The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5254, 25 January 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1878.

Mb. Monxgojieby, one of the most prominent members of the Middle Party, in addressing the electors of, Akaroa, gave a full history of the causes which led to the formation o£ the party. He admitted that at tho beginning of the session the late'Ministry had a difficult task before them. They were .called upon to lay before the: country a creative policy, and to put the finances of the colony upon A sound basis. It was necessary . that measures should be brought in calculated to ' lead to the development of the resources of the country, and also measures respecting < native affairs and education. In' fact,’ according to Mr. on the abolition of the provinces everything was ", swept away, and chaos remained. The Ministry certainly had a herculean task before them: they, had to compress into one session the work of twenty. Mr. Montgomery is no friendly critic of the Atkinson Ministry, but at the same time he admits that many of the measures brought in by them will be of great benefit to the country at large. Of the .Education Bill he said it was conceived in. a broad and liberal spirit, and that generally it was calculated to meet' the requirements of the colony. He was of opinion that there could not be a fairer or , a more - equitable Bill. ■ The District Railways Bill, was also another measure which met with his entire approval, and ;he sagely informed his hearers that if all the Bills introduced by the Atkinson Ministry had been as good as the District Railways Bill and the Education Bill, they : would not have been turned out of office. Ministers are but human, and they cannot always be expected to reach perfection in all the measures they introduce. Mr. Montgomery strongly condemned the Native Lands Bill ; but as he said nothing but what has been said a hundred times before, we will not follow him in his remarks on this particular measure. Mr. Montgomery is ambitious of being considered a great financier, and from his first entrance into Parliament has taken every opportunity to speak on tho subject, but has'as often failed to enlighten -his Hearers. It is only fair to him to state that lie has ever been ready to criticise friend and foe alike. Although the finance of the late Government did not please him, he was almost as much dissatisfied with that of the present Ministry. When Sir George Grey brought down his proposal to borrow four millions, the lion, member for Akaroa was strenuous in his opposition to borrowing such a large sum, and plainly stated that the amount proposed by the late Colonial Treasurer, namely, two millions, was ample to meet the requirements of tho country. Mr. Montgomery has consistently been opposed to the exercise of large borrowing powers, and has constantly been harping on the subject of putting the finances of the colony on what he terras a sound basis. What can he expect in this direction from a Ministry who, before they were, six weeks in office, brought down a proposal to borrow two millions in excess of the amofint contemplated by their predecessors. Wo will give Mr. Montgomery’s own words about tho formation of the Middle Party: This was another thing which weakened the confidence of the House in the late Government. I may say that a party was formed in the House, the object of which was to protest against the use of unprofitable talk by which the time of tho House and the country was likely to bo wasted, and that party got the . name of the Middle Parly, and I gave in my adhesion to it. It was also formed to bring about a change of Ministry, because wo did not think that the Government were doing what was right, and because we felt, for the reasons amongst others which I have stated, that it was not entitled to the confidence of tho House and the country. That party numbered; some twenty-live' members, and Sir G. Grey’s party some eighteen or nineteen.; Gradually the Middle Party absorbed many of the others, and a vote of want of confidence was tabled.,' Gentlemen, I considered' that'the motion, .of want of; confidence was moved 100 soon, and before 'the. party was sufficiently, strong, and consolidated. Had that motion been delayed, the Middle Party, which was instrumental in fringing about tho change of. •Ministry; would have been far stronger, as; it was gaining strength every day. However, the want of confidence motion was carried, and the late Miuistry ; went out. ”, It appears from the, foregoing, fhat'. thq Middle-Tarty cfipsulered ; that the .best way. to., stop: talking against! time was to: .ally:.', itself.', with! ■ the;, talking ■,l,party] (—Messrs.:' Rees and Co. ': Mr. Montgomery is i: evidently of opinion!, that if. the vote of fionfidenbCr," had been' .delayed a, little .Vdiigor the Middle Party] would have acquired'sufficjeiit' strength to l)avo siicceded in forming a Ministry.! Has Mr. Montgo.mery 'asked himself bow long that Ministry would have lasted? It, is perfectly certain they: .would not have had tho support of Sir George

Grey and his followers ; they-.regarded the' Middle Party with greater dislike than even the,'gentlemen theriXop the .Treasury] benches., Tlid truth is that the Middle-Party was. the, greatest failure - of any. political .combination which has ever been attempted in this colony. The Middle Party simply played. into Sir George Grey’s hands, and through its blundering - and want of' forethought the very state of things which was so much dreaded by politicians of the stamp of Messrs. Rolleston, Montgomery, and Curtis was brought about. Mr. Rees said at Auckland the other day that at the beginning of the session the man would have been regarded as a lunatic who hinted that in a few months Sir George Grey would be Premier of the colony. None would have ridiculed theidea more than those members who afterwards formed that Middle Party which placed Sir George Geet in power. Mr. Montgomery is opposed to manhood suffrage. Ho objected, to a man having a vote simply because he was a man, irrespective of any interest in the country Mr. 'Montgomery thus disposes of Sir George Grey’s claptrap:—“Speeches have been made in which it is set forth that one class of the community in the colony oppresses,tho other.' It is no such thing, gentlemen. There may be inequality, as will exist everywhere, but the people of this colony are too free to allow of anything like oppression here.” These holiest, sensible words were received with cheers by his hearers ; but Mr. Montgomery might have gone further, and informed the electoi-s of Akaroa that it was the chief he had followed who had raised the cry of an oppressed people in this colony, in the hope of setting class against class. Sir George Grey knows full as well as Mr. Montgomery that all grades of the people of New, Zealand, are as free from political and social oppression as any on the face of the earth. It is worthy of note that two out of the four supporters of the Ministry whose speeches are to hand, are opposed to manhood suffrage. Mr. Murray, in addressing the electors of Bruce, pronounced himself strongly against the principle, and now Mr. MONTGOMERY follows suit. It already appears tolerably plain that the 'supporters of Sir George Grey differ materially in their views as to the “rights of man.” However, the rights of man is only a cry for the hour and with a purpose. When the Premier’s object is attained, the rights of ..man,.as. Interpreted by him, will disappear beneath the political horizon, and the people of New Zealand will continue in the path of freedom and prosperity, though doubtless at intervals the colony will be afflicted with, those demagogues who endeavor to attain political power by setting one class of the community against another. ' ' • : • ■