House of Representatives.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 833, 18 October 1877, Page 2

House of Representatives.

WELLINGTON, Ve 9 fcer<?ay. IBPICIAL TELBOR4M] SIR GEORGE GREY'S SPEECH.

THE MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

In stating the Ministerial policy to the House on Monday evening, the Hon. the Premier (dir G Grey) apoke as folio wb : ••

Sir,— -Before prooaeding to the Orders of the Day, I request the Hou«e to allow vie Co matce a brief atatement as to the oirpuaastanceß which have placed me m the position that I now occupy, and as to the course of proceeding which inyse f and those who have agreed to conduel with me the government; of the country are anxious go pursue. I would state, Sir, to the House what is within the knowledge of honorable gentlemen, thac within the last few days, what is called " A Ministerial Crisis," occurred. That my honorable friend the member for Dunedin city having proposed a vote of want of confidence m the administration, parried $he wot*, and it thereupon became

inouuibeus upon him to aauuoie the reapouoioUicy 01 ioriniug a Aiiuisury. He Having requested my asaiß'Snoe, I felt ie my duty do abkompt, w> #ive eifous <.o what was the manifest will of this Houscr— namely, thac a Change of administration should take plaoe X had very 1 great difficulty m bringiug chat objeut aoouc, for, as honorable gancldmun know, the House was divided luto three parties. I deaire, m order, if posaiolo, to. show Che House that it is our wish m every way co give effect go what we regard as the will of iho douaa -to state tne oourae which, uuUer exUdng oiroumBtauoes, we propose co puraue. ■ Firat, I would say that ac pre^eut eaiy comparatively Bpeafcing a small numoer of gentle* men have tauen oifa'oe ; we have divided che . portfolio* amongst tia, and we propose very sn.-rtiy to aid to our uumber two additional members aa the law penults us to do tha'j, bat it does not require it from us. f uai* is, no wever, che course we intend to pursue. We ai*o mteud following ouc the facilities given to us by the laws of iSew Zealand by associating wiCu ' u« certain ministers oi' che native raoo. Tae great quoatiou is, whac do we propose auall oa cha immediate object oi our attention. If I have read tue will of cue House aright, I understand Gnat the one thing honorable members have at nearc at the present momeut is a thorough consideration of tue financial condition of cue ooiouy, and, then, connected with that, 1 understand that ie ia tueir desire that every posdioie retr«njuuieno m our exp .mtfiiure aa >ula oe carried ouc wuioh can be ofieocud wibuoao iujuiy to .che welfare of the colony, uud without afkcoiug the eifioieuoy of the public service. As yec, we have had but little time to look mt 0 tue fioauoaa ot «he ooiouy, ouc cercamiy the impression lelc on my mind is, thac they are m such a state tn»c chd reirenuhmonc deoirod by thin House, is abdo;uc*iy necessary. 1 may say that ie will oy our dui>y very shortly, indeed, to apply to the House fjr farther earns ot .uouey co oiny on the lemporary admintutratiou ot the arfairs of che country. Ie will be within the knowledge of hou gentlemen, that witiiin tue last lew days «n itdv«uce of £vi0 t OO<J was giveu' tiy chis House. I was iv hopes chit Wo ahoiild uave found Chas natoauhed when we came iato oliije, Due Chit aum has beau more tu*n ualt-exhauatecl, Wnave already cieuchad upon Cue remaining £44,0)0 that we tound wheu we too«t oliioe, m order to meat demau is for i/i»ytueuti,Bo that ifferesuluo uovr iefc does nai. exceed £38,000, Again, the Houau i-» a«v«re that m im liberality ie thought tii to aucborise the Government >o draw to Che extout of £100,000 wichout any vote ot oiiia douse to meet uufor»ei'n expense. Thau reserve might have been available •ot us, out it also is uearly «-xh»asßed, aud, I chiufc, only about i 53,000 of r,hac «urn remains ac the preseac moment:, i'he available babaoe therefore at our command is ao trifliog thitt we mussaoou appeal to the iiberalicy of the Hou** to «uabie ua go got on even for the next few days In addition Co the immediate want of funds, I fiad, aad my colleague, I think, mil a g reQ with me, th»c the liabihtiea.of che colony of New .Zaaland at cne preseac momenc considerably