MR McARTHUR, M.H.R. AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2428, 18 October 1886, Page 2

MR McARTHUR, M.H.R. AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

(United Press Association, )

Palmersion, This day. MrMcArfchur, M.H.R.. addressed the electors here on Friday night. The meeting was a fairly representative one, and the speech was mainly a roviow of last session's work. Ho strongly denounced the Ministry for not pushing through the Representation Bill, and to the fact that the Bill was lost by the votes of throe Ministers. He thought it evident that the Ministry desired to go to the country again on tho same basis as the present, and that next sossion they would bring down the financial statement proposals to raise the Customs' tarill, and introduce a protective polioy. The House was mainly composed of freetraders, and the Government would be defeated when they would go to the country on the cry of Protection or Freetrade without a Representation Bill being passed. He referred to the finance of Government at some length, alluding to the so-called surplus of £SOOO, which it was shown had been taken from tho sinking fund, while the land fund showed a deficit of £2OOO. He also referred to the million liability, forgotten by Sir Julius Yogel till pointed out by Major Atkinson. Ho quoted extracts from the speeches of Ministers, expressing their conviction of the desira-

lility of pushing on railways, and comlaiod these with their actions in delaying lie Gorge line. He believed that tho

delay in proceeding with the work was ' caused by the fact that the million of liability forgotten, made it necessary for tho Government to restrict their expenditure till next yoar. Ho referred at some length to the Hospital and' Charitable Aid and Civil Service Bilk, and the Midland Railway, He thought the action taken on the latter had removed a serious obstacle from the political arena, but believed it would bo brought on again in tho future in tho shape ot a request to Government to buy the line. Tho credit of tho Loans j to Local Bodies Bill was mainly due to Major Atkinson, who sketched it out iu a speech in 1885. He (Mr Macarthur) had also, in his election speech, advocated borrowing a million to lend to local bodies. He referred to his work in connection with this Bill and the Municipal Corporation Bill, and to the graceful acknowledgement by the Premier of his assistance in the latter. In turn, Mr Macarthur acknowledged the assistance he received from the Palmerston Town Clerk, referred to various useful clauses he got inserted in the Counties Act, and touched on the scandals which havo rrisen in connection with tho district railways, Stark, Waimate debentures, and Government Insurance. He' condemned the action of the Government in wishing to construct tho Blen-heim-Tophouso and the Westport-Inanga-hua lines.out of the loan before the existing railways were completed, and denounced the Premier's statement that

the Gorge line would be delayed on account of the Wellirigton-Manrtwatu Railway, pointing out that the Government can take this over at a fixed price without regard to profit. The position at present is that Government are keeping back important works to cover thoir own mistakes in finance. It was his deliberate opinion that the present Government is not fit to be trusted with the interest of the country. A vote of confidence was unanimously passed on the motion of Mr Linton, seconded by. Mr Waldegrave,-