Address by Dr. Wallis.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3869, 24 May 1881, Page 2

Address by Dr. Wallis.

Dr Wallis addressed a public meeting of his constituents in the Temperance Hall, Auckland, on the subject of " The Present Political Situation, and True Policy of Liberals." The building was ratber more tban half filled at 8 o'clock. Mr Thwaites was voted to tbe-ehahrand briefly introduced the speaker. Dr Wallace, on coming forward, was received with general applause. After reading from Hansard a rery epitome of tbe amount of business transacted during the session, Dr Wallig west -on to lay that he supposed that it would be expected that he should rather to tell them what be had said and done during the session (applause). He had earned the reputation of being a lengthy and frequent speaker in Parliament, but he was sure that it was a great mistake. (Laughter.) He had discovered that a member could better serve his constituents' interests by remaining silent than by talking, while he at the same time expedited the pablie business. He had not delivered more than twelve set speeches during the session, and the subject of education had secured the greatest share of his attention. indeed, be bolieved that he now knew more upon that subject' than any oi her member in the House. He had worked iv order to secure the naturalisation of waste lands and for putting native lands on the same footing as European land, while the Chinese question had also interested him. He did not object to Chinese immigration, but he certainly did object to a Chinese invasion. The special subject of his address this evening, however, was "The present political situation of New Zealand and the True Policy of Liberals." It was rather perplexing to discover who were the Liberals of New Zealand, for, bqtb Government and Opposition arrogated to themselves the designation, and in fact every Government which we had ever had had denominated itself a Liberal Government. After a reference to the origin of party names in England, the speaker went on to investigate the real meaning of " Liberalism." He said that one of its fundamental v rules was "The greatest good for the greatest number," and the rights and privileges of the masses instead of merely the rights and privileges of the classes. "To put it in other words, the Liberals fought for principles and the Conservatives for institutions. (Applause.) Summed up in one sentence, Liberalism worked from faith in human nature by I means of general principles on behalf of ! universal interests, and towards an ideal standard. The difference between Liberal* ism and Conservatism had been given very Eithily and yet clearly by Mr Gladstone, liberalism, he had said, was trust of the people tempered by prudence, whilo Conservatism was distrust of the people tempered by fear. (Loud applause.) 1c intended to apply those principles to the state of matters political in New Zealand, and the heads under which he proposed to treat the subject were:—(l) Constitutional reform, (2) local government, (3) law reform and social legislation, (4) education, Bible, school fees, (5) our debt and financial condition, (6) public works (7) taxation and its incidence, (8) free trade and local industries, (9) nationalisation of waste lands, (10) native affairs, (11) retrenchment and the " miser* able Ministry," (12) Australian c<m» federation aud Imperial federation;