MR. BAIN'S MEETING.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 321, 4 February 1868, Page 2

MR. BAIN'S MEETING.

Last evening Mr R. P. Bain addresed the electors of Greymouth at the Melhoiirne Hotel. Mr D>. Maclean took the chair. We exceedingly regret being unable to do more than give a bare outline of his speech, owing to a pressure of other matter. Mr Bain first dealt with the land question ; he believed it to be better to give the land away rather than keep it locked up. Hitherto no man had been able to get a bit of land, and he knew of very many instances on the West Coast of men wishing to buy a piece of land and settle on it, and could not get it. He was in favor of leasing the land at a small rate for three or tive years, with the right of purchase at the end of that period. If it proved auriferous, antt aniners' wished to enter upon it during the "duration of the lease, he would allow them to do so on payment of a reasonable compensation to the occupier. With regard to the question of an additional Warden for the Grey Gold Fields, he was afraid it could not be got ; bu,t lie would empower the police at each station to issue miners' rights, &c, and receive applications for water races. He was in favor- of the Government, in all instances, when it was not in a position to carry put needed public works, giving every encouragement to private enterprise. Hitherto the Government had rather discouraged than encouraged private enterprise. With regard to. the coal reserve, he would keep the Christchnrch Company fa the. letter of their lease, and enforce its forfeiture in case of non-com.plintn.ee. The Superintendent of Canterbury had behaved badly to the local company, for he telegraphed to say that a lease had been granted to the Christchurch Company when the lease was not actually signed for months afterwards. He Avould advocate the sitting of the District Court at Greymouth in criminal case 3, as the present plan of sending all prisoners, for trial to H.okitika involved the country in great and needless expense. He would also endeavor to have a common gaol established in Greymouth, so that prison labor would be available for local works. He advocated the sale of the Maori lands in towns, as the present arrangement, was very unsatisfactory. Ifreturned, ho n ould endeavor tr> hare

greater attention than had yet been given to the Grey district. It had hitherto been systematically neglected— they had police without an inspector-^ a harbor master without a boat — and the hospital had on several occasions been on the eve of. coir lapse tlirough tlie act of the Government. In answer to questions, Mr Bain said that the embankment of the river was a work involving so much expense that he feared a large share of its cost would have to come from the pockots of the. inhabitants, but if it should be possible to obtain a subsidy, he would do his begc to get one. He doubted if the County Council would have power to deal with the question of the Canterbury debt ; but he would support any resolution in favor of submitting the question to arbitration. With regard to issuing miners' rights available for the whole polony, that was a matter that could only be dealt with by the General Assembly. After answering several other questions, of no great importance, Mr Bain sat down, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.