonable pride and, perhaps, conceit of a successful young man, regards himself as the financial peer of a Goschen or a Harcourt. He plunged into this section of his address without preliminary of any kind and in a white heat. His de nunciation of his detractors, for so he re garded those who had cabled a financial deficit to England, was very fierce and full and exhaustive, and the audience howled in chorus with delight. 