MR DRIVER, M.H.R., AT MORNINGTON.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2173, 25 April 1870, Page 2

MR DRIVER, M.H.R., AT MORNINGTON.

On Saturday evening, Mr Driver, M.H.R. for Roslyn. addressed bis constiluenta at the Schoolhouse, Mornington. There were about 150 persons present, and Mr J. E. Attwood presided. Mr Driver, in answer to questions, explained why the night of meeting had been changed from Friday to Saturday. At the request of an elector in the district, he fixed the meeting for Friday; but on it afterwards being represented by Mr Reynolds and other gentlemen that that would be an inconvenient night for the district, he changed it to Saturday. After some further

explanations by Mr Reynolds, Mr Driver proceeded to address the meeting. He said that, since his eiection, * false statements had been ma le—and ha would defy any person occupy! ig a public position to escape from being attacked ; he must have political opponents who took every possible opportunity to do all they could to damage his popularity, and to discredit his position as a representative— that he had broken pledges ; that he had done this, that and the other. But he appeared before them perfectly fearless and confident that he would receive the support he did at the time he was elected. (Applause). He was perfectly satisfied he had made no pledges. He was not aware of having made any definite pledges at the time he was elected, if made; but, if any gentleman thought hehad given pledges and broken them, should be happy to make explanations. He would go further and say, that as soon as he ceased to enjoy the confidence of the majority of the electors, from that moment he would rather not be their representative. (Cheers). If a desire was shown by a majority of the electors who voted for him that he should resign, he was prepared to do so. (Cheers). After explaining the reasons why he had not before met the electors, he referred to the action of the Assembly, which resulted in the overthrow of the Stafford Ministry. In doing what little he could towards burning that Government out, he believed he was acting in accordance with the wishes of his constituency and the wishes of the people of Otago. (Gear, hear). The Government was put on its trial mainly in reference to its Native policy—the manner in which the war was being conducted, aud the enormous expenditure of money in connection with it. He had no hesitation in saying that, had that system been continued up to the present time, we should not only have a small Imperial army, entirely useless for the purpose for which it was intended, but New Zealand as a colony would have been almost entirely bankrupt. He had authority for stating that in July last, when the Stafford Government went out, the present Government took office, the monthly expenditure on the war was from L27.0U0 to L 30,000 a month. Of course the new Government—like many other Governments who gave a number of pledges, either in full faith of being able to carry them out, or as was sometimes done, without any intention of fulfilling them —made certain promises ; but he did believe they had to a great extent carried out the promises which they made to the Assembly, namely, to make a systematic reduction in tne expenditure on the Native wav, and this figures would show. He was going very briefly into the matter as the Premier intended to address a meeting in Dunedin next Wednesday, and he did not wish to take any wind out of his (Mr Fox’s) sails, or to interfere with what he might have to say on this subject, as Mr Fox was in a better position to give a correct statement than he was. But from the time when the Government took office up to the present, the expenditure had been gradually reduced until it was now barely L 14,000 a month, and he believed that when the Assembly met it would scarcely be half the amount. (Cheers.) He was aware that exaggerated statements had been made by some papers in Otago and in other places that were opposed to the Government, and who supplied the information from interested motives, and obtained it from interested parties, to the effect that the votes of last session had been long since spent, and that the Government were carrying on what they had promised to stop—a reckless expenditure. He was authorised to state that nothing of the sort was the fact; that the Government would meet the Assembly with a very small excess, if any, over the estimated expenditure. (Cheers.) It had also been stated that their policy was the same as that of the late Government that they were carrying on an aggressive war For his own part, and he believed that every person in the Middle Island who had thought over the matter would agree with him, he never could for a moment have supposed that the Government could allow Te Kooti to continue his depredations without pursuing and attempting to capture him. It would be seen by the figures which the Premier would produce this week that the efficiency of tlm forces had been greatly lucre tsed ; and that the natives who were pursuing Te Kooti were engaged on the terms, Catch or no pay. By this means the natives were made more active, and the expense was curtailed enormously. At the same time the Government were carrying out that peace policy which the Middle Island members, without exception, advocated ; they were making friends with the natives, arranging laud claims, and getting on good terms with those natives in regard to whom, when the Government took office, it was not known which side they would take. Thousands of na‘. i ves were then considering whether they should be friends or rebels. This had all been settled. Mr Driver next referred to the questions of the retention of the IBfch regiment; the Ballot Bill (of which he was an ardent supporter); the West Coast Settlements Bill; the Otago Loan Bill, and rc-Union with Southland (which he was opposed to, as to his mind there were not sufficient advantages to outweigh the disadvantages which would result fron union.) With reference to the San Francisco Mail Service, he felt bound to say he did not, so far as he was acquainted with the circumstances, approve of the action of the Government in this matter. The contract appeared to have been enteied into in a rather hasty manner.—(Hear - , hear.) He was not prepared to condemn the Government nr any member of it who had made the arrangements, and should withhold his judgment until thr Government had made their explanations; but must say that the arrangements seemed to have been made a little too hastily. He was aware that a reason was offered which had a certain amount of weight on it. He did not object to the class of boats employed, as experience had shown that contractors found it their interest, when a large traffic existed, to employ suitable vessels, but to Auckland having been made the port of call. —(Hear, hear.) This was an objection which he could not see his way to get over, and wou’d use his best endeavors in the House to get the port changed. So far as the Middle Island was concerned, the Chatham Islands might as well have been made ihe port of call as Auckland. Wellington ought to have been made the port of call, and tha distributing port fertile whole colony. The matter would probably cause great discussion next session. Judging from tbe tenor of Mr Stafford’? speech, the great contest in the General Assembly next session, or at any rate at the first meeting of the new Parliament, would be Provincialism versus Centralism. He would frankly state that, since his return as member for the district, a change had come over his opinions with regard to some alteration being made in the system of Govern-

