MR BRYCE AT WAVERLEY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1490, 23 February 1887, Page 2

MR BRYCE AT WAVERLEY

The following are the salient points of Mr Bryoo's epeeoh at Wavorley on Tuesday evening, as culled from the telegraphic repoit furniahrd by tho Preßß Association :— He did not Intend to declare the polioy of the Opposition, tho Opposition had no policy; Us duty was to ctitlcife the polioy of tha Government. The Government had nob a ehrod of policy to criticise. The effect of the new Representation Bill would be to take away thr.e members from the Sonth Island and add to the North Inland. Th'a, ho ventured to Bay, was the real reason why the Bill was not allowed to pais last session, as the Government's strength lay m the South liland. From that he suspeoted that the Government wonld get reelection under tho old Bill rather thin run the risk of redistribution. He referred to the legislation of last session as slipshod, and condemned the Native Lands Administration Bill. The following were hla referenoes to the NATIVE QUESTION. Sir R. Stout then claimed credit for the Government getting five millions of sores of land m the King country through the Land Court, but he withheld the fact that the land waa put through the Court pursuant to an application made while the Government of which he (Mr Bryoe) was a member was m office, and ihe Chief Purveyor had negotiated with the Natives for the survey, and the survey was within one week of completion when we went out of office. A good deal was said about Government land purchase, but he was sorry he could not agree with his friend. The moat particular purchase waa the Walmarino blook, which could not be said to be suitable for settlement as the weßt portion wbb heavy bush and the east pumice. Much had been said about the King country. It was generally understood there was a block between Alexandria and Mokau we'l adapted for settlement, and which the railway would pass through ; but no land had been purchased' nor wbb likely to be, and the Government deserved censure for not having purohnaed this be fore the railway was surveyed. Tholr aotion had placed the chief Wahanul m a position to prevent the selling of the land, and they atrenathoned his hands by their direct act. When he (Mi Bryce) was m office he found the Na'ivea were m great fear of the land being taken, and he oouli understand the Government saying as} long as land was waste it should be taxed, as that was a reasonable position, but (quoting from Mr Balance's own report) he found a Minister had said he objected to the Rating Act, and when land wai leased or cultivated it waa soon enough to put on rotas, and said that would be binding on any future GovoriJtnetst, thuß putting a formidable weapon m the hands of the Natives m preventing the necessity of selling land, and the prospect of purchasing land on the railway had gone to a vanishing point. He raw that Sir R. Stout m Dunedin described what had been dono with the Natives lately, and said they did not eend them round the island on a tour but they treated them as they treated any one else, and this should have been done m 1879 Sir K. Stout would not have s»id that before North Island men who knew the circumstances. Tho little event at Manaia proved that If not assisted by Europeans the police would have b9en driven awiy. He had been silent ou Iheae subjects, ond was perfectly satisfied with the acts of his Government, but when ttatoments like , this were made, for tha sake of historical accuracy he found it necessary to speak. Sir R. Stout said tho same course as was followed now should have been followed m 1870, but tho circumstancoa were different now. The demonstration at Pari hako undertaken by the Government of which he was a member, had a very marked ' effect on the . Native mind throughout tho island. Three weeks beforo that it would have coat any European his life to cross the nukati line, and three weeks Inter he cjuld have crossed it with perfect safety. The Maoriß were warlike Natives, and knew when they wero beaten. Sir B. Stout had said whatever wob done now could have been done before. Then why did he not do it ? He was m power m 1877 and 1878, when Hirofei, accused of murder, was parading about Parihaka m defiance of the law, and when the Government men went to take him they left Parihaka quicker than they went, and without the murderer. Sir B. Stout was also m power when he put the surveyors into Waimate, and they were carled off by the Natives. "Why did he not do then as they do now? When tho Natives were ploughing the settleis' lawns he did not put them down, nor did the settlors themselves. Be (Mr Bryce) was always charge with increasing the Constabulary. Before he came into office Col.Whitmore had a very large and efficient force, part at Waihi and part at Stony River, but he dared not move them towards each other. Yet,' what was done to-day could have been done m 1879 . THE COLONIAL DEBT. Referring to the financial position of the colony, Mr Bryce said its indebtedness amounted m round numbers to £34,000,000, or, including the indebtedness of public bodies and private individuais, to £75,000,000. The interest payable m and cut of tho olony on the latter son» totalled up to 3£ millions ; that on the colonial debt only to £1,790,C00 per annum. Of the 34

millions of borrowed money, only 14 millions had been expended on railways. He went en to show that although (here might be no loan raised this year Sir J. Yogel had admitted that it might be neceifeaiy 16 have one authorised, which amounted to the same thing. He held m bis hand a summary of pablle works appropriations, obargeable on the fond to 31st. March, 1887, suoh as immigration, pnbllo works, railways, roads, waterworks, purchase of Native lands and otbors, which wonld require £1,041,000. He gave these figures to show that borrowing could not stop instantly, that a gradual tapering off was the only method possible. He went on to say that Sir J. Yogel had mistaken the financial poai'ion of the colony, and condemned him for the aeiznre of the einking fund which be (Mr Brj cc) was of opinion was odg of the causes of the depression. There was likely to be a deficiency this year, notwiths'anding the eelrure of £240,000 of the Sinklag Fund, both on the Estimates and an actual deficiency. One cf two things must be done to set matters right, either by retrenchment on a ecalo hardly thought of, or an.inorease of taxation. He apprehended an increase of taxation

Aftet referring to differences <n Ministerial ntteranoea and to abandoned proposals of the Government, Mr Bryoe adverted to the question of fkeetra.de and protectionHe declared himself a freetrader, but he was not' prepared to go to the extent some had gone, and pointed out that whiio Sir J. Yogel had addressed a Protection Sooiety m Dunodin, and another member of the Government was willing to speak similarly, Sir 11. Stout was, as far as he knew, a freetrader. As another instance of the contradiction between the expressions and the actions of the Government, Mr Bryce cited the large travelling expenses to those Ministers while they were profiting by the desire for economy. CONCLUSION. In oon elusion, Mr Bryco expressed himself confident as to the future of the colony when once the present difficulty had been removed, and ha had no doubt the colony would be a grand country for their children 'if properly governed. Before resuming his seat, Mr Bryce Bald it might be the last ocoasion, if the Representation Bill passed nest session,

<n which he would appear before' 'ham as tt e'r member or a candidate. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.