Sir George Grey and the Late Government.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3032, 2 November 1878, Page 1

Sir George Grey and the Late Government.

Following is the Premier's speech on returning to the House on Wednesday evening after his words, taken* down on the motion of Major Atkinson, had been declared by the House not to have exceeded the fair bounds of debate:—■

Upon Sir George Grey resuming, he referred to the charges of Major Atkinson, Mr Fox, and Mr McLean againat the members of the Ministry personally, in connection with the special wire arrangements, charges of corruption of the most gross kind, which were allowed to pats unnoticed. But he would state that he did not for one moment intend to impute personal dishonor to Major Atkinson, though he believed the late Premier had used his office to protect those who should hare been punished. No committee was needed to investigate his charges. They were proved by speeches of the late Ministry themselves, and Sir J. Vogel's admission that a million and a-half had been spent in obtaining support for the Public Works Policy. The Piako Swamp "and the Auckland coalfield transactions sufficiently .proved the second statement. Everyone knew, in reference to the third charge, that native officer* and their friends had made large fortunes by the use of tneir position and public money to get land from the natives. He then proceeded to reply to Major Atkinson's speech, saying he had the misfortune when in office as Governor, to offend the Colonial Office by refusing, to appoint a relation of Earl Derby to an office in this colony. He had also the misfortune to have the Governor of the colony and the Legislative Council against him. He then referred to the injury inflicted on the colony by the member for Egmont in .resisting the loan proposed by him (the Premier). He maintained that the term " abortion " applied - to the, Land Tax Bill was undeserved and uncalled for. The advantages conferred upon, the people by that bill was such that the, people would never give them up,' and he further would say that that bill had brought upon himself and those who followed him, the hatred of the Legislative Council. He instanced the language used by Sir Dillon Bell. He denied that he had ever said' there were serfs in New , Zealand. He said, however, the poor oi' England were kept down, so that the pressure of the struggle for existence was so great that they had neither hope nor prospect, and he held that the member for Egmont and those."who worked with him were on the road to place the people of this colony in the same position *- as the oppressed people of Great Britain. He denounced at some length the injustice done to the Maori race by the action of the other House in regard to the Maori vote, when all the instincts of chivalry and good feeling should have incited' them to do justice to a weak race. The hon. member for Egmont asked them to go to the country. He wished to do so once, and he was. refused. He began the session with trembling knees, under the great fear that he would not be able to secure for the people the rights and liberties they ought to have, but he felt strong now. He thought he had now power, and next < session would bring down a measure which would make people say, "Go on, and get us all our rights; we are with you." He might say. they had tasted blood, and next year they would take the taxes off the, necessaries of. life. Last year he told the hon. member for Egmont. that a new party would arise, but that hon. gentleman thought there Would not. -But that party had arisen, He pointed out that the. other branch of theLeirislature had incited a weak minority in that House to obstruct and impede. He had been taunted with not fulfilling his promises, but that was due to exceptional circumstances ; but now the con* duct of the member for Egmont had nerved him to the task, and he hoped that by next session he would have the" measures prepared.which the hon. gentleman ' dreaded to see. Then as to Orders in Council, the system was not one that he was responsible for. It was a detestable system, and he hoped to get rid of it, but that could not be done for two or three years. The hon. member for Egmont last year predicted that the new Ministry would meet the House with a deficit, but they had met it with, a surplus. Then, he slighted their loan operations, saying they could not raise it. He told the hon. gentleman nothing was more damaging than the raising of small loans, but he was deaf, aud would not listen. He was only anxious that the disaster he predicted would overtake the colony under the administration of himself and his ! friends, but his unpatriotic desires had ! not been gratified. The hon. gentleman then proceeded to descant upon the excellencies of the Provincial form iof Government which had been destroyed Ibj the party of destruction. It was a 1 systems peculiarly adapted to develop the varied genius of a people, while now , they were to be kept ground down to one uniform level. Those men had done great harm to New. Zealand. According to the constitution of the colony until the Tories interfered, there was to have been an elective Upper House, and what were the results of this P Why, they saw it in the way their Electoral Bill was treated, and in the difficulties to be see*, iv Victoria. It was a «ruel thing to impose constitutions upon the people that they were never consulted about. The party opposed to him followed in the step* of the home country,: i by trying to reduce the population to two classeV—tbe one wealthy, to rule the other, which was to lapse into poverty.rby -supporting. plural votinyr, »Qd other , .-Wjayt iof perpetuating the ', evils he was •-•triving.to reform,.by-placing the expenditure. ofimoney giveu. to! <sou^ in the hand» of the wealtby classes .to spend as

they liked,—whafc was this but to create a class with monoy and a class of serfs ? Those who did this were enemies of the country, and he for one would always battle against such injustice. The hon. gentleman sat down amidst applause.