BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5027, 4 May 1877, Page 6

BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

POLICY" OF THE GOVERNMENT.

(From the TaranaU Herald.) The Hon. Major Atkinson, who was loudly cheered on rising to respond, said : Mr. Chairman, Vice-chairman, and Gentlemen, —It is at all times a source not only of pleasure but of real strength to a public man to be assured of the confidence and sympathy of his fellowcitizens ; (applause) for there are few public men, however eminent, who can do really good public work in a free country without the hearty support of the people. I feel doubly the value of the sympathy and confidence of my fellow-citizenß when they are expressed, as they have been to-night, in the very flattering speech of our worthy Chairman, and by the presence of so many old settlers who have known me for twenty years and more—(applause)—known me as only a man can be known in a small community, as a public man, a fellow-settler, and a neighbor. (Applause.) I cannot pretend to_ find language adequately to express my feelings or to convey to you in suitable terms my acknowledgments. I trust, therefore, you will accept as sufficient my hearty and sincere thanks for the honor you have conferred upon me by the very cordial mauner in which you have responded to the toast of my health, and by entertaining me this evening. Mr. Standish, our worthy chairman, has said that your pleasure in entertaining me was enhanced by the knowledge that I was one of yourselves ; and I confess that if there is one thing of which I am proud, it is that I am a Taranaki settler-(hear, hear)—and I may add that the pain of being turned out of office, will, when the time comes, as come it must, be very much indeed lessened by the thought that I shall return here once more as a settler in your midst. (Applause.) It will, perhaps, be not out of place if, with your permission, I take this opportunity of stating shortly what is the policy, and what are the intentions, of the Government. I do not propose to trouble you with details ; but rather to indicate the broad lines upon which we propose to travel. The policy of the Government is, as is known to those who have noted our declarations —To complete the establishment of local self-government throughout the colony ; to complete the establishment of an efficient system of primary education ; to promote the settlement of our waste lauds by a yeoman population; to cultivate and to maintain a good understanding with the native race ; to reduce considerably the annual expenditure on public works, but to continue the construction of the mainlines of railway tnru""h°" t the colony until they are com-plete-fappJa^-40 reduce the ordinary expenditure within the limits consistent with an efficient public iZ™? > » nd to simplify our finance, and place it upon a sound basis for the future. That policy has been carefully pursued during the recess; and the legislation which we shall propose to the Assembly during the next session will have for its object the further promotion of that policy. With regard to local self-government, I may say that the Municipal Corporations Act is, I believe, likely to be a very considerable success. It is at present, I think, giving satisfaction throughout the country. The introduction of the county system has been accomplished, upon the whole, very satisfactorily ; and, with the experience we have gained, and the advice of the County Councils, I have no doubt that we shall be able next session to render the Act much more efficient and useful. (Applause). We have been much blamed by our opponents because, in the work of introducing the county system and winding up the provinces, we have obtained the assistance of late Superintendents and Provincial Executives. But I think all reasonable men will agree with me that it was clearly the duty of the Government to endeavor to inaugurate the new system with the least possible friction; and who were so capable of helping us in that duty as the gentlenun who had had the administration of pro. vincial affairs ! (Hear, hear.) I feel that the j help we have received has been most valuable; and I cannot allow to pass this first public op- [ portunity I have had of thanking those gentlemen who have (so patriotically and gratuitously —for they have done it without pay—assisted in establishing the new order of things. (Applause.) The provinces were nominally abolished on the Ist of November last year, but, in reality, they were not so until January ; and, considering the great constitutional change which has been effected, it seem to me only reasonable to have expected that, for some months at any rate, we might look for an exceptional state of affairs. I am, however, happy to say that from the very efficient assistance we have received, and by the aid of the satisfactory machinery which the Legislature provided, the time has almost arrived—in the case of this province it has already airived—when delegations o£ powers such as have been made to the gentlemen to whom I have referred, will no longer be necessary. (Applause.) With regard to education, the Government look upon it as a duty of first importance to see that it is properly provided for throughout the colony. (Applause.) It must be secular; and its administration will ha ve to be confided to boards and local committees. Another question of vital importance is the settlement of the waste lands. (Hear, hear.)_ Without a continual occupation and cultivation of fresh lands, it is impossible that the colony can advance. (Hear, hear.) We shall, therefore, in our Waste Lands Bill, propose to the Assembly to provide the utmost possible facilities for the acquisition of land by farmers of small capital, and by persons who desire to take up land under a system of deferred payments. (Applause.) We also have under consideration the providing of meanß for steadily opening up new bush country. (Applause.) Intimately connected with this subject of settlement, is that of our relations with the natives. I am happy to say that the good understanding which has been gradually growing for some years, is still improving—(applause); and that the policy so ably carried out by the late Sir Donald MeLean, will, I believe, before long, eventuate in a complete reconciliation between the two races. (Applause.) But, as you are all aware, time is a most important element in dealing with the Maoris, we must be content to tarry a little, in order that we may therefore make an end the sooner. (Hear, hear.) The question of dealing with native lands is also intimately connected with the subject. The Government have carefully considered it; and looking at past legislation, and the general circumstances of the colony, we have come to the conclusion that greater facilities must be given for the acquisition of native lands by private persons. (Loud applause.) The subject is, indeed, surrounded by difficulties, and will undoubtedly require most careful handling ; but we are of opinion that an Act can be drawn, which, while affording such facilities, will protect alike the interests of natives as sellers, of Europeans as buyers, and of the community as interested, in the rights of both. (Applause.) Other questions under the consideration of the Government are the laws relating to Representation, to the Registration of Electors, to Scab, to Fencing, and to the Civil Service ; but how far we shall be : able to deal with these questions during the coming session, I am not at present able to say. The subject of finance is, as you will readily recognise, intimately connected with all those to which I have referred. Those who take an interest in our colonial finance—;and I wish the circle was very much wider than it is—will find in my Financial Statement of last year, a short but clear description of what-'-was then our financial position. To that (statement I have nothing to add, except that, -1 am sorry to say, the Customs revenue will - probably not come up tp my estimate by perhaps a little more than the amount of niy estimated surplus. Those who read the statement I- made last session; will see that the position the Government had to face was one of Very considerable difficulty ; but we, undertook'' to-grapple with that diffi-" culty, and I <am sanguine in the belief that we shall be ablecto deal with it in a manner satisfactory alike-to Parliament and to the country. (Applause.) We have already largely reduced expenditure ;• and we have obtained without difficulty; at our own doors, and upon reasonable terms, the necessary funds for the con-

