THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3562, 27 May 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1880.

The late speeches of Sir George Grey delivered in Auckland and Dunedin, have caused a large amount of comment, while that of Mr Hall, in reference to Sir George Grey's Auckland speech, deserves the closest attention. He characterised the late Premier's speech as being complete rubbish, and proceeded to justify that assertion. The speech also referred to the amount of . reckless expenditure that had taken place during the Grey administration. In reference to the Native Department, the policy of the present Ministry was to improve it off the face of the earth. That course would in time be carried out, as there seemed to be no necessity for an expensive

Native Administration. The Hall Government have certainly taken a step in the right direction, oad no doubt the expenses of the Native Department will be altogether done away with. By

not entering into foolish contracts, the Hall Government show tbafc they know the full value of money. This is very judicious on tbeir part, although in some cases expenditure is fully warranted by the requirements of the town —the Thames for instance. By removing the native expenses a burden will be done away with, and the sooner that change takes place the better. Sir G. Grey, speaking atDunedin said: " The Premier said the Government intended to bring down a Bill of such a kind, but he had looked to this matter, and Mr Hall had refused. him assistance to carry through the Native Land Bill he had prepared. If such Bill were not passed next session incalculable damage would be done in connection with, the land question." With regard to the Native question Sir George Grey says not a word. He said: "He had been charged by leading politicians with telling a deliberate falsehood. He had not done so, but on the contrary had simply told a sad truth. The speaker then went into the history of the telegram business, asserting that all he had said on the subject was literally true. He would excuse the Premier for the language he had used towards him (Sir George Grey). The statement of the Premier that the Education Act would not be interfered with, was one of the terms of the compact with the Auckland four. Everyone had a right to know what the other terms of the compact were. Nothing more unconstitutional could be done than for four members to enter into a secret agreement of that nature with the Government. (Applause.) He deplored the temptations held out to members to act contrary to their previously-expressed convictions, and said that a number of members lost their discretion directly thev { mvrd at Wellington. The Premier had claimed the credit for the Government for the carrying out of the Liberal measures. The fact was that the members of the present G\>vernm3nt had opposed the Liberal measures for years. Ihe Premier had opposed triennial Parliaments and the ballot, and his feelings were shared by the other members of the Government. The Treasurer was like a pampered porter at a palace gate, aDd when spoken lo his reply was, ' Don't disturb me; let me rest.' All that the gentleman thought the colony required was 'political rest.' Under tl>e proysriy Iv.x, many who purchased under the dafeivd payment system would end in pauperism. If a tax of 3d or 6d per acre had been put on land under the cheap regulations he had introduced, men would have been deterred from acquiring very large property, while small settlers would have obtained land at IDs per acre. The great fault of the Premier's speech was that he sketched out no policy for the future, or the objects they had in view." Sir G. Grey then referred to the ousting of his Government, and said that the policy of Mr Hall's party was to get rid of the land tax, and put on a property tax. The land tax Was a fair one, but the property tax was an inquisitorial and unfair one. He asked, why should such an' act be introduced here when it had never been tried in any other British possession ? Sir George Grey concluded his remarks by saying that the present Premier and his friends would some day be drapged captives at the wheels of his chariot. • -