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Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5476, 6 February 1885, Page 4

(Continued from Page Two.) it. If it failed, tlio samo pressure that transferred iho burden oE tho district railways to the peoplo would transfer this railway also. Wlmtoi'or mi^lit bo Mio iwiiit, it \vnn quilo uortiun Unit priv.'ito ititoronfaH mid powerful people were Inißoly intontatod in tiio whole wchomo, or it would not huvo passed. THK WKSTPORT IIAUDOVIt was another enso. Five hundred thousand pounds mo to bo spent upon it, although Sir John Coodo considered that £300,000 would bo sufficient; that of thia sum £00,000 would bo enough to provido all tho accommodation likely to bo required for many years. In connection with thla oxpondituro wo hoar a groat doal about tho enormous yiold of coal to result from it, but members in the Assembly ontortoined a Btrong conviction that if thero had not boon at its back a powerful Dunodin company whoso coal mino shares at Wcstport wore a long way below par, tho modest sum sot down by Sir John Coode would have boon tho utmost limit to which Govornment would have proposed to go. ABOUT THK GREAT VOTK-CATCHING MEA3CBEB Timo would not pormit him to say much. Thorn wero Railway Boards with great salaries for presidents and directors, an Insurance Board with groat patronage, Harbour Board Loanßills to promoto.andagreat International South Sea Island Company with a grand vista of patronage and profit, in connection with it. The Railway Boards would bo brought up next session. Tho Insurance Board had been formed. As to the Insuranco Association Bill, he disapproved of it, as giving all the real power to Government without tho Parliamentary control hitherto oxercised ovor it as a Government department. He held that it would have been bottor to detach the Association from Govornment altogether, and to form tbo policy • holdors into a great National Life Company, taking proper securities to cover tho liability of Govornment for tho policies now oxisting. Tho South Sea Island Bill would have plunged tho colony into now liability end now difficulty, and, oa a monopoly, have limited ratber than expanded commerce. To the rich traders in the Islands, whose opposition thoy would bo obliged to buy off, tho Company would bo a fat pigeon to pluck, wtiilo- tho smaller traders would bo run off tho field. Thero was no need of such a company and to got the trade, as Sydney and other places had shown. New Zealand's name and trade where being widely spread by the energy of its people, a mode far bettor and healthier than Government companies could afford. The great question of

