SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRIST CHURCH.

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

SIR GEORGE GREY AT CHRIST CHURCH.

Chuistchoiich, March 17.

The Odd Fellows’ Hall was packed last night long before the hour of meeting. A large number of ladies were ,in the gallery,' and the • platform was filled with our leading citizens and representative men. The, chair was occupied by the-Mayor of Christchurch. Sir George Grey was received by au ovation which lasted several minutes, all the occupants ofi the hall standing ; and he was frequently (Sheered to the echo during his speech. He commenced by stating that he felt great difficulty;in addressing such a meeting, as ho. had a most critical audience to deal with. Without any desire of boasting, he would state, that it was within the knowledge of theih all that he had obtained for them a Constitution, under which they had happily lived for so many years. (Cheers.) In the great colony of Natal he had also introduced a Constitution under which the .people lived at tho present time; while a Constitution which he recommended for South Africa twenty years ago was now believed in by leading English statesmen. (Cheers.) The f measures which he now proposed for ;adoption had r been in existence in England for many- years past. These measures; yvere manhood suffrage and fair Parliamentary representation. -Sir George proceeded to speak at length on both questions. Ho referred very strongly to the' evils that 1 had' in past .times existed through the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland being' debarred from having a' voice in tile ; affairs of the; country. jTho bad laws existed through want of representation in the British Parliament,* and in consequence of class legislation. The next question to which’’he referred was the incidence of taxation, and ho contended that every man should be compelled to pay to the '

revenue of New Zealand in exact proportion to the benefits he derived from the country.; (Cheers. V He did not believe that absentees, drawing immense riches . from- the country without paying an equivalent’ would have been able to do'so if the people had had a fair and equitable representation -in I .the colony. 1 (Loud Cheers.) What had given such an enormous; increase to the value of property in the colony lately but the great public works, which had to be paid for by the people of the colony in an equal or rather most unequal ratio ? (Cheers.) With regard to the land question, large; and valuable blocks were held upon far too reasonable terms, by men who, in many instances, lived in the old oouutry. The English income tax was a fair one, and one that ought to prevail in this country, and it was to him remarkable that New Zealand was so apathetic on the subject. (Cheers.) If the people were content under the present state of things, they were slaves. (Cheers.) The legis- | latiou of the country should be directed to an equalisation of taxation, one feature of which would be a great alteration in the shipping laws,- which compelled vessels that called casually at a port to pay heavy charges. Free trade in this matter would be an immense advantage to the country, and would attract a large ; amount of shipping. It was a duty they owed to themselves and the colony to consent to a- .tax upon laud, and if the landowners knew their own interests they would assent to it. Men were driven out of the colony through the laud laws that existed. If they let the present state of things go on for the next ten years they would not be able to shake it off for the next half century. (Loud cheers.) The plural system of voting was most obnoxious, and was the cause of an immense amount of evil being entailed upon the colony ; if the system was allowed to go on it would be extended to other things, and their liberties would in point of fact be gone, and would not be very easily regained. Until a change was made they would never have just laud laws, or any land laws properly administered. Sir George then proceeded to speak at some length on the question of the falling in of the runs. In the course of his remarks on this subject, he referred to the gentlemen behind him as being responsible for the present state of things. The remark, was received with loud and prolonged cheering. Sir George then referred to the condition of New Zealand in case of a war in which England would be engaged, and went over the same : ground as that previously trodden by him ’at other places. He likewise gave his explanation of the reasons why he had declined to spend the money of the colony to allow Sir Wm. Jervois to visit tho various ports of New Zealand. It was impossible that such works as those which would probably have been recommended by Sir Wm. Jervois could be carried out in the present state of the finances of the colony, and he-had preferred-that Sir John Coode should visit New Zealaud to examine the various ports with a very different object. (Loud cheers.) In conclusion Sir George said the people should rise as a man and insist upon ■such measures as were adapted to the wants and requirements of the country, and then New Zealand must become a great and glorious nation. Sir George sat down amid loud and prolonged cheering. He spoke for nearly .two hours.

Mr. E. ,C. J. Stevens, M.H.R., moved’a vote of thanks, seconded by Mr. Montgomery, M.H.R., who' proposed the words, “That the Government has’the confidence of the meeting.”

