SIR GEORGE GREY AT THE THAMES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4590, 6 December 1875, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY AT THE THAMES.

(PER PBE3S AGENCY.) : Gbahamstown, Saturday. ! Sir George Grey addressed a meeting at the Theatre Royal this evening. The building was crowded, and Sir George was received with cheers, the people standing. Dr. Kilgour and the Mayor were proposed for chairman. There were loud demands for the Mayor, who was called to fill the position, and responded. Se introduced Sir George, and regretted his arrival had not been made under more favorable circumstances, as he' (the Mayor) would have been glad to have been present. Sir George was looked upon as able to fill the highest offices. They had differed with him on one essential point, and he might not expect such a reception as in Auckland. Sir : Geobge Grey (who was received again with loud cheers) said he appeared as the Superintendent of Auckland, specially charged with their welfare. When asked to address them, he had distinctly stated that when asked to accept office as Superintendent he had fully explained his views. He now appeared again in the character of Superintendent to explain what, had been done, and also what he conceived should be done with special regard to this mining district. He had seen that the Thames was scandalously represented, and had given their one member every assistance to get this remedied. Differences existed between him and their member, but never on any question concerning the welfare of the Thames.: It would have been impossible to do more to promote their interests than their member had' done during the last session. With regard to ; their representation, three or even more members might have been given, but those in poweri determined they should only have two. With 1 regard; to the future, he would give their representatives every assistance, so that they, might consider they would still have three representatives. A 3 to the qusstion of abolition and his line of conduct, he contended that the constitution and law of the empire required that Buch a change should not take place without an appeal to the constituencies. He and some powerful friends had succeeded in getting this. Their future destiny lay with them. His own views, after mutual reflection and conversations with master minds, he had explained. It was the duty of every good citizen to accept the' form of government decided upon by the majority... .When.. that was decided all should conform to it, and help to render the community prosperous—that course he would pursue. Certain features should be insisted upon in the. Constitution, and kept in view. There should be no secresy, and every action of the Government should be before the public eye, the fullest information being afforded regarding every- transaction of a Government sitting at a distant locality, and with a newspaper press unable to disseminate information adequate to their requirements, i [Here Sir George Grey referred to the Tairua committee, and the difficulty attending the circulation of reports.] In pursuance of their own interests they Bhonld try and obtain all possible information without delay. Referring to the acquisition of islands, ho said in other countries he had been in, every informa- j tion from day to day had been afforded. Unless they had that they could not look after their own interests. The Superintendent here could not obtain this information, but it should j be insisted upon. Another point was endow- j meuts.- Seriously, ho would, say to all that endowments were taxes to be taken from their profits. He objected to this on genoral principles. Taking the Middle Islaud and road board districts, occupied by farmers or largo pastoral tenants, those boards were only allowed to rate themselves at a certain amount; that was, they were not allowed to lay their hands heavily on the large proprietors. He hoped that additional powers of taxation would be given, enabling them to get more from the large proprietors. Wlioro in the Middle

Island they raised one pound thus by taxation they would receive two pounds from the general revenue, or general taxation. "They (the Thames people) in the midst of a native population would be able to raise only trifling sums from the one pound, as the natives would not allow them to make roads, and they would consequently get little from the two pounds. Their interest depended much upon this, and such a state of things might be altered by a tax on property. He then referred to the good state of feeling between the Thames people and the natives, and said very little had been expended in their district on railways, and therefore but little of borrowed money was spent there. Imagine a railway from this to the Waikato, and its influence upon two important districts, its influence upon the commerce of the Thames, and the population it would attract to the Thames, and how it would lessen the chance of collision between the races; that was why he said they had claims upon the sympathy of the rest of New Zealand. With regard to the gold duty he I had told them he believed it should be taken off. He had been told his proposal to do this was unpopular. (No, no, and cheers.) He had been told so in the Assembly. . The reason alleged in favor of its maintenance had been the two pound subsidy for public works. He mi«ht be wrong, but he did not believe that could have been paid more than one year at most. He had ever regarded the gold tax as most unfair, and had never heard anything to the contrary. Rather it was said that the tax was easily levied, and the people were used to it. The Treasurer said it only made a difference to the miner of nvepence a day. He (Sir George) said that was a loaf of bread, and then it was stated a mistake had been made. The difference was only three halfpence, and the money enabled them to be employed during winter, so he concluded that that was equal to taking from them in