The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3637, 9 March 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1883.

A report of Mr E. Richardson's speech to the Selwyn electors places us in possession of his reasons for offering himself as an Opposition candidate. Those reasons are not numerous, but they arc sufficiently weighty. He was opposed to the Government for their mismanagement of the railways ; on the policy of their local government ; for their disposition of the money for public works ; and for their extension of the Amnesty Act to Te Kooti. Speaking of the management of the railways ho showed that, although they had during the past year yielded a revenue of nearly 4 per cent, on £9,443,000 cost of open lines, those in the North Island had yielded 2}, and those in the South Island 4 J; being an increase of -J- per cent, over the previous year. And the" money for their construction having, previously to the loan authorised last session, been oh, there was a loss to the colony on last year of 1} per cent., which, had to be made up from general taxation. He was of opinion that, with different management a much better return could be got from them than at present, and that they out to yield the full amount of profit, eleven more than the interest on the cost of their construction. Even allowing tor those hues which were by some called political railways, and should not have been constructed for years to come. The fault he found Avas that they were managed entirely as a Government/department, and not as a commercial concern would be. They

were managed direct from one centre — AA r ellington—with hard and fast rules, which the district managers could not disobey, no matter how they may see their instructions cause them to work against both the interests of the people of the district under their control as well as the interest of the revenue. These district managers he said were much better able, being on tho spot, to know what -was best to bo done for all parties concerned, and if their judgment could not be trusted, then others should be got who could be relied upon. Then again the regulations were such that those employed on the railways were liable to be treated with great harshness, to use a mild term—without any mciins of redress. He had always advocated a Board—not a paid Board—to whom appeal could bo made, and from whom redress eoidd be obtained. On tho subject of rates of carriage, although a reduction had been made, anil great credit was taken by the Government for making it, he entirely disagreed with the system on which the reduction had been carried out. He did so on the ground that irrespective of the cost of haulage and working generally one uniform rate had been adopted; thus by the reduction making the cost of carriage on those railways which already were not paying, still lower, and consequently making those districts in which the railways did pay bear a still further charge to make up the deficiency for those that did not pay. On the subject of the pardoning of Te Kooti Mr Richardson said the Amnesty Bill gave the Governor tho power to pardon in case of complete submission to the Queen's authority. This was just the point raised with regard to Te Kooti; and from the published accounts of the interview with Mr Brycc there was very little doubt that he had not given such a pledge as was intended by Parliament. That being the case, the Governmcnthad exceeded their authority, and he considered that so long as wo treated TeWhiti as we were doing, the pardon of probably the most bloodthirsty Maori now living would not produce a good effect on the natives. Therefore he considered the pardoning of that native not only a breach of tho Amnesty Act by the Government, but a mistake. In reply to questions, Mr Richardson thought the Amnesty Act was not meant to extend bej*oud those which made due submission to tho Queen's authority, and as To Kooti had not properly submitted, but merely made a child's agreement, "You leave me alone, and I will leave you alone," it appeared clear to him that the present Government had made a grave mistake in their course, for which no doubt they would have at some time to answer. He Sidd he would have to be assured that Sir George Grey would have a very strong Government before he would support him in the event of the present Government being turned out. He was opposed to the introduction of the Bible as a class book in the schools. He had not heard of any plan by which assistance could be given to denominational schools, and was opposed to making the attempt. The best way to reform the bankruptcy law was to abolish it ill together. He was'in favor of the expending of the £180,000 set apart for the extension of the Great Northern line in the construction of a railway towards the West Coast. He thought free trade was impossible in this country. The property tax, if applied fairly, was probably tho fairest tax that could be laid on in this country.