PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 4208, 22 August 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

[By Teleqbaph.] ABOUT THE LOBBIES. (From our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, August 22. The following is the exact text of Sir George Grey's manifest at the meeting of the Auckland members yesterday : -"Gentlemen, I have called this meeting as a consequence of a letter addressed to me by Mr Tonks, Mayor of Auckland, which I will read :

Government Buildings, Wellington, August 11,1876. Sir G. Grey, K.C.B. Dear Sir,—l shall esteem it n. preai favor if you, as the leader of this party, will call amceting of the Auckland members as soon as possible to consider what further steps it is advisable to tike to further the interests of tho Province.—l am, &c,

B. Tosks. On receipt "of that letter I called a meeting of those Auckland members who had voted with me on the resolutions lately before the House for submitting the question of the Constitution to the public, and recommending that the Northern Provinces should have their fair share of revenues and an ample system of local self-government. When tie gentlemen I had convened met, it was subsequ mtly suggested that it was desirable to have a further meeting, to which all the Auckland members should be called, to consider what further steps should be taken to further the interests of the Province of Auckland; and Mr Tonks has since suggested that the subject he had in view was to try and bring all the members of the Province of Auckland to act together. The first meeting of Saturday morning requested me to call a second meeting for the above-named purpose. I have done so. After the meeting of Saturday had terminated, telegrams were received containing information which had I at the time known would have

Prevented my calling this meeting; but aving, previous to the recept of these telegrams, made a promise to certain gentlemen, I have felt bound to carry it out. 1. The House of Representatives has recently unanimously resolved r that the Government has involved the country in such financial difficulties that its constitutional position must be re-considered. 2. Recently resolutions were brought forward which provided means by which the people of New Zealand would have been empowered to choose the form of the new.. constitution under which they were to live and to determine the mode under which the existing financial difficulties were to be met; these resolutions would also have seotired sufficient revenues for the people of the new Provinces, with the power of administering them themselves. 3. Certain members of the Province of Auckland voted against these resolutions, which, with their aid, in my belief, would have been carried. 4. I think that the constitutional measures proposed to be carried out by the Government in place of these resolutions will. 5. Force on the people of New Zealand a mo3t objectionable former Constitution to which their assent has now been asked, anc* of which they had no knowledge when they returned representatives to the present Parliament. 6. Which gives them no fair franchise. 7. No just electoral districts. 8. No fair representation on either House, and no proper power of voting or controlling the expenditure of public i monies, which throws the discharge of the enormous public debt and the burden of. the vaat public expenditure upon the masses, exempting wealth and property from its fair contributions to those great charges which will throw the power of taxation into the hands of a class. 10. Which will secure the chief benofits to be derived from the Native lands for a class and not for the people at large. 11. Which will create a governing class, a vast and powerful civil service, and deprive the people of their rights. These considerations have led me to the following conclusions:—That the people of New Zealand and many of our constituents will not be disposed at once to without further efforts acquiesce in the arrangements that have been made. Th ; s is also my view of tho matter, consequently I ought to take no step which shall be an admission on my part that I have given up a contest in which I think my duty requires mo to struggle, to the last. Especially, then, I ought not to unite in common actionwith gentlemen who I sincerely believe are wronging their fellow-countrymen, since to gain a temporary pecuniary advantage for the Province of Auckland at the cost of allowing to be quietly imposed upon the people at large what, in my judgment, will secure the poverty and ultimate degradation of the great mass of the people of New Zealarid. I Biy this in no spirit of discourtesy. If I have said aught haivh I beg fully to apologise for it, but I must only act with thoso who think

that peace and complete liberties should be assured to the people of New Zealand in some such manner as our friends have propoaad; that all may see that I have not given up the hope and will not relax in my exertionß. And now having called this meeting as I was requested, I will with your permission withdraw, assuring you all of my personal good will, and that I act as I do simply from a sense of duty."

" Art" ful, —" She Btnops to conquer "w: s well represented by the Grecian bend. A Legal Tend .—A lawyer d hiding his baby.