the summer to give it to them in winter. . (Laughter.) He had tried to get that tax taken off, however, and proposed a tax of a halfpenny per pound on wool, on which a gentleman engaged in pastoral pursuits said his (Sir George's) coming back to public life was the - greatest misfortune that could have happened. He still believed the gold, tax to be improper and dicious, and that there was no excuse for such a tax, which had its origin in turbulent times and amongst a rowdy set of people where a large police force was necessary. To continue the tax was almost like giving them a bad name. He had also tried to get the taxes taken off the necessaries of life, for which they had called him hard names ; but eminent statesmen' in England held the same views. These taxes entailed large expenses in collection, and the more taxation was simplified the better. He was told that in asking these things he was rendering himself obnoxious to the people of New Zealand. The taxation he had told them of, of course could be easily met. Enormous reductions could be made. A tax on property would bring larger, sums and be easier collected. In considering their future and their representatives, they should bear in mind that a necessity existed for a change hi the incidence of taxation and in the expenditure. At present they did not know what their expenditure was. There was one .amount of £B,OOO in the Native Department, which could not be explained. When the estimates were passing questions had been asked, and the reply hadbeenthat some ofßcerrequired an additional salary. Thiswaaoneof the excuses. Blocksums were voted, when full details should be given in estimates, and everything made clear. If not, these things would grow. These sums on the estimates were generally brought forward at an early hour in the morning, when the members were wearied out. He then referred} to the constitution of committees of the Assembly, and the abuses which had led to the taking of power from Parliamentary committees, and given it to Judges. In England, no Minister concerned in an inquiry would go on a committee, but here it was different, and committees were comprised of partymen. Perhaps it was not possible to get men interested on party matters to give impartial opinions, but some remedy should be conceived to obtain a thoroughly impartial tribunal to consider such matters. They were well aware of what they wanted, and could judge whether what he conceived should be done was best for their interests. Gold had been found in variable quantities. His conviction was that the best places for gold had never been struck, and that the best finds would be made in the next century or half century. The chance of making these finds would be greater according to the augmentation of population. How were they to increase the population ? They had no land open, nor any labor to offer for a large influx of population ; but everything might be done to -make this a great place. They had abundant tracts of good lands, but if they did not look out every acre would pass into private hands, "and if the railway to the Waikato was not made, every acre along its route would also pass into private hands. They should, therefore, insist upon the immediate construction of that railway. If they were met with the reply that there was no money, there was another way. A survey of the line could be made, and an estimate given of the cost, and then Government could call for tenders, and guarantee 6 per cent, on the cost, Government reserving the right"' to see the works carried out. Government would have to pay nothing at all, as companies he had seen had made such works pay, but even if 2 per. cent, had to be paid the money would be well spent, and once that railway was made and the back country; opened.he believed they would see-that the land was not wrongly alienated. They would want farms for themselves. He would advise the people of the Thames to aid him in carrying out such plana as he had suggested, and get the railway made at once. (Cheers.) Another point he would refer to. All over the colony the people were bent on harbors in the most impossible places. Here, unusual marine facilities existed for harbor works. How they were to obtain harbor works for the Thames was not difficult to determine. . A real endowment (not taken from their pocket) was to be given to them. The foreshore was to be given over for harbor and kindred works, which, in. carrying out, would employ a. considerable number of people. In carrying out such works they might employ a large laboring population, and with such works and tracks of land for settlement, population might be retained instead of being driven away. In Otago he could see the "miners enjoying cottages and homesteads when their gold ran out. There was a golden rule they should remember in all the future. Whatever the law said a man should have, that should he have. The law must be respected; but when men made claims on land for which there was no justification there could be no bearing them. If a man claimed afterwards compensation for some fancied wrong in dealing with the natives, why then investigate the claim, and give him money compensation if found equitable, but do not alienate the land wholesale in the way indicated, or in the way that had been done. Sir George then said he had said what was nearest his heart, what he conceived to be most near to their interests, and in following ont which he believed would rejonnd to their welfare. He had no desire to stir up party matters. He withdrew amidst great applause. A vote of thanks was moyed, and a requisition numerously signed, asking Sir George Grey to stand for the Thames, was proposed to be presented. The motion was seconded. Mr. Baguall, M.P.C., opposed the presentation of the requisition. Sir George, after some confusion and cries against Mr. Bagnall speaking, wished them good night, amid cheering and a statement from one of his supporters that he would stand for the Thames.