SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 March 1878, Page 7

SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRISTCHURCH.

* Sir George Grey addressed a meeting . in the OddtelloAvs' Hall, hristchurch, on , Saturday evening. The hall Avas packed long before the hour of meeting. A large number of ladies Avere in the ; gallery, and the platform was filled Avith leading citizens and representative men. The chair Avas occupied by the Mayor of Christchurch. Sir George Grey was received by an ovation that lasted several minutes^ all in the hall standing, and he was frequently cheered to the echo during his speech. He commenced by statin*---* that he felt great difficulty in addres" sing such a meeting, because he had a critical audience to deal with. Without any desire of boasting, he Avould state that it was within the knowledge of them all that he had obtained for them a constitution .under which they had happily lived fr.r so many years. — (Cheers.) In the great Colony of Natal he had also introduced a constitution under which the people lived at the present time, while a constitution he recommended for South Africa twenty years ago was also believed in . now by the leading* English statesmen. — (Cheers.) The measures which he now proposed for adoption has been in agitation in England for many years past. Those measures Avere manhood suffrage and fair parliamentary representation. Sir George Grey proceeded to speak at length on both questions. He referred very strongly to the evils that had in past times existed through the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland being debarred from having a voice in the affairs ofthe country. The bad laAvs existed through the want of* representation in the British Parliament, and in consequence of class legislation. The next question to Avhich he referred was the incidence of taxation, and he contended that every man shonld be compelled to pay to the revenue of New Zealand in exact proportion to the benefits he derived from the country. — (Cheers.) He did not believe that absentees drawing immense riches from the country v ithout paying an equivalent would have been able to do so if the people had had a fairer and equitable representation in the Colony --(Loud cheers.) What had given such an enormous increase to the value of property in the Colony lately, but. the great public works which 'had to be paid for by the people of the Colony in an equal, or rather most unequal, ratio. —(Cheers.) With regard to the land question. large and valuable blocks were held upon far too reasonable terms by men who, in many instances, lived in the Old Country. "The English Income, tax was a fairer one, and such a one that ought to prevail in this country, and it was, to him, remarkable that New Zealand was so apathetic on this subject. — (Cheers.) If the people were contented under the present state' of things they were, slaves — (Cheers.) The legislation of the country should be directed to an (-realisation of taxation, one feature of which Avould be a great alteration in the shipping Ktavs, I which compelled vessels that called casually nt a port to pay heavy charges. Free trade in this matter Avould be of immense advantage to the country, and would attract a large amount of shipping. It was a duty ihey oAved to themselves and the Colony to consent to a tax upon land, and if the landOAvners knew their own interest they would assent to it. Men were driven out of the country, through the land laAvs that existed. If they let tbe present state of things go on for the next ten years, they would not be able to shake it off for the next half century. — (Loud cheers ) The plural system of voting* was most obnoxious, and Avas the cause of an immense amount of evil being entailed upon the Colony. It tbe the system was allowed to go on it Avould be extended to other things, and their liberties Avould in point of fact be gone, and not be very" easily regained Until a change Avas made they Avould never have just land laws or any land laAvs properly administered. Sir George Grey proceeded to speak at some length on the question of the falling-in of runs In the course of his remarks on this subject he referred to the gentlemen . behind him as being responsible for the i present state of things. (This remark : was received Avith loud and prolonged cheering.) Sir George then referred to the condition of NeAV Zealand in case of j Avar in which England would be engaged, and went over the same ground | as that previously trodden by him at other places. He likewise gave his explanation of the reasons Avhy he had declined to spend the money of the Colony to allow Sir William Jervois to visit the various ports of New Zealand. It Avas impossible that such works as those which Avould probably have been recommended would be carried out in the present state of the finance of the Colony. ,He had preferred that Sir John Coode should visit New Zealand to examine the port with a very different object. — (Loud cheers.) In conclusion, Sir George said the people should rise as men and insist upon such measures as were adapted to the wants and requirements of the countiy, and then New Zealand must come to be a great and glorious nation. Sir George sat doAvn nmid loud and prolonged cheering. He spoke for nearly two hours. i Mr J. C.JL. Stevens, M H.R., moved a vote of thanks, which was seconded