ment now prevailing in New Zealand. He was not prepared to follow, to any extent, the course pursued by Mr Stafford or the late Government; he was not prepared to tear a piece off one end of the colony or the other, and to multiply evils by makig half-a-dozen where one was enough. He agreed with the present Premier, that while Provincial Institutions and Governments exist, they should be treated with that respect which the late Government and Premier did not accord to them. But his opinions were so far changed that he was now prepared to support any statesmanlike measure that would be introduced permissively throughout the colony, and would place the Government and the people in a better and more economical position. His opinion was that there should be one Government for the Middle and one for the North Island—(cheere) —aud the constituencies should take care to return gentlemen who were warm advocates of separation. He then entered into a long defence of the Hundreds Regulations Act, which he said was a measure that would have done good to the Province, and had the present Government brought it into operation twelve months ago, eight or ten Hundreds would, by this time, have been declared in proper places ; and instead of abuse being heaped upon himself and others, aud their names being stigmatised in connection with it, they would have been praised for passing a measure for the benefit of settlement to the Province. (Cheers and hisses). He had no hesitation in saying that this opposition was brought about by those parties, who thought that those who passed the Act had taken the wind out of their sails. It would settle the land question for ever, but that would not do, as they could only crawl in on the top of the land question. (Hear). He thought nobody could read the Hansard without coming to the conclusion that there was no one argument used against the bill, except that it was stepping on the toes of Provincialism. (Gear, heat). Had it been brought into operation, it would have made the present •Superintendent one of the most popular men iu Otago. There were at least eight or tea places where small Hundreds could have been declared ; and experience had shown that large Hundreds were a loss to all concerned. He would defy anyone to discover any objection to the Act being brought into operation, save that the General Assembly had legislated on a subject which belonged to the Provincial Council. He had yet to learn that the Provincial Council had anything to do with legislating, although they might offer suggestions. He knew that it had been stated that when he was elected he promised net to support any alteration in the land laws-(hear, hear)—and that he ought not therefore to have supported the Hundreds Act. But the Act in no sense changed tbe laws now in existence, save that by recommendation of the Waste Lands Committee a clause bad been inserte I provi fing for compensation on account of lands ploughed aud laid down in English grass. This was a matter which he took very little notice of at the time, as it did not amount to ‘ anything. The Act in no way interfered with the existing land laws. Mr A. R. Ure moved, and Mr Cunningham seconded, “That a vote of thanks and confidence be given to Mr Driver.” On the question being put, only three hands |were held up against it, and it was declared to have been carried unanimously.