S1R W. L. REES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 286, 4 December 1890, Page 3

SIR W. L. REES.

who apoke next, wae received with vloud cheers. After referring briefly to the» two preceding speeches, he said that there were one or two very important public questions thai were at present agitating the minds of Auckland people, and also in a lesser degree those of electors in other parts of the colony. The land question was, perhaps,' the moat important of any affecting, the colony at the present time. Here Mr Rees proceeded to state that he had intended to answer an attack made upon him in the columns of the "New Zealand Herald" that morning, regarding the land question, but he had now decided to leave that until he went down to Wellington (applause and laughter), when ho would meet those

who had made the charge against him, SiU John Hall, Sir Harry Atkinson, and Me Brycc, in the House of Representatives, and there call them to account for the charges levelled against himself and Sir George Grey, and make them apologise. (Loud applause.) Now, when he looked upon the "New Zealand Herald" he often sadly thought, "How hare the mighty fallen." (Laughter.) There was a time when the "Herald" took up the cause of righb and justice, and fcold the truth, tha whole truth and nothing bub the truth. _ Speaking of party polibics, Mr Rees eaid that it had been said by some there were no such things as parties in New Zealand. There were two strongly-defined parties— in one where his political adversaries, the anti-Liberals, and in the other were tha Liberal candidates, determined to haveJNew Zealand for the Now Zaalanders, her people settled on the lands, and all contented and happy. (Applause.) THE LANDS. Mr Rees spoke warmly on the subject oE the Main Trunk Railway line, and tha good which ib should have done in opening up the country it it had been carried out as originally intended. The pro-, posal of the people was to have had Auckland directly connected with Taranaki by rail, thus opening up an immense tracb of splendid country—the whole interior of the North Island, in fact—besides providing an outlet, by way of Auckland, for the dairy produce of tho Taranaki district. This would have been accomplished but for the Wellington monopolist party, who, headed by Mr E. Mitchelson, had the line diverted until ib was useless—taken away from the fertile tracts of country and leaving Auckland still isolated and desolate. Perhaps all were not awaro of the fact that nearly ono-fifth of the whole extent of fche whole available arable land in New Zealand waa owned by a few big landowners and financial institutions, and the majority of these practically escaped taxation. He advocated Mr Napier's land resumption proposals, which would make the big land owner feel his firsb share of the weight of taxation, and be tho first stop in the bringing about of a true prosperity for New 2ea.-> land. (Applause.) SIS GJ2OBGE GKEY. AND THE I/AND. In connection with the land question tha candidate said that frequent charges had been made against Sir George Grey, his political opponents attributing the original creation of the large estates of the colony to his administration in the early " fifties." He referred to Sir George's governorship of fcho colony up to the end of 1853, and how he had really tried to break up the big estates and make land cheap, though his Government thwarted his efforts. In those early days mosb of the beet land in. fche colony nob still in native hands was owned by big companies or by church societies, These societies in 1852 owned alnaoeb all the land in Canterbury, and when that settlement was first formed they tried to monopolise the whole of the land. The Church of England Socioty endeavoured to maintain the price of land ab £2 and £3 per acre, and to sell none of ib except in large parcels. This was with the object of: only parting with land to' those who could, easily afford to pay for ib, and to keep labour cheap. By bringing large numbers of labourers into the province and refusing to give them land, they could keep the labour market well supplied and keep wages down to a bare subsistence level. There were ab this time soma 2,500,000 acres of land under the Church of England in Canterbury, and they were* determined to keep them locked np front the people. Bub Sir George Grey resolved to effect a reform in the land question in the colony, and accordingly ab the time of the receipt of the New Zealand Constitution in 1853, being vested with adequate powers pro tetn., the firsb Parliament of the colony nob having yeb been summoned, he issued a proclamation reducing* fcho price of land from £3 to 10s per acre, and also endeavoured by regulations to stop the) accumulating of large estates. (Applause.) He determined that bhere, ehouldK-be cheap land and dear labour. (Applause.) and he worked hard to bring aboub thosei ends even so far back as that; bub, instead of acknowledging this, his enemies persistently misrepresented him. ; Sir George; framed fair and equitable regulations tend* ing to facilitate the acquisition of small blocks of land by settlers ; bub as soon-as; his back was turned, when he left the colony for the Cape in 1854, the Parliament! deliberately upseb his regulations and pub others into operation of a totally opposite character. The members of that Parliament! themselves took that opportunity of acquiring large blocks of land for themselves* At once the lands were monopolised again; and all Sir George's work was undone, tha land being turned over to the Provincial Governments, who soon had them divided amongst influential residents in big blocks. Thus land settlement was discouraged and land monopoly firmly established in the colony. Sir John Hall was one of the ■ foremosb to set theregulations of Sir George Grey at defiance, and he had been at his old game ever since. (Laughter.) Mr Rees read a couple of " Canterbury Rhymes " ot the period, showing how "Johnny Hall , * and his land monopoly schemes were popularly regarded even then. What ha had firsb told them would, he thought, give them some idea of how Sir George ha£ worked for his adopted country even in; those early days. (Applause.) SIR GEORGE GREY'S STATEMENT* He had asked Sir George Grey the ofcherday what his answer was to the accusations being made against him by Mr Mitchelscn and Mr Bryce and others, and Sir George Grey had then made the following statement to him :—" Parliament, acting ott reports of committees gob up by the NewZealand Company, had identified itself fully with the system of selling land ab such a price as to place ib beyond the reach of the poor—£3 per acre—and had establiehed churches with enormous endowments, making the poor contribute as much as £1 per acre to the endowment) of a church which might be hateful to them. They then authorised tbe Secretary of State to make a land law. He lawfully delegated his powers to me, fine* required me to issue a land law. 1 never nought these powers, but, being ordered to exercise them, determined to do it in a way beneficial to my fellow men. I therefore issued regulations, and made a law, whicfc gave to all a privilege from which they had been shut out-that is, of acquiring homes for themselves and their families—such a had never been offered to them before. X raised a host of enemies, who persecuted me through life, but I knew the true mind of the British Parliament. Both Houges ot Parliament adopted my action, end tyrannical land lawe were pub an end to. « should be borne in mind thab the New Zealand General Assembly which was to meeft, was not the. Assembly Iliad intended. A. nominated Upper House destroyed the glorious fabric. Having received my orders, i and being endowed wibh powers which per- ! haps no single man had before exercised, I 3 them for the benefit of the poor of every European nation; and hairing thus done my duty, Australia was benefited as much a<, New Zealand. An opportunity had been given me of largely benefitting mankind. I accepted ■ ib. An end was pub to closing the lands againet the poor, and established churches with enormous endowments were got rid at. Because, the cruelsystem of land lawe which prevailed being broken down m one part of the Empire, all other places would, necessarily, follow, as, indeed, they did. Tha British Parliament endorsed what I had done, thus showing that they did nob wish to perpetuate injustice. My work being accomplished, I went forth to meet the enemies I knew I had to encounter. • Mr Rees then briefly referred to Sir George, 1 [QONTINUED QN PAGE PIVE.\

