MR STAFFORD AT TIMARU.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 784, 4 March 1871, Page 2

MR STAFFORD AT TIMARU.

The following extracts from the exPremier'a address to his constituents at Timaru, on Wednesday, are taken from a full telegram in the " Grey River Argus." After congratulating the country on the increased interest in political matters evidenced by the opposition at most of the recent elections, Mr Stafford entered into the question of railway guage, and said he was strongly in favor of the narrow guage, a guage which would do for all practical purposss, and be the means by its cheapness, of more completely opening up the country than the broad guage of oft. Giu. The construction of a broad guage throughout the country was impossible. This question of guage was the only subject of importance on which he was opposed last session lo the rest of the Canterbury members. He believed, though, that the first thing to be done in the country was to bridge every river from Nelson to the Bluff. "When he mentioned that since the Colony was started, no less than 1115 persons had been drowned in rivers, the bridging of the rivers was a question of the highest importance. If this had been done in the early days, many valuable settlers would have been saved to the country. In alluding to the existing state of the Colouy, he said it was far from good; since ISGG the country had been steadily retrogading at the rate of something like £200,000 a year. The spending powers of the country, both publicly and privately, had never been so bad as now. Referring to the former expenditure, it was greatly enhanced by various causes ; previous to 18G6 there was a large commissariat expenditure, a very large amount of private capital invested, and a large public loan of three millions, ail of which resources were exhausted about the same time. Coming more to present times, Mr Vogel had vastly over-estimated the revenue by something like £290,000. The ordinary estimates were proved to be excessive. In Customs alone there was a falling off of £90,000 a year. He wished be could think that our expenditure had correspondingly fallen off; there was no indication of retrenchment, and perhaps the Government were right, as nothing was so unpopular. But whether popular or not, some Government would have to economise, or this magnificent country would come to the Insolvent Court. In regard to the native question, he had never, when in office, attempted to delude the people that the native question was dead and buried. The present Government had lulled people into the belief that it was so. When they assumed office, Mr M'Lean flashed a telegram to the Governor that peace was made with the Maori King. He did not believe that the attitude of the king party was ever mora threatening than at present. The Government, he believed, would work hard to maintain peace, but he refused to believe that because the present Government or Mr M'Lean was in office there would be no further troubles, although, of course, every year diminished the chances of difficulties. He feared we relied too much on the friendly natives, and that the arms that were issued to them soon passed into the hands of those opposed to us. Of the Han Francisco mail service he only knew what he had seen in the public journals, and he should not be surprised if the statements were correct. The contract was unwise in every respect; why should the American steamers be made to do the coastal work of this Colony? And he was sorry that a positive affront to Australia had been offered in this matter. He would support the very cheapest line via America, but would not wholly discontinue the Suez route. He thought if Mr Vogel intended to extend his visit beyond Washington, that it would be a great mistake, as he would not make the favorable imprc ssion in the English money market, or amongst those who rule the market, that Dr Feather-

stone had done. Dr Foatherstone was a political opponent of his, but he could not help saying that if we are to have an Agent-General, his appointment is the very best that could be made. On education he expressed a hope that some system analogous to that in force in Nelson or Otago should be adopted for the Colony, and he had found the utmost difficulty in extracting from the Government a pledge that they would take up afid deal with the question. Of the Public Works and Immigration scheme, he said that there was, under the present proposal, no surety that the people it was proposed to import would remain and settle in the country. There were quite enough unsettled people in the country at present. The immigrants must be settled on the land. In two or three Provinces, three-fourths of the land had been alienated, and yet it remained a wilderness. He would walk over the land laws when necessary. His suggestion was to have special settlements, giving an allotment to each person in the township, and ten acres of rural land, with a large inalienable commonage near each settlement He did not say he would assimilate all the land laws. He would not be a hearty supporter of the immigration scheme unless he saw the country was to be settled under it, for they would only be asked to put on a burden they could not bear. Otherwise he would even go so far as a compulsory taking of land out of those large tracts which had passed from the Crown, and in many cases he believed the proprietors would be glad to sell it back at the original cost. Of the railways scheme they must make short lines from the settled districts to the outlets—the ports. He did not want! to see a line running from one town to! another along the seaboard to compete with steamers, for steamers would always carry bulky goods at a cheaper rate. He would always give the preference to lines opening up the country, He could not say why the Temuka line had not been commenced unless it was that it was to be constructed out of borrowed money. It would be the duty of the New Parliament to take from the scheme its wild, reckless, gambling character, and to render it safe and prudent.