THE PREMIER AT LEESTON.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 238, 30 May 1881, Page 2

THE PREMIER AT LEESTON.

[kvksinci cost]. j Til!'. Hon the Premier met his constituents lat Lees ton on Thursday last. After referring to some local questions, Mr Jlal! said he was not anxious for a platform controversy about opinions or statements contained in speeches of members during the recess, but silence with respect to such an address as that which had recently been delivered at the Thames, might be regarded as discourtesy to the leader of the Opposition, and it might also leave on the public mind a wrong impression as to Major Atkinson’s share in them.ittir of an advance of LIO,OOO to the Patea Harbor Hoard. Sir Oeorgc Grey, speaking at the Thames, referred to Major Atkinson’s statement that lie had said jocularly to Mr Sherwood (the Chairman of the Hoard) that if lie told Sir George Grey, he intended to oppose him (Major Atkinson) he (Mr Sherwood) would get the LIO,OOO for his Hoard. Sir (Icorge (Iruy described this as a “ diabolical plot,” and “a disgraceful transaction,” but Mr Sherwood did get the LIO,OOO from the Grey Government the very day after he applied for it. Could anyone believe that all these tilings were not connected with Mr Sherwood's candidature for the Egmont. district '! They knew the pace at which Government business of the kind would ordinarily he gone through. They knew that Mr Sherwood was opposing Major Atkinson, and how important it was to him that he should secure the advance and r. •fnrii t.ri lii< «*;i n .•« r»f !11 < r>r»i» cLi T.n imi «•* v •

win'll they saw the transaction got through in an extraordinarily rapid way, were they to believe it was all an innocent coincidence? If it were so it was simply miraculous. Ile believed that the people generally would agree with him that the transaction was a discreditable one. Sir (1. (Irey, as Premier, allowed the system to continue in full force during his term of otliee. As soon however, as the present dovernmont came into power, the system was attacked. Mr Stevens moved in the House to refer to the Public Accounts (.'ommittccthc whole question of dealing with trust funds, and he (.Mr Hall) supported the motion. The (.'oinmittec did not report on the matter during IST!*, but last year they recommended that trust fluids should lie invested in (lovernment securities only, d'liu House had not, in fact, approved the recommendation, hut the (lovermnent had conformed to it, and thus they had ended the system which Sit'd, drey so strongly denounced, hut of which lie did not attempt to get rit. Mr Hall strongly condemned Sir deorge drey’s proposal to adopt the American system, which gave each dovernment a right of turning out presumably j hostile officials and Idling their places with j men more friendly disposed. That was a I proposal to apply in the worst way possible j wliat was generally admitted to he the j worst feature of the American system. This, taken with the other wild and inflam- ! matory talk indulged in by Sir deorge | drey, forced the conviction that bespoke! either under the influence of a diseased j imagination, or out of mere recklessness. I

| M r i lull denied that last session was barren, j or that t! e Government last session were fewer than the average of the four previous years. The session was prolonged by prolix talk on minor matters, and useless discussions such as the no confidence debate, which occupied a fourth of the whole session without even a chance of being carried. Mr Payee himself had explained his resignation. Ministers greatly regretted to lose him, and they heartily lucoguised the good work he had done. Regarding financial affairs, it was proved that the Colonial Treasurer's statement in 187 b as to the delieiency was justified. The constantlyreiterated charge which Opposition members were so fond of making—that that statement injured the credit of the colony —-'.'.'as unfounded. That depression should follow the publication of such a truth as ;o the finances was perhaps inevitable, but the action taken restored confidence. There was a general recognition in the House, and especially by the Press, that to have slurred over the condition of the Treasury would have been highly censurable. Now the colonial securities were quoted higher than ever before. Truth as to delieiency and honest effort to secure a financial equilibrium Mould never really injure a country ; but unfounded accusations against public men, unjustifiable depreciation of the prospects of the country, and illogical urgings that paper money issued by the State would cure all evils, must tend to bo injurious. The Government cheerfully acknowledged the assistance given by the House last year in doing what, so far as he knew, was then done for the first time—actually inducing the estimates as brought down. Rut during tlie recess the Government had.

j without fuss or pretension gone still further ; into what they felt to lie an unpleasant but ; most necessary task, ami as a result he I hoped it would be found that the estimates when presented next session, would be for nearly L2o(),000 less than those presented in 1880. Major Atkinson, in his remit | speeches, had exhausted the question of j the Property Tax. Sir George Grey still j urged taxing the English bondholders, | which would be a breach of faith amouut- ! iag to repudiation, and would damn the | credit of the colony. As to native land | purchases, the Government had steadily | pursued their declared policy, vis., first, ’■ to complete purchases which they found j near completion ; second, in certain cases | to take land suiiicient ti represent the | amount of Government advances, and to | release the rest ; third where only small j payments had been made, to abandon j j negotiations, with the consent of the i j natives interested. He hoped that in six j I or eight mouths everything connected with ; these Government purchases would he ; ■ wound up. There had been much talk ' | about Pateterc. If Sir George Grey would j j move next session to re-appoint his Pat:;- ; ! tore Committee, which last year lie had j ! got but did not take advantage of, he (Mr j Mali) would second the motion. The : I Government would also he willing to in- j 1 elude in the reference to such committee '

