MR.STAFFORD'S SPEECH AT TIMARU.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 54, 4 March 1871, Page 2

MR. STAFFORD'S SPEECH AT TIMARU.

(From the Grey River Argus.) Mr. Stafford addressed a crowded meeting at the Mechanics' Institute, Timaru, on. Wednesday evening last, Tn alluding to the existing state of the colony he said it was far from good; sioce 1866 the country had been steadily retrograding at the rate of something like £200,000 a year. The spend iug powers of the country, both publicly and privately, had never been so bad as now. Referring to the former expenditure, it was greatly enhanced by various causes; previous to 1866 there was a large commissariat expenditure, a very large amount of private capital invested, and a large public loan of £3,000,000, all of which sources had dried up about the same time. Coming more to present times, Mr. Yogel had vastly overestimated the revenue by something like £290,000. The ordinary estimates were proved to be excessive. In customs alone there was a falling off of £90,000 a year. He wished he could think that our expenditure had correspondingly fallen off ; there was no indication of retrenchment, aud perhaps the Government were right, as nothing was so unpopular. But whether popular or not, some G-overnment would have to economise, or this magnificent country would come to the Insolvent Court. In regard to the native question, he had never, when in office, attempted to delude the people that the native question was dead and buried. The present Government had lulled people into the belief that it was so. When they assumed office Mr. JVTLean flashed a telegratn to the Governor that peace was made with the Maori King. He did not believe that the attitude of the king party was evermore threatening thau at present. The Government he believed would work hard to maintain peace, but he refused to believe that because the present Govern- j

ment or J»lr. M'Lean was in office there would be no further troubles, although, of course, every year diminished the chances of difficulties. He feared we relied too much on the friendly natives, and that the arms that were issued to them soon passed info the hands of those opposed to us. Of the Sau Francisco mail service he only knew what he had seen in the public journals, and he should not be surprised if the statements were correct. The contract was unwise in every respect; why should the American steamers be made to do the coastal work of this colony ? And he was sorry that a positive affront to Australia had been offered in this matter, rle would support the very cheapest line via America, but would not wholly discontinue the Suez route. He thought if Mr. Yogel intended to extend his visit beyond Washington that it would be a j;reat mistake, as he would not make the favorable impression in the English money market, or amougst those who vale the market that Dr. Featherston had done. Dr. Feartherston was a political opponent of his, but he could not help saying that if we were to have an AgentGeueral his appointment are the very best that could be. madf, Oa education he expressed a hope that some system analagous to that in force in Nelson or Otago should be adopted for the Colony, and he had had the utmost difficulty in extracting fSm the Government a pledge that they would take up and deal with Ihe question. Ofube Public Works and Immigration scheme, he said that there was, under the present proposal, no surety that the people it was proposed to import would remain and settle in the country. There were quite enough unsettled people in the country at present. The immigrants must be settled on the land. In two or three Provinces, three-fourths of the hmd had been alienated, aud yet it remained a wilderness. He would walk over the land laws when necessary. His suggestion was to have special settlements, giving an allotment to each person in the township, and ten acres of rural laud, with a large inalienable comn^cage near each settlement. He did not say he would assimilate all the land laws'. He would not be a hearty supporter of the immigration scheme unless he saw the country was to be settled under it, for they would only be asked to put on a burden they could not, bear. Otherwise he would even go so far as a compulsory taking of land out of those large tracts which had passed from the Crown, and in many cases he believed the proprietors would be glad to sell it back at the original cost.