POST-SESSIONAL UTEERANCES

Evening Star, Issue 2867, 27 April 1872, Page 2

POST-SESSIONAL UTEERANCES

MR REID AT OUTRAM. We continue our report FINANCIAL, He found that during the year the ordinary expenditure exceeded the iucome, the excess being L 195.233. The defence expenditure LI 70,000 now came out of the loan ; but it was almost ordinary expenditure, for they might depend upon it that that expenditure would continue for some years to come. During the session the Colonial Treasurer very jauntily told the House that the Native question was now becoming a very trifling matter; that the whole thing lay within a nutshell; and that the natives now gave very little cause for anxiety. He had heard it stated that the present Administration had succeeded in keeping the natives quiet ; and that under Mr M‘Lean they had performed wonders with them. He admitted that Mr M'Lean possessed great influence with the natives; but he was also bound to say that Mr M‘Lean had L 170,000 at his disposal, while Mr Richmond had only L 70,000. At the time Mr Stafford was in office, Mr Richmond administered the Defence Department, and the full amount expended for Militia and Volunteets was L 70,000. When it was proposed, or even hinted that a loan of half a million would be required for defence purposes, the cry was, “Oh, the country will be ruined by borrowing money to he expended in fighting the Maories but as soon as the parties who raised that cry stepped into office, they proposed a vote of a million—and got it. He did not find fault; because he thought it right that the Native difficulty should be settled by loans, which should be repaid by those coming after us, seeing that we were unable to manage it out of ordinary revenue. At the same time they must bear in mind, when giving credit to one Government for managing the Natives, the difference of circumstances as compared with those that existed when a former Government managed them. He did not think that the present Government had managed them much better than the previous one : at all events they had better opportunity, because they were provided liberally with means to do so. Then there was the public works expenditure, L 97,000, making a total expenditure of 1462,000. What he wished to point out more particularly was the large expenditure in excess of revenue. He thought the financial position of the Colony deserved very serious consideration; and seeing that Parliament had been invited by the Governor, in his opening speech, to devise means for equalising the income and expenditure, they proposed a reduction of L 50,000 on the estimates, leaving it to the Government to say how the reduction should bo carried out. Unfortunately the effort was unsuccessful; it was made a Government question, and the proposition was negatived. The meeting knew by this time that he was a member of the Opposition, led by Mr Stafford ; and their object was to reduce the expenditure, to see that no reckless expenditure took place ; to see that no reilways that were not likely to pay working expenses were entered upon—and to act generally in the best interes s of the Colony. It might be said they did not succeed in doing much good ; but they succeeded in preventing more evil. The action which the Government took was not such as to deserve the approval of the people of the Colony—more especially their making direct overtnres to Messrs .Stafford and Hall to join the Ministry; and thus prevent any opposition in the Assembly. The electors should bear in mind that the interests of the Colony were not properly conserved if there was not reasonable, legitimate, and a well recognised opposition ; it was that which caused, discussionjand brought out the good or bad points of a scheme or measure. It was a matter worthy of the gravest censure that the Government should have endeavored to induce Messrs Stafford and Hall to desert their colors. He regretted to say that there was some prospect of Mr Hall accepting the bait; but illness prevented him. Mr Stafford at once peremptorily, and he believed indignantly, refused to accept the proposal. PAYMENT OK MEMBERS. There was one other ma ter which he would like to touch upon before he brought his remarks to a close. He referr A particularly to a matter, which was likely to effect the purity of Parliament. He looked upon the attempt being made to introduce a Payment to Members Bill with grave suspicion. He was prepared to admit that pt was reasonable and quite proper that a man should be allowed an amount which would cover all expenses out of pocket, but the proposed Bill was undoubtedly the thin end end of the wedge to introduce a Bill similiar to that introduced into Victoria by which members there received L3OO a year. He looked upon that as one of the most dangerous systems they could adopt if they had any regard for the reputation of the colony. Last session a resolution was passed giving each member LlO5 for the session ; but the intention of its supporters was ultimately to get passed a fixed and much higher sum. One of the reasons—and a very plausible one—urged in favor of it was, that it enabled members to

be independent of the Government. Bnt be hoped bo long as the colony had responsible Government members if they had not independent means would have independent minds. But there was a danger if this payment existed, that the Government could bold over members the threat of dissolving Parliament; when perhaps some would be found to vote for a measure rather than run the risk of contesting an election. Another effect would be to propagate what he called political quackery. Men would come forward and expound views which they did not really entertain. They had already a sufficiency of “ hero worship ” —what he meant W3S, members pinning their faith to presumedly clever men, and forgetting their own principles. Otherwise he could not account for the great Provincial party now coming round and supporting the views of the Centralists. CONCLUSION, Perhaps it might be asked of him what remedy he would propose. It was a natural question to ask. The electors should, through their representatives, bring such pressure to bear on the Government as would lead to their policy being so moulded as to make it successful. He said the Colony was in a precarious state, but with reasonable prudence and forethought on the part of our , rulers, he thought there was no occasion for alarm as to the future. Looking at the Colony’s resources, its large extent of fertile grazing country, its large area of agricultural land (fertile in many cases), its large wealth of minerals, its forests, its fine climate possessing the means of producing all the necessaries and even the luxuries of life, with a population whose main characteristics were industry, intelligence, and enterprise; with these advantages it would be the fault of themselves—electors and representatives—if the result of the administration of these large schemes was not to cause New Zealand to come ultimately through the ordeal, and be at least second to none of the Eng-lish-speaking communities of the Southern hemisphere.—(Applause.)