CONFEDERATION AND ANNEXATION had boon brought up in the last days of the session, when many members were away and those presont were too weary to properly consider it. Ho held that it would do a highly unwiuo and dangerous measure to mix themselves up in any way with Australian confederation. In Australia it would do great good by abolishing rival customs tariffs, frontier custom-houses, and giving ono administration for defence and tho higher purposes of Government. But in New Zoalanu we should suffer all tho ills of boing connoctod with a distant Government, anil of having it to rogulato our tiuiiro, Chineso immigration, land tenure, and other matters of a similar kind that must inevitably full to it as tho Supremo Government, whatever precautions wo might now take Theao ovila were euro, ■md tlie good was hard to sco; certainly nothing llko sufficient to atone for them. 110 had moved nn amendment to this effect, but it was not carried. In tho ond, tho wholo matter was loft open for next session, and ho hoped public attention would bo fixed keenly on tho proceedings in thismattor, which would affect New Zealand for all time to come. A bill had been introduced by Mr Connolly, Attorney • General, in the Atkinson Government, to which ho attached great importance. It was the ALIENATION OF LANDS BILL. Ho had called attention on provious occasions to this bill, and had himsolf introduced it in previous sessions. Ho was glad to glvo place in this matter to the late Attorney-General, who, ho hoped, would pereovero with it. The objoct of the bill was to prevent tho pormanent locking-up by settlement or other means of great estates in one family. This bill, one of the most important the Legislature could touch, was, however, voted an " abstract" question by the Government, and had to drop for the session. He now came to the matter of the SINKING FUND. Tho mode of dealing with tho Sinking Fund took him a little by surprise. The Government had decided to forestall the fund, coolly proposing to devoto it to a remission of half tho property tax—not for public works or the bonofit of local bodies. He was doubtful whether thoy had aright to touch the fund at all, but ho strenuously objtcted to its use in tho direotion proposed by tho Government. If tho money bad been saved by tho reduction of the debt, the objection would not have been so groat; but it waa really borrowing money to benefit tho wealthy classes. There were a few other matters, including the Seamen's Franchise Bill, that be would like to have •toon carriod. He was opposed to special reproßontation,butthoughtthatanexcoption should bo made in their case by giving them one member. Referring to local matters, he <ald ho had requested the Colonial Secretary to empower the Telephone Bureau to receive claims for registration. It was quite possible that there would he a general election shortly, and he hoped that even under the present disadvantages they would not loco any timo in registering their votes. ; He then went on to refer to the question of native lands. He disliked the tone of Mr Ballance's speech to the natives, and believed that he quite misunderstood the feelings of the people of Auckland towards the nativos. There never had been any illfeeling between the colonists of this part of New Zoaland and the nativos, and they had been enabled to keep several millions of acres shut up f roe from taxes, and yet ho told them he would assist them to keep it closed. Every Minister that came in proposed a new policy, and it must puzzle the natives immensely. Wahanui had told him in Wellington that what the natives wanted was power to deal with their own lands. This, he thought, was the right course, but after the land was sold provision should bo made to invest tho money for the bonofit ol tho natives. Mr Ballance had advised tho ;iativoa to bo the landlords of tho white ;non, and was ondoavouring to build up a wieo of great native landlords. Then JMi Ballanco hold out to them tho hope that thoy would have two moro representatives. Uo did not boliovo that tho Government, with all its strength, could do this; indeed, ho bcliovud that .if tho question were introduced, tho mimbor would bo reduced by two. lie folt porplexcd to know on what grounds Mr Ballanco had led thorn to this belief. Tho speoch showed a ilosiro to ploaso tho natives, but a lamentable ignoranco of tho dosiros of tho pooplo of Auckland respecting tho nativo question. He asked what was tho reason of tho disorderly condition of affairs underlying the legislation of the colony. It was the permission that has for fourteen years been given to the Government to manufacture New Zealand debentures, which enabled them to cause unhealthy speculation in different parts of tho colony. In 1870 the population of tho colony was 270,000, and the debt was only £7,000,000. Nqw the populatipn was 50Q,0Q0, including the ehil. dren of the people who' wore here in 1870, and yet now our exports were only £1,000,000 moro, Ho considered this an unsatisfactory condition of affairs, and said, sooner or later, we must stop this great system of borrowing. When the Ministry had the power to borrow id enabled them to stave off all other questions. The only solution of the difficulty that ooouvred to Him was by olippjng tho wings of the General Government of the colony—by distributing among a number of bodies the power and patronage now centred \n Wellington. The establishment of a sound healthy system of local government was tho only method. This had always been his view, nor was he alone. Mr Stout had always believed this, and Sir Juliu.s Yogel also, perhaps more than any other map, had contributed to destroy provinoialism, and in his financial statement said local government was necessary, and he spoke of the intention to appoint a royal commission on the question. No royal commission was appointed, and though Mr Ballance, speaking at Wanganul, said that Mr Stqut was to give the intention of tbo Government with respect to local government at Dunedln, he was still in the dark. He, however, hadnot lost hope of Mr Stoutinthisquestion. In opposing the measures of the Govern* ment he hqd got hetween two fires, aa he was opposed by the Governmentf while Major Atkinson, tho acknowledged eadcr of the Opposition, and his following, walked out of the Bouse. Had he been a party leader like Major Atkinson, he might have had to consider party tactics; but he was not, and so long as he enjoyed their confidence ha bod to aot in the same manner, if he had to go into the lobby by himself. (Loud applause). In reply to questions, Mr Moss replied ; (J> Ho fought against the retrpjpsetlya.

legislation, regarding the Rotorun leases. Tlio only reason tho Govornniont gavo was that they woro not acting for thom.»olvos, but for tho natives. Virtually tho Government. had spoilt, n lot of money foolishly at, Rotorun, antl Monitor Mian put a ruim of money on the KHtimatos to cover thoir mistake, they passed thorn. ('2) Uo considered tho Act both unconstitutional and unfair. Ho had opposed it, but was not supported by many Auckland members, who foarod that tho Rotorua railway would bo jeopardised by thoir opposition. (3) Ho was a staunch supporter of an Upper Houso. Ho believed that tho Upper Houso should bo electod by properly constituted local Governments, (4) Ho had always had a strong protectionist leaning. He believed that whorover thero was an industry that could be oncouraged by putting on a duty, let them put on a duty. Unless they had local manufactures they could not have- a local market for produce. The protection of local industries in every form was a most important question. (5) He believed that a vote had been passed to horticultural societies, but ho could not speak positively. Mr Cousins said that Mr Moss had shown himsolf a thoroughly consistent Liberal, and he did notthink they could get a hotter representative. He was one of the few legislators who looked at all questions from the poople's point of view, and for this ho had mado enemies on both sides of the House. Ho proposed a vote of confidence in Mr Moss, and thanks to him for his address. Mr Caleb Wood seconded, endorsing Mr Coußins's remarks, and joining with Mr Moss in his condemnation of Mr Ballance's native policy. He thought that this meeting should give Mr Ballanco an expression of their opinion on the matter, The motion was carried unanimously amidst loud applause. Mr Moss returned thanks in appreciative terms, asking tho electors of Parnell to remember that it was through them wanting little or nothing that placed him in a position to act independently. Avoto of thanks to the Chairman terminated the business.