SIR GEORGE GREY AT OTAGO.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5307, 29 March 1878, Page 6

SIR GEORGE GREY AT OTAGO.

Dunedin, March 8,

Sir George Grey, accompanied by the Hon. Mr. Fisher, arrived at 4 o’clock this afternoon from Balclutho. A large crowd assembled at the railway station, and the Premier was welcomed with three hearty. cheers. The ministerial party was afterwards conveyed in a carriage to Fern Hill Club. Tliis evening Sir .George Grey addressed a public meeting at tlje Princess Theatre. About 1500 people were present, including a large assemblage of ladies in the dress circle. The Mayor of Dunedin presided; and the platform was thronged with leading citizens. Sir George on rising was received with loud and prolonged cheers. He' expressed the pleasure he felt at meeting so many colonists, and went on to refer to the early settlement of New Zealand. He considered it was desirable that the Middle Island should first be colonised, as native difficulties might arise, and the process of blending the races should be slowly and naturally brought about. It was proposed that Otago should be occupied by a hardy vigorous race, and that they should eujoy a free and enlightened .constitution, with the assistance of leading statesmen of England and the British Parliament. The Constitution was framed so as to enable the people to exercise political rights and enjoy the utmost freedom. For years they enjoyed a free and liberal Constitution. No disasters occurred in consequence, but a development of the resources of the colony, and a growth of happiness and contentment ensued unprecedented in the history of the British colonies. These institutions were swept away. He asked whether the new ones were such as became free men, and were they likely to conduce to peace and happiness ? Sir George then alluded to the franchise. He condemned the system of allowing a plurality of votes to the owners of property, and the depriving of another class, of the franchise. Tliis, was, a violation of the Constitution which was originally intended to be given. The franchise should be extended, and he proposed‘that-every resident for twelve , months in an electoral district should have one vote, and that plurality of votes should be abolished. He .referred to the objections urged against the extension of the franchise because ol the existence of drunkards, maintaining that no man should be deprived of his political rights. Every tax-payer was entitled to have a voice in determining how his money was going to be expended. If men were compelled to obey laws which they had no voice in making, they were degraded, and rendered vicious. It was inconsistent with honesty to deprive a tax-payer of his right to vote. The old Constitution, which had worked admirably, bad been shattered, and a new Constitution introduced, which pleased no one. He contrasted the number of actual voters in the Colony with the adult population, and urged that the alteration of the Constitution by a small minority of the people was a grievous injustice. A large amount had been spent in public works, and much of it was wasted. The bulk of this money had added enormously to the value of private property,' and enriched the few at the cost of the many. He considered every person should..contribute to the State in exact proportion to the advantage he derived. Under the present system of taxation a pauper class was created, whose children would become the serfs of the land,'and monopolists and speculators would be created. To remedy and prevent this he suggested that the system of taxation should be revised, and a land tax enforced. He proposed that the land should be taxed according to quality. Absentee landowners, who derived large revenues from New Zealand, had, to* pay an income tax in England, and if they thought proper to reside there he considered they should be made to contribute towards the revenue of this colony. (Cheers.) This was not radicalism, but pure reciprocity. It was to alter, the existing system of taxation, and to prevent the creation of one class rolling in wealth and another class steeped in poverty, that he desired an extension of the franchise. As long as a minority held the exclusive right to vote they would legislate for themselves. With the franchise extended, their land laws would speedily be reformed in a way beneficial to the people. He stated that his reason for advising the Governor to disallow the Land Act was to prevent the Canterbury squatters obtaining an extension of their leases .for thirteen years, without the electors being consulted in granting these leases. Parliament had committed a fraud on the people, and he had threatened, when the Apt was passed, he should use every means in his power to prevent its passing into law. He urged them, if they wished to recover their rights and to make the colony great and prosperous, to agitate for an extension of the franchise. It should be the ambition of every man to take a part in the work of legislation, and to try" to become one of the statesmen of New Zealand. He had been told during the tour that he was once Governor and he was now only Premier, and he. replied that he would j rather be Premier thijn governor. Every man had to aid in the building up of a nation, which he believed would be one of the greatest the world had seen. They were laying the foundations upon which the happiness or misery of many millions would depend, and according as they acted so would their memory be esteemed. He believed the people of Dunedin would not prove traitors to such a glorious cause. ■

The following resolution was carried by acclamation;—“That this meeting desires to express its thanks to Sir George Grey for his lucid and valuable address, and to express its entire'confidence in his Government.’’ There were loud calls for Mr. Macandrew, but he only said a few words.