MR. DONALD REID AT MOSGIEL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5348, 18 May 1878, Page 2

MR. DONALD REID AT MOSGIEL.

Dunedin, Friday. Mr. Donald Eeid, M.H.E. for Taieri, addressed Ills constituents at Mosgiel last night. He commenced by referring to the criticisms on the speech which he delivered last year, and said that the Boanerges of the Opposition, Mr. Robert Stout, wrote a letter commenting on it. Mr. Eeid then went on to show that Mr. Stout’s statement, that he (Reid), to outward appearance remained one of Sir George Grey’s party down to when he delivered his Taieri speech, was not correct. Mr. Stout had said his conduct degraded politics, but he maintained : that he was as respectable and as much respected as the most popular member of the present Ministry.' He was not aware that he had sacrificed his principles for power or place. He did not believe in party government without principles, and held that the system of party government being initiated in this colony by Mr. Stout and others would have a most injurious effect upon politics. Some of the resolutions passed by the Dunedin Convention were exceedingly injudicious, and reading Mr. Macandrew’a address thereat by the light of subsequent events, the whole thing must have been a very i great fiasco.; No doubt one of Sir George Grey’s aims when he entered political life was to prevent abolition, but he also wished to get the laud fund of tho Middle Island, for this-had been his programme in every address which he

had hitherto delivered. Men around Sir G. Grey who had aided him in this object were but minions in his hands. Sir G. Grey having accomplished his object was no doubt the most popular man in Auckland. The opposition offered to the late Government was unconstitutionally and "dishonestly conducted. The then Opposition had no policy and no principles, and when they came into power had to adopt the policy of the previous Government. The Opposition was dishonestly conducted, because an attempt was made to undermine the private character of members of the late Government by insinuations and assertions which it was impossible to refute. The Piako swamp and Waitoa land transactions were next commented upon, and the speaker proceeded to say that the supporters of the Grey party, when in opposition last year, wasted the time of the country purposely and deliberately, and iu needless talk. Referring to the policy of the present Government, as indicated by the speeches of Sir George Grey and Colonel Whitmore, he said that Government had two policies, one democratic and the other conservative. - He pointed out that notwithstanding what had been said against the financial proposa's and Bills of the late Government, the present one adopted them when it got into power. The colonial!sation of the Land Fund was referred to next, and he said that it he had sworn to protect the Otago Land Fund, the same as others had done, he would have retired at once and for ever from political life rather than consent to the passing of that measure. Sir George Grey had said that the interests of the country would be sacrificed by the Waste Lands Bill. If it were so it would be the fault of the Minister who has charge of the Act. If Sir George Grey believed that this Bill was a fraud ou the entire people of New Zealand, as he stated in Dunedin, he should have endeavored to do everything to prevent its being carried into law, and would not have waited till it had passed, and then have sought to get the Governor to disallow it. He would like to see the parliament of New Zea’and occupy a high standard, but he did not like the present political area, and considered that the tone of the debates bad deteriorated to a remarkable extent since Sir George Grey’s advent to Parliament. _ A motion expressing regret at Mr. Reid’s resignation, and strongly urging him to reconsider his intention, w.is carried unanimously.