the question of Messrs Howard and Dilworth's purchase. Mr Bradlaugh, as member for Northampton, had in the Mouse of Commons brought into question the action of the New Zealand Government respecting the Maori prisoners. M r Bradlaugh had, it was known, acted at the instigation of opponents of the Government, whose character lie did not know. The Government of the Colony would give | any information bearing on the native | question that might he desired by the Imi perial Government; hut would not allow j outside interference with the management of native a flairs, the whole responsibility | of which had long been transferred to the ! Colony. It was in every way important that the natives should continue to recognise that it was to the Colonial Government they must look for the redress of grievances and the preservation of right, lie deprecated the introduction of the Governors name into political discussions, and denied that his Excellency had, as asserted, brought any unconstitutional pressure to hear on his Ministers respecting native affairs, d'iie letter to To Wliiti was written oil Ministers’ spontaneous advice. Mr Vincent Pyke had commenced an agitation in Otago as to the mode in i which runs there were to he dealt with | when existing leases fell in, hut the agitation was unnecessary, because, before it was begun, the Government had taken steps for the classification of the land. That which was fit for agriculture would he surveyed into three classes, namely, for villiage settlement, for sale on deferred payment, and for sale for cash, so as to hrin" together, it was hoped, men who, purchasing for cash, would need to employ labor, and those who, buying on the deferred payment system, would he greatly aided by having work at hand. Pastoral j lands, it was intended, should he divided into two classes, the best to ho disposed I of upon the pastoral deferred payment | system, and the less good cutup into small i runs and leased by auction. The Govornj ment regretted exceedingly the circum- | stances that had compelled Mr Oliver to i retire from the Ministry. That gentleman had necessarily unpopular and unpleasant duty of reducing expenditure and increasing receipts from the railway system. He had succeeded in making their railways pay MA per cent on their cost, instead of *2j per cent. That- was a great success. In losing Mr Oliver, the country lost an aide, painstaking and conscientious administrator. As to the future, much of the work of next session must he that of dealing with measures introduced last year, but not passed. Foremost were those relating to electoral reform, namely, the Regulation of Elections Hill, the Corrupt Practices Prevention Pill, ami the lioilis-

trihutiou of Seats Rill. In the first it would ho proposed to extend the hoars of polling, and probably to ha re all elections on the same day. An endeavor would also ho made to satisfy voters that the system of ballot was really a secret one. The principles of the Representation Rill of last session would he adhered to in the one to he brought down this year, which would he based on the new census. The Government believed that the Constitution might lie amended in regard to the Legislative Council. The plat, they favored was that the number of members of the Council should he one-half the number of members of the House: that whenever a vacancy oocured it should he filled by a vote of the House taken by ballot; and that if there was prolonged difference of opinion as to any measure it should he settled by the two Chambers sitting ns one and voting upon the question. It was supposed that by such a plan elections to the Council would, as far as was possible, he .freed from party character, and that there would he more probability than at present of members of the Council being chosen from those who had rendered eminent services to the colony, whether in the House, upon the judical bench, or in other capacity, or from those who had become conspicuous by general ability and high character. The Government proposed to abolish the laws of entail, so ns to prevent land being locked up. They would oppose the sale of the railways, orextravagantoxpenditure on public works. Another mode of helping on railway construction -granting land subsidies toward

i making approved lines, for which money ! was not available—would ho favorably conI sidcred. Any proposal with this object [ would have to In most carefully conditioned, so as to secure settlement along the lines. The Hospitals and Charitable. Aid Hill would again he introduced and he felt confident it would be passed. Thu Licensing Hill of last session would he resubmitted and pressed on. The opening of unlicensed drinking shops, under the guise of working men’s clubs, the real owners i being, in some eases, men to whom licenses had been refused, was threatening to j become a serious evil : and it would be proi posed to require that all clubs, of whatever class, should pay a license fee and ho under : the control of the police. A bill, approved j in the recent Inter-colonial Conference, j with the object of limiting Chinese immi- | gration, would be introduced immediately after the commencement of the session. ; Measures prepared by the Statutes COll- - Commission, which would free j the statute-book of eighty Acts, would | also be introduced. Ho hoped there would ■ he a strong and compact Opposition party I this session, but he warmly con- | devnned the programme put forward I by Sir George Grey and Mr Macandrcw, namely—(l) Abolition of the i Legislative Council and substitution of a I single chamber : (2) removal of the Queen’s j appointed Gov ernor and the substitution of | an elected Governor ; (.1) taxation of the I English bondholders to supply the neces- 1 I si ties of the Xuw Zealand Treasury ; (4) | dismissal of Civil Servant-; who wore not ; political supporters of the Government of I i the day ; (A) unlimated expenditure ; and j ((i) the issue of Government paper money, j This meant despotism and bankruptcy, j i The Government did not think it necessary '

to put forward a new programe, but asked tlie people of New Zealand to judge them by their actions. During their term of office some laws had been passed and others had been prepared, distributing political power on the fairest practicable basis, and guarding against abuse in its exercise. A condition of the colonial finances as alarming as could well be imagined had 'been faced, public revenues increased, and thus tile credit of the col my had been restored. An end had been pat to a system oi land purchase by which, through the squandering of money the European settlers had being robbed while the natives were being demoralised. Threatening native difficulties had been settled ; large facilities for enabling the peopl; to settle theinselve-i upon tlie land had been provi 1 ed, and a! legitimate means bad been employed in an endeavour to stimulate such local Industrie*! as would afford employment to the labouring population. The Government h it it to Ol’-'.Z nto to 1 ’- > all iI ; i;C». a 1 of working liberally. As - a h. limy asked from tin- House and the country a continuance of the iionii le.uee and support which they had hitherto enjoyed. Mr Hall resumed his seat amid hearty been replied to, a vote of thanks an 1 confidence was pad bv acclamation.