tinuance of our public works. (Applause.) We have obtained from the Bank of New South Wales an advance of £500,000, for a little under two years, at five per cent.; and we have also got from the Bank of New Zealand an advance of £500,000, for two years, at five per cent. Both those advances have been negotiated under the authority of the Public Works Loan Act of last session. By them we have been placed in a very good position; because they have enabled us to continue our public works, and also to abstain from going upon the London market for at least twelve months. The advantage of so abstaining is well known to those who have considered the subject of finance ; and it is evidenced to all by the increased value of our bonds in the English market. In addition to obtaining the two advances, we have arranged with the Bank of New Zealand for an extension of the banking agreement, by means of which another £500,000 will be placed at disposal of the Government, if Parliament should approve, and if it should be considered advisable still longer to delay placing a loan in England. There is no doubt that for the next two or three years great care and thrift will be necessary in the management of our finance. I say "two or three years," because that period is required to allow the railways already completed to be got into thorough working order, and also to allow of the very large sum—now amounting to between £3,000,000 and £l,ooo,ooo—which is lying unproductive in railways now in course of construction, to yield some return, The on this unproductive mqney alone amounts to something like £IBO,OOO a-year. This is one reason why we shall require care and thrift in the management of our finance ; but I am confident that if we exercise only ordinary care and prudence, we shall, at the end of two or three years, be in a thoroughly satisfactory financial position, and that we shall, not without good reason, be proud that we dared to undertake the great work known as the Immigration and Public Works scheme. (Loud applause.) I have so far avoided reference to local matters, not because we here are not all deeply interested in them, but because I desired ts keep them distinct from what I had to say upon general colonial questions. I must, however, congratulate you upon the generally satisfactory state of things in this province. (Hear, hear.) Our chairman has been very complimentary to me with respect to the harbor question; but I look upon Mr. Carrington as the man to whom credit is due upon that question. ' (Hear, hear.) In season and out of season—for years before anybody would listen to him—he has stood his ground, and has urged his case, calling as it were at the street corners, while most of us passed by, not heeding, upon the other side. (Laughter.) And now it is to me a real satisfaction to think that Mr. Carrington may yet live to see a harbor completed. (Loud applause.) No doubt, of late years, he has Jj;;n very much assisted by some of us who have been in .positions which enabled us to assist him. Your" chairman has done a great deal in that direction, aui so has Mr. Kelly, your other representative in Parliament. (Applause.) In fact, we have ail, each of us, as he had the power, assisted in this important work ; but I must repeat that I regard Mr. Carrington as the man who should be peculiarly honored in the matter. (Applause). I have no doubt that now the harbor works may go steadily on, if things are only managed with prudencemanaged as I believe the Harbor Board will manage them. Perhaps because of the position I have held, I have had more confidence as to the result than I know has been felt by some here for a year or more past. • I never had any doubt what would be the result; but in a small place, people are very apt, if a work in which they are interested is not gone on with instantly, to think that it will never be accomplished. The harbor here is not the affair of a day; it will require years of steady hard work, but, as I have said, the thing is now really started. (Applause). We might also, I think, well be'|pleased that our railways are going on as they are. I know that, as to them, too, there has been a feeling that they ought to be pushed on at a greater rate. But if we are to avoid largely increased taxation, and perhaps—as I said when addressing my constituents last year—a very serious crisis, it is quite impossible to push on with our public works faster than is being done. Therefore, I say, we must all be content, and be ready to assist the Government in their determination to proceed with public works at a moderate rate, such as prudent men, dealing with their own estates, and having to provide means out of them, would adopt. (Hear, hear.) The railway to Inglewood will, I am assured by the engineers, be opened by the Ist July next. Ab to the public buildings, about which I met a deputation the-other day—(laughter)—l am happy to say 'that the contract for their erection will shortly be let; and, even if we should not be able to alter the plans so as to meet the suggestions made by the deputation, I think we "shall get buildings of which the people of New Plymouth will have no cause to be ashamed. (Applause.) Ido not think I need to detain you further ; but once more I deßire to say how sincerely I thank you for the honor you have done me—an honor which I shall feel for years to come, and which will undoubtedly strengthen my hands in the work which lies before me. (Lou 1 applause.)