SIR G. GREY AT THE THAMES.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 755, 21 November 1876, Page 3

SIR G. GREY AT THE THAMES.

(Per Press Agency.") Thames, Nov. 20.

Sir George Grey's meeting on Saturday night was attended by one of the largest assemblages ever got together on the Thames. The chair was taken by Dr Kilgour. Sir George, although evidently laboring under the disadvantages of a severe cold, spoke clearly and eloquently for an hour and a half. He commenced by saying he availed himself of the earliest opportunity of addressing those who had done him the hoc or of electing him. He would first consider the relative position of the representatives and the electors. They were all engaged in what great and good men had called a work —that of building up a nation. In this work many difficulties presented themselves. There was a mountainous country and dense forests, and two races which had often been in antagonism. They had chosen him as their representative. He was the leader, they an army disciplined to obey, and he must-con-vince them that the way in which he was acting was right. He wished for an intelligent assent, and having told them what he had done in the past, and what he intended in the future, if it did not meet with their wishes, then they must choose some other leader. He supposed they all had an ambition to leave the world better than they found it. In this work they had chosen him as their leader without putting him to the trouble of a personal canvas—without his being present at the election, and without extracting from him a single pledge, Such generosity had not been lost sight of by him, and he would endeavor to show what he had done, and what he intended doing. There was a full report of what he had said and done in Hansard, but there had been no fair report in the Wellington newspapers. First as to local measures. O.ie object dear to his heart was the construction of a railway from the Thames to the Upper Waikato. He had brought in a Bill to attain this end. The Government were asked to guarantee 6 per cent on the cost, nothing more, as a company could be formed to make the railway. He foolishly conceived every effort would be made to assist in the work, but instead of it he had been met with great hostility, and by* the use of the forms of the House the Bill had been put off until he was in despair. First the Speaker had said it was a private Bilh, and could only be introduced after leave obtained. This done, hefound it at the bottom of a list of twenty-five. Then he had gone to twenty-four gentlemen whose motions stood before his, and obtained their permission to put his at the top. He thought it was quite safe then, but at the first step it was pointed out by a Minister that it was a money Bill, necessitating a charge on the revenue, and only to be introduced by a message from the Governor. That the Premier had positively refused to do. Next session he hoped there would be a Premier who would give the Governor's assent. Unless, however, they go! a Ministry who would not seek to acquire lands for themselves or their friends, he did not think they would get the railway next year. Those men, who were selfishly acquiring large tracts of land, were enemies of the country, ai they impeded settlement. Sir George then referred to the Counties Bill, and devoted some time to a condemnation of the principle of cumulative voting, which would tend to create two classes. He was for educating the masses in political knowledge, which was next in importance, in fact part of, religious knowledge, and it would then be impossible for one class to injure another. Every individual in town

and country should have an equal right of voting, Next he passed to education. He had pointed out to Government the inadequate provision made for the North Island, and the moment he did so, fair provision had been made. He had followed the same course with regard to the gaols and lunatic asylums, and had been the means of changing the state of things in relation to these institutions. Then he made efforts to obtain land for settlement, but in that he absolutely failed. There was such a strong party interested in acquiring large tracts of land for a favored few, by indirect means, that it was difficult to destroy the system He knew of no way but the absolute sweeping away of the Native Department as at present carried on. He had endeavored to have the gold duty abolished, but unsuccessfully. The speaker then condemned the system of leasing enormous tracts of land as sheep runs. He had devoted some attention to this matter, and he had believed it was in their power to get these leases broken up. To his consternation, he found there was a conspiracy between the Government and the runholders to prevent this breaking up ; but that it was proposed on the expiry of the leases in 1880 to renew the leases for another fourteen years, the Government valuators to assess the runs for the renewed tenure. If the runholders did not take the runs on these terms, then they were to be put up to auction. That would secure occupation until 1894. It was incredible that any Government could introduce such a measure at the end of the session. It should have been before the country before the session commenced —in fact before the last general election. He and his friends had told the Government they would oppose them, and hard words were ÜBed. He observed that when the vote was taken a number of members went with him and his friends into the lobby; but the Government said if the vote was carried against them they would leave office, and then some of those who went into the lobby with him and his friends would go into the Government lobby, and he was certain they voted against their own consciences. But they were in that difficulty, though not being runholders themselves, they were returned by runholders' interests, and could not turn out a Government by which the runholders 1 interest was upheld. Until this question was decided there would be a great difficulty in turning out the Government, for until 1894 Ministers will not hesitate to support the runholders' interests. Eegarding sepation, he said they all knew he.had tried to get separation—that was the financial sepation of the two islands, with a federal Government at Wellington, to legislate or deal with customs, post offices, and such like. He believed that such would be for their interests and the interests of the colony with the seat of Government for North Island at Auckland. They would have no chance of their grievances being redressed at Wellington. They were being governed by Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, and Marlborough. Then there was another point he had in view, the reformation of the Upper House. He did not see why men should be elevated to the Upper House at the will of Ministers. There are seven members of that House resident in Wellington, but had they (the Thames people) one member? No, although they were the largest constituency in the colony. He had a great regard for the members of Upper House who had done service on several occasions, but they should not be subject to the Ministry. If separation were obtained he believed one House would be sufficient, or if a second were required let it be elective, Sir George then referred to his efforts to obtain triennial Parliaments and manhood suffrage, and said if possible he should again meet his constituents and confer with them on other topics, one being the nomination of governors. As regarded triennial parliaments, he said a large number of the leading men in England were with him on that question.

Sir George was frequently applauded and at the conclusion of his address received enthusiastic applause. Some questions were asked, and a resolution expressive of confidence in Sir G. Grey, and cordial approval of his action in the late session of Parliament was passed, an amendment, thanking him, but disapproving of his action re abolition, being rejected.