Mr Speight before his Constituents.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3538, 28 April 1880, Page 2

Mr Speight before his Constituents.

(fbom otte own cobbespondent.)

Auckland,. This day.

Mr Speight was received with" applause last night before his constituents. The hull was crowded. Capt. McKenzie was the Chairman. Mr Speight said the reasou he had not. met the electors earlier was that the Minister was in Auckland. He referred to the pledges of the eighteen Auckland members to support Sir G. Grey, lie had,believed Sir G. Grey had no personal ends, as he was conspicuous for his integrity and ability. He considered it his duty to be faithfnl to his leader. Ho read passages from the election addresses of Hurst, Colbeck and Swanson, last election, who promised to go in and "seai.ro union and increased power for the people. (Hisses.) Colbeck said the same, Wood the same. The members .must go down as a uoited phalanx. What did they get for their perfidy ? (Cries: That is the question.) It had been said that some of the Grey party were opposed to secular education, but the present Premier was the treasurer of the opponent's system. Let them contemplate the reclamation work. The Triennial Parliaments Bill will bring the rats out of their holes. The vermin should be exterminated. He reviewed t1.13 measures of last s- ssion and invited every man on the register to do 50..; He condemned the Property Tax, but he would hare supported an lucerne Tax. The economy which was likely to prevail was of the following character. Ministers would go South, aud would ask what was required to be done, and obtaining that information, would oder the thing requisite to' be done. They would make a " flying visit" to the north, would see what was being done there, and having seen it, would order that it should be curtailed. He condemned the Commissions as leading to patronage. He believed that ultimate justice to the North would only be done by separation, the debt beiug adjusted on the basis of money spent locally. . The time was coining when Auckland would be in a

favorable position regarding the land. He condemned the District Railways Bill, which Macandrow and Sheehan supported probably because the proposal was made to them when in office. Grey never assented to it. Grey had no desire to return to office. As to Protection, he would protect local industry, but his opinions were in favour of Free Trade, when applied to popular States. He would protect what was manufactured iv Auckland. As to the orphan children the late Government would have given pound for every pound raised in the locality, and made the management of these places local. Criminal.children would be placed (or maintenance on the Consolidated Fund. On the motion of G. W. Carr, seconded by Eichard Feltus, a vote of confidence was unanimously agreed to.