exceed those liabiiiaes which we expuoiod we shuaid find m vxisteuoe. But upon cbis subject, aud up »v tiaance generally, I hop ha. to-m v <rrow,*t alleveufiawitniu * very short piriod, che Colonial Tre»surer (che honorable member for Danedin city) ia bringing forward a m>cioa for Committee«of Supply, will give detailed lnfaiuution to che Houae which wiil set the aubjoct cleaiiy before it With legard t.jthj Colony, I need h«r<lly say thai looking to it* vast capabilities, and to the large sums aowb iai> realise. l from che sale ot Unda which is a mo*G material proof of its worth, there oiu ba no dou'oc chat any fun. is the li ierality of this rlouse may p-uca at the disposal of 1 the Governm jvC can very easily be obtained upon tiding term', and that any financial difficulty must ba only oi momentary p. esaure, lasting only as long an this House pleases, and no longer. But,, with ouch demands upsn its liberality, the H juse nas a right to insist upon very largo reductions m the expenditure before made, aud has a ri»ht to know the direction iv which thuse re dactions are likely to go. Now, my own impression for some uiuce p tab has been, cuac cho esiential mode of carrying out great reductions must be by changing to a very great extent the system of administration prevailing within the Colony. Honoraolo gentlemen all know chat recently a very great change has take* place. gentlemen were pleased m their wisdom to destroy abaotuely the Provincial Governments, aad the Provincial Legislatures, but m doing that they did not do away with the Proviaoial system, aad there is no doaoc whatever that the two systems of administration nave never yec merged into one another, and that a vast and unnecessary expenditure is incurred by attempting to conduct a system of administration not suited to one united Government. The great effort, therefore, which I think must be made is to devise a system of administration of public affairs by which the whole administration will be grasped by the powe ful hand of one Government —if there is to be but one Government By that means many great simplifications m che conduct of public business will be Drought about, aud I feel satisfied that a reduction m expenditure may be made which will ev*m surprise the expectations of honorable gentlemen. Then again, by turniug our attention to the management of oar railwaye, I believe that a redaction m expenditure can be aeoured which will alao quite meet the expectations ot the House. In those two directions we intend go work, and I hope w<i may be successful m showing to the House chat we are worthy of the oonfidanoe which it a*a reposed ia as. Now, Sir, ia addition to chose cwo great modeß of retrenchment, it is also necessary thac m minor matters retrenchment should be made. Ia that d reotiou, also, we will proceed rapidly, and I trmfc efficiently, and we have resolved that as Ministers we will commence with ourselves, this being done from a belief that ie ii the duty of the public men of toia colony m a time of pressure to sec an example, aud I trust a fi.ung example, of economy m all respects. On that we shall ieave our hands unfettered to deal with other persona. It must not, however, be im* tgined that m commencing reisreaehment of this kind we snail m any way fall upon those whose salaries are small, who are unable to protect themselves from any io justice, or to interest persons powerful enough to advocate their oause. We shall as far as possible spare all peraona so situated, aad only interfere m oases iv which the public good requires that these who can afford it should fall m with the prevai ia< aystamof economy.

PCTBLIO WoKKS. While saying that we ar« determined to carry ottt r6*reuoameut of tbat Bi>rt we are also equally resolved that no public works of tiny importunes shall be noglecced, that the system of Immigration »nd public works which has bee a com menot-d shall be carried to completion, and I trust' tea satisfactory «ac, became we are well aware that where so muoh haa beea done the works mnst not be allowed to be useless or to beooma lost from a neglect to finish .jthein. We believe that the very Retrenchment we propose to carry out, »he very savings w» intend to make Till enable us by the jodipiouj application of .tatywvices ijity

