THE MINISTER OF LANDS AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3539, 11 November 1882, Page 3

THE MINISTER OF LANDS AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

(by telegraph.)

Csbistcht/ech, November 11

The Hon. Mr Rolleston, Minister of Lands, addressed his constituents last night in the Town Hall, Papanui. There was a moderate but select attendance. Mr George Harper occupied the chair. Mr Rolleston said he would have taken an earlier opportunity of addressing his constituents but that he had heard that a requisition was to be presented to bim asking bim to do so, and he was in courtesy waiting for it. He had nothing to conceal, and if the meeting had anything to accuse him of, they had better have it out at once. Mr Rolleston then went on to notice the enlargement of the franchise, and the return of a Parliament elected on a far broader basis than before. He was quite satisfied that the enlargement of the franchise was a good course to take, and he was sure that if our institutions were given fair play good results would follow. So long as freedom and education went hand in hand there was no fear but that good government would follow the enlarged power placed in the hands of the people. In reviewing the late session of Parliament, Mr Rolleston said that it had been more marked for imyjortant work than any other session yet held, and it was not correct to say that the Government rushed through their measures without consideration. Most of the measures had been before the people for a length of time, and while the Opposition admitted that most of those measures were right and good in principle, they had steadily opposed them. It was a bad day for the colony when men were chosen as representatives whose only desire was by intrigue or otherwise to obtain a hold on the public purse, and seek for success in the game of Government so as to have access to that purse for their constituencies. He did not believe that one of his constituents had such a low opinion of politics as to believe that such was the object for which men should be sent to Parliament. He attributed the length of the session to the youth of many of the members, which pi'evented organisation, but so soon as members began to thoroughly understand the policy of the Government the business went on more rapidly. Tho native policy of the Government was one intended to do justice to the natives and bring the admistration of native affairs into harmony with European affairs. The step taken by Mr Bryce a year ago convinced the natives that the Europeans meant to do justice to them, and despite all sorts of obstacles placed in the way of the Government order had been restored to the West Coast. .The Native Reserves Bill brought down by the Government was aimed very strongly against native landsharking, and was calculated to reduce and remove pauperism from among the natives, but the Government had great difficulty m passing the bill. When, however, ifc passed its thii'd reading it was found to have a large majority in favor of all its details. With regard to the lands generally, during the last three years, thanks to the aid derived from our efficient department, more had been done in the way of settlement than in any previous three years. Mr Rolleston then referred to the leasing of Otago runs, remarking that 77 runs had been released at an immense increase in rental, and a very large area of land placed in the hands of men on the deferred payment system. I Before long the taxation of the colony would be exceedingly heavy, and ifc would be great wisdom on the part of the colony to set aside land to meet such taxation, and leasehold properties such as runs might be used for the purpose of meeting the charitable aid and other burdens. He advocated extensive leasing, so that the revenue might be always coming in from ifc. On the goldfields leasing would secure land to tho farmer, and yet leave ifc available for the miner if it proved auriferous. He denied any visionary theorising on this subject, but believed that the Crown holding to the freehold of such lands to meet taxation would be productive of good. He traced the history of the adoption of tbis principle by Parliament last session. In his own Land Bill he had been blamed for giving in to the Legislative Council on the subject of this leasing question, but half a loaf was better than no bread, and he believed the practical work would now be done under that Act. The Government were to be congratulated on providing 20 per cent, of the land for opening up tho country by roads and bridges before the land was sold. Owing to the land being in tho past sold first purchasers bought in advance of roads, and this shut up tho country from occupation. With regard to the new loan, Mr Rolleston said ifc was alleged that the people did not know it was the intention of the Government to borrow, bufc that was not a fact, for the Government had made their intention of borrowing known. Mr Rolleston quoted from Sir John Hall's speech at Leeston to show that the intention to borrow was announced. Ho (Mr Rolleston) was not favorable in the main to borrowing, bufc having started on a scheme it was better to borrow to complete it, and profit by such completion, than to refrain from borrowing and lose by ifc. The colony was quite sonud at the present moment, and tho signs of increased prosperity in many directions were unmistakable. It would therefore be p mistaken policy to cease from borrowing. Mistakes had no doubt been made in the railway policy, bufc on the whole thero were not more in proportion than had been made by most men in this colony during their colonial experience. The advantages of the railway to the colony could'scareely be estimated, and they wero all reproductive works though tho reproduction might not be seen in the per-

centage of profit reaped, bnt it always would be seen in the increased productions of the districts through which they ran and the country they opened up for settlement. He, as a Minister, had to look at the whole colony, and he would not be a party to saying to a weak district, "We will not help you," and if a bridge or other work in any part of the colony would promote settlement tho people had an established claim for that work when they gave proof of its J likelihood to open and settle the country. It had been said that the loan could have been delayed, but it could not be delayed without works that were already half completed having to wait and suffer by it. With regard to the Middle Island railway proposals, Mr Rolleston traced Sir Julius Vogel's policy from 1870 down, which had for its object that of instituting main trunk lines in both islands, and he quoted a letter of Sir Julius Vogel to Mr Oswald Curtis, of Nelson, to prove tbis. With this object in view the people in other parts of the colony where no works were going on consented to the scheme in the belief that when main trunk lines were completed they would themselves ultimately be connected with the other portions of the colony. The events as they had occurred.ought not to be forgotten by those who objected to giving to the Cook Strait settlements people the connection with other parts of the colony that they had been promised. Mr Holleston quoted a letter he had written to the papers in 1878 advocating a connection with the West Coast of the Middle Island, and twitted the public with the apathy displayed by them then. In the Railway Construction Act of 1878 £60,000 was voted for the Aruberley-Cook Strait line, It was at that time that the question of which line should take precedence was practically decided, and it was then that the Railsvay League should have existed. His voice was then the only advocate of a West Coast line, and ib was like the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. After the session of 1879 the Railway Commission reported amongst the "lines to be proceeded with," the lines in tho Nelson and the Picton districts, and recommended the delay of those going towards the West Coast. He mentioned all this to show that the trunk line from Amberley to Cook Strait settlements was no new thing, and those gentlemen who were now blaming the Grover anient for going on with the lines that were put in hand ought to have lifted their voices at the time when it was first spoken of. One line had been taken to a point of tho Hurunui, from whence the line was bound to go to the West Coast. The speaker dwelt at some length on the subject of the West Coast line and extension, and the completion of the Amberley-Cook Strait line. He said that at present there was absolute uncertainty as to which w r as the best route, and there was not information regarding either sufficient to warrant a determination as to the best route.

After the speech was finished Mr Rolleston was subjected to stringent questioning, the object of which was to exact a pledge that he would support the West Coast line.

Mr Rolleston, however, declined to give a pledge, saying that it would be improper to do so at this time.

A vote of thanks and confidence was moved, and was received with hisses and applause. An amendment was proposed that a vote of thanks be accorded to Mr Rolleston, bufc that his statements were not satisfactory. This was negatived, and the first proposal was carried, only a small proportion of the audience, which did not number more than 70 or 80, voting.