MR. W. A. MURRAY, M.H.R., AT MILTON.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 412, 15 February 1877, Page 3

MR. W. A. MURRAY, M.H.R., AT MILTON.

The following extracts are reprinted from the ' Bruce Herald ' :—He (Mr. Murray) strongly disapproved of thepolicy of the Native Minister, which led to toe loss and squandering of enor- ! mous suras of money. When that money was exhausted he feared that serious complications would arise. He had always opposed the policy followed in dealing with the Natives. and he thought he was right in this matter. They would be astonished to hear of the sums spent by the Native Department. Up to the 13th of June last the Native and Defence Department had expended out of land revenue the sums of £5,207,8 tO, and in addition to that sum there was an amount of £l,lOO 000 for land purchase and roads in Native districts, making a total of £6,307,840—£3,000,000 of which had been spent during Sir Donald M'Lean's administration. It would; thus be seen that the late Minister had t a great lever at his back to enable him to purchase peace with the Natives. In addition to the. money payments, 793,000 acres of confiscated land had been returned to the Natives, and £IOO,OOO a-year was spent upon the North Island Volunteers and Constabulary. £20,000 had been spent upon the education of the Maoris, and he thought that that amount had been wisely laid out. This penalty which we had been paying through the Native Department must be paid at the peril of our lives, and he felt that the Government was placed in a different position in connection with that question, for the Native expenditure could not be kept up with the funds that were at the disposal of the Government. He did not place much reliance in the rumor that existed with reference to any present Native difficulty, but he looked upon the attitude of the friendly Natives as more dangerous than that of the King party. The Arawas, the pets of the late Native Minister, would probably exhibit a considerable deal of discontent when the supplies were stopped, and that would injure the Colony considerably, as people at Home who knew very little of the geography of the place, would be afraid to come out to any part of New Zealand when they heard that there was any trouble between the colonists and the Natives—no matter where. While the Government was wise to stop what was called the "sugar and blanket " policy of the Native Department, he did not approve of its action in reducing the Armed Constabulary by two hundred men. That was a matter for very serious consideration,.and many gentlemen, both in the North and South, Were of opinion that the- Government had acted unwisely in paying off a body of thoroughly trained men, when the critical moment had arrived for stopping the supplies which the Natives had become .used to receiving. The same feeling of security prevailed just before the escape of the Native prisoners from Chatham Island. Six weeks before that event, someone said that it would be impossible to find sixty hostile Natives in the whole of New Zealand, and yet not long after the massacres took place, and the JNorfch Island wasinvolvedinawar. HehopedtheGoGovernment would not discharge the Constabulary until thepoliey of stopping the sullies of sugar and blankets had been tested. . . . .' He regretted' that Mr, Eeid should have seen his way to join that party. He and Mr. Eeid, except at the time when the question of the Canterbury runs was under discussion, had acted in concert upon almost every question, and he (Mr. Murray) would not have acted as Mr. Eeid had acted in joining the Government. Mr. Eeid's services would no doubt, be vety valuable to the country; but he thought it was subversive-of all Parlimentary Government when member after member, and especially members of influence who command the respect and confidence of the people,' went over and joined the ranks of their opponents. Mr. Eeid should have remained until the next session of Parliament, and then taking the position he had a right to take he should have endeavoured to turn out the Government, . and then free from the taint of all such transactions as the sale of the Piako swamp, he could have come down with his policy for the good government of i the country. If he was morally pledg- . Ed to support his colleagues now he could not do so. When Ministers reI tired one by oue, and their places were filled in such a manner, and when no one called such actions in question, there was an end to all political responsibility and to sound Constitutional Government. .... The interests of Otago and Canterbury were the same, except that.the rundolders of Canterbury appeared to have their own particular intrests to consider. Last Session the gentlemen who represented the pastoral interests of Canterbury seemed to have a reason for supporting the Government in consideration of favorathey were to receive. It seemed as if they had some secret understanding with the Government that if they gave it their support the leases of their runa would be renewed.