FINANCIAL REFORM LEAGUE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3320, 7 March 1868, Page 3

FINANCIAL REFORM LEAGUE.

A public meeting wm held last evening.in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute for the purpoae of electing office-bearers. Tho advertisement stated , that an opportunity would be afforded the public of signing the roll as members of the League. lAt 1 half-part raven o'clock, the hoar for commencing the proceedings,' the attendance of the, 1 public ma , meagre, but the number of perionß increased as the evening advanced. Archibald - Clark, Esq., ■M.G.A., presided. The Chairman said it had been suggested to him that that meeting should be rather a continuation of the one held not long ago in tbe Brunswiok B[all, and that therefore he ought to take the chair without the formality of being eleoted by that meeting (A'pplanse.) However, it was entirely in their hands, and, if anyone oignifi-d that there should be anew election of' chairman, he was perfectly willing to vacate his seat. (Applause.) Assuming th*t he, was legitimately called to tbe cbair, considering that the ' present meeting was ' more for action than speechifying, and that tbe previous meeting, to <a considerable extent, allowed gentlemen to express their views on the subject, the more immediate business of the present meeting was to give the public • an- opportunity of enrolling their names' as members of i the League* and thereafter appointing" office-bearers to carry on the League. He regretted that there had not 1 been 'that amount of> enthusiasm which he himself thought would have followed after' their first meeting. Be was entirely at a loss to account [for it* (Hear, hear.) He was living in the and was Very little down in town, and therefore' he could not gather, from meeting his friends at the^ corners of the streets, 1 what were their opinions. He was left in wonderment at tht fact that the people did not seem to consider it to be their duty to do something to arrest £he -'downward progress ; it seemed extraordinary. Their individual efforts were not worth anything ; even their efforts ias members of the community- would not amount to (much 'in effecting any good ; they must have the hearty co-operation of kindred associations throughout the colony, otherwise they could not bring proper action to bear upon the Government at Wellington. (Cheers.) While they considered local questions of interest they should not overlook the large questions affecting the whole colony, and in which men from distant parts of the oolony would take an interest as well as themselves. If associations of a similar kind were formed throughout the colony they would bring action to bear upon the representatives going from (particular provinces to the Assembly, and then theiet would be some hope. of something being done ; otherwise it was like beating the air. There was, for instance, the Civil Service Act. He was ashamed that he was in the House when it was passed. He did not understand it. (Hear, hear.) Seeing the evils it was going to inflict on the community, if the- bands of their members were not strengthened, and the hands of other members strengthened soastobavean alteration,itwould become a vested right, and their children as well as them* selves would lament over it. (Cheers.) That was one evil. He expressed wonderment that that important question did not take hold of every man's mind. He was particularly struck with a remark made by Mr. Albin Martin— a homely and very suggestive remark; he said to the people of Otahuhu — j^'lf you don't look after politics, politics will look after you. 1 ' (Cheers.) They t were finding out the. 'truth of that ; they found themselves lying' under burdens ,that were exceedingly grievous to bear. They must go into the whole question of government, and the. whole question of taxation. Those large questions must be considered byxwmmittees of the most intelligent and. honest men they could find, who would reciprocate; their views, and bring combined action to bear in the proper quarter. (Cheera.) He could not understand why there* should be so little enthusiasm manifested in regard to the League. Tbe Press was, he should not say hostile to it, but it had certainly " dinned it with faint praise." There was no excitement among the meeting, and, judging from tbe Pre-s, public feeling had been almost against it. (Hear, hear.) If that was to be the feeling of tbe people of the province, and if present difficulties we,re not overcome, the fault would be their own, and the loss their own. ;He concluded by stating that any gentleman who had not joined the League would have an opportunity of coining forward and putting down his name, and by reading the advertisement convening the meeting. (Cheers.) Mr. H. Lusk said he had a substantive motion to put forth on the subject. The resolution was, "That, before proceeding to elect the office* bearers of the League, every gentleman present should-be invited to sign the -roll of the Financial Reform League." He