THE WELLINGTON ELECTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5733, 14 August 1879, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON ELECTION.

DR. NEWMAN AT THE ATHENiEHM.

Last evening Dr. Newman, one of the candidates to represent Wellington City in the House of Representatives, addressed the electors at the Atheiueura. There was a good attendance. On the motion of Mr. G. Ander»ON, Mr. G. Allen took the chair. The Chairman said he would briefly introduce Dr. Newman to their notice, and added that he had no doubt his address that evening would be perfectly satisfactory. Dr. Newman felt very glad to see so large an audience to listen to him, who was almost an unknown man among them. He knew there were many objections to him, one of which was that he was rather ycung. For hia own part, ho thought they were rather too fond of putting in old men, who had spent the best of their years and of their energies, and who, when elected at a late period of their life, were not able to properly devote themselves to the service of their country. It was a mistake to elect men who were past the prime of life. Now, when they wanted an array to go into the field, a younger man was put in command than used formerly to be the case. He therefore hoped they would look over his being young. He was a Liberal —but not a Communist or a Radical. He instanced such men as Gladstone and other English statesmen. He believed in an extension of the franchise. A study of the old country showed them how useful this was. It was all very well in the olden times for the Peers to hold all the power, but with the spread of education a different state of things was necessary, Xn this colony fcbo children were being well educated from oue end to the other. New Zealand would be ripe for roauliood suffrage when those who were now being so educated arrived at mature years. But to endow all men of age with the franchise would be a mistake at the present time, as many of them were of so unsettled a character, and knew nothing about the men who might come forward as candidates upon such occasions as the present. (Hear, hear.) When things got a little more settled, however, he should strike for manhood suffrage. He was in favor of triennial Parliaments. In a country like England it was right that they should not have elections too often, but in New Zealand things were very different. The people of Wellington did not have their proper share in the representation of the country. It they had triennial Parliaments then members would work batter forthena than they did at present. He did not believe insudden jumps, and therefore had au objection to a change from five years to annual Parliaments. The cost of contesting a seat was very great, and if elections took place every year the seats would be liable to fall into the hands of the monied classes. But there were other and more important changes required than this. In the face of the present monetary crisis, when people were out of work from one end of the country to the other, and the contractors were catting down the rate of wages, he did not think it was the time to fight about this question of manhood suffrage and triennial Parliaments. What they wanted was prosperity in the country, and then they could go into the question of these electoral reforms. At the present moment it would be of more benefit to them to find a goldfield at Wainuiomata than to have these electoral reforms. (Hear, hear.) The only thing which the present Government had done was to call the Parliament together earlier than they need have done. Though they knew of the distress through the country, they had called the House together earlier than they need have done. If they had made arrangements for the loan, and had called the House together about March, it would have been much better. Why, the very loan of five millions was due to the action of the Opposition itself. He would like to see Sir Julius Vogel back with his busy brain and his Public Works scheme. He would do far more good for the colonies than ever the present Government would do. (Applause.) He attracted capital here ; he would like to know when the present Government would do that. (Applause.) He was always doing something to develop the resources of the country. Why, after about 40,000 or 50,000 immigrants had been brought into the country, the wagsa were higher than were ever before known. The cry should not be—“ Stop all immigration,” but rather let us develop the resources of the country. At the present time they were putting all their eggs into one basket, and if that basket failed, where would they be 1 It was a good thing for them that they could raise loans so readily as they did. It behoved the Government to look abroad, and see what they could do. He held that, instead of bickering about a lot of useless things, they ought to go in for developing the resources of the colony. But they did nothing of the kind. No ; they spent so much time in quarrels and bickerings that they had no time to develop the resources of our plumbago mines. (Hear, hear.) On the banks of the Wanganui river there was plenty of coal, but the Government did nothing to develop it, although au enormous amount of coal was imported, and consequently an enormous sum of money exported. Then, let them look at their forests and their iron-sand. But what did the Government do ? Simply nothing. In Canada such things brought in a large revenue, as well as in the matter of caring fish ; but in these things we did nothing. The value of wool was not likely to rise for many a year, and he therefore thought the Government ought to have appointed a commission to try and institute a trade in wool with China. Why, it would not have cost so much as the honorarium which the members voted to themselves the other day. (Loud applause.) Then the Ministers drew large salaries, had a house and travelling allowances, which were not spent in the place as other Ministers’ salaries had been. Ministers sent their sons to public schools at the expense of the people. He-advocated a direct trade with Queensland and America, which would be far more advantageous to the country than this continual Ministerial travelling in the Hinemoa, (Applause.) If they could induce capital to come here a very different state of things would prevail. He hoped the new Government would give up this din of battle and try to do some good for the country. One of the first things they ought to do would be to telegraph Home and sav that the labor market here would not be overstocked. The Government should also stop the importation of the Chinese, which was

