MR. LOCKE’S ADDRESS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 303, 6 December 1884, Page 2

MR. LOCKE’S ADDRESS.

ORDERLY MEETING. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. Mr. Locke delivered last evening his address to the electors at McFarlane’s Hall, which was well filled. Mr. C. A, DeLautour opened the meeting by stating that he had been requested to take the Chair in the absence of the Mayor, Capt. Porter, whose term of office had not yet actually expired. Mr. Locke had asked him to preside out of kindness, in order to break him in when he would have that responsible office on his own shoulders. The task was, fortunately, an easy one there, and it was doubly so on such an occasion as they had that evening, .vl en their friend came to them with all his sheaves, and had only to tell of the good lie had done and that which he hoped to do in the future. OPENING REMARKS.

Mr. Locke (applause)—lt gives me a very great deal of pleasure to meet you all here again this evening, and I do so with a feeling that our late contest is over, and that we are all united for the good of the district. When the fight comes on again of course the old feelings, consequent on the contest, will again rise, but I hope now that they are quieted down, and that we will now work hand in hand. That is how lam now trying to work for the good of the whole of the inhabitants of the district which I have adopted as my home. In speaking this evening I wish to state that I shall not refer to persons or individuals at all—l shall speak of facts and prinoipl' S. The whole way through the late contest I did not like bringing up those personal squabbles, as it is not iny nature, and therefore not my intention to do so to-night. Sir George Whitmore, who assisted me so strenuously in Wellington, asked me to let him know the time when I would address you, as he wished to be present. I did so, but unfortunately he was unable to attend, and I received the following reply yesterday :— Dear Locke, —I am very sory I cannot be down this week, as I am shearing away like mad, and have not one moment to spare. When is Ballance coming up ? I hope you will get a good meeting, though sorry not to be able to say, as I should have done, that I feel sure no one could have worked the East Coast interests more wisely or satisfactorily. I must also state that I am very sorry that I could not come up with Sir George Grey when he came from Wellington. I certainly should have done so, but I considered it my duty to stop in Napier as there was a meeting of the Education Board to sit on the Tuesday, of which I am a member, and from lich I had been absent some two or three months, and as there were important matters connected with this district, that required to be looked into at that meeting, I decided to stay to it, otherwise I should have accompanied Sir George up here. I regret my absence very much, and also that Sir George Grey did not come ashore here. I assure you that for the way he acted towards this district throughout the whole of the session, he deserves the thanks of the whole of the inhabitants. (Applause.) SUMMARY OF THE SESSION. I will now give you, as I consider it my duty, a general summary of what took place during the past session, and in doing so I wish to tell you that I shall speak as plain as I can, and give you what I call a plain unvarnished tale. I will first explain in as few words as I can the bearings of the different measures in reference to the general matters appertaining to the Colony, and will then refer more particularly to this district, after which I shall then speak on a few points, which I consider are necessary for us to follow out for the general welfare of the colony and ourselves. To commence, I think it would be well to explain the confused state in which the Parliament was when I first went down. On the 7th of last August Parliament was opened. Major Atkinson was then Premier, merely holding office until someone else took his place. On that day he made a short statement, informing the House that after the result of the elections he could see he had not the confidence of the country, and he had therefore resigned and placed his resignation in the hands of the Governor, to whom he did not recommend anyone in particular to be sent for. The House then adjourned and sent the Governor for Mr, Stout and Sir Julius Vogel, On the 19th the House met, for what we may say, business. The Stout-Vogel and Whitmore Ministry was then in power, the Governor’s speech was delivered, and the general business of the country was started. I will now make AN EXPLANATION.