proposed that resolution for the simple reason that it appeared to him altogether unreasonable that gen lemeu should come there and elect office-bearers of a letgus of which they were not members. It m gbt be said, in reply to this, that they might have been memb rs if they so wished before that time ; but on the other hand it was quite evident there were many persons there before whom the matter was not placed in such $, way as to enable them either to understand it very clearly, or to actually sign their names to the roll. He thought, from his position as interim secretary of the committee appointed the other evening at the Brunswick Rail, there were a few remarks which it might not be unsuitable to him t« make. Those remarks were called forth by the same thing which had brought, forth the observations of the chairman that night. He meant that they were now attempting — so it was put— to get up a Reform League in this place for some three weeks back, and as yet, to quote the words of one of the daily papers of yesterday, " the thing has been a failure." He did not agree with that paper that the thing had been a failure, but yet, he confessed, to the public at large it might seem to have been so. He was not surprised at the small amount of support, hitherto received ; on the contrary, that was exactly what was to be expected. He thought, independently of the fact that they had certainly been blown very coldly upon by one of the leading papers here, it was to be expected that, in the present state of things, in Auckland, they should not have at first obtained any very large measure of support. The reason for that might n,ot strike every one at first sight. They were aware that things in Auckland for a long time bad been very bad, to use a popular phrase, and when things were bad in any place the great mass of the paople begin to get into a sort of " don't care" state of mind, and did not care to take any part in a public movement. They say — This will b« like all the other things ; there will nothing come of it; we shall only be humbugged. (Hear, hear.) If it were true that that movement was to be like the other things, and that they were only to be humbugged in it. he for one should not take any active part in bringing it about. He was never a party to anything yet that would be for humbugging the people. He heartily believed in that movement. (Cheers.) If another dozen men believed in it as heartily it would not humbug the people ; it would do something for theni. (Cheers ) It was not saying anything against a movement of that kind to say that the ptople did not care about it, and had no belief in it. He did .not care two straws about thEt: That might be said of every great political movement sec about, and of every great religious movement. There was no great enthusiasm in England when the corn-law agitation began. There was no enthusiasm in England when the Reform Bill of 1865 was allowed to drop in the House of Commons ; but that did not prevent great and serious enthusiasm twelve months later — enthusiasm so great as to force that section of politicians in Great Britain most opposed to reform into the most' extreme kind of reform that has ever yet taken place in Great Britain. They viewed the movement now set on foot with very modest feelings, bnt they were not uninfluential if only they had faith in what they were dair.g. p Mo man was unirfluential if only he had faith in what he was doing. (Cheers.) If they could get rid of the great evil* that were pressing upon tbe community, so far from being unibfluential that meeting would have begun a, great movement, which would spread over the whole ir-land until the object they sought should be accomplished. Them was one thing which they ought to be put on their guard against, and that was the idea that they knew all about it. There was a very great snare which they were very much in danger of falling into. He had had the question often asked him — What is it you propose? Wbat exactly is it that you want? What reforms do you wish to bring about ? When he said— -I is not for me to tell you that, they immediately turn up their noses, and say — Oh, it is a mere humbug, then, there is toihtng to come of it. (Bear.) If be attempted to state in so many words exactly what they wanted, it might well be said that be was trying to 'humbug 'the public .It was not for him or any d«Ztfn men to say — We know exactly all about it ; we know what the evil i», and exactly how it is to be' remedied. They were there that night to ascertain how the thing was to be done. It was only by putting their head's together— -tbeir senties together — that they could adopt means to bring about what they" wanted. < . Mr., EJtaihis said the speaker was making a wan- ! (taring speech; he was; famous for. speaking varyu

