TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1885.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2010, 26 May 1885, Page 2

TUESDA Y, MA Y 26, 1885.

,Major Atkinson, the Leader of the ■Opposition in the House of Representatives, addressed the people of the colony through his constituents at llawera on .Friday night. A perusal of the speech cannot fail to strengthen the respect which all Classes of men in tho colony entertain for the memlvr for Egmont. Dift'er as men may from the views held by the honourable gentleman, jfchere are few indeed who would deny that lie is an honest politician or that he is an able administrator. Above all things the Major, while lie is free and outspoken, is eminently fair. Jle does not c.irp at the Government; he reviews their actions in a calm, we had almost said an impartial manner, and though he has found faults to exhibit, he is not niggard with his approval. The bitterest hostility to the Stout- Vogel Cabinet will come not from Major Atkinson, bul from Sir George Grey. Nevertheless, we have called the former the Leader of the Opposition for sufficient and very obvious reasons After breaking ground in a general •way by laying down what he considers ought to be the principles of the Opposition, and which it is not necessary to reproduce here, the Member for Egmont joins issue ■with the Government on the Federation qurj-tion He fails to see the force of the objections urged by Now »South Wales and New Zealand to a confederation of the Australiasian Colonies on the lines laid down in the Enabling Bill, and maintains that no colony need apprehend any intermeddling with its internal af lairs by the representatives of the others. He points out that to bo efiectivc, the federal union must bo indissoluble. Major Atkinson's notion of Federation is tha joining together the colonies in order that joint representations may be made upon all questions of foreign policy, and in order that a general scheme of defence may be adopted. We must confess to entertaining some doubts about the value of Australasian Federation. We fully recognise the importance of, nay the necessity for united action, but since this question first came into prominence it has to our mind been gradually overshadowed by another of far greater consequence. In short, avo believe that Colonial Federation must give way to Imperial Federation. There is growing in England, and in the minds of English statesmen, a conviction that if the colonies remain an integral part of the Empire, they will by-and-bye, and no oik; knows how soon, be called upon to share in the responsibilities of that Empire, and that being so, they will claim to have a voice in guiding its external policy. This is the docti me which Mr L'orster and the Imperial Federation League

arc preaching, and its, principles are as we have said, rapidly gaining ground. If, liowe\or, wo are to have Australasian Federation, let us ha\ e<i reality, and not a sham. A confederation from which any colony would h.i\c the right to withdraw al any moment, would be as much unlike the real tiling as the Chinese painted paper forts are unlike Ehrenbreitstem. Speaking of the defences of the colony, Major Atkin Mm generally approves of what the Government has clone, though he natuially reserves to himself the right to criticise the action of Ministers*, wln-n it is explained to the House. Ho warmly eulogises tho patriotic action of New South Wales in despatching troops to the Soudan, and agrees that under the cneumstances New Zealand was not L-iilled upon to follow her example. The Major is opposed to the founation of an Australian Na\y, believing rather that the colonies should contribute to the maintenance of the British Navy. In this opinion he is undoubtedly right, as in tune of war no separate Colonial authority in matters of Imperial defence could be recognised. The honourable gentlemen also approves of the projected action of the Government in respect of Samoa. It is upon the subject of local Government that we find him most at variance with Sir Julius Vogel and Mr Stout. Major Atkinson thinks tlu; Go\ eminent has sininister designs upon the road boards, while he is strongly in favour of them. He distrusts Sir Julius Vogel's proposal to give the local bodies extended borrowing powers and colonial guarantees, because it w ould, he argues, open the door to ta\ourltism, inasmuch as the Government would require to have the power of regulating the extent of the loans. The Member for Egmont once more reminds us that further borrowing powers simply mean increased taxation, and he goes on to say that any money we require must come out of our own pockets. It is true he makes a reservation in favour of "colonial" roads, which ought to be constructed and maintained partly by subsidy, but we are not sure that the Major goes far enough. We have always urged that the urban centres, whose prosperity is chiefly, if not wholly, traceable to the country, should contribute in some degree to the cost of opening up the country for settlement, and the aid thus due can best be obtained by grants from the Consolidated Revenue. Major Atkinson dissents from the statement that the present Government is pushing on the public works of the colony at a faster rate than its predecessor, but in this case he will find few to agree with him. Whatever else the Stout Government has omitted to do, it has certainly manifested i a desire to get on with our public works, recognising in them the surest means for opening up the country. The Major finds fault with the Government for taking land for the Trunk Railway before its value had been ascertained, and predicts that when the suivey has been made an enormous sum will have to be paid for the line. Now, if the amount involved were at all large, we might perhaps sympathise with the objection, but as at the worst the sum to be paid cannot exceed .£lO,OOO, it seems captious to raise objections, the more especially as, according to the Major's own showing, the determination of the title would have in\olved a delay of ten months. With the District Railways Bill, the East and West Coast Railways scheme, and the West Coast Harbours Act Major Atkinson has little fault to find, though he regrets that it was deemed necessary to part with the freehold of so much land. JFe gravely doubts the wisdom of the native policy, and thinks the Parihaka people should have a wholesome check put upon them. With the land policy of Mr Ballance he is entirely at enmity. He ridicules the notion of native committees, and deprecates the leasing proposal, as it would create a Maori landlordism, which he holds to be as objectionable as European landlordism. As to the special settlement scheme of the Native Minister he does not object to it, but he does not think it would be any great boon. He thinks that there is danger of getting people upon too small quantities of land. However, if the scheme is shown not to possess those disadvantages, he will rely on it as one more means of inducing the people to settle upon the land. lie thinks that we should try every experiment in connection with Ihe Crown lands, to see what is the best way of settling them. Sir Julius Vogel's finance the Miijor regards as juggling. He agrees that a surplus has been created by paying the sinking fund charges out of loan instead of out of revenue, whereby also the Treasurer was enabled to remove a considerable share of taxes from the shoulders of those best able to bear them. He predicts that with the increasing cost of education, with the charges for defence, &c, the result of such financing will be disastrous. We shall hear a good deal more on this subject when the House meets, and we can afford to wait until we hear the whole thing argued out. Without committing himself to a policy of protection, the Mayor hints that we must encourage local industries, and winds up by declaring that though he i.s " agin " the Government, he will not be a party to factious opposition. The speech all through i<? a manly one, and will do the gallant Major a large amount of good.

