THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOVERNMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1032, 18 November 1882, Page 3

THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOVERNMENT.

Mr J. E. Fitzgerald, C.M.G., last Wednesday night delivered a lecture at Wellington, under the auspices of the Union Debating Seciety, to about 300 persons, on the possible future development of Government in free States. He began by referring at length to the growth of the modern system of government, and to the increase in the liberties of the people as conferred in the rights accorded them of having a voice in the administration of public affairs. He then proceeded to deal with a very wide range of subjects, including the relation of capital to labor, co-operation, and strikes, the latter of which he severely condemned as hurtful to all classes of the community. He favored the scheme of national insurance, as allowing the people to participate in the profits derived, and advocated the establishment of a National Bank in which the depositors should also be shareholders. Tin’s Bank would be better than Savings Banks. After alluding to the rapid strides which science had advanced of late years, the lecturer came to the land question, and contended that the holding of the fee simple of large areas by individuals was injurious to any country. He also expressed the opinion that the accumulation of capital in a few hands was extremely hurtful, and a bar to real progress. He pointed out that land monopoly was regarded with aversion by the Jews when they were a nation, ana that their laws favoured small holdings and discouraged large ones. Toy, ards the close of the lecture he asked

| his audience to consider whether our civilisation might not be based on ; erroneous principles and die out like those ! that had preceded it in the world. That was a matter that must always be kept in view, considering the question of the possible future development of government in State. As our so-called 1 civilisation ’ advanced, the poor became poorer, and rich richer, until in the one case poverty turned into degratiou and crime, while in the other luxury developed into licentiousness, Thus the ties which bound families, and even nations, together, became loosened and severed, and history told us that in such cases some hardier and more vigorous, if less civilised race, stepped in. If we were not prepared to do something to regulate the distribution of wealth, the scheme of universal education, which many of us cherish, appeared to him like the dream of a maniac ; for while the gulf between the rich and the poor was allowed to widen, the spread of education among the lower classes would only be the means of breeding discontent, and the scholar would become the hot-bed of anarchy. They seemed) however, to see a bow of promise and a symbol of hope in the fact that the Governments of civilised States were becoming more and more a replex of the will of the people—a people who were rising in intelligence and knowledge from day to day. One disheartening feature in the pressut epoch was the great Republic of America wnich suffered from the same evils which were the inheritance of old States. The lecturer sat down amid beai ty applause. Mr Maxwell, ‘President of the Union Debating Society moved a vote of thanks to Mr Fitzgerald for his highly interesting and instructive lecture. Mr Roberts seconded the motion, and hoped that the lesson the lecturer had given would be taken to heart. The vote was carried by acclamation.