:eft >t our dispoiilyto oarry on more : energetipal-y, aaa 1 trust mon «ucoe->sf ally ih*u ever the sysoent of public worka wiica h*B beta cjmeneoaud. la this redpeot I feel tbat wo suall derive great al vantage from wtiathtßgone before, aud bje plaoed m a position superior to that 5 which any preceding Ministry W*i ououpied ; because tney had to deal witn a new state of thiugs m a new oountry,. and a oountry «omuarativeUyj speakiug, unexplored, aud had at (imes| JiO encounter tlie prejudices of -a raoe wno knew what tbe Europeans were about ou the works they were oarrying out. Under such novel ououmsbauot)*,<,an4, uuder nuoh paoaliar ditfiou.tiea, it was quite certain that mistakes must be aid.de, aud failures occur — that for want of experience os*ny things must be done more expensively thau they need Have been . done, and must be done • not so tuorougnly and Wuii as might have beon the cane nnder anotuer system. With ihuae^zamples and Chat experie/oe before v us, ie may oe iv our power, if we devote^ ourselves properly to our duty, to carry un more etficienbiy ciian ever the puoiio works of the colony. The House may depend upjn thia, that if, as they, have httuerto d^n», tuey will liberally aid m tlioße oojects, tuey will fiad m us, 'energetic public servautu, prepared to , the utmost t» give effect, tj, their wianes iu that respect. \ " ; !

NATIVE LANDS.

I now, Sir, turn to another very interesting subject, namely, the question of Native Lands and the policy wa ahalipursue' io retereuce to the nacive4aoe. vVitn regard to the Native ' Lands, ire propose at once to withdraw tue Native i *uds Sales Suspension Bill. I Had; ou consultation with my colleagues, ihatthey agree m ihe pretty general opinion that tnia measure is not popular .with the native race, and not likely ia its present form to produce the advantages that were expaotad from it. But, v we . find > that really all necessary powers are conferred upon an by th« Native Land Ac , 1873, which will unable us to interfere to prevent all improper purchases from the nativea and all improper dealings^with t.hem, and we think that, the powers a .> conferred will amply suffice to meet the nee. Is of the pruaeut moment generally. With reg ird to the native race, the House may depend that oar policy will be one of continued amalgamation of instruction co tbe native race, and of an, attempt, to encourage tho moat friendly relations with them. 1 hop* that our acquaintance with the nativea being now so large, our. dealings with them having exiated for ao m*ny years, a policy such as I have stated may- be greatly aueoesafui. , Of' this I ata sure, the fact of my having ,to*" aid me as a oolleague, a gentleman barn m New Zealaud, knowing th* natives from hia childhood, and muoh regarded and esteemed by them, will bo 'to me an advantage such as o<»uld not have been enjoyed by a Ministry m New Zealand as an earlier period of ita history, beoause no person ao born, ao edaoated, and with such a knowledge of the feelings of the native race, was to. are tj ba, found , m this country. I confess that I am anxious with respect to misapprehension* whlon m»y exist with rngard to she intervention of (he gentlemen wao are co-operating wish me. I tshoold. like to remove all possible misapprehension on some, few questions. For instance, I understand ie ia thought by some people that T'am doscile to Wellington as the aeat of Go vernment. It may also ba thought chat oec mac there is no Wellington member sitting on these behchea wi-h me, she interests of this place nuy be neglected, oe uob properly cared for. To the first point, I Answered that 1 cannot oonceive aoAranysuob ousunderstagding can possibly arise. I think 1 may aay with