SIR GEORGE M. O'RORKE AT HOWICK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 270, 13 November 1896, Page 3

SIR GEORGE M. O'RORKE AT HOWICK.

SoitijL J he jargeab meetings yeb held is weeH 61? 8d in the Oddfellows' Hall Mwri~ n?£ tha Political addrees of °Horko, a large number of ""■« preeeob. Mr J, 2*l. Uellijig

presided. Sir Manrice, who wsb entnuaiastically reesived, paid a high tribute tc their old friend and truafcy repretentafcire Major Harris, from whom he had just that moment) received a telegram wishing him every success, and commending the new candidate to hia old coossituents. (Applause.) Sir Maurice fchen broadly outlined the policy and administration of the presenb Government, contrasting ih with that of Sir H. Atkinson's Conservative and Continuous Government, not&bly the occasion upoa which when having been fairly beaten at the poll, and having lost the confidence of the country, they still stuck to office, and in placa of marching ont a3 they might and ought to have doae, they, with questionable ta.«te, to say ths laaat, nominated seven of tfcoir own *,«*—«*.. 60 the Upper House, and placed the ex-Premier in the Speaker* chair in tbaS chamber to receive tham, and tried every possible way co frustrate the incoming party, though happily without success. Tko Liberal parsy had oa the assumption of power begun a paiicy of reform much required and much admired under the abla leadership of she lato lamented John Ballaace, in whose untimely end the country had to suOer great loss, but when the hour csme .ao did the man, one who had been educated in the world's school, who could and did bear the pick and ahovel of the miner and worked, and worked phyaicaily and mentally to some purpose, for the reform* oe and hi- party had introduced had revolutionised the one-aided system hitherso obtained among the landed classes of Hair Zealand. Both sides of the liou3e bore testimony to the indomitable pluck and the immense capacity of Air Sedden us a reformer aud ieader of men, although, no doubt, tha Opposition 3aw with alarm their privileges and power rapidly waaing under tha new order of things. The present Liberal Government n 6 (Sir Maurice) considered deserved the greatest praise for the manner in which they grappled with thg difficult? question of capital verms labour, and the iaatitutions prepared and passed in the way of arbitration councils and courts. So far from frightening capital away from the country it was calculated te give courage to capitalists to seek a country haviug such institutions, where fair play could be depended upon from competent authorities. With regard to the railways, a vase improvement bad taken pJacs since the Commissioners were abolished, a larga meed of praise being due to the Hon. A. J. Cadtnan for the recent improvement and the classification ot tha department, and couceasioos made in freightage, and he had no hesitation in saying that a department controlling a work of" £20,000,000 of money should be in the hands of a responsible, not an irresponsible, body, and the Government wore qutee righfe to resume chitt^e. Regarding the land administration of the past, there wa3 only one system open, viz., cash for the homestead, etc., and ib had not attracted much attention, ao that all the cash being swallowed up ia the land, aggravated by vexatious delays, surveys, eEe., etc., settlement to any great extent wa3 anything but a success. Now what was the case, well, besides other systems which enabled sefctiera to get on the land at once, they had the tenure of leas* in perpetuity, which waa a3 good ai freehold, and to people of limited means far better, and the liberal terma of tha Liberal Government had bsea the means of spreading settlement far and wide over the whole colony. The Cheviot Estate, tor instance, had been bought for £280,000, and instead of a population of 85 persona, there were now 800 people. The sama was the case in aoma measure in other places, and he considered tha land administration a great success. The Liberal Government had certainly borrowed a million of money, and if the colony was to make headway at all and keep up with progress and increase of papolatioß, ii. was absolutely necessary to do go. £250,090 was for native land purchase, and this sum would be directly returned, and a larga portion of the remainder would be returned indirectly, while the whole of tha £1,500,000 would be recouped by the Government of ths country while payiog the expenses of management daring the currency of the loans. Sir Maurice then generally drew strong contrasts between the old order of thing 3of the Conservative Government and the new order of things nnder the present Liberal Government:, and much to 6h3 credit of the latter, and brought a very interesting speech to a close wiih a powerful peroration ia favour of tha measures of the Governmenb paised during the past few years, and in tho welfare of the masses generally, resuming hij seat amidst hearty applause, having briefly touched upon most of the questions of momsnS, and speaking with ardent aad earnest feeling in the Liberal cause he was so proud to champion. Referring to the election, he sincerely hoped i 6 would be conducted in a good samt QUESTIONS. ro a long lisfe ot queries relating to some mafcfeer3 requiring remedy in tha education system, satisfactory answers were given. Mrs Daviea requested the viaws of the candidate with regard to ladies being allowed to sit in Parliament. — Sir Maurice approved of ladies having a seat in Pariiament. A gentleman in the hall asked how he was going to contrei them.—Sir Maurice said he kept order, the time and the beil, and when fcima was up ha would ring them down. (Laughter.) Mrs Daldy : Is it not true that some 3,000,000 of money has been apenb in the South Island in excess of tha amount spen* in the North Island in railways and other things? Did not the present Government give a3 much aa £50 per acre for land for settlement in aome block the name of which was forgotten?— Answer : Reply could not be made to these quostions, but inquiry would be made aud answers forwarded to the lady. Mr Gao. Cooper moved that a hearty vote of thanks be given to Sir G. M. O'Rarke, and the electors of Howick have entire confidence in him a3 their representative. Seconded by Mr Brady. Carried nem, con.