THE PREMIER'S ADDRESS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1389, 28 May 1881, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S ADDRESS.

The following are the principal subjects dealt with by the Premier in addressing his constituents on Thursday evening :—

Chinese Immigration. A Bill prepared by the Queenland Government, and approved in the recent International Conference with the object of limiting Chinese immigration, would be introduced immediately after the commencement of the aei.sion. Measures pre- . pared by the Statutes Consolidation Commiasiou, and which would free the Statue-book of 80 Actb, would also be introduced.

Patetere. There had been much talk about Patetere He would only now say that if Sir George Grey would move next session to re-ap point his Patetere Committee, which last year he got but did not take advantage of, he (Mr Hall) would second the motion. The Government would also be willing: to include in tho reference to suohcoipimttee the queition of Me&sra Howard and Dilworth's purchase.

Railway Construction. I There was, however, another mode of helping on railway construction. To it public attention had already been directed, and that mode, which involved the policy of granting lands or subbidies towards making approved lines for which money was not available, would be favourably considered. Of course, any proposal with this object would have to be most carefully conditioned, to as to secure settlement along the line.

Hospitals and Licensing. I The Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill would again be introduced, and he felt confident it would be passed. The Licenhiug Bill of last session would be resubmitted and pressed on. The opening of unlicensed drinking ahops, under the guise of working uien'a clubs, the real owners in some oases being men to whom licenses had been refused, was threatening to become a strenuous evil, and it would be proposed to require that all clubs of whatever class should pay a license fee, and be under the control of the police.

Reducing Expenditure. The Government cheerfully acknowledged the assistance given by the Houae last year in doing what, so far as he knew, was then done for the first time, actually reducing tho estimates as brought down, but during tho recess the Government had, without fuBB or pretensions, gone fatill further in what they felt to be an unpleasant but most necessary task, and, as a result, he opined it would be found that the estimates, when presented next session, were nearly £250,000 less than those presented in 1880.

Native Land Purchase System. The views of the Government as to the native land purchase syHtem were fully stated by him in his address last year. Experience had confirmed these views. The Government had steadily pursued thoir policy, viz., first to complete the purchases which they found near completion ; second, in certain cases to take land sufficient to represent the amount of the Government advances, and to re-leabe the rest ; third, where only small payments had been made to abandon negotiations, with the consent of the natives interested. He hoped that in six or eight months everything onnected with these Government purchases would be wound up.

The Property Tax. Major Atkinson, in his recent speeches had exhausted the question of the property tax. Mr Ormond had told his constituents that the tax had been imposed without the people having been consulted, but such a statement could not be justified, because this discussion in the Hou&e on the land tax of Sir George Grey and throughout the country during the general election, had completely raised the question as between the two taxes. Sir George Grey, despite the manner in which he had been answered in the House, continued to urge taxing the English bondholders. He (Mr Hall) must persist in stating his conviction that such a course would be practically a breach of faith, that it would amount to partial repudiation, and that it would damn the credit of the colony in London.

The work of next Session. As to the future, much of the work of next session must be that of dealing with measures introduced last year, but not passed. The former were those relating to electoral reform, namely, the Regulation of Elections Bill, the Corrupt Practices Prevention Bill and the Redistribution of Seats Bill. In the first it would be proposed to extend the hours of polling, and piobably to have all the elections on the same day. An endeavour would also be made to satisfy voters that the system of ballot was really a sacred one. He believed there was — comparatively at least — very little of bribery or other corruption at • elections in this colony, but prevention was better than cure, and it would be sought to make the law as effective as fairly as possible. One proposal would probably be to close the public-houses during the hours of polling. The Redistribution Bill of last session could not be again introduced, beoause the census re* port would destroy the population returns used in the preparation of that measure ; but the principles of the Bill would remain unchanged, namely — (1) That population should be primarily the basis of representation; (2) that, speaking generally, regard should nevertheless be had to the circumstances of thd different groups of population ; and (3) that no important district should be left without representation. Rigid equality between population and representation, if attainable would in some cases' involve greater evils than a trifling departure from such equality, , and he believed the proposition would be generally accepted, that relatively to actual number of voters country districts should have a somewhat larger representation than town districts. Sir George Grey had said the Government Bill would not pass. That, it might be supposed, meant that Sir George Grey would oppose it, but Parliament would fail in its duty if such a measure were not passed in the coming session. - ' ■ •

The rabbit nuisance is making itself felt in th.6 Waitaki Cbnnty. T/jpLtioufchland Acclimatisation Society in its annual report 1 Bays that ' in .getting 'fid of thtf jftbbiti bf 'ni'eans of jjhosphorjuaed oats, both .native a^d Sooliraatised game hare bqou deoitaated',' '" '