THE PREMIER’S PROMISES.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1708, 11 August 1879, Page 3

THE PREMIER’S PROMISES.

On August Ist, in the course of the debate as to tho conditions on which supplies should be granted, Mr Alfred Saunders spoke asfollows of “ Q-reyism ” :—Sir, although this side of tho House is now in a large majority, and Ministers are so placed that they can constitutionally do nothing without our leave, yet I readily admit that tho Premier is in a position to defy us as to the course taken with

reference to any matters that affect the welfare, interests, prosperity, and safety of this country. He, sir, never feels any deep anxiety as to what will bo the result of any daring action that he thinks proper to take himself, or to recommend the Governor to take. The security or happiness of the country is of little consequence to him so long as he can devise some moans to retain a scat on those benches. But I nm happy to say that the gentlemen who sit on this side of the Heuse do feel a deep responsibility for the exercise of that power which belongs to them as the overwhelming majority of this House ; and, however much mischief may result temporarily from allowing a Ministry to sit there a little longer who enjoy neither the confidence of this House nor of the country, wo will not be forced or defied into the adoption of any course that would permanently injure this colony or degrade the British institutions hero established. In this respect I admit that the Premier is in a position to defy the majority of this House, even with the small following of twenty-seven members who have expressed their willingness that ho and his Government should longer remain on those benches. It is not his strength, but his weakness —not his power, but his recklessness—that enable him to adopt such language as ho has dared to use hero to-night. But, whatever measures or whatever action may ho taken with a view to prolonging the hon. member’s occupation' of those benches, we are perfectly confident, on this side of the House, that, as soon as wo come baok from the constituencies, so soon will the reign of that hon. gentleman the Premier be terminated for the remainder of his natural life. There is nothing that appears to be too strong, too daring for that hon. gentleman to assert to this House. There are few men, in any station of life—probably none in the station tho Premier occupies—who would dare to accuse a large body of men of the very crime of which he knows himself to be guilty. Ho would to-night represent ua as those who have prevented residents of New Zealand from enjoying all the privileges of electors, and tho privilege of taking part in their own Government. I toll him tonight, sir, and I tell those for whom his speech is specially intended, that every resident of New Zealand who finds himself excluded from the electoral roll has simply Sir George Grey, and Sir George Grey only, to thank for that privation. Had the Premier allowed the Bill which passed this House and the other Chamber last year to become law, every resident in New Zealand would have been entitled to vote and to take part in tho election now about to take place. Almost every member of this side o£ the House—certainly every member from Canterbury—again and again urged tho Premier last year to introduce a measure equalising the electorate of this colony, in the shape of an Act to redistribute seats ; and were we not again and again refused such a measure ? Then how can ho go to the country now and say that this side of the House has prevented an equal distribution of power, and has prevented any resident of tho colony from having a right to vote ? I did not doubt for a moment, when I first saw tho memorandum that was seat to the leader of the Opposition by tho Premier, that it was intended to make capital out of it, and to use it as an electioneering manifesto. No one who knew the Premier doubted that. As to that very old story about the poor 65,000 electors who are precluded from taking part in this great contest about to come off, entirely and solely by the Premier’s own action, I knew that would be brought up here to-night ; ; and I knew, notwithstanding—really I nm afraid to characterise the conduct of the hon. gentleman in refusing the repeated requests of this side of the House to equalise the representation of the colony—notwithstanding his deliberate and obstinate disregard of our appeals for a redistribution of seats,- and his own wanton destruction of the Electoral Bill, Iknow he would stand up here to-night and charge us with being the cause of it. I I suppose the Chinese question also is a good election cry—l dare say it would do something—but I know that a large number of members have strong opinions on that subject; and clearly, therefore, it is one of those questions which are precluded by the Governor in the conditions on which he granted,a dissolution. There was a time when w-hat the Premier has said to-night, and what no doubt he intends to say before the country, would have had some effect upon tho elections. But hope deferred makoth the heart sick, and these promises have now been rung.before the country till every one is sick of hearing them, and Sir George Grey has no one but himself to blame for their non-fulfilment. There is not a laborer in New Zealand who' does not know that last year the Premier was at the head of a strong majority in this House, who were ready to carry every one of the measures which he had paraded before the colony; and that,, if he had really wished it, every one of them might have been the law of tho land. But, Sir,that would not answer his purpose ; : that would have taken all the wind out of his sails-; that would have left him no election cry, no popular grievance for the present emergency —no excuse for holding up every man of wealth or worth, of education or respectability, as an enemy to his race and an object of hatred and suspicion to his- less- fortunate neighbours. Sir, the Premier has played a gams once that cannot bo played twice. He will find broken promises, however strongly or ably reiterated, a bad flag to fight under. He may take his old tales and his old promises and lay them before tho electors, as he alone can do it; but he will find that their charms have all fied, and that the electors of this colony will never again believe one word of them.