Post-Sessional Address.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 60, 12 February 1885, Page 2

Post-Sessional Address.

MR MACARTHUR M.H.R.

(Continuation of Eeport.) Mr Stout had misstated that there was only £77,000 given for Rojmls and Bridges* in 1877, while last year .4320,000 was given. Mr Stout had not considered the large subsidies given m 1877. Mr Stout complained of only .£70,000 being spent m Railways when ;£620|000 of the loan, was given for Roads and Bridges. The Government declined to pay money out of the loan., and general taxation for the works, then it must come out of the local! taxation. We were taxed as much as we could bear now, and to give any further powers of taxation, would prove a dead sea apple. It looked very- pretty and rosy on the outside but was all ashes to the lips inside. Sir Julius Yogel says we must depend upon local efforts. We cannot do this unless we get some money m another way. He (Mr Macarthur) believed that there was a political evil coming m New Zealand yiz., the influence . of the. cities against the rural districts, m which the latter will suffer. Many members admit that many of the measures carried by Parliament were detrimental to the rural districts. The oountry towns were taxed to a great .extent to support the cities. The great sums spent m Dunedin were spoken of by Mr Stout m a tone of regret. He (Mr Stoui) lamented that .£300,000 was . spent for roads m a town where a railway station cost £25,000. He (Mr Macarthur) was ! a liberal for dealing with the lands of the Crown and did what he could m that direction. In some cases he ' thought it would be better to give away the land. There was a loss of £500,000 ih*6he case m the sale ■of land. 1 - The? Associations which were now being formed gave some advantage. A man and his wife could select a hundred acres each.-.: He believed that Mr Ballance was doing his best .to get the country settled; m Natiye matters he had had the path made clear for him by Mr Bryce. Mr Stout s in gloryfying his Ministry said that he took credit for the preservation of peace m Natiye affairs. Before .Mr^; Stout's Ministory was thought of a Peace Preservation Act was passed, / Whatever Mr Bryce's faults were, under lnVpolicy the Maoris learnt that they were, under thesame laws as Europeans. Mr Ballance thought there could be made about £80-----000 reduction m his department. As to departmental services it was very difficult to get reductions made. In one case a gentleman whose duty it was to examine bills received £205 per session. He had only five bills to examine on ope occasion. The office was :: a sinecure. A motion was brought forward to reduce the amount, yet no idea could be concevied, of the amount of resistance which was brought to bear .m support of it. After some trouble it was reduced to £150. He (Mr Macarthur). was, very glad to see that Mr' Ballance was making retrenchments. In the matter of Railway Management the Government were about to get a Bill drafted m regard to Railway Boards. It wasi proposed to have one Board m the South Island and one at Auckland. He (Mr Macarthur) had spoken to Mr Richardson on the subject, and the latter said it was on the ground of economy that we should have three Boards; The scheme seems* to be unfair m this particular to the North Island. He found that there was a strong feeling m favor of colonializing of Education Endowments for secondary education, which had r his hearty support. Re denominational education "'there is. not the slightest chance of that being introduced. The Members having denominational views 9XQ- few m. number. Mr Stout is going m for technical education and to educate boys for trades and for the Press. He' (Mr Maerirthur) thought there was a good deal of nonsense encompassing the proposition. What they really wanted •was that boys should be taught to till the soil. Many people thought it a sort of degradation to do that, but he would assure them that m the education of their boys a knowledge of agricultural pursuits would add much dignity and induce success to their prosperity m New Zealand. In reference to the Legislative Council he said that as to doing away with their honorarium he was pretty well certain that no Bill for that purpose would, receive the <; < assent of the Upper House. He asked the Government -whether they would next session bring m a Bill to reform the constitution of the Legislative Council m such a matter as to. limit the ( fQr;whieh a member should hold his seat.* "Mr* Stout promised that the matter should receive consideration during the, ifeces's, and perhaps something might begone to reform the Council, -Men* become mentally incapacitated at varying periods of life, whether by old age otherwise* ,apd he thought fihat if some lime 4ver£ limited, say fire or seven years,for holding a seat m the Council, it would be good. He had seen by "the newspapers that some members of the Upper House had been drunk during the sessiqn. ' One was • drunk during the whole session and had to »o to the hospital afterwards. Such a man was not fit to legislate. Mr-Mac-arthur i^viewed a great many other public topics ami Parliamentary measures m a masterly manner, and was listened to with great attention throughout his adilress, and concluded by saying that he thought he had touched upon almost every political matter, and he! had' only to say that it gave him very great pleasure, to address them that, nighl. It was at Pahnerston that very gratifying expressions of approval of what he had done -were given him first, and he assured them that he had done everything for the best and good of every part of the Manawatu, and what he considered to be liis duty to all. (Prolonged applause) ; -■ . , -; ' .;'-;>. Tke* "chairinaii^-smtHtfiat he was sure they had all heard with considerable pleasure' and interest* what their representative lia'd been ' doing m the past session. His interests were identical with the interests' of thtf whole district* and he thought all would agree * that ho was the right, man m the right plagg^v All matters which he had taken ' up locally had given satiafation; - In former times we^ had to do almost everything by letters and telegrams, Mr Macarthur would be glad to answer any question. In answer to a questiooijMr : Macarthur said that the Government of tne day could, appoint as many people as they liked to the Upjier House. They do not do it because there was no necessity for it." If ' they had. liked to swamp the District Railways Bill they could have done it, - A scheme that a certain number should retire at a. certain age. ,would not answer. Some men at 60 were more capable than younger ones. Under the pressure of public opinion Government would have to give way. Them came a time m the life of most men when they become useless to the country and unfit to legislate. Replying to Mr McNeil, Mr Macarthur said that the members of the Upper House, as Sir George Grey; pointed out some years ago, were' .pensioners for life. If they were nominated by tho Government of the day they, should bo men who possessed the confidence of Parliament. Thore was : { au, "elective principle m the Upper House. It should be independent of local influence and responsible to the whole colony • and not to any particular constituency. There were men m it now who would have to remain until they were got rid of by natural process. Mr Stout thinks there should be no Upper House at all. In answer to Mr ' France, who asked whether Mr : Macarthur thought the Upper House was of any service whatever, he replied that he thought the Upper Chamber of much service as it gave tune for thought and was a whole-

gome check to hasty and rash legislation;'— — It was proposed by Mr Snelson and seconded by Mr Hankins — That this meeting thanks Mr Macarthur for his address and expresses its renewed confidence m him. The proposition was carried I .unanimously, and Mr Macarthur briefly returned 'thanks expressing a hope that he would continue to merit the approbation of -bits constituents and deserve their confidence. After the usual vote of thanks to the •" ■• ' chairman .the meeting terminated.