Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1886.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 276, 5 June 1886, Page 2

Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1886.

Seldom do we find it either necessary or expedient to travel far afield in quest of matter for our leading columns. Our object is to make the Lyell Times a model of country journalism, replete with local matter, and ever seeking to promote the welfare of this important district—important now, and destined, at no distant day, as we believe, to become more important still. And it is because of its direct bearing upon the district, through which we circulate, that we turn aside from our usual custom, to note, in brief detail, an interesting political address recently delivered to his constituents by Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.R. for the Tuapeka district, in Otago. Mr Brown is one of the oldest members of the House—we believe he was Whip for, as it is more euphemistically termed, Political Secretary) to Sir George Grey's Government ; and, with a loyality worthy of an old Highland henchman, the lion, gentleman continues to form one of the constantlv-decreasing tail of the

venerable and accomplished, if somewhat impracticable and erratic knight of Kawau. Mr Brown, it may be remarked in passing, has lately been appointed a member of the Land Board of Otago, a position in which his immense and accurate knowledge of that province will enable him to do the " State some service." He denounces the present mode of working the Babbit Acts, and recommends that the Inspector be paid off, and extirpation of the pestiferous rodents shall be transferred to the Local Bodies. The number of Ministers, he thinks, should be reduced by two, and the membership of the House of Kepresentatives be also reduced, by enlarging the areas of the constituencies. Mr Brown also advocated the sending of two expert accountants through the various departments of the Civil Service. In this way alone, the lion, gentleman believed (and we incline to the same opinion) that an annual saving of at least £50,000 would be effected. He referred also to the Kailway system, in which he assured his hearers, on the authority of a Bailway Official in high position, that a saving of £50,000 a-year, in stores alone, was possible. Free education, he contended, cost too much by £l°, r OO a-year. In order to effect a reduction of that vote by that amount, the lion, member suggested that free education, unless in the case of children of exceptional brightness, should stop with the fourth standard ; and all*who could well afford to pay for the schooling of their children ought to be made do so. In the abstract, as our Scotch friends would phrase it, that appears to be good sense; but an insuperable difficulty would be found in drawing the line. Space, however, forbids our commenting at length upon the other important topics in the excellent and businesslike address under notice. It bears trace throughout of careful thought, and is altogether worthy alike of the important constituency of Tuapeka, and of the member who has represented it, first in the Provincial Council, and latterly in the Colonial Parliament, almost, if not altogether, since the famous GabrielTs Bush, of 1861, brought Tuapeka into existence as a habitation of men. In this connection, it may be noted that the Lawrence Bailway, from Tokomairiro (Milton) to Tuapeka (Lawrence) —a distance of 22 miles—forms a monument of the powers of Mr J. C. Brown as a log-roller and Solicitor-General for his constituency; and, further, that for many years he has invested his private means in unstinted measure in developing the resources of the Tuakepa goldfield, especially the Wetherstone's Company, of which, we understand, he has, from the first, and up to the present time, been the chief partner and mainstay—through good report, and evil report. Altogether, Mr Brown is a colonist worthy of the respect of any constituency, and therefore it is that he has held his own in the Tuapeka Electorate all these years against all comers. It would, by the way, be a graceful act on the part of the present Government, and one which, we believa, the country at large would thoroughly endorse, were the Ministry to promote Mr Brown to a seat in the Legislative Council, ob praeclara in Bempublicam merits,— that is to say, for the same kind of reasons which operated in ancient Borne— on account of* pre-eminent services to the State. The other subjects referred to by the Member for Tuapeka—who is familiarly known among his people as Jay See—a term of respect when used by his friends, and of reproach or dislike when employed by his political foes —may be briefly summarised as a plea for fostering aid to local industries, fruit-grow-ing, (with the view of eventually exporting large quantities to the Home markets) and providing cheap money for the settlers. He advocated a land and income tax, instead of the property tax, and an increased duty on receipt stamps; the duty should be taken off the cheaper sorts of tea, and larger duties be levied on the higher qualities; also,.he advocated the extension of the special settlement and homestead systems; and he closed an admirable address, for which he received a vote of thanks and confidence, by naively remarking: (we quote from our big brother the " Otago Witness ") 11 Now that the East and West Coast Bailway has been disposed of it will be a hard matter for the Opposition to find anything against the Government." On that subject we would merely say, just now, that if the leadership of the Opposition is handed over to Mr Bryce, as proposed, the duties of the position will, no doubt, be performed in a wise and patriotic spirit, as becomes what the hon. (and, we might add, gallant) gentleman is known over the iength and breadth of

the Colony to be—not only an able statesman, but a high principled, Christian gentleman—Mr Rusden notwithstanding.