SIR GEO. GREY AT ASHBURTON.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1259, 20 March 1878, Page 2

SIR GEO. GREY AT ASHBURTON.

[By Texegeaph.]

[fHOM'THE SBECIAI COBEESEONTjSNT OF THE ... y lo \ c , i ■ PBESS.] Sir Geo. Grey addressed a public meeting in the Library Hall at Ashburton last evening. There was a large attendance, (lie hall being filled. On the motion of Mr Williamson, Mr Alfred Saunders fcopf the chair.; J The Chairman, said that he had much pleasure in taking the chair that evening. The course Sir George Grey had adopted tbafc evening was without precedent: Instead of their having the laws made.in Wellington, and knowing nothing about them, 1 they had the opportunity of hearing from'.himself what he intended to do, and of expressing their assent or dissent as to. the, subjects brought', before them. He would not detain them longer; but would introduce Sir George Grey to them.[Sir George Grey then addressed the. meeting. We have a lengthy report of his'speech, but it is "in all material points a repetition of the. speeches lie delivered at Chrjstchureh and Woolston.'and, it is therefore unnecessary tp publish }t. The peroration was new, how: ever, and was as follows : —] :mv The Premier..said—He now desired to My a few words oh the gepelral propositions he had made. They .were on the, eye of a griais. When he stood on th> platform at the "great public meeting in Chi'istchurch on Saturday, he had behind him on the platform the past. Looking" out into " the great body of the meeting he saw in "them, as it were, the future.. ' There he stood between the past and the future, with the past not able to understand that they had to give way to the future. That from them must pass away-the sceptre of power, the opportunity of. acquiring large tracts of country. [Cheers.] He saw the future radiant "with hope, flushed with the idea.that to them war opening new opportunities, marching steadily...on to the past, who would have lo.p™^, 1 " the©, TUe pasMtppd, t&ere JP mw ioes

opportunities of founding a great nation on, a proud basis, with the expenditure of millions -which they had had rolling in their hands, and yet they had missed their great destiny. He pitied those gentlemen to some extent, bnt as he saw to-night, the army of the future springing forward with the glow of hope to the task of founding a great nation, one which' should replace what had gone before, his heart was contented, and he proudly looked forward to going on with the van of the future, leading them on. He had hoped that the past would in their old age have seen that they had neglected their opportunities and had not, as they ought to have done, laid the foundations of a great nation, and would have joined in with them in carrying forward the great ■work of reform. He looked with very great confidence to their future if they only would be true to themselves. He begged to thank them for their kind attention that evening. [Cheers.] Dr Stewart briefly spoke upon the proposals of Sir George Grey, and suggested that though manhood suffrage was a good thing, he desired to see it surrounded with safeguards, such as the prevention of persons who had been convicted before a Justice of the Peace a number of times, or who had become bankrupt Also, he thought that women should have votes. [Cheers ] Mr Saunders said that the special train of Sir George Grey had to start in a few minutes hence. They had no time to discuss these matters, and if Dr. Stewart or any one else wished to air their speeches, they must take some other opportunity. What they had to do that evening was to assent to or dissent from what the Premier had put before them. [Cheers.] Sir George Grey briefly answered Dr. Stewart that the provision of the residential clause was a safeguard. As to the excluding of a man from exercising his franchise, because he had been convicted before a Justice of the Peace several times, he thought that to do this would be to shut a man out from all hope. He had previously held the opinions expressed by Dr. Stewart, but had abandoned them. [Cheers.] Mrlvess moved that this meeting tenders a vote of thanks: to Sir George Grey for his eloquent "address this evening, and further expresses its entire confidence in Sir G. Grey's Government. Mr Qrr seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Sir George Grey said he thanked them very much for the resolution, and asked them to pass a vote of thanks to the chairman. This being done, the meeting concluded.