PARLIAMENT OUT OP SESSION.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 94, 23 April 1881, Page 2

PARLIAMENT OUT OP SESSION.

ME. W. H. LEVIN AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC. Mr. W. H. Lovin, senior membor for the city, addressed a large meeting of his constituents at the Academy of Music last night, Mr. Greonfield in the chair. Mr. Lbvin was received with cheers on coming forward. Ho said the reason he had not addressed his constituents earlier was that his time was co muoh occupied with attending to public affairs, as well as his own business; but oven now he did not know whether he ought to apologise for not addressing them sooner, or for addressing them at all, feeling that what, ho had to pay would principally relate to things they were all aware of. Indeed, were it not that silence might be construed into discourtesy, he would not have addressed them at all. After a few remarks on the cordial relations existing between himself and Mr. Hutchison on many matters affecting the welfare of the city, Mr. Levin briefly reviewed the work of the last session, attributing its barrenness to the irresolutionof the Government on the one hand, and the action of a section of the so-called Opposition, who determined to offer obstruction to each measure emanating from the Government. While hoping that questions would never havo to be declared urgent in our House, remedial measures might be called for if factious opposition, prejudicial to the community at large, were persisted in by a small section of the representatives of the people. With regard to the bills brought down last session, he thought more attention should have been devoted to those dealing with the Licensing Laws, and Hospitals and Charitable Aid. He spoke in terms of praise of Mr. Stevens' Hospitals and Charitable Aid Endowment Bill, and hoped that it would be brought forward next session and passed. The Licensing Bill was a most important measure, which it was very desirable to pass, and he trusted it would be placed upon the Statute Book next session. The Representation Bill recognised the just claims of Wellington, in giving it three members in place of two. That Bill must, of necessity, be passed next session, and it would be no fault of his if, at the next election, Wellington did not send at least three members to Parliament. Mr. Levin, having explained his action upon the beer tax, next alluded to the indebtedness of the colony, concluding this portion of his romarks with an assertion that we could carry ourselves through our difficulties if we but looked at the task before us in a manful and self-reliant spirit. (Cheers.) He rejoiced to learn, from the utterances of the Colonial Treasurer, that there was every reason to believe that the income for the enrrent year would more than cover oux.expendituro. It was no less satisfactory to hoar from the same source that retrenchment equal to a quarter of a million sterling had been effected without impairing the efficiency of the service. Although the Government might have sacrificed their popularity in the performance of their unpleasant task, yet he believed the time would soon come when the people of this colony would with one voice accord the fullest praiao to the nion who havo had the couage to probe the wound to the bottom and provide a, remedy for the disease. (Loud cheers). With regard to the Property Tax, he took credit for being among the first to point out the objectionable nature of the forms on, which the returns were made, and they were" subsequently* withdrawn and simpler ones substituted. He was not specially enamoured of the Property Tax, but the more he looked into it the more he believed its fairness to be. He believed it to be a better tax than a land and income tax. With regard to Mr. Bryce's resignation, he said it was Almost the unanimous opinion throughout the country that he .vas a man of marked ability and unquestioned honor. He (Mr. Levin) shared in the general regret- thae hia high«eßSA of duty compelled him to withdraw from the Executive Government of tie country; bat he thought no courae could have been more prejudicial to the interest of the community than that proposed by Mr. Bryee. He spoke highly of Mr. Bryce's conduct during his tenure of office, and remarked that he had, in leaving the Ministry, taken the only course left open-to a man of honor. Referring to native lands, he deprecated absolute free trade, especially in regard to land that would be reproductive. He had some crude ideas on the subject of occupation of native lands, and when the time came he would endeavor to put them into such form that really good hinds would be placsd in the hands of the many, and not of the few. (Cheers.) While being entirely in favor of 6mall holdings, he would be no party to granting them indiscriminately. Two essentials there were for good settlement— the suitability of the hind to carry the people, and the suitability of the people to occupy the land. (Applause.) He laid emphasis on this because many people utterly devoid of capital, and utterly unfit for country life, thought, *nd were en-

couraged to think, they had only to place their feet upon a 40-acre piece of land to be happy. How many people there were who soon found out theirjmistake ! Ho would be no party to the settlement of land which would produce only heart-burnings and disappointment. While he would uphold to the full our present national system of odd* oatiori, he felt, under existing circumstances^ that we wore perhaps spending more than we had a right to do. (Applause.) Upwards of iJ-400,000 was annually spent in the oause of education, and he felt that many economies might be practised without in any degree impairing the efficiency of the Byatem. (cheers.) For a .titho, at any rate, he should be inclined to advocate an alteration in the compulsory claims, and to make the 4th Standard the maximum standard in publics schools ; but 1 BO' that children of promise might have an opportunity of pursuing their stadies further, he wou'd in each centre have a school Astablished where the higher standards might be taught on the payment of a fee sufficient to cover expenses. Exception, however, should be made in. regard to children whose parents were unable to pay for the higher branches. The member here digressed and dealt with several matters outside of politics, totlohing upon the action of the B arbour Botrd in regard to the Qneen's Whatf, the West Coast Railway, and the miserable condition of our Post and Telegraph Offices. With regard to tbo latter, Mr. Levin said ho had from time to timo brought the matter under the notioe of the Government, and ho was glad to say that his persistency had at last been rewarded by a measnro of success. (Applause.) He had received an assurance that during next session the Government would propose what was needful. (Konowod applanse.) In conclusion, Mr. Levin said he had always endeavored to do Mb duty by his constituents, and he trusted he would long continue in their confidence (Applause.) In entering into public life, ho had no selfish ends in view, and if they thought his place oonld be better filled ho would willingly stand aside. They might easily find an abler representative, but they would not, he took loave to say, find a more sincere of more disinterested one. (Loud and continued ahetfrff,) Mr. T. Hl'Kenzm moved, and Mr. 3. H. Wallace seconded, a voto of thanks and confidence in Mr. Lovin, which was carried unanimously amid l"ud cheering A vote of thanks to tho Chairman closed the meeting.