(jrey's cavalier treatment very shortly afterwards at the liemxlh oi prominent nacuibeia of tho British Imperial Covernuseat, and his i-peody acquittal from all censure. Sir Oeotjje had altvays held advanced and broadly Liburul ideas, and it was tln'ouyh tho formation of these that he bad been induced to confer so much benaiit OB this colony. ■ I.ANLi SKI'Ti.EMHNT. Hβ (Sir Oeorge) had frequently advocated the adoption of ?. great principle all through the British. Krapire, tiiat-, of placing iTi'e Surplus population on the vrasr.e land*. (Applause.) "This wus what ihej r EhouW do here. It was* the chief thing that was needed to tl»« country [»ros- ( pero'us aiicJ happy. VaileV railway system mightbu putlntouee i.-> oper.ingup the country! ThtD anew fnttuewould dawn for Auckland. ' With proper jettleihent of the land, with 3;COO.QO§ acres «f line lands in ■ tho King Country, *nd all this Maori humbug done sfway with—the Maoris should be treated fairly, bat*they would be quite willing to seil onro they £ot oufecf t.'no hand* of tbe Uovernmeut—-then the commercial importance «f Auckland would levive at once, prosperity would bi>am on thu pluce onae niore, and tho whnle colony would undor relorno become a rejuvenated country. (Loudapplausu.) AbKtSTEK .LAN 1)1.1)81)!). Nearly £5.000,000 eteriioy: wa3 annually drained outoi the colony by absentee landowners, who paid uut v s hi! liny towards the revenue of the eo»utry, either i:i Customs duties, property tax, or income tax. Hβ wits certain fchsft a land tax would give £2,000,000 to . |lin rolony over the expenditure, by estetidinfr the taxation over the large wr.ato blocks duiv eseld by large landed owners. The Auckland elector?, h? said, w&uld be traitors. to their ovni party and their own cause if they did not elect him after knowing his views «»uti»euU-iiapovtiint> laud qubition- . MX 7)F.SV.o:Ui AM> Mil MITCHKT.SOS. Some unhappy occurrence* had recently taken plae#-cpucerninß the Auckland electorates and the Liberal party, which demanded sown noticu from .him. ilo referred to fcliß fiction talten by Mr Dusmond at Mr Adfcin Porter's meeting on theprevionseTcning, which had b««n ueod by enemies of the Liberal party t... thiu'w discredit on their canne. " Ifi doea noli matter in tk« ■ lea»twhat Peimnnd «uye," suirt Mr Rees, *'whether bo bo riphfc or wrong, tho Liberal party have nothing- to do with tho matter at, a'.K Let I'm tor and himself tight it out between themselves." The liberal pssty and Liberal candidates had mo r|epoii«ir»iHty- whatever in the matter. Hβ only mentioned thi* to jjiiard against a false impression leinainingin the niittda Df the people. They should try to avoid introducing any hiUienifeuaor rancorous fuelinto tlw elections, and it would ro- - fleet. iAI the more crotlic on their representatives c\ad thcmsulvos. He referred briefly "to the other side—tho youthful and vigorous Dr. NVallw (lauglvter), the child-like nml bland Adam Porter Haunter), and the quiet-Mr Thompson, jf they wanted energy, send Dr. Walljs dy.vn to Wellington (roars of ironical JatfJihter): if they wanted men with srsouad iommoroiai knowledge, without a knowiertija ot , the ehurflnsarket, they should send Adam f'oiter. (Loud toughter.) . wvTRRS AS RF.PKRSBNTATIVES.

