SIR GEORGE GREY'S STATEMENT AT THE MONDAY'S MEETING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5261, 23 August 1876, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY'S STATEMENT AT THE MONDAY'S MEETING.

On oponing the meeting Sir George Grey said • - " I hare called this meeting as a consequence of a letter received from Mr. Tonks, Mayor of Auokl aid, which I will read .— '• ' Government Uuildings, August 11, 1870. "'811 Geoige (liry, lv.U 15. • Dear Sir,- -I shill eiteom it .1 fivom if you, .is leidri of the juity, will call .1 meeting of Auckland membeis .is soon as possible to considei whit fuitliPi stops it is advisable to take to further the mtetests of the piovince. — 1 am, kc, "'P.. Tonics.' "When, gentlemen, I had convened the meeting , it was subsequently suggested that 1L was desirable to have a further meeting, to which all the Auckland members should be called, to consider what other steps should be taken to fuither the intciests of the province of Auckland, and Mr. Tonks has since suggested that the object to be had m view was to try to bring all the members of the province of Auckland to act together. The first meeting of Saturday requested me to call a meeting for the above-named purpose. I have done so. After Saturday's meeting had terminated, telegrams were received containing information which had I at the time known, would h.ive prevented me from calling this meeting, but having previously to receipt of these telegrams made a piomise to certain gcntlomen, I have felt bound to carry it out. "(I) The House of Representatives has recently unanimously resolved that the Government lias involved the country m such financial diflieulties tlu>t its constitutional position must be reconsidered. " (2) Recently resolutions were brought forward which provided the means by which the peoplo of New Zealand would have been empowered to choose the form of the new constitution under which they were to lire, and to determine the mode under which the existing financial difficulties were to be met. These resolutions would also have secured suflieient revenues for the people of the Northern province, with the power of adininistciing those loveuues themselves. "(3) Certain members of the province of Auckland voted against these resolutions, winch with their aid would, in my belief, have been earned. "(I) [ think that the constitutional measures proposed to !>e earned out by (iovtrninent in place of thes>c resolutions will " (5) Force on the people of New Zealand a most objectionable fojm of constitution, to which their assent has ncvci been asked, and of which they had no knowledge when they returned representatives to the present Pailuinont. " ((I) Which gives thorn no fair franchise. "(7) Which gises them no just electoral distucts " (S) Which give them no fair representation in either House, and no propci power of voting or controlling expenditure of public moneys, by which means the discharge of the enormous public debt, and the burden of the lavish public expenditure, is thrown upon the masses, exempting wealth and property from its fan eoutiilmtion to those great charges. " ({>) Which will throw tho power of taxation into the hands of a class. " (10) Which will secuie the chief benefits to be derived from the public and native lands for a class, and not tor the public at Luge "(11) Which will cieate a governing class, a vast and powerful Civil Service, and deprive the people of their rights. " These considerations have led me to the following conclusions : That the people of New Zealand and many of our constituents will not bo disposed at once and without effoit to acquiesce 111 the arrangements that have been made. Tins is also my view of the matter, consequently I ought to tako no steps which will be an admission on my part that I have given up the contest in which 1 think my duty requires me to struggle to the last, especially that I ought not to unite in communication with gentlemen who I sincerely believe are wronging their fellow countiymen meioly to gain a tempoiaiy peeuniaiy advantage for the province ot Auckland, at the cost of allowing to be quietly imposed upon the people at large what, in my judgment, will secure the poverty and ultimate degradation of New Zealand. I say this in no spirit of dis eouitesy If I have said anything haish, 1 beg fully to apologise for it, but I must only act with those who believo that their full and complete liberties bhould be assured to the people of New Zealand in some such manner as our party have proposed, that all may see I have not given up hope, and will not relax in my exertions. And now, having called this meeting as I was requested, and as I undertook to do, 1 will, with your permission, withdraw, assiuing you all of my personal goodwill, and that I act as I do .simply from a .sense of duty." Sir George Grey having delivered these remai ks then left tho meeting.