The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1870

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2153, 31 March 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1870

Few persons like to see the report of , their own speeches, for however careful an orator may be, unless he has taken care to study every sentence before-hand, and to weigh every word, ; a verbatim report would at all times I’ead very oddly. Something, therefore, is left to the judgment of the reporter, and as that has to be exercised almost by intuition, differences are sure to occur between what is set down and what was intended. Accident sometimes interferes to prevent correct hearing We recollect on one occasion, while reporting a Budget speech, in South Australia, the messenger stirred the fire, and let the poker fall, and the only set of figures which differed from the Treasurer’s statement by some odd pounds owed its over-correctness to that circumstance, for the amount had to be filled in by calculation. $ Dialect, bothers a short-hand writer, and on this ground we owe an fiyology to two or three speakers whose pure Northern pronunciation rendered it necessary for a Sput|u , on , %) stop and think before jotting words. On this ground we know- justice was not done to at least one or two speeches. Most of those inevitable discrepancies that arise from the thousand and one causes of imperfect speaking, imperfect hearing, imperfect writing, and imperfect apprehension, were corrected by the speakers themselves. Two or three favored us with transcripts of their speeches, which differed so slightly from our own reports, that they confirmed them. One gentleman, we forget who, could see no likeness to what he said ; so the two shorthand writers read their notes together, and found a difference of one material word. This inability to recognise their own offspring is a very common failing with public speakers. Probably the difference of dress may have something to do with it; for what is technically termed a “ third person report,” which gives the substance, and a “ first person re- “ port,” which gives the words, denuded of repetitions, read somewhat differently. Amongst those who, through some carise had not opportunity of revising their'speeches, was Mr Murray, one of the representatives of Tokomairiro. The report of his speech appears in page 111 ,of the Hansard.. Mr Murray’s corrected speech was transmitted to the Clerk of the Council, Avlio, as a matter of duty sent it to us for comparison with our own report. It arrived too late for airy alteration to be made in the Hansard, and as we desire the fullest justice to be done to Mr Murray, we present our readers with his own version of what he said,/ requesting them to substitute it for our report• Sir, I beg to say a few words in regards to the Hundreds Regulation Bill. The pount I wish to refer to is, Ist The mode the Bid was introdused into General Assembly and passed almost unanimous, without even the province knowing anything in regards to it. Certainly there was resolutions brought into the Provincial Counsel by the fafe Treasurer, Mr Vogel, giving compensation to Runholders, but was almost unanimously rejected. Now, sir, f object in toto to such compensation as is given by the Hundreds Regulation Bill. It gives compensation to about one-half the value of the laud taken. Ist there is two shillings & sixpence per Acre to be paid. Secondly the e is unlimited compensation to be paid fur all im provement made. Thirdly there is all expenses that the. Runholder may incur in oppossing 'the Proclamation into Hundreds of any part of his Run. These sums added together induces me in believing that the onehalf value may , he reached Then we are told 'that this Act'was to be of great benefit to the Province that we can . get Hundreds proclaimed anywhere in the Province and within Goldfields, Now I believe it to be no such .thing, I believe the Act barrier to settlement, and that it will have the effect of locking the lauds. Mr Main. —Why. Because Hundreds will have to be decided by parties irresponsible to this province and who will be under the control of those who were instrumental in the passing of this Act, and who I believe to be opposed to the altogether. Therefore I cannot sec how these parties would now be in favour of the proclamation ol Hundreds. Thou as to the parties to be chosen as commisiouers, to say what is Agriculture!- Lands and what is not, Mr Main observed that officers would be appointed, yes, officers to be sent down from Wellington, and will receive their information from parties interested. Then I supose it will take six months before we receive a reply from the Governor As to whether • the Hundreds will be granted or not. Taking the Bill as a whole 1 believe that it will , have the effect of locking up the Lands. It 1 has been stated to the contrary, but that is my firm conviction, Hie.Bill takes all the i power from Ike ProvinciakCounsel, There- ’ fore I consider‘it shold be resisted. By the Act the Counsel is debarred from interfering with the Wase Lands,- and this I believe to be the intention of those who got the Act passed. In suport of this, I may refer to what, (an Honourable member in his place in the Legislative Counsel said he supported the : Bill on the ground that they were to reasume the controul, that they ought not to have parted with). As much as had been said on both sides as could be said, all I can ’ do now in this House is to raise my voice and protests the Act. : We have much pleasure in thanking the Speaker; the Clerk of the Council, Mr C. Smith ; and Mr Session, for ' the assistance rendered by them, in giving ready access to all necessary

documents, and theiv care in revising the work, and feel assured that the report of the proceedings ‘of the late session will bear favorable compaiisou with the parliamentary reports of those Colonies, where special arrangements and appropriations are made for securing them.