AH this ftnfccry about, lawyers not being fit and proper persons for 1 'arliarr.entary work wass groax rni'twke. T ham had never, hf> »Si«»h"t HieiitloiJ;yet been a British ParlUiiienti lawyer in if., and that) very ' J'erlfament «»? now known to fame a« the ••Fopte' VArHaTNe.nt."' If they were able Jo ✓ find 2, etiod E'emesb lawyer (lonrl .lrmtrhter): theu they eau.M not do better than send liirn in to represent them in the House. They needed (fowl teen who eool'l frame ' laws* and «rasp every opportunity their V Senate afforded for advancing fchw true in- ! fcurertsof their country, and they needed mea of the itorlrf who could fight, the battle Of the people .-.gftinel. the filOndpoHttL ( ApplanSe.); In past Bnglitth history many of tb'e greater fegiflsrors ar-d benefactors of •the people hail been lawyers, ond the prejudice harboured against them in sorno nuirtere was a&mrd. Sir Qeor S e Grey had recognised, the preat importance and states ' of ths> legal profession by endeavouring to offer greater facilities to those entering Tjpnn it 9 practice. There was no earthly li-a«on vrhv lawyers should mnke bad legis- " lators. Ho hoped they would' send Mr .Napier and himself down to Wellington and prove their worth. The people wtfrild look after their lawmakers sbnrp enough end see that i-hey'rendered a due account of tht'ir stewardship. The electors should not be deluded, but should send to Wellington the persona whom they considered best fitted to represent t.h*ni and fchbi'r intarwts in Parliament. He referred to a ceit»in xecreh cin-iiiar which liaa circnUterl by tho Orange order in AucUlarfd, calling on Oran<:eroen to «lnmr)for Mr Thompson for the City and reprehended Mich tactics a3 discreditable end rimlerb.iod. Iff. told the audience that Sir (Jeorge Orey now wished nothing , better than to see'thosn membeva returned to Parliaiineiit who were willing to carry out his pniicy vrhwr* ho had left it) off. In concluding he mate reference to the comincr great English-ppeaking federa-tion-of the .Southern Seas which wonld '' hiDfl. all theso southern lands and the Pftoifio Jslanfls into an immense commonwealth.watclifd over by the United States of Americfi to ensure their safety from molestation hyany European power, no mabter whatn!i?a.«tron9. wars break out in tho Old tVorld. • Theso new lond.« should be tho -eceoecf happier things, find of a brighter and more, i-beerfol oivili?ation than had . yet been Mean, and with proper Government tbfsre should l>e no (ipor country or happier people. M<- Reee concluded v/ith an 'eloq»\ent peroration on future prosperity ,and puac-e. loud and prolonfetid apMr tTofp tnored a hearty vote of tlianks atvd onhfidfihcf- in the three Rpeakera who had. jnsh given the "meeting their views, eitpre.«iin? the electors' approval of them es fit aw) proper represstitutivS3 for AucU- • city elsetorete. ■ Mr Turner idconded thp motion, which was Retried nnauiniouisly nitli loud acclattetion. Sefnre the audience dispersed three *Wr« for Sir fJeoftfrt Cray and the Liberal Candidate. 3 . n« l{ onotht-r cheer for the Chairman, wero called fox' and with fTfsnt bcariSt»e*s.