Mr Speight at.the Academy.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4841, 15 July 1884, Page 2

Mr Speight at.the Academy.

Mr W. J. Speight addressed a crowded meeting of the Thames electors io the Academy of Music last night. Seats were reserved for ladies, but the proportion of the fair sex present was not large. Mr E. N. Smith. was voted to the Chair, and briefly introduced the speaker, hoping that the audience would give him a patient hearing, and question him closely. c Mr Speight, who was received with applause, referred to the defeat he had sustained nearly three years ago when he contested the Thames seat with Mr Sheehari. The circumstances, of the case were well known, and he considered them more honorable to himself and supporters than to the winning party. He then pro-, misedthe electors that at the next contest he would be in field, and, desiring above all things to keep his word, he was now soliciting their suffrages, and looking to them to fulfil their part of the bargain. The opinion that manhood suffrage was of little account was, he considered, too much- in vogue now, as it was the most dangerous belief a country' could have spring up within it. His apolitical opinions vere well known, and he relied upon the history of the past 15 years telling them that he held some principles as dear as life, and these principles were of great importance to the '.district, because they sought the good cf the many. He would in his address first touch upon the -general politics of the colony, second, upon local concerns, and thirdly he would have a few words to say about himself. It would 1?e admitted by all careful observers that at the present time it was of the greatest importance that honest and straightforward men should be returned to conduct the affairs of the colony. . Everything was dull enough now, but the outlook would look blacker than it had ever done in the T)ast if unprincipled men at this juncture got the reins of power. In the coming election he wished them to judge him fairly from wbat they knew of him and .his politics, and he would have no fear of the result, nor of any canvass which might be made of his past life and actions. (Applause.), He wanted no man to vote for him who thought his actions would be different to his promises. But to pass on. What was the real position of the country ? Half-a-milliori inhabitants,, and a public debt of thirty millions, Parliament reduced to so low an ebb that the. object of its legislators was mainly : personal, and not public, ends, *' the waste lands so manipulated that vast fortunes were made by some and others were being dragged dpwn.i and altogethorj a state of affairs which, if unchecked^: would lead to the dire results experienced in large cities in Eogland through unjust legislation. In, these times men should looklo the main; issues," and not to any side winds. His enemies had put a wrong qoristruptiori^qn his deolaration of iudependenoj, but he contended that at this time there was no defined party, and-the men the electors would 1 have to reform; parties, while on them also depended the good or evil results of Parlia« mgnt meeting. The r .materiaiior several parties existed in tfce,. colony: at present. There was the Liberarparty, which consisted of a few firm men, who had (under, j the leadership of one who had;nb personal ends to serve-^Sir G*orge Grey) secured to the colony political liberty and privi- j leges such as few countries could boast of, though they had to wring tbsm from their enemies. The platform laid dqwn'had so won the confidence of "the public that bqtb Governments following Grey's bad to* adopt many of its line?,;.., in> order:: to kj.eep up the confidence of the people. The workjng people now really governed the colony, and he hoped floon to see them goto the poll determined to support some definite Jine of polioy. He defended himself from the allegations by "his enemies," that he had "turned bis coat," and passed on to point out the other parties now in a chaotic state in the political world of the colony, referring briefly to the "no borrowing" party, and passing on to the present Government, which he considered would go back to the House with 30 votes. Government had some as good administrative men as ue could wish, but the land sharks bad deserted them because the Ministry bad sew the error of iti way, wd was adopt-