Statements have been in the papers, but without my knowledge, with regard to myself and my actions down in the House. Sir Julius Vogel wrote me a note, which I have here, inviting me to meet him at his house as he could not get about. I accepted the invitation, and he asked me to second the Address-in-Reply, and also gave me hints, which I do not want to mention here, in giving me an office as Minister. I did not consider that I had been long enough in the House, supposing I had been able to accept such an office. As it was I required a great deal more Parliamentary experience. There is a peculiar experience in the House that a man requires before he takes any office of much importance. I declined seconding the Address on those grounds, and replied to this effect, that as parties then stood and as things were then proceeding, I felt so fresh in the House, that I sooner preferred to keep my independence ; that though I was friendly towards him I preferred to be perfectly free and independent, and watch the course of events. I also explained that I could not go entirely with the Ministry he had formed, and regardless of what I felt towards Mr. Stout and others, it was entirely a Southern Ministry without one Northern man in it, and the general feeling was that it was impracticable. For those reasons I thought it would be much better for yourselves and myself thei I should keep perfectly clear. That is my explanation. SUMMARY CONTINUED. The House met and Mr. McKenzie, of Mount Ida, moved the rep'y to the Address, and Mr. Walker, of Ashburton, seconded. On Wednesday, the following day, Mr. Thompson, the member for Clutha, moved a Want-of-Confidence motion in the Government which you know was carried by a majority of 9. It turned out that there were only two North Island members who voted for the Ministry, Mr. Morris who had been offered a scat on the benches, and Mr. Ballance who was one of the Ministers. That Ministry then went out. On the 21st Mr. Thompson was sent for and as you are aware, he failed to form a Ministry. Sir George Grey was also consulted, and both gentlemen stated to the House that they could not succeed. Sir George Grey said he had advised the Governor to send for Major Atkinson. Major Atkinson said he thought he conld form a Government, and the House met again on the 28th. The Atkinson Government was a very short lived one. One the 28th they went in and on the 29th they went out by a majority of eight. I voted on that occasion and I consider I acted consistently. I was a new member, and every old member will bear me out that the first thing a new member has to do, is to obtain a reputation for consistency. Now if looted one day fov-one party and another | day Tor another party, I would soon become known and my good reputation would have I been lost, and that was my reason for voting I as I did. On September 3rd the Stout-Vogel I

Ministry was formed. All this badgering about was going on for a whole month from the 7th of August to the 3rd of September. It was a now House, and after the month’s shaking about it was throughly knocked into place. THE SHEEP REGULATIONS. I lost no t\me while I was down there. The Atkinson Ministry were in office only one day, and during that time I went to the Colonial Secretary, Mr. E. M. Wakefield, and asked him to take off the restriction that was then being enforced on this district with regard to exported sheep. Under those regulations all sheep sent to Auckland had to be dipped before they could be sold. I managed to have that done away with, and I believe it has caused a saving of some thousands a year to the benefit of the district, Sheep that are sent away now have ten days’ grace, and can then be sold without the dipping process, and nothing else is required to be done. POVERTY BAY LAND CLAIMS. On the sth of September I moved for the Poverty Bay Land Claim Report to be printed. You are aware that some two years ago Mr. Clarke sat here as a Royal Commissioner to investigate into a great many troubles that had been existing for the past ten or twelve years in reference to boundaries, <fcc., that had existed in 1869 and 1870. Although that Commission had sat, and its report had received the consent of the Governor, as far as I can make out not a single step has yet been taken to have it carried into effect. It was consented that these papers should be printed, and Mr. Ballance promised that steps would be taken to put that report into effect. THE DISTRICT’S GRIEVANCES. To show that we lost no time, Sir George Whitmore moved for a joint committee to be appointed to enquire into the grievances of Uie East Coast, as laid out by petitions in charge of the delegates from Gisborne. Sir George Whitmore presented one petition to the Upper House, and I presented the other to the Lower House. On the 11th Sir George Whitmore moved for a joint committee to enquire into the grievances. The committee was granted, and I consider great credit is duo to Sir George for his trouble in the matter. PLURALITY OF VOTES BILL. On the 12th came the great trouble. The great question on which I am to be censured, viz., the Plurality of Votes Bill, which was thrown out on the motion for committal. I had a letter in reference to this question sent to me by the Working Men’s Political Association, because I had met them before I left and they had behaved exceedingly well towards me. They put questions to me and I answered them in a straightforward manner, and I say I have acted in accordance with those questions. Voice—No.

