ABOUT THE LOBBIES.

Evening Star, Issue 4199, 11 August 1876, Page 3

ABOUT THE LOBBIES.

{from our Special Correspondent.)

' Wellington, August 11. In the course of bis speech, Mr Stout aaid that Sir George Grey s motion was not a mere motion of want of confidence in the Executive. For his part, and he helieved he spoke for a great many of the Otagomen, he would not move hand or foot to oust the Government unless some change was made in the constitution of the Colony. It was a change of system, not a change of men, that was needed. He next showed that the present state of things was the result of big agitations and debatings. From 1875 till the present time the Colony had to put up with new schemes every year. The last scheme was sugar from beetroot. Well, those who had abolished the Provinces must look for change?, and this motion was a/esult of that abolition. One thing that made a Change of system necessary was that under the present all faith in our public men was at an'end. Mr Stout referred to Mr Bowen, Mr Richardson, Sir Julius Vqgel, Major Atkinson, and Mr J. Murray, saying that every one of them had made pledges connected with the Abolition Bill and bepaxation which they had not kept. He also criticised Mr Stafford very severely, and asked what Canterbury could say to the proposal td -take her land fund into one common purse. • Then he dealt with the reason for the unity of the Colony. Union might be necessary for national life, or in defence against a foreign foe, and these reso lutions; provided for both. It waß not proposed to create two Colonies—there is still to be one Colony and one national Parliament. The question really was: should there be two local Governments to manage local affairs. The Assembly had to recognise that local affairs had to be dealt with by public bodieSi.outside the present Parliament and the , question was—by whom? There must be specialisation of work. Then the further question was : what should the aim

of a statesman be ? To legislate in accordance with the feelings or it might be the prejudices pf,the people or to ignore them ? The Government were legislating against the expressed wishes of the people, and the feelings of Otago and Auckland were being ignored. Was this wise—was this rjght ?Jf tniß was done instead of founding a great nation the seeds of decay would be sown. Except Mr Macandrew's, who was intensely Otagan, and Mr Montgomery's, who was severe upon the Ministers for urea' ing their promises re localisation of the laud fund—which, if not done, would next year lead him to consider Separation—the sptocbes last night were very mediocre. For the resolutions Messrs Fisher and Tole (who called his opponents from Auckland traitors amid repeated cries of "Armed resistance") and Nahi spoke; against them Messre H. Clarke /Maori), Murray-Aynsley, and Manders. Mr Stevens will resume the debate this afternoon. -.