POLITICAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2572, 24 October 1893, Page 4

POLITICAL.

Mr Rolleston, who is a candidate for the Ellesmere electorate, addressed a large meeting of electors at Akaroa on Wednesday night. He strongly attacked the Government, saying that though they had taken up the shibboleths of extremists, they had been checked partly by the constitution of their own party, which was largely out of sympathy with them, and partly by the vigilant and strong, though numerically weak, Opposition, and mainly by the robust common sense of a practical community. The next Parliament would look for something better thau stump oratory and silly den unciation of capital and pandering to cupidity aud ignorance. He condemned the taxation of the Government, which was unevenly adjusted between town and country. On the land -«uestioa he s--ud that the practical success had y "°' en s P oiie£ l V tlie imputation 0 f impractical 6o ™ 3 - G ? -operative works were another insta^ 6 of *J e "[option of crude theories, and as to the finances of the couutry the public debt was J ' ■***' v increasing, and the plea of uon -borrowing was entirely disproved by figures. ') hero ought to be no change in tho railway management. He concluded with laying down the principles which guided himself and those working with him. They wore (1) equality of all classes before law. The legislature and the Government should represent all the constituent elements of the nation, not merely a numerical majority of the inhabitants, not town versus country, nor labor versus capital, biit equal rights should be accorded to all classes, and fair and equal, not punitive taxation ; (2) Industrial freedom as distinguished from socialistic views, freedom of trade as opposed to the selfishness of protection, freedom of thought and freedom of action, so long as no injury is done to a man's neighbor; <3) To avoid the degrading influence of paternalism; (4) to set up a strong system of local government with so far as possible local endowments; (5) the land revenue brought into capital account and devoted to developing land; (6) elective Legislative Council. There were no questions, and a motion of thanks and confidence in the speaker was all but unanimously carried,, an amendmeut of thauka only not being seconded.

Sir Eoberfc Stout addressed a orowded meeting at the Theatre lloyal, Wellington, on Friday night. Mauy were unable to gain admission. The circle aud stage were filled with women. He anuounced that his address would be confined to political and Hocial reform, as he could not include all the subjects that should be discussed in the scope of one speech. To begin with the political machine required perfecting, because at the present members often had, for the sake of party, to vote against their convictions. Party Government was run mad, aud in New Zealand carried to lengths never intended. Every bill was made a party questiou, and Parliament turned into a. more registration machine of the Ministry of the day. His propasal, which he disclaimed as revolutionary was that members of the House should elect the Ministry by ballot, and no minister should be .removed during the ie*«; of Parliament except for misconduct. Questusu<j would then be discussed on their merits aj>&£t from consideration of how they would affect Ministers. He suggested that the Standing Orders might be altered to give more power to whose chairman would receive the training that would prepare them for the position of Ministers. He took occasion to refer witti w»g'ro* to the old Provincial Councils, which had jrfvsyed capital nurseries for the Colonial ParliamciaJ Of course the Standing Orders would require to be reframed and provision made to prevent stonewalling. As to the Legislative « .Council he disliked both the practice of appointing fresh members en bloc when it refused to ©ass Government measures, and the elective system proposed by Mr Rolleston. flatter would .enable the Council to snap its iinf &fc t & ' House, and besides, was' it to * on mail hood suffrage or property cation ? His own idea was that the Lower House should elect half the Upper House every three years, the number of members having first been fixed. He showed how j this could be done as the lifo members gradually dropped out. They would then have the Upper Chamber in accord with the Lower Chamber, as it should be more of a revising body than anything, else. He was in favour of voting on electoral rights, and regretted that Parliament had not passed a complete Corrupt Practices Act. He referred to local government, the expense of which was daily increasing, and urged that one million acres should be set Apart on perpetual lease, and the revenue harded f over to the locaj bodies to ease their ratea

He thought the unemployed difficulty might be met by enlarging the village settlements system, and he advocated a national pension system on a basis of 5 per cent., securing to each person after 60 17s 6d per week. Ho upheld the education system, and should oppose State aid to religious bodies. He only touched briefly on education, saying that he would refer at length'to it on a future occasion. In reply to a question he said that he did not want office, having refused it three times. He opposed single tax as confiscation and robbery ; he thought the Railway Commissioners should have their term extended for a brief period until Parliament decided the matter. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried by acclamation.