MR READER WOOD ON THE “NO CONFIDENCE ” MOTION.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 132, 25 June 1880, Page 3

MR READER WOOD ON THE “NO CONFIDENCE ” MOTION.

Mil Reader Wood appears to have made an excellent speech, one of the most brilliant of the present session on the “No Confidence motion.” This speech is thus referred to in the Post's “ Essence of Parliament ” :

“ Mr Reader Wood, who rarely speaks, followed Mr B.dlance with a speech remarkable in many respects. It was eloquent and pointed, but puzzling as to the direction it would take. He commenced as an “ independent” member, then vigorously attacked the weak points in the Government policy, amid the plaudits of the Opposition, who evidently thought ho was ‘ going over,’ and wound up with a peroration which must have completely taken that party aback. He earnestly implored all sides to put away quibbling, and to unite in getting the colony out of the mess it is in. The debate had taken an acrimonious turn which would advantage no one. The question of who was responsible ought not to be considered, for he would like to know who was not responsible ? Like a letter in invisible ink, the resolution of the lion, member for the Thames had a double meaning. The one meaning ivas wliat it appeared, the other was simply that the gentlemen who sat upon the Ministerial benches ought to be put off, and the gentlemen who previously sat on them placed there instead. Taking the resolution in its plain meaning, he would like to know who expected the whole of the financial proposals to benefit the country ? Not the Government lie was sure ; but they were imposed upon the country by its difficulties. Neither party had fairly grappled the real question. The hon. gentleman then suggested two courses as left open. One was to borrow where we could, as much as we could, and practically “ go the whole hog.” These were not Mr Wood’s words, but explain his meaning more briefly than could otherwise be done. The second plan was for the Government to absolutely and resolutely set their foot upon borrowing another penny or carrying on any more public works. This the Government would not do. The Financial Statement bristled with economy, and the Civil Service report showed that one-eighth of the population were employed to administer the affairs of the other seven-eighths, which was monstrous. A private individual would not permit this; but the Government did not propose to reduce the staff, 1 because some officer or other might suffer.’ Yet, continued Mr Wood, the taxpayers are suffering all the time. He pointed out the uselessness of small per centagc reductions, and said only large reductions and sweeping reforms should be effected. The House could insist upon this, or better still, the Government could bring down the Estimates with 5S instead of 12S pages. But then the Government ‘ hadn’t time.’ It was their duty to protect the taxpayer more than others. As to the Property Tax, he would support it as far as the money was needed ; hut he proceeded to show that it would raise more than was necessary, and the Treasurer had made a mistake in his calculations regarding it. They might do as Mr Ballance hinted would be the ease, reduce it to a Land Tax, which would be a fairer one. After dealing with the land revenue, and pointing out the necessity of reducing the

price of certain lands, Mr Wood proceeded to deal with what lie termed the real meaning of Sir George Grey’s resolution — and here it was he dashed the hopes of the Opposition, if they had any, to the ground. He made it the subject of his peroration, and said— 1 Sir, I shall be no party to doing anything of the kind (turning out the Government to put in the previous Ministry), and the reason why is this : I believe those gentlemen to be better administrators than the Grey Government. I don’t believe the lion, the Native Minister would ever live the life of Sardanapalus at the public expense ; I don’t think the Colonial Treasurer will ever put his hand into the public Treasury to take therefrom three hundred sovereigns to pay a pet lawyer for a retaining fee ; I don’t think the Minister for Public Works will ever muddle away 2j millions of a loan without knowing it—(cheers) —l don’t say lie won’t muddle it away, but not without knowing it (laughter) ; I don’t think the Treasurer will ever have a defieitinhis accounts of one million without knowing it ; nor do I think the Ministry of Mr Hall will ever sanction the Colonial Treasurer taking £2OOO to carry him and his family home at the public expense for nothing at all.’ (Great cheering.) Throughout his speech the hen. gentleman displayed great oratorical and dramatic powers, and at times he was witheringly sarcastic.”