confidence, that if any man m New Zealand is entitled to represent. Wellington, it is myself. All must admit that during tbe yeara I have known thia place 1 have done ay utmost to promote its interest 1 watched by Wellington m ita cradle ; I helped Se nurture it m its earlieac ohildhood, and it ia not very likely that now m ita maturer growth I. ahould return to injure the place upon which m ita infancy I bestowed such care. I think, therefore, tiut perfect confidence m*y exist m all minds, chat even supposing, although it is by no means yec settled that no mamber for Wellington aits upon the beaohes.. there tiia here one who must ever be a friend to it ; and there are questions regarding public lands upon which a considerable miaunderaianding may exist, aa, for instance, some misunderstanding may exist, as to wiiat the intentions of the Government may be to Che leases of land m Canterbury. I can only aay that, al hough I am unable to pledge myself at this moment to any particular oourau* or co pledge those sitting with me, perfeot confidence may be placed m us chat we will carefully consider the whole questioa, and will endeavour to come co a dotation that will be of advantage to the country and satisfactory to all persons interested m those leases. With regard to the mode m which we propose to proceed with the business before the House, I will remiud hon. gentlemen that already within' a few days of three months have been passed with . the present session, our dv y requires us as speedny as possible co bring this session to a close and with a view to that beiog dove we propose to take up a certain number of bilis we find on the table, «uoh for instance as the Lands, siines, and Slaughterhouse . Bills, the Volunteer and other Land Bills, the New Zealand Consolidated Stock Bill, and some other measures of that kind, the whole oi which I will state to the House m a' day or two. We propose ao the same time to drop a certain nuber of maasureej . tbe attempt to carry which would probably greatly lengthen the session, such aa the Native Land Sales Suspension Bill, L*nd Drainage Bill, Harbour and Navigation Bill, and Settieoionts and Work Advuuoes Bill. By abandoning these we shall very greatly reduce the' business before the Mouse, but we also find there is a vast number of private bills, many of which are of great importance, ana we have determined m reference to these bills to afford every assistance, m our power to honourable gentlemen' ia gettiug (hear measures forward. We will place at their disposal the largest number of days m the Week thac we can possibly afford, and they may rely upon it that every feoility will be given to get through all the measures to which the Government are not compelled by any particular cause to oi.jcq;. In that way, I think, the business may b<* got through with much more facility than has been the case during due previous part of the Beaaion, and I' hope that really a very few weeka more will be quite sufficient to dispose oorf r all necessary business. The first and " most important " question we should devote ourselves to is tiiat ot fin mcc. The second is tbe great question of a change of administration. Then we intend to prepare a series of measures by which the representation of the Colony may be placed on what we regard as a footing far superior to that on which it how stands. It is our determination, if possible, to place the representation system upon such a footing that the power of the popular will may bo truly felt within the walls of this chamber, so that when these great questions with which we propose to deal arise, we may then make; certain that m carrying them put, we are giving effoot the trii? wijrjWrly ower.

