SIR GEORGS GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1261, 23 May 1884, Page 2

SIR GEORGS GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Sir George Grey addressed the Auckland City Bast electors last evening in the Theatre Royal. The building was crowded to excess. Several members and a number of leading citizens wore on the platform. The Mayor presided. Sir George was enthusiastically received, the audience rising en masse. On commencing his address he was received with renewed cheering. The Premier had at the recent meeting apologised for and defended his now stumping the colony, though he had blamed himself for so doing, on the ground that he had a right to change his mind. Ho had told them that ho would compel ,theic public men to go round the colony, and address the public on colonial questions, and the Premier was now doing that. N.>w, with regard to the Premier’s speech, words of advice and caution had reached him from various quarters. He was told to gather up the threads of power with public men throughout the colony, and to siy nothing to offend the great men here, and to avoid such topics as would cause irritation. He believed the Premier and the groat men had made it up. He would never accept such advice. What did he care for office or power 1 He had the power with the multitude at his back to 'wring 'from a reluctant Government agamst their will reforms desired by *the people. That was the true power he wielded. He cared nothing for consequences, but would fig <t on till they got their rights from those in power and from trembling rings. The Premier had said there wore no distinct party hues m New j Zealand. There was the reform of the constitution {of the Legislative Ceuncit, the mode of dealing with native lands, and lands benefited by public works, the North Island Trunk Railway, land tax, unearned incre ent of land, immigration, Chinese labor, federation, etc. All these were definite issues. the Premiers proposal re native lands was in the direction of the views propounded by himself two sessions ago. The Premier should have taken the people into his confidence. Regarding the trunk railway, apparently instead of going to Taranaki, as the Auckland people desired it, it would go by the route which tapped land held by certain capitalists. The Premier’s figures as to the number of freeholders in t the colony were wholly misleading, and did not represent the true state of the case. He was opposed to further Government immi ..ration or assisted immigration. The natural increase of population and the ordinary immigration would meet the demands cf th© labor market. There was no fear of the depopulation, as predieted by the Premier, if immigration ceased. The Premier’s remarks explana.o y cf the year’s dt licit were most extraordinary, viz., that it the constabulary vote had been taken out of loan instead of current revenue there weald have been no deficit. Why, he might as well have said if the cost of the Government had bean taken out by loan there would have been no deficit. The Premier was simply confusing in speaking in that way. Any way they looked at it, there was the deficit, and he believed it was still inoreasing. Whatever was the result, he meant to go on in the course he had marked out, aided by those who had. so nobly rallied around him, though eyes wore set askance at him, though newspapers railed at him, for these journals were nearly all in the hands of pors >ns of wealth. There was now a reign of terror, he believed, throughout the colony, and the railway employees dare not approach a member of the Assembly to state tbeir grievances without risking the loss of their bread. The Premier now promised a refjrm in the Civil Service, and that competitive examination should bo the test of fitness. Why that had always bean the real state of the law, but never obeyed. At present there was a perso i in the South who had obtained a place of large emolument under the Government who had no claim on the Civil Service, bnt who had rendered set? vice in giving adulation to those in power, and heaping coarse abuse on their oppo» neats, lie could assure them there was no enmity in the south to the men of the north. At meetings as large as that he had addressed in the south, kindly eonti merit a 0.1 the contrary were expressed The Government in their distress would endeavor to set one part of the colony against anpther, city against city, under the pretence that they desired to benefit this part of the colony, but if the Auckland people were true to themselves, and united with those in the South, victory would crown the efforts of those opposed to the present Administration at the next elections. The speaker concluded a very lengthy speech amidst cheers. A number of questions were asked. The answers to the most important were the following; —He was opposed to interfering with the sa aries of the Judges, as effecting their independence, but thought they should not be appointed for life. He was opposed to the city single electorate. He would voto for annexing Church property if people desired it, but Hi r not believe it would much diminish taxation. He did not intend to move for any amendment of the Education Act. He did not send a circular to the British Government when in office suggesting they should sand paupers out how. He would QOt proutiag

to accept office. If requested to do so, possibly he might accept office to carry out certain great measures agreed on with his colleagues, reserving the right to retire afterwards, or for them to separate.

A vote of thanks and confidence was carried by acclamation.