by Mr Montgomery, M H.R , who pro- " posed to add the words " That the Government has the confidence of the meeting." Dr Turnbull then ascended the platform and paid a high tribute of praise to Sir George as a public speaker, but afterwards proceeded to attack the Auckland people and the Government fbr the part they had played in the Land Fund Question, and -stigmatised Sir George as the " Alaric of the North." Mr Saunders seconded Mr Montgomery's proposition. Mr John Inglis seconded the motion of Mr Stevens amid loud tokens of disapprobation from the audience. Mr Rolleston next "arose and addressed the meeting. He was received with a storm of hisses. He said he could not allow the vote of confidence to Sir George Grey to pass without making his protest against it. He did not think the speeches were such as to command the confidence of the Colony — (Great confusion, amid which the Chairman appealed for order.) The speech of Sir George Grey was most remarkable for the unspoken part ofit. — (Loud hisses and applause.) Mr Rolleston here essayed to continue several times, but without success, there being loud cries of "-* put the vote." Mr Jepson here seconded Mr Montgomery's motion. The Chairman again asked that Mr Rolleston might be permitted to say a few Avords, and avp.s met Avith a storm of " nops." Mr Rolleston again essayed to speak, but Avas met with a storm of " No, no." and hisses. The Chairman was then accused of not being able to conduct the meeting properly. The chairman demanded an impartial hearing for Mr Rolleston, who after a great deal of confusion was allowed to proceed. He wished Sir George Grey had enlightened the meeting with regard to the course he took in respect to the honours which Her Majesty had thought fit to bestOAV on two late Judges.— (Confusion.) What had been the treatment by Sir George Grey of Rer Majesty's representative since the rising of the Mouse 1 A more indecent spectacle-— (Confusion, hissing, " booing," shouting, and general uproar. Mr Rolleston continued to speak, but it was impossible for the meeting to hear a word he said. He finished 'by speaking to the reporters.) If the constitution was to be fairly Avorked they must have straight running and no secret councils. The. .Queen's representative and both Houses of ftepreseßtatives had been set at* nought by the Prime Minister. (RiVses arrd confusion, and cries of " Sit down." " Don't make a rowdy meeting," and other observations, combined with general uproar.) He would A T ote for the motion, and certainly not for- the amendment. Mr Buckley here rore and tried to address the meeting, saying he was in favour of manhood suffrage, but the audience would not listen to him. As the amendment Avas about to be put, Sir George came to the front of the platform and Avas greeted withi mmensecheering andsomehisses. Hesaid he was glad Mr Rolleston had spoken of the .delay in issuing the gazette notices of the honours that had been conferred on two late judges. In this country there was no aristocracy, and the law distinctly said that nothing whatever should be done in NewZealand by the Crown that was not covered by the Constitution Act. In England the Queen could create no new* rank Avbatever without the consent of the English Parliament. That rule held with double force in New Zealand, Avhere no new rank could be created without the consent of the Legislature of the country. The Queen had often had to do things against her own personal feelings. A . practice had sprung up here of recommending the Queen to create a. new rank in New Zealand — a most contemptible rank in his opinion— for the bearer of the title could not carry it out of the country. Let them have, equal rank with those of the other portions of the empire or none. (Cheers.) He would not therefore give his consent to an Act which he believed to be unlawful. If this sort of thing could be done an aristocracy might spring up in New Zealand without the consent of the people, and this Avas his explanation of the delay complained of by Mr Rolleston. (Loud cheering. He considered he had taken the legal course and done that of which he Avas most proud. (Cheers.) Mr Cowlishaw asked Sir George why then he had the notices gazetted ? Sir George thanked that gentleman forputting a question which enabled him [to clear away a little obscurity. Two despatches had arrived. The one conj mining the general instructions had been published,* the other one containing ; the nathes had not been. He had un- | willingly allowed the despatch agreed to by his predecessors to be published The other despatch would be dealt with by the next Parliament. It Avas nothing* | short of .a bastard aristocracy, which for his 'own part he would have nothing at all to do with. (Immense cheers.) In advising the dissallowance of a certain Bill, he had acted strictly within the Constitution. If they Avaxited to get rid of him, they could put him out at the next sitting of Parliament. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) Mr Montgomery's amendment was put, and carried amid loud' cheering. The meeting lasted for three hours.