SIR GEORGE GREY'S SPEECH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XL, Issue 195, 8 August 1876, Page 4

SIR GEORGE GREY'S SPEECH.

The following report of Sir George Grey's speech in moving his separation resolutions is from the JV. Z, Times. A perusal of ifc will show that he adduced no argument whatever in favor of his new scheme, thus fully justifying all that has been said of the weakness of his speech: —

On risiDg (he hon. member was received with cheers. He commenced by referring to the nature of the resolutions which, he said, were of greater importance than appeared at first sight. Of the first part he should Bay very little; it related to the past. The Premier said this was a year of difficulty to meet, and there might be a difficulty next year, and that the securities of the colony occupied a low position in the market. It was clear, therefore, that the first resolution was true, and if any further evidence was wanted it was £0 be found in the Financial Statement. He spoke of the debentures which had been hypothecated, and pointed out that if the Treasurer bad been ingenuous he would have told the House in the Financial Statement that the promises of last year had been altogether broken through, and that the colony was in a condition of ruin. Why had the Treasurer not told the House the facts? Why had he not told the Hotiae that he had taken charge of the colony when, it was in a prosperous state; that be had bad untold millions at his command; and now, having brought the colony into its present state, he was willing to hand it over to others to revive its prosperity? The colony beyond a doubt was iu a very depressed condition, and he should endeavour lo point out to the House a course by which its credit could be improved and its finances placed in a sound position. Hon. gentlemen would agree that he need not Bay that the etate of the colony was such that it was necessary to have constitutional changes All agreed that there was a necessity for changes, even the Government wished to make changes, but it was now his duty to show tnatthe proposals of the Government were improper proposals, and could only be treated with the scorn they deserved, and it was his duty also to show that this was a great opportunity for the country to piace itself in a position which would lead to prosperity. Iu bis remarks he might have to refer to the past, and he hoped for any remarks he made he would not be charged with making personal allusions, and that unworthy motives would not be laid to his door in pro* posing changes which notv became necessary, because he bad upheld the old regime in times gone by. Changes were necessary sometimes, and this was one of those occasions, in truib, he desired to say nothing iiMeeling, unbecoming, or severe in anything he might have to speak of. He then proceeded to remark upon the past constitutional history of the colony. When the constitution was about to be conferred on the colony, he received a letter from the Jr-ecre.ary of State, to say that an elective Upper Housa would be a feature or the new constitution, which wouid have prevented much of the ills that had occurred to New Zealand. But there was a change in the Home administration, and then he received auotuer letter to state that her Mdjesty's new advisers were desiroua of altering tbt) constitution; and one of ihe alterations was tbat the Upper House should be elective. Changes had thus been muda which the people never desired. Then, again, at one time gentlemen wera elevated to the House only by warramt from the Queen ufter due enquiry; but this had been changed because of private despatches. And the same thing had occurred in reference to the alteration of the Constitution Act by which power had been given to abolish the provinces. That chaDga in the Constitution Act had been made unknown to the people, and so haU many others, which hud at last so mutilated the constitution thai it had become contemptible. ' And on this mutilated constitution the party in power were attempting to rear a series of institutions which were undesirable, and which would never be acceptable by the people. (Cheers.) The people themselves should be allowed to build up the institutions which were to govern the " out districts" as gentlemen liked to say. He referred to the defeat of Mr Whitaker's resolution*, end said it had been brought nUuni mainly by the cry of interference with abolition. And this abolition, vjUht was it ? Wbat had been aboiish< : <] ? —a huge Civil Service, a rush expenditure, a corrupt Native department f Were those tho thiogs which had U-«:» abolished ? No; it was ihe province — those powers which had stood b>;lwt;«;n the General Government ami extravagance. And u'jw thttee vuluu!j|« institutions had been destroyed, and wti.-u was proposed in tbeir pluce ? 'i'lio Government had destroyed, but could not rebuild; at any rate all their efforts were worked by a palsied hand. He asked why there had not been a ctange in the constitutiou of the Upper House, whicb, though composed of disinterested gentlemen, did not represent the country. Neither did the Lower Houae, or those resolutions he was now propoaiog would be carried Qta"o aud Auckland contained respectively one-tbird and one-fourth of the entire population of the country; and though these provinces, which contained the larger proportion of the people wera to a man, he might say, in favor of these resolutions; yet they would be

overborne by a small majority, and by what means — by giving three members to Taranaki, three to Hawke's Bay, and so forth. He referred to a practice of elevating civil servants to the Upper House — men who who would not be able to get a constituency in the colony; and then spoke of the correspondence between "Dear Pollen" and "Dear Vogel," a correspondence which was a disgrace to the colony. A civil servant had been raised to the Upper House, thence to be virtually Governor of the colony, and it was through this person that demands were made for enormous expenses — for four guineas a day, and an allowance of £1,500 a year, which was increased to £4,000, and then to £4 250. (Cheers.) He shuddered when he thought of it, and he hoped that in time to come there would never be a man holding office as Premier of the colony while his master went Home, and who meekly laid down his office when his master came back. The people of New Zealand had been insulted; such a thing bad been unheard of before. That was one reason why he raised his objections to the Government proposals. So far he had traced their arguments. Now, however, he came to his own proposals, and he believed the resolutions he held in his hand would command universal respect and esteem, as an instance of patriotinto. It would be seen tbat the constitutional changes proposed were propositions which ought to be put before the House and the colony. They were struggling against wealth, degradation, and despotism, They proposed to maintain the unity of the colony however. They proposed that there should be two States, as it were, two local Governments, one for each island. The people of New Zealand were well capable of framing a constitution better than tbat which now existed; and what right had the Ministry to prevent the people from choosing wbat form of Government theirs should be ? The people would judge wisely, they might rely upon it, for their own future good and welfare. What could be more noble than to make the land fuud of the Middle Island common to the whole colony ? He denied that the natives in the neighborhood of the King country were enamored of the native policy of the Government,^ which the natives in those districts strongly denounced. The Opposition proposed a scheme which would make the public loans readily saleable in the market. They believed that by allowing the people of New Zealand that control of their affairs which they ought to have they would form a Civil Service contrary to that which they had under the present form of government. Did anyone believe tbat hearts nurtured here alone could feel much for Auckland, Invercargill, or elsewhere ? They could not have that knowledge whicb, as men billing and able to help their country, they ought to have. In respect to separation, (he Opposition had left the details of government under those proposals for future consideration. He believed there would be a general acquiescence as to the seat of Government, and all those who agreed with him had no desire to restore the provinces to the positions they formerly occupied. But thjy wouid to the utmost resent any attempt to prevent them choosing their own form of Government — all the means of justice and rigb f , to prevent a majority oppressing a minority. They wouid resent the attempt to take away from the people tha rights which as colonists they were entitled to. With regard to this question, he said it should, by carrying his proposals, be referred to the people, and he would be prepared to abide by the majority, on whichever side ii might happen to be; but if it was refused to refer the questions to the people, be would use every legitimate means in his power to prevent the tyrannical minority imposing their form of government upon the majority of the colony. In conclusion, he stated that his one and only desire was to see justice done to tbe colony of New Zealund.