THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1947, 21 May 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1880.

The Premier has addressed his constituents at the “ obscure village of Leeston.” By this time his speech has been telegraphed over the length and breadth of New Zealand. It is now as much the property of the people of New Zealand at large as is the address of Sir George Grey delivered before a packed audience in the Oddfellows’ Hall at Christchurch. This may astonish the Liberal Reform Association, but nevertheless it is a fact. The facilities in the way of communication in these days are such that when a gentleman makes a speech to his constituents his utterances immediately become public property, and are not considered as being addressed solely to his immediate audience. And more particularly is this the case when the speaker holds such an exalted position as that of Premier of the ccwj.fry. We are happy to be able to make this piece of information a present to the Liberal Reform Association.

Viewed critically, Mr. Hall’s speech is a striking contrast to that delivered by Sir George Grey. It is not at all philosophical, but sternly practical. It may not please the dreamy enthusiast given over to culling vague declamations from the worts of Rousseau; but it will commend itself to men of business, to statesmanlike minds by the lucidity of its reasoning and the abundance of facts it lays before the public. Even Mr. Montgomery —that fervid hater pf the system of plural voting—except indeed when it tells in his own favor—that gentleman as full of rotten figures as are some eggs of , equally useful matter, must confess that there is a considerable amount of stuff ” in the Premier’s speech. For Mr. Hall lays the position of the colony well before the public; he explains clearly the actions of the Government. during last session ■ and during the recess; he shatters the accusations brought against him by the ex-Premior, and be brings forward a list of the measures which the Government propose bringing forward when the Parliament again meets. And indeed if his promises in the latter respect are allowed to be carried into effect the coming session will be no child’s play. Besides that question of paramount importance, finance, respecting which the ' Colonial Treasurer is to fire the first shot, there will bo brought foramongst other measures the following—a measure to provide some efficient substitute for the subsidy system on behalf of districts laboring under peculiar disadvantages, a Bill for the Regulation of Elections, a Bill for the Prevention of Bribery and Corruption, a Bill as to the Trial of Election Petitions, and a Bill for the Redistribution of Seats. It is proposed to sweep away entirely the existing legislation on the subject of the Native Question, and a series of Bills has been prepared for dealing with it. With regard to the licensing of public houses, about which Mr. Hall believes that there are not less , than twenty-six Acts or Ordinances in the various parts of the colony, a Bill is ready dealing with the subject in a fair and impartial spirit, neither on the one hand ignoring the wishes of the Local Option party with regard to new licenses, or, on 'the other, passing over the vested interests attached to respectable licensed houses. Then with regard to the maintenance of Hospitals and'the providing for Charitable Aid, the Government propose to deal with these questions by fixing by law the responsibility in particular quarters, in such away that “while it encourages private benevolence it will not absolutely leave the sick and indigent to what might, after all, be an uncertain and precarious source of income.” With respect to the consolidation of Statutes, fourteen Acts will be presented to Parliament which will consolidate no less than sixty statutes upon a number of important subjects. All these, amongst other miner matters, will be brought forward, and it must be conceded that the greatest glutton for work will not have to complain that the bill of faro provided is not sufficiently ample. Indeed, as the Premier remarks at one stage of his speech with regard to his Government, “ It is not our practice to talk very long about things.” The connection between the brain and the hand is not sluggish as it is often found to bo in the case of highly philosophical administrations. “ Burning ” questions such as those regarding the constitution of the Legislative Council, and as to whether the Queen shall confer titles of honor hero without the concurrence of the Ministry of New Zealand, such as that of fixe appointment of the Governor, are to be allowed for the present to consume in peace in their own smoke or are perhaps relegated to the special attention of Sir George Grey. The present Ministry apparently consider that the programme given above is sufficiently extensive for the present, and that the colony can consent to drag on a few years longer with a Council as at present constituted, and with a Governor who has no special claim to be asked to tea by Her Majesty. It is manifestly impossible in the short space at our disposal to even attempt to review the Premier’s utterance. Anyone who feels the slightest interest in the affairs of the country will take very good care to read, mark, learn, and digest by carefully perusing the text of tho speech itself. At tho outset he will nolo one peculiar fact. Mr. Hall tells his audience '

bluntly that the state of colonial finances has not allowed him to do much in the interests of the constituency who elected him. He has neither attempted to bore a tunnel for them—though this may partly result from the fact that his constituency live on a dead flat—nor has he obtained bridges or post offices for them. And yet no doubt, like Mr. Montgomery, he is gratified beyond measure “ at the noble manner in which they have stood to him.” The rotten and obscure little constituency strangely enough has set an example which it would be well for large and immaculate constituencies to follow. And then the Premier explains the action of the Government with respect to the socalled private telegrams of the late Government, and clearly shows that Sir George Grey told a deliberate falsehood when speaking at the Oddfellows’ Hall; he shows that there is no truth whatever in what is asserted with respect to the intentions of the Government with regard to the subject of education; he calls attention to the remarkable omissions from the ex-Premier’s speech ; he explains the facts connected with his advent to power; ho reviews the measures passed during his term of office, points to the disastrous result of the system or no system of finance pursued by the Grey Government, and the state in which they loft the money matters of the colony: mentions the real facts connected with the five million loan, and the steps taken to place the finances of the colony, on a sound and honest footing : he states the moans taken to ensure economy, and to the progress already made in the way of retrenchment, especially in the Native department: he leads his hearers through the mazes of the Native question, and through the operations connected with occupation of the Waimato Plains, and finally he touches on the question of the law regulating the disposal of crown lands, the facts connected with the district railway question and the appointment of the Railway Commissions.

In conclusion wo cannot refrain from quoting in extenso the Premier’s peroration. It contains in language brilliant and yet practical a summary of the situation. “If you believe it desirable to have a Government which shall go vaporing about the colony at public meetings, exciting the passions and flattering the prejudices of large audiences, by setting forth a number of imaginary grievances and necessary remedies, at the same time neglecting the practical work of the Government of the colony, and allowing its finance to drift into confusion, then you had better get rid of us at once. But if on the other hand, you desire to have a Government, which discards such proceedings as those, but which is willing to devote itself honestly to the task of introducing economy and efficiency into the administration, to neglect no opportunity of developing the great resources of New Zealand; above all, to watch carefully over its credit, and by a sound and honest system of finance, place that credit on a firm basis—if the people of New Zealand wish to have such a Government, then I claim, without hesitation, the support of the people for the gentlemen who are associated with me in the work of the Government of the colony.”