SIR GEORGE GREY AT BLENHEIM.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5325, 22 April 1878, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY AT BLENHEIM.

(per press agency.) Blenheim, Saturday. Sir George Grey spent the afternoon in interviewing Maories and inspecting Government buildings. He afterwards walked through town. At 8 o’clock he addressed a crowded meeting in Ewart’s Hall. \V. G. Fell, Esq, Mayor, was unanimously voted to the chair, and alluded to the Premier in complimentary terms as parent of their Constitution, Sir George Grey was received with applause. He said his pleasure at attending the meeting was enhanced as he had been instrumental in calling their settlement into existence by quieting difficulties in acquiring a native title to the districts of Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton, and Blenheim. He then alluded to the colonialisation of the Land Fund, and justified the action of the Government with regard to Canterbury and Otago. He next justified his conduct in advising the Governor to disallow the Land Bill, and then proceeded to the extension of the franchise. The equalisation of representation to population, and the incidence of taxation, were dealt with at considerable length, but the Premier only repeated his previous utterances. He stated that it was the intention of the Government to class the land for the purpose of taxation into (1) bad, (2) tolerable, and (3) good; the tax to be an acreage tax. It would be necessary to frame a new land law hedged round with restrictions to prevent gridironing and other similar evils.' For a good land law it was necessary that no persons in the Native Department should be allowed to bargain for themselves or friends, and no persons holding any Government office or appointment should be allowed to purchase Government lands. The peroration was similar to that he made in Christchurch. The speaker alluded to himself as standing between the past and the future. He dreaded the future, as they had legislated for themselves and not for the time to come. He then alluded to the establishment of an aristocracy in the colonies, to which end the first steps had been taken, which were absolutely illegal. The giving of titles to persons in New Zealand, which they should hold there and nowhere else, he could only call creating an aristocracy of a contemptible sort. The Queen might give titles of honor to persons to hold throughout the Empire, but any such new form of title as to be held inNewZealand alone must receive the sanction of the Assembly. He had been called upon to proclaim one of these titles in the Gazette, and as Premier he had refused to do so. He would do so again until it was sanctioned by the Assembly, but in his opinion, as to these honors, the giving them to a subject in New Zealand should be the same as those given to any British subject in any part of the Empire. He trusted that so long as he was Premier such spurious titles would be rejected with scorn. The speaker was listened to with marked attention throughout, and the applause was frequent and hearty. Mr. Joseph Ward, late M.H.E. for Wairau, proposed a vote of thanks and confidence, which was seconded by Mr. George Henderson, and carried unanimously with loud applause. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Sir George Grey, terminated the proceedings. dir George Grey left for Wellington at once via Picton.