ing some; Liberal measures, the Sill for the resumption by the Crown of the pro emptive right over native lands being one of the grandest" things possible s for the colony. All this talk about parties was leading up to the crisis that a new faction had sprung up: that a man who had plunged us into heavy debt, leaving us to . get out of the mire as best we could, while he lived in England on the fat of the land, had come out again to New Zealand, and_ was (in order to get' into power) trying to throw dust in the eyes of the people, who were disposed to favor him because he spent- money, though he (the speaker) would have them remember that it was [ the country's money, taken from the electors, which he lavished so freely— not that raised by himself. (Applause.) No matter what the combination was, he would band with it to overthrow: the greatest fraudthe colony, had ever^had— Sir Julius Vogel, while when Sir Gl Grey led, to reform, they might depend upon it he would not be far behind,, though ever in opposition to tlie Brummagem knight, who was an enemy to the country, and (he rtvorst kind ,of "enemyit could have, for he came in the guise of a friend. What was Sir Julius Vogel's policy ? He came with therproposkioris of a reckless gambler, who would-throw others' money about and not have the shadow of responsibility. /Even now, because of our large loan, and the million and a^half we had annually to pay for interest'and sinking fund, we had^as much as we could do to hold up our heads and pay our way, 'arid yet Vogel's policy was to yearly add the interest to tke principal, thus cap--Italistn g;i;i it/ lor,; 'as'"the" vlrishman said, 'f*doipg something by which posterity would remember us," (laughter), and this was; just what they would do if they ailow;ed*them'selves to. be deluded by this veiled prophet. Under no circumstances would he either give to or take.quarter from Sir Julius Vogel, who was the colony's worst and bitterest enemy. In his opinion a coalition between Sir George Grey and Msjor Atkinson would be the salvation of the country, but Vogel waslikely, to step in and prevent this. Telegrams' from the South stated that he was worshipped there, the reason being that he was going to do away with the depression and abolish the . property ■tax. He- (the. speaker), as his' hearers well knew, was against the pro* perty tax, but he would rather cut off his right band than abolish it in the way proposed by Vogel, Viz., to increase the- Customs duties. The sooner the Customs duties were got rid of the better it would be for the colony, and,he himself would not be a party to increasing them one shilling, nor would the people of the colony submit to it if they were wise.. He was to some extent in the confidence of Sir Geo. Grey, and he could say that the friends of both that gentleman and Major Atkinson were prepared to carry out .the coalition which he had previously mentioned, and he considered that those who would disturb such an event, as Sir Jnlius Vogel undoubtedly would, were the enemies of the country. H« would now pass on to consider the No-borrowing party, which had as its leader Mr Wakefield—a brilliant and ex« traordinary man, about whom the only pity was that there was no principle at the bottom p/ him, he being.Jn fact, like a finely proportioned body without a soul. The policy he propounded simply meant that thirty millions had been borrowed on the understanding that a,complete set of public works was to be carried out in both islands. The South had had more than her share, and now, seeing the n^cessity for retrenchment, said that the. North could 'do without its trunk railway, ■while, they in the South would also do without the works they wanted, and stop borrowing altogether; ■He, too, advocated stopping borrowing, but not till the public works scheme had been carried out. He blamed the borrowing policy, because it had led us to believe in a prosperity which was only fictitious, whireas the real prosperity of the colony could only be brought about by the development of its resources. Borrowed money wast good so long as honestly spent for the advancement of the colony, but he was sorry to admit that in the past a great deal of it had been spent in purchasing votes. He would favorborrowinjr, to complete the North Island Trunk Bailway (which would, by connecting the sections already completed, greatly increase their income) and of limited amounts (o construct worjis before determined on and laid out. Vogel was nothing if not a schemer, and he liked to be handling money, be. cause some of it was sure to stick. After referring, to the necessity of retrenchment in the Public Works departments, he spoke of Vogel's proposal to sell the railways to a syndicate, denouncing it as a scheme for a few moneyed.men to take advantage .of. the colony's dullness and get possession of what would in the future prove a mine of wealth, which would almost enable the country to do without taxation. Any party, to compete with Vogel, would have to .abolish the property I tax, and he considered that" it was high time this imposition, the only barrier be* twecn Grey arid-Atkinson, was done away with, as it did not reach the class intended, and /.the revenue derived from it with care, be done without. In the matter of. education he wished to be distinctly understood. He jfully, appreciated the. benefits of education, considering it the duty of the state to see. that no child born in it should grow up ignorant, and thought our Education Act; was a model the whole world could take a note 0f,.. (Applause). A great saving could be effected in this department* the expense of which should be reduced; by at least £100,000,.. The colony was' trying to make the standard too high, and: by so doing had crowded out many children needing education He saw no. need for Education Boards, thinking the Committees should have the power to miriageiheir own affairs, under the superintendence of Government, and teachers should-hate a colonial, instead of a provincial, status. He believed in (he Act, but would try and amend it where he saw it. needed itV ajid the saving which could be made here' .would materially help to do away with the deficiency. *The Civil Service needed reform, as at present many officers kept their situations by making work, He believed that the time had como when the money for the Government of -the colony should comofrem the land, and advocated the imposition of, a land tax, progressing in-seTeyity as the areas increased. He was in Yator of the resumption by Government; of the pre-emptive right over native land, and would supBort (t ho inattet who proposed it. He loroughly approved of Mr BryceV native policy, though disliking the man. We were iinmeiißely OTerrgoverned at present;' the members of the House of KejiteßeDtatiTei could be reduced >y half.

many things done locally wjiich were no* ' managed in Wellington, and the Upper | House could be abolished (for tbeir check ; would not be needed were honest men returned to the Lower House). He was in favor of manhood, and uot leasehold, suffrage. Speaking of local "wants, be referred to the Thames-Te Aroha railway as one of the earliest promised, and if elected he would do his best to get it com pleted. He bad opposed the Railway Construction Bill, and .condemned its principles as those of robbery of land from the colony. He considered the eat* ting up of the electorate, as bad been done ■ by throwing Block 27 into Coromandel, a piece of political jobbery, and hoped thai, I as the interests of Coromandel, Thames, arid Tauranga were identical, the three" men returned would work together for I their advancement. In reference to the j Miners' Bight question they all knew what he had done in trying to Tid the field of this grievance, and he also strongly advocated that the field j should be proclaimed exempt from par- J chase from the natives. Re, the gum! question, he thought all should have a right to dig on Crown lands without a license. (Applause). He would place, an export duty of 2s per lQOi't on baulk timber, that being the import duty charged in Australia on the manufactured^ article. His confidence in the future of the field was expressed, the damaging effects of bogus companies deprecated, and the necessity of honest prospecting, and that ,at the low levels, pointed out, the speaker pledging himself to use all his influence (and it Was powerful among a certainclass) to'wafds the obtaining of subsidies for a main low level drive. He was in favor of selling' the present Borough recreation ground, and purchasing another, but before^getting a bill passed he would like to see the bargain struck for the land to be bought? Speaking of personal matters, he claimed that no man had taken a more prominent part in local affairs during' the past fifteen yoars than he had; he bad also never hesitated to expose a wrong, eVen when it was against his own interests, and this policy had made him some enemies. He knew he would have the antagonism of a number of officials, but he could conscientiously say he had never taken part in any job. This also had made him enemies, but be was proud to have them from this cause, (Applause.) He appealed to them whether he had not done his best for the place when he represented City JBast. He wished to see men" take tbeir right pi ape, and not toady to anyone. (Applause). He was a poor man, but still he could fight this elec tion with his own funds. His defeat at last election had broughtl out principles and banded men together to fight for them, and on these principles he asked them to stand by him? and he would pledge himself, if elected, to do all he possibly could in their service. (Loud applause/.