long. (Laughter.) But he would like him to read his motion, bo ■ that the meeting could know what it im ' After » few words from the Chairman, Mr. LuSK said ,ht was about to do the retry thing which the gentleman had suggested should be done. He was juit saying that he had detained them quit* loug enough in that matter, and all that was left him to do was to make a proposal to the meeting, that before they prooeeded to elect office-bearers of ,that League, every gentleman present who had not already signified his assent to the objects of the League, by signing the roll, should have an opportunity of doing so. (Hear.) There would be quite enough time, and many future occasions, for gentlemen who could explain b-tter than himself the reason why the organisation had been set on foot, and the object of it, and the way in which they should moat effectually carry it out. He did not intend farther to trespass upon their time, bat merely to leave that motion with the meeting. (Cheers.) Mr. Eastwood seconded the motion, and dwelt at some length on the necessity for a reduction in the existing Customs tariff,one of the great objectSjwhioh the League would seek to accomplish. Mr, Mapdthbws^ proposed, as an amendment, That the election 'of the Office-bearers of the League and the proposed enrolment of members be adjourned to that day six months. He said that he was actuated by no personal feelings in taking this course. . He was well aware of the necessity that existed in this province and the colony at large for financial reform. He took this step because he believed that, with some exception*, the gentlemen whose names were on the interim .committee were not calculated to secure the attainment of the object which the League was, supposed to have in view. He believed the people would not support a mockery, nor be led astray by any movement which, /though got up ostensibly in their interest, had yet no valid claims on their sympathies He pointed out the lonely grave of William Thompson at Matamata, — that grave and the monument above it would convey to the minds of all what motives might actuate some of thoie who now wished to establish the present Financial Reform Leaene, and sit on its council. The inscription, "Tell Mr. Firth, if he is willing to remain here continually, I am agreeable," was pregnant with meaning to al^whowonld at first sight be inclined to support the League. H e was sorry to .say so, but he was compelled to assert that he did not believe in the disinterestedness of the promoters of the movement. If they were sincere why did not some of them who were in the General Assembly attempt to reform in that body years ago? The present movement would end in disaster, and he thought deservedly so. Perhaps at the end of six months things might change here a little, and they might then have men whose political antecedents would not disqualify them from becoming the leaders of a bona fide scheme for financial reform, (Che speaker was frequently interrupted.) Mr. Staines stated that it was the Government " soup-taster* " who were disturbing the meeting, as be had been watching them while Mr. Matthews was speaking., „ . Mr. Eastwood stepped forward to tender Mr. Matthews the shilling subscription, saying that if it was a mockery' to belong to the association' he should leave it. Mr. Creighton would like to know, for the satisfaction of' himself and some friends who had attended the meeting, what vru the position of persons > who were not members of the League. They had it laid down by the chairman that the present meeting was ■ a continuation of the public meeting held at the Branswiok Hall, and they had a. motion proposed by the prime mover of the League, which proved that the meeting was a continuation of one held a few days before in ceitain chambers in Shortiand-street. fie would put it to the good sense of the gentlemen rwho bad got up the meeting whether they were, not, .placing themselves in a very questionable position before the public Although allusion had been lpade to himself by name, he considered that it would be out of place to refer to the principles of the League, and he would say nothing about the motives of its promoters. He could not, however, help referring to the statement of Mr. Lut-k, that neither he nor . the gentlemen with whom he acted knew anything of the way to bring about the financial reform which it was the object of the League to effect. The League, it would appear, had been begun .in darkness, and it was evident it would end in darkness, also. (Hear.) The proceedings were somewhat irregular, as the first business was to proceed to the election of a committee ; and he apprehended, if the orde; of business as adveitised were adhered to, that the good taste of those who did not belong to the League would prevent them from taking part in the election of the committee. He trusted Mr. Lusk would withdraw the motion. (Hear.) Mr. LuSK declined to withdraw the motion. Mr. Okhighton then said that be was not opposed to financial reform, but he believed they were beginning at the wrong end. Be would refer to a remark made by the chairman to the effect that the people had not manifested any enthusiasm in support of the movement to form a Financial Reform League. He (Mr. Creighton) was not surprised at it. 