The Premier's Speech.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 14 March 1891, Page 3

The Premier's Speech.

We take from- the Hawera Slat the speech mafte, by the Premier the banquekgiven to Jfr-McGuire a Stratford on Tuesday evening : — The Premier, in responding, hope* that the party on whose behalf hi r responded would be known not b; their words but by works, and by thi they created by thei actions. There was no other tes but that. The Liberal party wai party of revolution, .^nt o W^lma. But they did not MbQ-bMe^feeir^felftims lor supped : on t mere paper policy, but on a sound judicious, broad and cqmprehensvi* administration. He hoped that be fore long the ladies would not onlj sit at the same table with them at t banquet, but would also exercise the political franchise and record theii votes at Parliamentary elections. It was said by some that women would be under the domination of the priests and the parsons, but he would resent; and repel that assertion. The ladies were just as free and independent as the men themselves, and had an equal sense of their responsibilities. He was surprised to hear of the illiberal sentiments expressed byj.Mr Bryce in respect to the swagmen, to whom that gentleman would deny the right to vote. He (Mr Ballance) held that the franchise had an educative and elevating tendency in itself, and that no such attempt should be made to create a class of political pariahs and outcasts. He hoped tha Government would be able to give to every sober ' and industrious man the opportunity of going on to the land. Beferring to local matters, he must decline to make any promises in respect to the harbour rate. No doubt it was a Wardship td the settlers, who had been led to believe that it would be at least 20 or 26 years before they would have a harbour rate to pay ; bnt they had been called on for a rate almost at once, and were now paying it, which was a hardship and, to a certain extent, a breach of faith. No doubt this matter would receive the attention oi all concerned, and the members representing that part of ttie district would [do all in their power to secure relief. In the last House the prejudice was very great, arid ii; was useless to attempt to get ;". yejiit'.pj^sii'niigiit be less difficult * ill itljesptesent House of Representatives. As to the One Man One Vote A/t which had been passed last year, he was satisfied it had conferred a great benefit on the people ; but it ought to be extended so that a vote should-ne possessed only by residents in thej* district. At present, at byelections, many outsiders who had vQffoiimme electorate at a general Xeiec3iQ9 could vote in an adjoining i, one. The Government proposed to resect every, elector to a single vote, in by-elections as well as in the general elections, confining electors &%e?right to vote in the districts tfbpr'e they were resident. He depredated any "-attempt to force the natives, to give up their lands, as likely to causeiQUother disturbance, aud denied that the Government had any intention of pursuing such a po'icy. Tho law relating to the acquisition of native lands needed amendment and it was proposed to introduce a bill by which persons desiring small holdings of native land would be placed on an equal footing with those negotiating for large blocks. A Crown title should le given for the land, find he hoped the Bill would be circulated before the opening of the next Parliament. As to the honorarium, he could say that not one ?enny, pf.it had been left in the reasury, sq that \bose members who thought the amount was not earned were not .constrained to hand it back or leave it as. conscience money In fact one wealthy member had distributed his ho.orarium among all the public" institutions of hi3 district, in .order, tp make his return safe for next 'time. The law fixed the payment of members when two sessions were held, and the law had to be carried out in respect to M. H. tf.'s as it wou'd in respect to private persons. An adequate payment of members must be made unless they would throw representation into the hands of a^wealtby Tory oligarchy. In the future they would be called on to exercise much more severe restraint iu their public expenditure than in the past; their necessities demanded a rest from borrowing and they must live within their own resources, and would have to measure their Liberal policy by the great standard of £ s d. Whatever changeß they might make in taxation, they must W so ar--sftSft^.;#»*r-.>t6j iffnnwfli vjtifaoald pay no n:ore, but less, than before The farmers should ask themselves "whether they paid, mx>re eff less taxation under the present (government ; and if they paid more, each should say "If that is the Liberalpolicy, I shail not have any mfl*e of it." The Conservatives mixed up tho land monopolist, the land speculator, and the dummy with the farmer, and said that they (the Conservatives) were on the side of the farmer. But the Liberals drew the line between land speculators and mouopoMsts and bona fide farmers. But they would require prudence when dealing with the land policy ; though they would leave the Jfln&'sitecinatorß and monopolists to

take care of themselves. (A voice ? " Single tax.") As to single tix there was much force in it. But ho :, did not believe it could be imposed all at once. He recognised tho great evil of land monopoly, which the : s ; ngle tax would havo tended to prevent had it been in force. If onr 1 land laws were properly administered , be believed the exodus of population ® would cea«e, and there wou'd be no ' unemployed to provide for. That e t had been the effect of his village set- , tlement legislation in respect to the town of Auckland, and he cou'd say » that most of those village settlers were still there and were doing well. B In the course of his address Mi Bal lance spoke highly of the energy ' and ability of the so-called labcr B members, and bore testimony to the great energy and perseverance of Mr McGnire, whom he had known for 1 many years.