POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10985, 7 June 1901, Page 5

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

''/ (FBBSS ASSOCIATION TSLEGKAM.) NAPIER, June 6. Mr A. L. D. Fraser, M.H.R., addressed hia constituents this evening, the Mayor (Mr MoVay) presiding. . The speaker traversed the statements of* Messrs BSutcheson and Atkinson with regard to the leader of the Opposition., and defended Captain Russell from the '"charge of absenting himself from the House neglecting the interest* of his party and the -welfare, of ...the- country-. He said it was well known that during th c session Captain Rueeell was very ill, but he. nevertheless attended to his Parliamentary duties.as well as he was able. The receigj of news of his sonY death prostrated Cantain Russell for a time, and it was thia that Messrs Hutchesan and Atkinson calkd neglect of duty. With respect to'what had been styled "the £40 steaU Mr Fraser defended the action of the government. Hβ said that at a caucus of the Government party held last session the Premier laid before them a proposal for increasing tho (honorarium and extending theperiod of Parliament, and this proposal w«a considered? a proper one, and it was agreed to support it during the coming session. A vaggt&t&on then made hy a southern member, that members be granted *ome conceesioii with respect to telegrams and letters sent by them to Ministers and Government. Department* on Government business was discussed fti the time, and Ministers promised it should . be considered, but nothing more was h«vra of it until within a few hours of the estimates being-brought down, when they~w«re told a sum of £40 each had been placed on the estimates to reimburse them'for mm telegraphic and postal charge*. 'That ww the true explanation of the affair; Hβ ejpplained hie position with regard to €b© Native Land legislation prior to 1863. Th& Government held by virtu*"*? the Treaty of Waitangi the preemptive rights to deal to native lands, but this was not altogether satisfactory, and with the consent oj tfcs Crown they >v»ived that rigttj ftn4 fxpm 1863 to 1881 free fcrade in native lexmym permitted, and it was a matter <jf JJ«WTbJ knowledge that during that period %9H* had been transection* which could no* fee called by any other name than that of'ToVberr. This etate ofithin.ee, hdwaver, vnw remedied by the Act of 1881, which ed the natwee to the extenfc'ol yeseaving |«? each enough land to live upon, eaeT of making it compulwry tha* aWv should be paid. In 1894 the Govamm«Bi>> wrfchoa* asking the consent resumed the pre-emptive rjffhf to deal fy native lands which tSley hftd JjjMWteßEly waived, but without, tho Toxtititminß had placed' Upon priv&to owjwra. There wag no protection at native riffhtli, »n* PBy» mente on babelf of minorf, fastepa o| ft&Sg made to, the Public Trnafcea to m mA ift I trust, were now paid to nttftva ftrusteee, and frequently squandered, di 4 nefc n&l* ' tate to cay that under preseali.Rrsfiep there had b&eo a great injau&cse, it'ffi--vate purohaeere ha 4 oot<4 ■jn t>o9 »ffl» W»f ; their oooduot would be deewfijed fey a vpfy hareh term. The epeaker iiidjeatpd im Government would wrobably during the coming session make further eoncestons ij> the railway charges for tiho ettrriaae of wofd, sheep, cattle, etc, by train, year eon', cessions to the*amount of (675.060 ware granted, yet despite thia £hera had baan an increase in th* revenue amoaniing to £80,000. The earning of the railways whilei •under the control of the CoHimiseigsjsrs amounted, he believed; to £2 14e Ijd pc? cent, on the capital invested, white factyear the figures were £3 9e 5d per eeat, ft was proposed to grant cpno*»eion« te the extent of all over £3 por ocnfc. ' A veto of thanks and confld&iwje wae parsed.