Yesterday, being the day on which the anniversary of tho Birthday of llor Majesty the Queen wan cclchiatrd, was obsei\ed as a close holiday in Waikato. Tho Banks and business places were closed. A larpo nuinb«r of people went to the Nffaruawahia i »cp . 'l!jf woathrr, wl)ich looked tliroatoninK in the morning, turned nat line, and a plcamuit day was oxperjenced.

Yesterday, Whit Monday, being also ohiurvod as tho anniversary of the Queen's 13irthd,iy, tho Banks will be closed to day foi the nsii.il Whitsuntide holiday. The new buildings now in course ofpiection.it 'IV Aw.unutu aie (writes .1 (Miicspondent) progiessing rapidly, and will Minn bo finished. Tho township is aisumm^ the busy appeaianco of reviving lnisinc^s, anil is recovering from its com niiMCi.il st.ign ition. Mr John Sheehan waa returned I f n thi? Tauranga electorato on Fndaj, by a majontv of eight over his opponent. The iespccti\c numbers were: — Stieohan, 635; Kdly, 527. At Friday's meeting of the Auck1 inrl lWid of Kdiicition it was- resolved to discontinue tin* H.unilton High School, unless within thieo months the attendance roaches 10 pupil*. Mr Wilkinson, we are informed, j his nut sold his hotel at Kihikiln, the intending purehasei baung foifoited and withdiawn fiom the negotiations. A great 1 mmv people vveie soiry at the piospeot of Host Wilkinson leaving the distuct, hut his f i lends will he glad to learn th.it ho is still host of the Ktar Hotel. The annual race meeting at Wh.itawhaU will be held to day, and, pro\ujeci tho weather is fine, no doubt it will be laigely patronised. On account of the | sniallness of the entneti, post entries may be made for each race. His Lordship the Bishop of Auck1 md, Dr Cowmu, preached at the moi rung service at S. Tetei'h Chinch, Hamilton, on Sunday (Whitdun Day). The lev. tho Incumbent said tho prayer**, and tho leusons weio lead by the Rev. H. S. Danes. The Bishop delivered a tery instructive address on the subject of Whitsuntide, thn animeisary of the birth of tho Christian Chinch. In tho afternoon the Binhop preached at S. Stephen's, Tamahere, th« Yon. Archdeacon Willis saj ing the prayer*. In the evening his Lordship administered tho rite of Confirmation to twclvn candid ites (five male and seven female), at S. Peter's, and delivered a very interesting and impressive address on the subject of Confirmation. The choir musteicd in full force, and rendered the musical portion of tho service m a most pleasing manner. At the close of the service the organmt played tho National Anthem \n lumuuc of hey Majesty's Buthday, thecongiegution standing. The following special messages to the Piess Association, dated London, May 22nd and 23id, have been published :— lt is piobable that the hon. I<\ T. Saigood, MiuiHter of Defence, Victoria ; M.ijor(ioneral Downes, R.A., Commander of the South Austiah.ui foice; Colonel C. Y. Kobeits, Commandant of the New .South Wales Artillery ; and Mr James F. (tarnck, ARcnt-Oener.il for Queensland, will be created Commanders of tho Order of .St. Michael and St. (Jeorgo. — Mr Wilfred Powell has been appointed British Consul at the Navigator Islands.—The shipment of grapes bv the k.h Potosi aie realising (id pei lb.— l v ho New South Wales Land and Financo Company, with a capital of half a-millon, has been registered. — It in believed that (Joru.any is willing to sell her interests in tho Western Pacific— The Admiralty and tho several AgentH-Gonoral meet on Tuesday next to discuss the question of colonial defences. — A Russian corvette has proceeded to Honolulu.— There is a prospect of parleying being renewed in connection with the Anglo-Spanish tieaty. — The price of whoat is receding, despite the cold and wet weather experienced in England, and the adverse repoit received fiom America as to the crops in that country. The latest quotations are, e\ warehouse, 3(Js ; off coast caigoes, ,Tis <>d ; cargoes on the way and to arrive in June, 375.