SIR GEORGE GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1538, 12 May 1885, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY AT AUCKLAND.

Sir George Grey delivered an address last night to the citizens of Auckland. There was a crowded house, and the Mayor, Mr Waddell, presided. On Sir George Grey’s coming forward, he was received with great cheering. He said since last he had the pleasure bf meeting them great events had- taken place in Africa and Central Asia, which bad led to colonies taking action for self• , defence, and to a movement for .federal tion of the Empire. The action of--New South Wales had attracted the- attention not merely of the Empire, but.bf the, ' .. civilised world, as showing the ndw relations of the dependencies of th'eßmpira, and {that young nations were arising in the Pacific. What was New Zealand { doing 1 If any people Mad reason to be grateful- to Great Britain,' - -it was the people of New Zealand. Many gallant officers, soldiers- and'seamed' lby . . . buried in her soil, . who died. save us from being swept into the seaby a native population. Surely It was possible, without binding themselves- to-a specific offer, to say to the Mother Country—We are grateful for past protection, ' and we have strong, anxious, willing ' hearts and open purses. What would' . your children do 1 He. regretted that this " course had not been taken, and perhaps the opportunity was gone now. Looking. to the future, they would have to train. , the population to arms, and keep a . per- _ manent force to guard this defences against foreign Powers. They should en- 1 deav -r to futnith a quota to the. navy-bf ' Great Britain, making that of the colony . and the Empire bear a proportionate ", share of expenditure - . In addition, they should drill into existence an efficient colonial force call 4hem volunteers, •- - militia or what - they would—and give them a fair capitation allowance, .not . miserable bits of land scrip to be bought ; up by land speculators for a song, 1 The Government should not squander ‘. money on public Companies, J ' the " Waimea Plains Railway Company for instance, to save tnemselyeS their individual capacity payment of rates _ squander money bn matters in which their ' " friends were interested, or add a batch of members to the Legislative Council and saddle the Colony with L2OO a year, each of them, for life, instead of using the revenue for the defence of the Colony.’ ’ They were not done with the Russia® difficulty, and should not lay that- flattering unction to their souls. It would gft on, and they would have to endure it for : years. No Government in the world \ could keep the Russians from pouring into Central Asia, and finding an outlet ■ .? for teeming millions. , -The Mother Country had to obey the same law of * nature herself. He did not say Greatf Britsfn’s present attitude was an august jone, but it would inevitably lead to disputes and wars, perhaps, for a century : or two to come. It was merely a question of time when war would come, «nd they should prepare for it, for Russia - would finally and conclusively occupy Central Asia. - ; Turning to domestic affairs, how didthey stand? They had had a iectuae bn politics in that theatre recently, which utterly, confounded him. Practically, ft was stated that politics conßiatfid m ling one’s fellows in the General Assem* . bly, and by playing on their cupidity and weakness to carry thb measures; - It was desired should bo passed. . He - , then referred to the early days of settlement in Canterbury, : quoting a letter - > written by Lord Lyttelton, amffiMgaaqh-■/ laughter, and the abuses of its land’ system, showing the present commercial--‘ stagnation was the necessary outcome. ', Mr Ballanoe recently admitted this, but with terrible blindness proposed to give a million acres to a foreign company to construct the West Coast railway. • It ’was simply a bribe to the Canterbury .districts, When he (Sir George) was in office, arrangements were being made to get that railway done without sacrificing a single acre of land. Sir George then referred to the purchase of district railways, and stated that, on reaching Wellington last session, before the House mein he 'had been communicated with by Messrs Stout and Montgomery as to the terms on which, ~ he would support a Government, no names ‘' I being used. He ssid it looked very much as if i‘. was settled. Mr Stout said, “Yes:

I am to be Premier, and Vogel Treasurer. ” He did not state terms, but left Mr Stout to do so, and afterwards met gentlemen, of whom Mr Stout was one, in the whips* room. But he would leave them to tell the story of that interview. It looked very much as if certain persons intended to seize the Government and act like Cromwell. Six days after Mr Stout got into office,, the Waimea Plains railway affair was brought on. The charge of dishonesty made by both sides in the House in the matter, rendered it necessary that the Waimpa, Plains Railway Bill shout! not pass till the present Government was out of office,. ‘ as they were largely interested in it. It . was the duty of the Premier, on coming into office, to have made an investigation into the scandalous charges bandied about of Parliamentary corruption and robbery in connection with the district railways. It was not pleasant to see high handed measures forced through the Assembly in spite of the protests of public spirits! members. He then referred to reform bl the Legislative Council and abolition of " plural voting. : Sir George sat‘down amid great cheering, and the following resold* tion was carried amidst cheering—“ That this meeting tenders its hearty thapka to Sir George Grey for his address; that it places the utmost confidence in him as leader of the Liberal party in New Zaa> land ; and also expresses its opinion that such leader should be supported by every man in the coluny who wishes for the wel* fare of his fellow colonists. ”