The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1200, 8 January 1878, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1878.

The full report of Sir G. Grey's speech at Auckland has now reached Christchurch, and many will naturally turn with some curiosity to the explanation he gives of his action regarding the Laud Bill. After reading what he has got to say on the subject, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion of the editor of the Australasian, that his conduct on that occasion partook of the character of sheer Bedlam. He prefaces his explanation with a professed account of the Canter* bury run question, and, evidently trusting to the ignorance of his listeners, he makes out that the Land Bill of last session, as far as it affected the Canterbury runs, perpetrated a grievous wrong upon the colony. Beyond, however, vaguely asserting that, had the leases expired in 1880, the population would be relieved from a considerable portion of the burden of taxation by the increased value of the runs being remitted to the public treasury, which would go to reduce the general taxation, he did not venture upon details. Apart from the fact that those best able to judge are strongly of opinion that were the runs put up to auction, they would not fetch tho rental that is likely to bo got under the proposed plan, it is absurd to suppose that a few thousands more or loss would in any way affect the taxation of the country. Were the Canterbury runholders, by the Act of last session, given any title to the land which they occupy, it woxdd bo a different matter. Sir G. Grey took care, however, not to tell his hearers that every acre of the Canterbury runs can be taken up by the free selector, and the squatters are entitled to no compensation whatever. They have simply the right to depasture sheep till the land is bought, and no longer. But if Sir G. Grey’s explanation of the run question was evidently intended to msleadM Anctod y»Wte»

his further remarks are painfully humiliating. After endeavouring to show that the Land Bill perpetrated a robbery of the people of Now Zealand, he went on to say:

To prevent any of you from deriving the advantage from these runs which you were entitled to get, they used the power they had of oppressing myself and my colleagues by forcing the thing on to determination during the present Parliament, and in spite of us they did it. The Governor would not give us a dissolution, so that we might have an appeal to the people. These gentlemen still pressed the matter on, to my great grief and humiliation. They took due care for their own advantage in another way—the rent for each sheep being fixed at ninepence, while in a neighbouring province it was a shilling. Then, again, the runs were to be valued by a Commissioner, no auction nor any competition of any sort to be allowed, and this increase was given for ten years. But, still further, there was to be a system of deferred payments, by which persons would bo enabled to purchase portions of such runs. This provision, however, was thrown out in the Upper House. In one point of view, this appeared to my mind something exceedingly like a robbery of the people of New Zealand in respect of their interest in these runs.

Any one not acquainted with New Zealand politics would naturally conclude that the above remarks were levelled at some exceedingly obnoxious Act, with which Sir G. Grey had nothing to do. Nothing of the kind. He is speaking of a Bill carried through the House by his own colleagues, for whose actions he was responsible. Out of his own mouth he stands condemned of assisting to perpetrate " a robbery of the people of New Zealand.” It was his own Ministry who took up the Land Bill of their predecessors. and succeeded in making it law. And now Sir George Grey turns round and denounces a provision of it as “a moxf wrongful act against the people of this colony.” Instead, therefore, of posing before the Auckland electors as the people’s saviour, the Premier -would have shown greater wisdom had ho avoided that question altogether. He first allowed his colleagues to carry a measure through Parliament part of which he believed “ thoroughly, was a most wrongful act against the people of this colony,” and then endeavoured, in a most treacherous and underhand manner, to upset it at the last moment. Why did he allow he the Bill to be taken up F If he found he coidd not retain his seat unless the Bill was carried through, why did he not resign P According to his own admission, he stands convicted before the colony of retaining his seat, although forced by a majority of the House to take up and carry through, a measure which he thoroughly detested, and to his “ great grief and humiliation.” Nay, more, he admits that he endeavoured to get over this humiliating position, not by resigning, but by deliberately trying to undermine the rights and privileges of the people’s representatives. Yet Sir G. Grey has the sublime audacity to claim for his conduct as high moral character. He says:— Who was the despot ? Not I, who tried to prevent what seemed to be a great injustice being done. [Loud cheers.] Was I despotic in asking for twelve months’ delay (the leases, remember, had three years to run before expiring) until the people were consulted on the subject of this, one of the most important interests F If there was a despot in the case, it was not I who endeavoured to get for the people a fair hearing upon this as well as other important public matters. [Cheers.] You all know how on this subject I have held my tongue until I came to-day into your presence. I was abused and attacked in reference to my conduct in this matter, but I held my tongue. I felt I was responsible to you, and I did not reply to this lavish abuse, for it did not hurt me in any way, and I could afford to keep my peace until I faced those who had a right to demand of me an explanation. That time has come, [Loud cheers.] I resolved to give them an explanation, and let them decide whether I was right or wrong; let them say whether they desired a representative who would make any sacrifice for the performance of what he knew to be his duty, and in pursuit of your welfare. [Prolonged cheers.] Judging from the reception he got. Sir G. Grey’s conduct met with the approval of his Auckland hearers, but nowhere else in New Zealand will his conduct in that matter be looked upon with anything but the utmost contempt and scorn.