THE PREMIER AT LEESTON.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 509, 31 May 1881, Page 2

THE PREMIER AT LEESTON.

Tho Hon. J. Hall, the Premier, addressed his constituents at the Leeston Town Hall on Thursday night. The hall was crowded, and Mi Bluett was voted to the chair. After a brief reference to some purely local matters,.Mr Hall proceeded to answer some statements made by Sir George Grey in his speech at the Thames. He referred more especially to the case of tho Chairman of the Patea Harbor Board, and an advance of £10,000, which the Premier stated had been made by the Government out of Trust funds, and made with exceptional haste. After controverting some other doctrines of Sir Mr Hall concluded this portion of his speech as follows:—"I cannot, however, refrain from deploring tbe tendency which Sir George Grey disp'ays to incessantly depreciate the future prospects of the Colony—to attempt to set one class of the people against the other. It is exceedingly unfortunate, and it appears to me to be either the outcome of a diseased imagination or a mere love of reckless platform oratory. (Cheers.") With reference to the financial proposals of Mr Macandrew, he is sure that if his proposals were given effect to, the result would be that we should advance by giant strides to inevitable ruin. (Cheerr.)

With respect to last scs ion, Mr Hall considered time had been wasted not by the flood of bills, but by the Hood of talk. He denied, however, that the session had been barren of results. As regardel finance, the Government had pursued tlie unpopular course of .retrenchment, and they would be able to present the estimates, next gave with a reduction of £250 000 as compared with, the previous one.

As to the political programme, the Premier announced that his Government intended first to go on with the measures left incomplete last session. First there was the measure for electoral reform, a Bill for regulating the conduct of elections. This Bill would extend the hours of polling, make such provisions as would satisfy voters of the absolute secrecy of-the ballot, and (probably) provide thatal! elections' should i take place;on j one : day. , Another Bill was one. for the prevention of bribery and corruption, though, hy did not ..think there was at present enough need for it. Still, prevention 'was better than cire.

With regard' to the redistribution of representation. Mr Hall says :—"The most imortanf Bill;in fact the Bill for the session will no doubt,' botheßill for the redistribution of .the representation of .the Colony. The principle; onwhich that will be built, I stated on addressing- yoir last year.; The first consideration shall, be population., But there are other circumstances which could not be left, put "of Consideration. The settled character of 'ihe 'population of a district; or its*-migratory character, are questions to be considered.. As-far as possible, we should avoid- creating fresh boundaries in the Colony j and avail ourselves of .the , existing districts, and we should endeavour' 'to'ledve no important district in the Colony entirely unrepresented and inasmuch as country districts have not the same facilities for bringing political influence to bear as town districts have, I think that they ought to be allowed, in proportion to the population, a somewhat larger proportion of representatives than the' large 'district's! This is the principle upon which the Bill of last session was frampd. Precise, rigid equality is not obtainable without bringing about greater disadvantages than a sight departure from this precise equality would occasion." He favored the idea of having nothing but single constituencies, first, because it gave an opportunity for the representation of considerable minorities, and, ; secondly, because, the expense of contesting them would be small The Govern'rnent would do their very utmo*t to pass the Bill, and Parliament would fail in its duty if it did not pass such a measure. . He wasopposed to"the"abqlition of the Legislative Council, but was inclined to favor a plan by which vacancies in that body would be filled up by election by. members of the.Assembly. Touching briefly on the land question, Mr Hall referred to 'the 1 assertion that the land of this country was likely to pass into the hands of a few holders, which he characterized as: v pure moonshine." His Government, however, intended to propose the abolition of the law of entail.. He warned his hearers against proposals which might be made to sell me railways, and would consider favorably the proposal to assist.companies who we're willing to construct railways with grants of land. It would be, of course, necessary that any scheme of that kind should" be surrounded with very-careful conditions, framed for the purpose of securing the actual settlement of the land which is alienated. The Government would re-introduce the Bill for tlie management of hospitals and charitable aid, which fell tiirbngh last session. This measure would ! throw the responsibility of administering those funds upon tlie local bodies. A Licensing Bill would be introduced, which would give local option in regard to new licenses.

-li* 1 .■■niiii - %~JC nation, framed on the aw .of Q. ens a,«. -Further consolidation of the_S atu 0 Lav would take place. Oier;.M peimit, would be introduced on subjects which require legisla ing upon, sud as a Fisheries Bill, ft Fencing Bill, and bills on a variety of subjects of that kin. Towards the conclusion of bis address the honorable gentleman spoke as follows : -» Wo are told that a gentleman of great influence, is forthcoming as a leader ot the Opposition. We are told that he has a partly new platform. The p anks, 0f th t platform apoear to be first-the abolition of the Legislative Council and the substitution for it of a single Chamber ; secondly, abolition of a Queen-apponted Goand the substitution of an elected Governor; thirdly, the taxation of the English bondholders; and fourthly, the dismissal of all the Civil whose political opinions do not coincide witli those of the Government of the day. And this is called Liberalism. Gentlemen, 1 say it is not Liberalism'; it is but a thinly k veiled depotism. (Applause.) Lo tins k Atform the late leader of the Opposition koposes to add a couple of planks, and they are the reverting to a lavish expenditure on Public Works, and the issuing of paper money. I call this national bankruptcy. The Government of Russn has been called a despotism tempered by assassination, and if this programme is ; owned out, I say. that the Government of New ■Zealand will be a despotism tempered by national bankruptcy. After describing what his Government had achieved, Mr Hall concluded by saying i—We leave to others, gentlemen ; 1 say in conclusion, we leave to them the task of talking Liberalism on the public platform, but we maintain that we have earned for ourselves, fairly earned the name of working Liberals, and as such wo ask the House and the country to continue to us that confidence that we have hitherto enjoyed." Mr Hall resumed his seat amiu very hearty applause.