Mr. Locke—l say I have. This Bill was brought on by Mr. Barron, the member for Caversham. It was allowed to pass the second reading, and so the principle of the thing was confirmed. The trouble commenced when it was to go into Committee. I voted against it because I thought another comprehensive measure would be brought down nex session. I do not know whether it is necessary to read the extract of the speeches in Hansard, but I want to show you that the feeling in the House was that the qeustion was not to be passed through in piecemeal where the parties had been so muddled up, but that the Government would consider the whole question during the recess, and bring down a comprehensive measure next year. Myself and others voted on that understanding. (Applause). To prove that such was the case I will quote from Mr. Stout’s speech on the Bill, he says, “ As far as this bill is concerned the Government do not make it a party question. I apprehend that, should a division take place, some members of the Government will vote one way, and some another.” That shows pretty clearly the position the Government took up. Again Sir Julius Vogel, says : “ I wish to say a very few words on this Bill. To my mind the bill is so introduced that every honorable member must vote according to his own view upon the subject. I am not going to support the bill. I look upon it as a measure which, without due consideration, takes away privileges which have long been accorded, and long exercised.” Mr. Pyke says : “ I ask the Government to put this bill in their pigeon holes, and see if they cannot bring down, before the next general election, something like a decent Regulation of Electors Bill—something more in accordance with true purity of electors than the present Acts supply.” These all bear out what I say. If the Government should bring down this measure next session, in a more comprehensive form, I shall vote for it. THE MOTU BLOCK.

On the 16th Mr. Ballance promised to open up the Motu Block for settlement, and told me the day before I came away that no time would be lost, that the Igund had been surveyed, and would be thrown open without further delay. On the same day Sir Julius Vogel made his Financial Statement.

THE DISTRICT’S GRIEVANCES AGAIN. On the 17th I moved for a select Committee ! to be appointed in the Lower House, as Sir , George Whitmore did the same in the Upper, the Committee to consist of ten members who , should sit jointly with ten members of the Upper House, in order to discuss our grievances. That Committee is to be thanked for the fair and zealous way in which they went to work, and made a most able report. The report was first drawn up by Sir George Whitmore, and then brought before the joint committee, and at the suggestion of myself, Sir George Grey and others, little alterations were made in it. Sir George Whitmore was .Chairman of the Select Committee of the Upper House, and when both Select Committees worked jointly, he became Chairman of the whole. As soon as that report was read we then arranged for a deputation to meet Ministers and discuss the question regarding our troubles. That deputation was attended by most influential members of both Houses. Mr. Stout was present on behalf of the Government, and made full notes of everything that was brought up, and I know they were all laid by him before the Cabinet for careful consideration, and a promise was made that as far as they could they would carry them out. GISBORNE HARBOR BILL. The 25th day of September was an important day for this district as it was the day in which Sir George Grey brought on the second reading of the Gisborne Harbor Bill, and I have again to thank Sir George, as I did down there afterwards before a great many, on the part of the community here for the able, kind, and disinterested manner in which he had acted. (Applause). When the Bill was sent down it had been very badly and loosely drawn out, and no lawyer could have done it. The rule is that it had to be hung up in the Resident Magistrates Court a certain number of days for inspection, and then be signed by Mr. Greenwood. Mr. Greenwood’s signature was on it, and it was then necessary that it should be taken before the Local Bill’s Committee. We passed it through the committee after a great deal of trouble. Sir George Whitmore used all his influence to get it through, and Sir Julius Vogel deserves our hearty thanks. As soon as it had got that far Sir George Grey then had to go to the trouble of having the Bill re-drafted, and if you look at the Bill as it was sent down from here, and look at it now that it is law, you will find that there is still the same meaning but the wording is much different. I would like before going on to explain my position on this occasion. I have heard it stated by some—though very few—that because my name does not appear in Hansard at this time, I did not therefore take that interest in the measure that I should have done. Now, first of all, when the Bill came on it was about ten minutes to five in the afternoon, and it is well known that the rules of the House are that if a man gets up at that time and talks, until half past five, he would talk the Bill out, and it would go to the bottom and never came up again that session. Now at ten minutes to five Sir George Grey finished speaking and came over and sat by my side, and said “ Do you see the clock, Locke. I know it would be nice for you to leave your record in Hansard but if any question should arise and a discussion starts and continues until half past five, the Bill will probably be lost for the session.” I replied “You know I care not for talking, I only want to get the Bill passed and through this session.” At about five o’clock the other parties finished, and bir George said “ Take notes and if any questions arise and it is necessary I shall 1