'Iho reforms sought for were to be effected in the House of Kepresentatives, of which the chairman was a member, tie likewise saw Major Heaphy, who hadbeeu chairman at the Parnell meeting, and who was also a member of the General Assembly. Where were these and the other Auckland members last session ? How did they verve the cause they now advocate ? Let them take Major Heaphy as an example. He was an official of this province, who was in the receipt of a salary when in Wellington, which he did not earn. (Apflause.) He also saw Mr. Macffarlane j and he would ask, where were he and the other Auckland members when the votes were taken for the public services, which were now so loudly condemned by them as excessive, and when by their votes so much good service nvght have been rendered to this province ? (Cheers.) Did they not then know the amount of taxation the colony had to bear, and the pressure (owing to high salaries and expensive establishments) on the pc >ple of this colony ? They were then in a position to assist in the re Juction of that expenditure — to give practical effect to financial reform. What did they do ? The Ministry proposed a financial scheme for the consolidation of the provincial debts, which, if adopted, would have effected a savng to the colony of £250,000. The gentlemen whom he saw atthe meeting who were members ot the House— did not save it for the colony, bnt they supported another plan by which they Fayed that amount to a local institution and private bondholders. "(Loud cheers.) This was a sample of their financial reform principles, the effect of which was to take a quarter of a million of money out of the pockets of the ratepayers and put it into the pockets of the bondholders. (Renewed applause.) He would not have used this language in the absence of the gentlemen he had named ; he spoke it to their faces, when they had an opportunity of answering for themselves. He had only mentioned facts, and appealed to the records of the House of Representative in support of his statements. When, therefore, the public saw a movement for financial reform set on foot by men who had given proof of supporting a directly opposite policy, it was natural they should be suspicious. 1 hey could not be enthusiastic in its support. No . doubt the gentlemen who had taken the lead in this matter at Parnell and here had sat diligently upon their eggs'; but he feared they would fiad after all theit pains, that the nest egg even was addled. (Laughter.) They had signally failed to" bring out a brood, notwithstanding the shelter and heat of their wings. Tae people of Auckland were earnest supporters of financial reform, but they naturally distrusted a movement set on foot by men whose public oonduct was what he had described it' to be. There certainly, oouid be no enthusiasm expected from them. He believed the League would be a failure. (Applause) He felt censtrained to make these remarks at,a public meeting of his fellow townsmen, and state his honest convictions of the conduct of such of their representatives as were present, seeing that these -gentlemen, as representatives of the people, were on such occasions liab'e to be called to account for their public actions. (Cheers.) Mr. Abbott next addressed the meeting. He supported the motion. He believed that it was essential that the taxation which was pernipious to the best interests of the place should be reduced. He thought the League, which was fctill in embryo, would be a still-born child. The representatives of Auckland in the Assembly could be bought over. Be had not found a man amongst them. ( Laugh- er.) He referred to their act in allowing the Sydney steamer to be taken awny. It was inconsistent on their part to come before' the public to advocate reform. Let them begin reform at home by aholixhing the City B ard. (I aughter.) They should appoint pain*takmg, frank, and bonestmeu 'a» a c^mmittre — real men — men of the right stamp. If ajlathe.tic they would not succeed in temcving the evils under which the people groaned. (Applause ) l'• • Major Heaphy raid he had n"t intended to take part iv the meeting. Mr. Creighton, however, had .said that the members representing' the piovince did not do their duty, as they had not taken the opportunity offered to them of saving £240,000, and that they had not done, so because they— he did not. know whether Mr. jCreighton bad um4

