The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5252, 23 January 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1878.

Mr. Rees addressed the electors of Auckland City East on the 14th instant. As Mr. Rees is somewhat, /less, guardad than his chief, we had hoped to glean something more definite as to the proposals of the Government than what we were able to gather from the orations of thePreraior. But Mr Rees contented himself with referring principally to personal matters, and on all political subjects was even more ambiguous than Sir George Grey. He spoke of the alteration in the incidence- of taxation - “repeatedly shadowed forth by Sir Georob Grey but whether it was to take the form of a property or income tax, or both, there was not a word to show. A change in the incidence of taxation was “ shadowed

forth ” by tho late Ministry, and by Sir Julius Vogel, and oven other statesmen before him, and it is hardly fair that Sir George Grey should take crediffor it as a now idea, especially after Mr. Woolcook’s resolution of last session belli" carried by a large majority. The only tangible thing which we have yet noticed in regard to the proposal of tho Government is tho following from Mr. Rees’ speech“lf Sir George Grey’s idea of a railway to Taranaki was carried out, it would effectually settle the Mauri difficulty, and would make Auckland tho greatest centre in Now Zealand, and give it an immense back country.” It matters not to Taranaki what Ministry is in power, 'that province is sure to come in for a fair share of the loaves and fishes. There is no desire to cavil at this, for it is tho duty of the strong to help tho weak, and Taranaki, through its isolation and the native difficulty, has almost continuously been under a cloud. But what will strike one most forcibly in this connection is tho gross inconsistency of Sir George Grey and his immediate followers. When Messrs. Carrington and Kelly, tho Taranaki members, were supporters of the late Ministry, Sir George Grey, Mr. .Rees, and others wore terrible in their denunciations of the Government for spending an undue proportion of the public funds in Taranaki, and the House was treated to diatribes on the iniquity of lavishly spending money round Mount Egmont for political support. But Mr. Kelly and Mr. Carrington are now ranked amongst the followers of Sir George Grey, and an immense change has come over his opinions. Indeed, this change was noticeable from the very first 'moment he was supported by the two Taranaki members. The existence of Taranaki is a sore grievance with many members, especially those hailing from Otago, and Mi\ Stout, Mr. Reynolds, and others, at the latter end of last session, conscious of the strong opinions the Premier had frequently given expression to on the subject, fondly imagined that the opportune time had arrived when a stop could be put to what they regarded as a frittering away of the public money. But the Premier gave them no encouragement that economy would be practised in tho direction of Taranaki. Two votes were too valuable at such'a crisis, and Sir George was quite regardless of the views he had previously expressed. But this is only in keeping with the character tho Premier has earned for himself since he entered Parliament. , It has always appeared to us a mystery that anyone who has observed his political career during the past three years can entertain tho slightest faith in his sincerity. “ Hansard ” teems with the most glaring inconsistencies, Well -might -Mr. Murray, a Ministerial supporter, 'say, when addressing the electors of Bruce the other day, that the Ministry had acted 1 treacherously., In the light of the history of abolition the following; will appear strange in.the mouth of Miv Rees. Speaking of the sweeping away of provincial institutions, he said:—“A spirit,, of public and national life, arose, and this was a result which the destroyers of the old constitutions never /anticipated!; and if anything could compensate for the loss of their provincial institutions, • it was that the loss had thus caused. the people to bestir themselves.” Why "over and over again it "has" been stated, : 'in fact, it was the staple argument of ,the abolitionists, that there . would be no national life in New Zealand till the provinces were abolished, and till the people were brought face to face with the Parliament of the, country, a state ;6f .things ;which could not be brought about ,as long as each province had a small Parliament to itself. In the General ■Assembly, in , the Press, " and Aon’ the platform for ' years this .argument had been urged. Yet in /the face of, all this the intimate, friend and'adviser, of the Premier'has the audacity to, give 'utterance to the words we have quoted. ,Sir George is constantly guilty of the same thing, and is quite as unblushing ’as Mr. Rees. Of course, in addressing khe electors of Auckland City East,'the .opportunity was too good to be lost of ihaving a fling at the Governor. Mr. Rees said: “The large runholtlers of Canterbury believed that when the political organisation of the provinces was destroyed, the field would bo left open to them. They would command a majority in the House, and perhaps have a pliant Governor; and then, while showing a fail face to the people of the colony, would aggrandise themselves and their friends.” The only time any attempt has been made in this colony to render the Governor a pliant tool of party was when tho Premier advised him to veto the Land Bill, which had been passed by both Houses of the Legislature. Because the Marquis of Normanby did not degrade bis high office by following the advice of a Minister who had not the manliness to oppose the Bill on tho floor of the House, he is constantly spoken of in an insulting manner. Amongst an intelligent people, with a proper conception of true liberty, that one act would have ruined the political character of Sir George Grey for ever. It was not only sneaking and cowardly, but it was in an exceedingly dangerous direction, being an attempt to ignore the will of Parliament. Every friend of constitutional government in this colony will await with intense interest the view Parliament will take of the extraordinary proceeding of the Premier in reference to the Land Bill. Neither Sir George Grey nor his henchman, Mr. Rees, has been able to give a shadow of an excuse for the most nefarious attempt which has ever been made by any politician in the Australasian colonies to undermine Parliamentary institutions.