Dr. Turnbull then ascended the platform, and paid a high tribute of praise to Sir George . Grey as a public speaker, but afterwards proceeded to attack the Auckland people and the for the part they had played in the land fund question, and stigmatised Sir George as the Alaric of the North. Mr. Saunders seconded Mr. Montgomery’s proposition.

Mr. John Inglis seconded the motion of Mr. Stevens, amid loud tones of disapprobation from the audience. Mr. Rolleston next arose and addressed the meeting. He was received with a storm of hisses. He said he could not allow the vote of confidence to Sir George Grey to pass without/ making his protest against it. He did not think the speeches were such as to command the confidence of the country. (Great confusion. The Chairman appealed for order.) The speech of Sir George Grey was remarkable' for the unspoken part of it. (Loud hisses and applause.) Mr. Rolleston essayed to continue several times, but without success, there being loud cries of—“ Put the vote.” Mr.. Jobson here . seconded Mr. Montgomery’s motion. The Chairman again asked that Mr. Rolleston might be permitted to say a few words, and was met with a storm of “ noes.”

Mr. Rolleston again essayed to speak, but was also met with a storm of “ noes.”

Ultimately the chairman was accused of not being able to conduct the meeting properly. The Chairman demanded an impartial hearing for Mr. Eolleston, who, after a great deal of confusion, was allowed to proceed. He said Sir George Grey had not enlightened the meeting with regard to the course he took in respect to the honors which her Majesty had thought fit to bestow on the two late Judges. (Confusion.) What had been the treatment by Sir George Grey of her Majesty’s representative since the rising of the House ? A more indecent spectacle . (Confusion, hissing, “ booing,” shouting, and general uproar.) Mr. Eolleston continued to speak, but it ’ was impossible for the meeting to hear a ' word he said. He finished by speaking to the reporters. He said if the Constitution was to be fairly worked they must have straight running and no secret councils. The Queen’s representative had been set at mought by the Prime Minister. (Hisses and confusion, and cries of “ sit down,” “ don’t make it a rowdy meeting,” and other observations, combined with great uproar.) He would vote for'the motion, and certainly not for the amendment. A Mr. Buckley here rose and tried to address the meeting; saying he was in favor of manhood suffrage, but the audience would not listen to him.

As the amendment was about to be put, Sir Geohgb came to tho front of the platform, and was greeted with immense cheering, and some hisses. -He said ho was glad Mr. Eolleston had spoken of the delay in issuing the Gazette notices of tho honors that bad been conferred on two late Judges in this country. There was no aristocracy, and the law distinctly said that nothing whatever should be done in New Zealand 1 by the Grown that was not covered by the Constitution. In England the Queen could create no new rank whatever without the consent of the English Parliament, and that ride held with double force in New Zealand, where no new rank could be created without the consent of the Legislature of the country.! The Queen had often to do things against her own personal feelings. A practice had sprung up here of recommending the Queen to create 1 a new rank in New Zealand—a most contemptible rank, in his opinion, for the bearer of; the title could not carry it out of the country. I Let them have equal rank with those of the other portions of the Empire, or none.' (Cheers.) He .would not, therefore, give his consent to an act which he believed to be unlawful. If this sort of thing could be done, 1 an} aristocracy might spring: up in Now Zealand without the consent of the people, and this wasi his' explanation of the delay complained of by Mr. Eolleston. (Loud cheering.) He considered he had taken the legal course, and had done that of which he was nowproud. (Cheers), i ' . ; • . , Mr. GowmsHAW asked Sir George why he had had the notices gazetted ? , - Sir Ge6iioe thanked that gentleman for putting' the Question, which enabled him to clear away a little obscurity, . Two despatches had arrived—the one containing the general instructions hadj been published, the other one, containing tlje names,'had not."-He had unwillingly allowed the despatch agreed to by his predecessors-to bo published. The other despatch would be dealt with by the next Parliainent. It, was nothing short of a bastard aristocracy, which, .for his own part he would have nothing atall to do With. (Immense cheering); In advising the disallowance of a certain Bill hp had acted strictly within the Constitution. If they Wanted to get rid of him

they could do so at the next sitting of Parliament.! (Loud and prolonged cheering.) Mr. Montgomery’s amendment was put and carried amid; loud ‘cheering, ’- The meeting lasted for more than three hours.