a matter worthy of their grave consideration. The working men conld not save money at the present time ; and in considering the working men they must also think of the women and children dependent upon them. If they could make two blades of grass grow where one grew before, they would be doing a good to the colony. The speaker referred to the various minerals in the colony, and said that they ought to he worked. With regard to taxation, he felt sure the time had now come when they must levy an income tax. There was a certain man in this town drawing many thousands a year who paid nothing in the shape of taxation, because the property was all mortgaged. The income tax was the fairest of all taxes, and was the most easily collected. The speaker then referred to the system of depositing moneys with the Bank of New Zealand, which he considered led very much to the panics which might periodically occur. The Government ought to distribute their money among the various hanks instead of being given to one alone. Suppose they could not borrow money iu England the Bank of New Zealand would be called upon to lend a million to the country, hut would not be able to do so. He would like to see started under the Government a bank which should attend to the small farmers and the small traders, and which, carefully managed, would he an inestimable boon to a certain class of people who could not now get their little bills discounted. (Hear, hear.) Wellington of late years had been very much neglected in the Assembly. Then members—both of the town and the district too—might have struggled more than they did to get a West Coast railway. The members of the North and the South stuck together and got their railways. He instanced the Thames railway and the Tapanui job. If the representatives of Wellington had been more energetic they would have had more railways. They ought to band together and demand to have their right's. In Otago and Canterbury there were plenty of lines, and the only place where they could not get railways was Wellington (applause), and yet they sat quietly and placidly —worked for associations and reforms, hut did not do what they ought to do in obtaining railway accommodation. (Hear, hear.) What could have been more advantageous to the country than the To Aro Reclamation, if the thing had been passed through Parliament ? He referred to the Supreme Court sale and other pieces of. Legislative bungling. The sooner this Government was turned out of office the -better. (Loud cheers.) They had done no good, and a c msiderable amount of harm. They had landed the country almost in a Maori war. (Cheers.) The speaker referred to the way in which the Government had neglected the question of volunteering in and about Wellington. Good volunteers would have been of more use if sent to the front than raw recruits. (Cheers.) If they did him the honor at anytime to elect him, he-should do his very best for them, because he did not think any man should go to his constituents to be re-elected if he had not done his work thoroughly. If their members did not do their duty thoroughly, they ought to be turned out. Speaking of the Government service, Hr. Newman deprecated the system pursued by the Government of giving newspaper men and others “plums” which ought by rights to belong to those officials who might have served faithfully for years in the service. Until this state of things was altered their Civil Service would not be what it ought to be. They ought to have a commission to give such rewards as those to which ho had referred. He would not detain them any longer, but thanked them for' their patient and kind reception of him. (Loud and prolonged applause.) Mr. Maginnity said he was greatly pleased at what he had heard, as it afforded him great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to Dr. Newman, who was, like himself, a native born in the country. The rising generation of New Zealand began to feel that it was incumbent on them to take part in the affairs of their country. He referred to the “Judas who had betrayed them—Mr. Barton.” Mr. Maginnity referred to the question of the reclaimed land. The sale of the land was £31,000, and the Government certainly looked upon it as a bona fide sale, instancing the fact that they had referred the agents of the Hyderabad, who applied for the use of it for a time, to the Corporation. If the Government had been such friends of the working men as they pretended, they would, the very first week, have introduced a Bill to legalise the sale of that land. And yet, rather than lose the support of two or three trustees of the Hospital, the Government caused a loss to the city of £40,000. (Applause.) Mr. Maginnity then referred at length to the questions of the Hospital, the City Council, and the reclaimed land. Through the action of Mr. Barton, 1 the city lost one of tho grandest endowments that it was possible to have in the colony. (Hear, hear.) He had carefully watched the conduct of the present Government, and from what‘he had seen and heard, he had come to the conclusion that Sir George Grey often talked bosh. He agreed with Dr. Newman that it was time the present Government was out of power, and he hoped the majority of the people of New Zealand held the same views. (Hear, hear.) The speaker referred to,the first occasion on which Sir George Grey had addressed the people of Wellington, at the Arcade ; and who worked Up that meeting ? Why, Mr. li. J. Duncan and the Right Honorable Lord John Martin. Mr. Maginnity referred to several other occasions when “ The Eight Honorable Lord John Martin” had been present and taken a part; and the reward of this hon. gentleman’s conduct was a seat in the Upper House. It did appear to him very strange that Lord John Martin and Mr. Duncan were so much mixed up in the affairs of tho present Government. (Hear, hear.) He was sure they were all pleased with the address they had heard that evening. He was, sure that the conduct of the brazen-mouthed orators was not so fully appreciated as they seemed to think it was, and the working men of New Zealand were, in his opinion, a little above such patronage. He concluded by proposing a vote of thanks to Dr. Newman.

The motion was seconded by' Mr. T. K. Macdonald, and, being put to'the meeting, was carried unanimously. Dr. Newman briefly returned thanks, and a vote of thanks to the chair concluded the proceedings.