tamed of the great majority of tlw electors. It must ba known to all thatjUy opinions on great questions are»whar are oaUnd liberal opinions to' even an adVonoed degree, but I trust 'that you will tfi.ye' me oredit for' posaessins; at leist so ncuolv that 1 would- riot ,' attempt $i? "impost on an unwilling country any w8 °f, mT own f however iiebesaary I npght think they ware for the welfare M tho people. I should fsel it my duty only to advance m anon queatioaa so far aa the popular will of the country migbt at the moment demand. I shall en«£»W««.*> * h « W7 best of my ability to ascertain what the public desire mvr be, and haying asoertuned tlm, I B h»U strive to give effeot to that desire We have resolved to follow faithfully this rhle/that m so far ns tlie ytpular will may declare itself m the direction of those great. measures which we axiooive t* be necessary, we will give off o% to it whenever tae aui of the population of New Zealand deserved eortuia ih«n^s to be^ done which, m our cunviotion those tbiuga ought to be done, we will carry ithem out to utmost of our power, and to .the very utmost «f the meaus this house ■may place at our diapoeal. Bat if, on the other hand, the popular will demands measures whioh we believe to be adverse to the public welfare, and contrary to our own convlotion, we Will then inatanrly stand out of the way. and allow other gentlemen to come forward who, agree • Uf with that whioh thepublio denire, are the proper and fitting iaatruments to give effect to the, wishes of the people of the . country. Holding th-^ae views, we do not intend during this session to attempt to press forward any of the great measures which I aaa desirous of seeia? introduced into thia oountry. During tha recess, aueh of them ai wa think suited to the oircamsfeanoos of th^ tiraa, shall be oarefully prepared, and shall be aftbmittei next sesaion: It will chea be . for Hon iVfembcra to Jadge w« I have faithfully fulftllcd the tra« whioi I they have been plcaied to plaoc In our ■ h^nda./ It will be for th 7 m, at the vary oommehocment of next; sestoa. to <letermlne whether they: have found in 'us persona wao ought to have be mrruael , with the powers givew to us It will be for them to resolve whethnr they will any longer give as that support whioh they hare led us ta antioipite wiehall during this session receive from the a. It will be for them to say waether wu be fit to be representatives of what I mty ventmre to call this really augass AS»«ra b!y. I deliberately apply chat tsrm t it, for hon. gentlemen mua' know hat many thousands of youa^ people m c* Zealand who drew their, first broth n, this ooteny and irno ao^ ooouj/ pin* lions ranging from boyhoo.l to * o impirv sively m»tureage,lhis is the mx- au^urt Assembly they have ever k^o vu. T * them It ia an aaaembty wAioa fcoey reoo<mae m PO»«es»iog p>wnra of tae tr«ry higheat ldad -the porer of U^l H x the the liberties aiay wl-a the very lives of every mh*b^*a o these islands, sail aa Aisen>ly wh ob they eAanot bat lo«k aa»a wih revcrenee, clothed a« it ia with d <*«r* • *o sacred a nature Sot duly ao v« IM that, to the people of Jfew Zw*n£ tai to the rising g^uewion «c ,»-«n >% duty, a du:y we <ra da*! -on m evarv w*y adequately to perforat ; bi\-' hv> kio 9 that upon this Aaaeia ily re.it i oue :mi(i< ing up of a new oooawnatioa, tk-t g ;m«^sc duty upon which the rep.^ant \iiva -nan of any nation can empijy ;na.uselvea. We know that yea have destroyed one eonsticntiou, aud tht you have erected no m her take its plaoe, we th irefore 'le^ira that the people under an Improved sy^tdtu • : reoreaentation which we pr^on to iuip?». duce, shjuld have tha po*<ir to m*ki their voice h«ard and their *ili felt m the building up of tin poi^titui >a mdar which they and their desotnd-nts we ti live. Not ortly vrill tti-r prd^ii' .nhA'a tantaof New Zealand thiwiop* bok upoi this Asieinbly as aa au^as\ btip, b«r, v/ the to (*/iu 'yin ! () )k '*:•,• pride and veaer »tiou upxi u», if wa yoar stewards, assist t*nem inouoliii ing the basis upon vruiou t-ie (Vugraatnees of tnis oiuutry m vy ..»:« iu.-j t >i many ages. Ttiese are duties we ti we a ■ the present time to perform, iad Luay nan only lightly be purfornel b/ tvkiat? the entir* population iutc» our couSinije, an i this wesiiall do. • Uiinora*)! * ge.iSle* men may rest aisured on this th it no single fact connects I witu tha fininces of the ooloay, ivi-h ; .r« administratioa wiih any q mti > m wtiic i will interest tht public at targe or watoh may enable them to f>rm up \-:» >m uj» v ra liters which m*y «ffaai iinir Cutut-t condition shall be wthheWi f o a -Wm House by us. Sir, ia th* gre>i v ■*. upon whioh wo are now eut.^rin^ t tnK the House to afford us a fair uid urn r« jus assistinee, If it does tta>, lem assure Honourable Members tnas th »r ißsistance and their co- >pa atums, snail to the bust of our ability, be usad onU iv farthering the interests of tae loioay. Until we prove that, we do not fuldU shoir expKotations l ask f >r that p^tteioe vhich all men should wish to see acuoried to those who enter opm such a t ffioult task. If m any rettpdo^ we f«il, I iik the House to d>i justice Sew Zoalm I, and to be regard)ee>s of mys iif an 1 th we who sit upon those Benotwa with me.