reply when the different parties sit down,** Then tMbre came a lull, the Speaker looked at me, expecting me to say something, and I stated I did not intend to speak. He looked at Sir George Grey, who stated that he also ■> would not reply and the Bill passed This is a telegram which appeared in the Herald of September 26th and I have reason to believe that Captain Tucker forwarded the message. It is as follows The Harbor Bill passed its second reading. Sir Geo. Grey made a capital speech in moving the second reading. Mr. Stout made a plain statement as to the value of the endowments, and stated that the Government would facilitate the Bill. Mr. Locke was in his’place in the House. I have also here a letter from Sir George Grey which I received this evening Te Kawau, Dec. 2nd, 1884. My dear Locke,— You were never absent when the Harbor Board Bill was on. You were always ready and anxious to aid me in any matter con* nected with it, and often gave me material assistance with a readiness and friendly cheerfulness, for which I feel grateful. I only wish on many important public questions we were as much in accord as we were upon the interests of Gisborne. On all points connected with those interests you were my com* panion and active helper m the most unselfish manner, sacrificing on one occasion of importance you rdesire to speak for fear that the opportunity of getting the Bill through on that occasion might be lost from want of time, which might have prevented it from passing last session.—Faithfully yours, G. Grey.

I just read that to clear the matter up. On the 10th the Harbor Bill passed its third reading. On the 24th it passed the Upper House, and there was not one division taken on it in either House. That is all I have to say on that Bill. THE RIVERS BILL. Another Bill that passed this session was the Rivers Bill which is a very important consolidated measure, and anyone living on the banks of rivers can now protect themselves from floods. SHEEP ACT AMENDMENT. The next important measure passed was 1 the Amendment to the Sheep Act for preventing the lice which the sheep suffered from very much. The Bill now compels people to clean their sheep. THE SUGAR BILL AND IMPOUNDING ACT. The Sugar Bill that is now becoming law will no doubt greatly benefit this district, because there is no better soil in the colony for the growing of beet than that of this district. The Consolidated Impounding Act was also carried through successfully. OPENING UP OF OUR ROADS. ■■ We had voted this year by Parliament a over £20,000 for the opening of the roads o?» the county to the lands to be offered for sale, and I only trust that our local bodies will assist me in my endeavors to see that that money is spent during the coming summer months. We have now got our Harbor Act, and in February next that comes into force, but if we are going to ease the country we must also open up the present back isolated places, and to do that we must have roads. (Applause.) This district contains 2,000,000 acres of land, and we are only working on 100,000 acres of that. All the rest of it has yet to be brought into use. We require the roads carried through, and the lands put into the market, so that the settlers can go back on to them, and by that means our productions, instead of being trivial as at present, would be as good as any other coun y in t colony of New Zealand. (Applause.) TL' money will also go for opening up the inland road to Opotiki, Wairoa, the Waimata, and other places, anti I say let us have it at once, and go for more next year.