the word, but he supposed- that he meant it— had pandered to a local ....institution that was to derive benefit. He begged „to repudiate such an insinuation. There was no opportunity presented to the General' Assembly by any member by which a sum' of £240,000 could be saved to the colony, on any principle of.fairnets or justice. There might hare been a' proposal which would have injured those' capitalists' who had lent to the provinces, and by that:* ram of money might have been saved ; that in or<iir to obtain a loan, the land revenue; as well' as the Customs, f should be pledged to those willing to advance the money. Ihe *!and revenue bad been already pledged to those who had advanced tht provincial loans. , Mo gentleman who under- tood that subject cnuld have listened to' such a scheme for a moment. Mr. Creighton made a broad insinuation respecting his position in respect to the Leagued He (Major H eaphy) might state that lie' win in ignorance of that matter until he w*r called upfoh ' formally to preside at the first meeting* He_ had been called upon by the promoters as r the representative ef tht diafciist in which the meeting watthefd, and assnch he felt it bis duty to act' as he did. 1 ' Gentleman had called them had names, add had " spoken about grapes from thistles. He did not 'caVe much .about hard names. That was' the firstHime'ho had beard an Irishman called a thistle. He would ribt, "however, be a thistle for the donkey of the SotrrklßH Cross to nibble at. ' (Laughter.) /That paper was connected with Scotchmen, and represented a firm that, in respect to land/ had acted in a' way not conducive to the intarest'qf this'"pri>vince. Having been attacked perWiltlly,- the meeting must' bear with him if he bad bieii somewhat pirsonaL " Mr. Abbott: What about ths salaries? Major HiAPi^tSekeiplainecl 'Wtt when in. Weilington, he had bjsen^ihrVceiptot only half his salary. It bad been quite common for , gentlemen holding provincial appointments to hafe seals, and todratr all their salaries. The gentleman who was balled, or called himself, the father 'df the House. Mr. Carleton, had gone down white Provincial Secretary, and Captain Daldy, he thought, "bad done tbe same, - Mr. Abbott : Two blacks d<t not inaite a *faite. Maj r Hgatht named Dr.' P*ollen', f Mr. Newman, and Mr. O'Korke as gentlemen who bad held scat*, and who had drawn their full provincial salaries. A great number bad gone to the South while holding appointments, to say nothing about t*tiberintendents. He had consented to take half salary; tbe same as if be had be^n absent at Sydney or' Melbourne on private affairs. The public' had received the other half. He did not know another 7 wbo ' bad done so. When did they know the S|teaker bf ~thY Provincial Council to give up half h'S salary i J '•'■ * '- ' "' v r. Creighton: He did not neglect his duties; tbe Council was not sitting. • ', •'"■ ) ' M» jor HbaPht hoped he had not neglected his duties. He might say that during 'the absence of the members at the youth there Watfnpt so 1 much much work in the departments. He had' done the work of tbe Commissioner , of<«Croarn .Sands while he was at Wellington. Mom odium- bad been cast upon him th»n upon the other*, btc*t»e he happened to have incurred tbe [odiums of:, the. newspaper to which he had alluded, u > i t £<<i uu t .<> Mr. C&riqhton denied most 7 distinctly; that he had attacked Major Heaphy. ' He had alluded to him merely because he was present, a'ndhad pointed to his public conduct -as, a proof o^ ihis.dncerity for financial reform. He had not-attacked any absent man, as Major Heaphy had had the bad, taste to do. Mr. Ellis said thefe, wav a certain, anlonntof mis* conception amongst the public as . respects ,the mode in which tbe League was to be conducted, .and he thought the members of the League should: have put themselves right in the matter. He himself hid not much hope of getting much assistance from associations in the South. Be was afraidthat the South would not unite with them in sojne matters, such as the wasteful system of steam, subsidies, from which we got no benefit whatever. Mr. Ellis then spoke at some length on the subject' of theLwork of the League. d >. o . , lO , Mr. T, MAOTPABLANE-s*id an'attempt bad been made to divert attention from tbe real object of the meeting, whioh he hoped would .not! be successful. He then proceeded to state what had been done up to that time, justifying the action of the;promoters. Mr. W. Buokxand said that was' supposed 'to be a public meeting, but had been represented Jby one of the speakers as a meeting of person) having,* specific .object. If it had been; only :&£ pen-softs who were members of the League he would not bfcVe come, but being a public meeting jhe had <foteru>i.p<d to be there. He now put tbe question, whether it was * public meeting, or not. • ' , , ; t£ , » Tbe chairman thought the promoters of the meeting had not worded the advertisement properly. In his own opin : on they ought not to have used the words " public meeting ;" but seeing that they had gone into the error, he. had gonenpon the prin. ciple that it was a public meeting. If he was right, Mr. Buckl*nd was perfectly right to make any remarks. ' . < M«-s«rs 0. Lbwis, W. Bockland, s.Cabr, J. M. Clarb.. and Matthjsws afterwards addressed the meeting. The following gentlemen were elected officebearers : — President, Mr. Archibald' dark ; vicepresident, Major Heaphy ; twai-urer, Mr. J. McCosh Clark ; secretary, Mr. Hunh H. Lnsk. Committee : Messrs. Upton, B. Carr, T. Macfftrlane, R. Lusk, 1411 m, Kas-t^ood, Abbott, R. Wood, J. Harris, J. Wrigley, Hurst, Hatg-r, and Cbamberlin. The business was concluded at llio'olook.