The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3064, 22 April 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1881.

Mr H. Allwright, M.H.R. for Lytteltou, addressed his constituents last week. Mr Allwright, as a candidate at the last elections, came forward as a " Greyite," believing at the time that " Greyism " and J' Liberalism" were convertible terras. He has lived to know better. He has learnt that these two words have nothing in common; that Greyism means humbug, and that Liberalism means honesty. But at the time when be sought election he was as much deluded by the pretensions of Sir George Grey as anyone amongst the crowds that assembled in all the centres of population to cheer the " Heaveu-born statesman." Mr Allwright's speech affords very fair proof that a man can be a thoroughgoing Liberal without placing the slightest faith in Sir George Grey; in fact, that to be a liberal no one can be a follower of Sir George Grey. Mr All- • wright said that it was continually being

drummed into the people's ears that tbe late Government was tbe Liberal one, but he would like to ask where, after their two years of power, were the Liberal fruits of its endeavors. The present Government had proved their liberalism by tbeir works in carrying' some of the most liberal measures which could be asked for by the greatest Liberal of Liberals?. He referred to the electoral laws. The late Government's liberalism had shown itself, he thought, in the liberality which characterised its policy of bringing poor people into the colony without regard to the number of poor already here, and in getting away with the borrowed money, no inconsiderable portion of which he was inclined to think served as nice pickings for friends. He did not wish, however, to go further into this, his chief and sole purpose being to explain his position with his constituents, and to refute the charge of deserting bis previously avowed political principles. As he bad predicted when he last came before the electors, the last session found no sort of organised Opposition. It was so disunited one could hardly tell who was leader and who was follower, and it appeared to him tbat the only approach to anything like unity was in the action taken by those who claimed to be in Opposition to obstruct the business of the country. Mr Allwright spoke at length respecting the part Sir George Grey took in moving the repeal of the Property Tax and no-confidence motion which followed. He said it was shameful to witness the conduct of some of the reputed leading Liberals in these debates, talking against time day and night, frittering away in this manner nearly one-third of the session at a heavy cost to the country. One hon. member, a great Liberal, spoke, he said, by way of illustration, three and a half hours, at a cost to the country of £350, and what he uttered be believed could have been expressed in ten minutes. There was, he said, no attempt to show how the country was to be extricated from tbe fearful financial muddle into which it had fallen, and wheu tbe result of the whole matter was reached, he said the division of the House showed a larger majority against the no-confidence motion than had ever been known, he believed, on any similar motion in the House. He was not an unmixed admirer of the Property Tax, and had Sir George Grey offered something better as a substitute, he would have probably voted for its repeal. The late Government had coolly spent in one way or another some £11.000,000, had kept up a weekly squandering of about £1 10,000, and the country, he said, had to face the fact that every morning of tbe year that the sun rose upon it, £4153 18s was required from it to pay the interest on the money it had borrowed. What he should like to have seen in preference to tbe ten per cent, reduction, was to have purged the Civil Service list of a pack of high salaried officials, who were Bucking away the life's blood from the country. It was the drones that should be ousted. He thought, however, if the present Government were permitted to go on they would bring the country back to a sound financial state. In proof of tbe sincerity of the Government they had reduced their own salaries by 20 per cent., or from £1,250 to £1000 ; but when he, the speaker, moved tbat hon. members' honorariums be reduced by 15 per cent., he was accused of not being a Liberal by Liberals. He still held the opinion, however, that members who received £160 for their expenses during the session were simply reimbursed, and it was not very liberal for the shining lights of the great Liberal party, so called, to vote with such avidity to reduce laboring men's wages, and to vote against a reduction of 15 per cent, on their own honorariums. Of the future course he should pursue he, Mr Allwright, could only repeat what he had said on a former occasion. He would go to the next session untrammelled by any influence save that of a desire to best serve those who had done him the honor of sending bim to represent them. Politically, he would be free and independent in his actions, supporting liberal measures whenever and by whomsoever they were presented. He wished not to be understood that he was opposed to any member of the late Government that he would vote against what his convictions and judgment declared to be right, simply because such a member of the House was found advocating it. He believed that when the session opened the present Government would be found to be supported and backed by a strong following of staunch Liberals, who would stand by them as long as they honestly and zealously administered public affairs.