TURANGANUI BRIDGE GRANT. The Government promised a grant of £7,500 as contribution towards the construction of the Turanganui bridge. The delegates worked hard to get that when in Wellington, and, as you are aware, Mr. Stout has telegraphed up that that money is forthcoming. COURT AT WAIOMATATINI. I also managed to get the sanction of the Government to have the Land Court sittings held at Waiomatatini. That request has now been acceded to, after a struggle for the past five years. GOVERNMENT POLICY BILL. The Government, as you are aware, brought down their Policy Bills last session. That was the purchasing of district railways, the East and West Coasts railways in the other Island, and the Westport and Grey mouth Harbor Bills, though only the two last named actually became law. The other measures only pissed in such a way that it gives the Goverumant power to make arrangements during the recess which will enable them to come down again next session before they make aay complete purchase. AFFIRMATION OF OATHS BILL. The Affirmation of Oaths Bill passed last session, was, I consider, a very great step in advance. Another bill, the LAND ACT AMENDMENT BILL was brought on. It went in the direction of assisting people, bona fide settlers to gee land on easier terms. There was one question in the bill I could not agree with, and that is the motion by Mr. Barron to this effect, “ That dummyism should be punished by imprisonment.” That was what I objected to. I say put as heavy a penalty on for that offence as you like, but I cannot see why a man should be locked up for such a thing for twelve months. I think that would be going too far. Voice—No. Mr. Locke—That is my opinion. The time may come for that, but I don’t like to make people criminals in so offhand a manner as that. MARRIED WOMAN’S PROPERTY BILL. I consider the Married Woman’s Property Bill a very important question, and it is quite right that wives and families should have the power of protecting their own property. The NATIVE LAND ALIENATION RESTRICTION ACT. was also passed last session. This measure is for the purpose of tying up the whole of those lands known as the King Country for twelve months to give time to the Government to consider the proper administration for that part of the country. To prevent large land speculators going there and buying up large areas. The Government have voted money for a railway to go through there, and it certainly is not right that these speculators should have the power to go and buy up all the land just alongside of that line which would be the means of materially enhancing its value. There were OTHER BILLS. passed, such as the Parliamentary Privileges Bill, the Public Works Act, and the River Board’s Bill. I just mention these as the principle of the public Bills passed during the last session. Now I come to an interesting part of my address and that is with regard to

THE DELEGATES. who went down to Wellington from here at an early part of the session, the purposes for which I have already explained. I wish to add that those centiemen during the fortnight that they were there assisted me in every way they could, and gave most material evidence before the committees. Then there is the question interesting all people in this part of the colony, viz., THE NATIVE LAND BILL. I brought down an amendment to the Native Land Act, and my object in so doing was the alteration of it in such a way that we could facilitate subdivisions and get them more speedily than heretofore, and get the lands through the Court without delay. I have to thank Mr. Sheehan for his kindness in drafting this Bill for me. Europeans could by it, get their pieces cut off and get at what they required without so much litigation and trouble. That was the whole principle of my amendment to the Act. It was not to alter the present laws, because the Government told me they would not allow of any alteration of them during that session, as they were strangers to the question and intended to have the recess so that they could consider and come down next year with a properly consolidated measure. Therefore I only went to facilitate subdivision and settle titles. However, we did this good, we caused a great deal of talk in the House on the land question. That will give new

members a good idea of the questiot and enable them to more fully under stand and discuss it next session. Mi Sheehan gave me the Bill brought dowj by Wi Perc and I made an objection to it as no provision to protect European rights wa in it and the whole was then recast, and a seconr bill was brought in, in which some provision was made for Europeans, but it was not on> that could have practically worked out th< land troubles of this district. THREE GREAT MEASURES. Three great measures the Government la.’ most stress on for the next session, viz. the ad ministration of Native Lands, Local Industries, and Local Government. In referenc* to local Government my opinion is we shoulv have more power in the counties, I thin! the local bodies should have some controlling power allowed them and some responsibility for the proper spending of thejlocal monies At present they have nothing|to say in th; matter.

ENTAIL ALIENATION BILL. Another great question is the Entai. Alienation Bill, that has to do with the powej of entailing property. It is a step in th. right direction, and one that should be Jaw. It does away with the feudal rights, which wi have brought from another country. Then are other bills which, I hope, will be brought down, such as the Hospital and Charitabk Aid, the Election and Registration of Election Bill, and the Plurality of Votes Bill.

GENERAL MATTERS, We ought to have elective Land Boards, foi it is not right that a district like ours shook; have its lands administered from Aucklanc or any distant place. We, ourselves, can very well do without their assistance. Technical education is a great question that ought to b< introduced into large places. The Gaminj. and Lotteries Act and Licensing Act requin a great deal of altering. That leads up tr the nationalization of the land and th* question of absenteeism, on which I don’t wish to dilate on to-night. LOCAL MATTERS. First of all we require to complete oui harbor, and we should get next year £50,000 from the Government. This is a harbour ol refuge, the only one about here on the East Coast, and it is the general feeling of members of the House that it would be the best constructed, and incur the least danger. Therefore if it is properly represented we will obtain the money. We should try by some means or other to obtain Read’s point. It is of vital importance for the construction of the harbor that we should get it, and if it is in my power to assist in getting it, 1 shall be only too glad to do so. We should get the land from the Natives along by the point, and past Kaiti hill, they have not \much money to spare, and that land will be fnore valuable to us than the large areas of the coast. With regard to the Kaiti frontage, notice was sent down to me by the Harbor Board, asking me to endeavor to have the right of frontage inserted in the bill. I spoke to Sir George Grey about it, who said not by any means, as it would not do to again break into the bill, and I agreed with him. Therefore I left it over for another year, and then I will try an get it inserted as an amendment We must also have the money spent in opening up the inland road to the Tauwhareparae Block. We have got about £5,000 on the supplementary estimates and we must have it spent this summer. I should also like to see some practical engineer, such as Napier Bell, come here and give us another report on the harbor before starting our works. We • have Sir John Coode’s report, but that was ..made, like all great men’s reports, on other ’ people’s figures, and not from actual surveys of his own. We must go further, and have the resources of the district fully developed by railways. We have a large area which could be well laid out, and inducements given to companies to come here and form railways to open up the Motu bush and other parts of the country. We must also have a telegraph line up the coast. Telegraph lines and communication of that sort I believe will induce the people to settle on the Coast. High Schools are required here. Mr. Smith brought forward a motion last session, That, in the opinion of this House, the time has arrived when the whole of the secondary and high school reserves and endowments throughout the colony should be vested in the Crown, and administered for general, instead of for local educational purporses, and that the Government be requested to bring in a Bill to give effect to this resolution.” I concur wild that motion in ever, way. The reserves in both islands should bt properly administered. When I was in Wellington I spoke to Mr. Stout and he promised to carry out part of my desire to have a Registrar of Deeds Office here. He said he would do this. He would have an office; appointed here who should have charge of the deeds and have the books kept here, bu the examiner of titles, who had to be e lawyer would be too expensive and for tha we would still have to go to Napier. I think we should have a quarantine ground, ant. should make use of the little island in thbay for that purpose. We must encourag local industries, the growth of tobacco, hops, cheese and bacon factories and such like, and drop all little anmosities amongst ourselves, in order to advance and improve our district. (Applause.} Mr. Graham rose and proposed “ That this meeting accord a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Locke for his able address, and express itself entirely satisfied with the manner in which he has represented this district during the last session of Parliament, and hathorough confidence in him for the future.” He thought they must all admit that Mr. Locke had done much more for the district than any other candidate before him. Granting that he had had the assistance of Sir George Grey he did not think that that detracted any praise from Mr. Locke. Addresses of that sort were generally most egotistical, but Mr. Locke’s address that evening had not been so, he had sunk himself in the most exemplary manner and given others credit for things which he himself had done. He listened to his address with marked interest and trusted his suggestions would be taken advantage of. Major Westrup seconded the proposition. The motion was then put and carried unanimously.